Gothic heavy metallers Lacrimas Profundere have accomplished so much since their formation seventeen years ago, with the release of seven videos, and ninth full-length studio album releases, there is nothing this band cannot get away with doing. Except perhaps drowning in their own tears since their name means "to shed tears". But this little mishap doesn't cause as much damage as one may think. Whilst Lacrimas Profundere may have lyrics that are wallowing in pain and sorrow that does not dismiss them for developing such raw and emotional content that cannot be missed. Guitarist Oliver Nikolas Schmid spoke with me about the band's latest release as well as how the band came to be and everything in between.
1. First of all I'd like to ask you to give us brief information concerning the history of Lacrimas Profundere for all of the music fans that haven't heard of you yet!
Oliver: Take 4 crazy guys, a bottle of jack and meet them on Skid row show 15 years ago with Pantera, Him and Sentenced as support acts and start a band next day. I think that’s what we did. Kind of…We love playing music and we are still enthusiastic fans of good bands. We try to combine our influences with things we discover every day, good and bad. A song can be very melancholic and slow but also heavy as hell.
2. There have been big expectations for your new album "The Grandiose Nowhere". Please tell us more about the album itself and also about its progress.
Oliver: This record is different! Different in development, the condition and the approach! Beginning of 2009 we wanted to dissolve the band, because nobody wanted to speak or stay in the same room with one of the others! We all got kind of a burn out, I had to clear my brain of all the After show parties and assimilate all the things that happened at our Gigs in Spain, Mexico, UK, Russia, France, Hungary, Swiss and all the others! It was fuckin worse that I couldn´t remember some of it, because I was so drunk! We lost the sight to the basics! So, this record describes the mood I was in, during the writing process! I didn´t know, in which direction I wanted to continue, which members are still in the band, or if I should continue!
After some month, watching TV, I thought to myself let’s write some new songs and call the others to ask if they are still alive, to do a band rehearsal, or speak about the past! To come to the point: This album is the most important record in the history of the band, because it combine the band again to a unit with its deep, heavy riffs it draws you down and spit you out, and we got it back: this dangerous rock´n´roll feeling and we´re back: bigger, better and deeper than ever before! We were always a bit wicked and dirty, but now it feels like the drunken brother of “HIM” with biker boots that nobody wanted at the family celebration, or the sweet sister of “Paradise Lost” who has a sideline at the table dance bar next door! Laugh!
3. You made a video clip for ‘The Letter’. Can you tell us about the atmosphere and the making of the clip?
Oliver: It was a bit stressful! We had to shoot the clip between our day off at our tour together with our friends The 69 Eyes in January in Germany and in February in UK and The Netherlands! It´s our second clip we shoot in a Green box and we like this “The Matrix” feeling the clip has for me!
4. Can you tell us about the artwork of the album and the link with the title ‘Ave End’?
Oliver: We had this idea with this homeless person in front of a big tower and at the first second I had my friend Niklas Sundin in mind! He really likes the idea. In the past he did so many great covers for his own Band Dark Tranquillity or In Flames or our AVE END for example that I really knew that he is the right decision for the job! I wanted to go back to the AVE END record regarding the suspense, the mood, the choice of Songs: Midtempo and Fast forward and the cover art! The cover is the visual thing, the first touch! It´s the colour of the music! We´re on the same wavelength!
5. When will we be seeing Lacrimas Profundere out on the U.S. soil?
Oliver: Yeah, we have some plans to visit US West coast for about 8 concerts in October!!!
6. Have you ever considered touring with The 69 Eyes and HIM?
Oliver: We toured together with The 69 Eyes in 2005! HIM would be amazing, so, waiting for your call, Ville!
7. What does the future have in store for Lacrimas Profundere?
Oliver: I stop to think about the future while I play in this band! I just finished my first interview for the Playboy magazine, so, what better could I get?
8. With every record you evolved a bit more to an open rock sound and from an underground band you became more professional with every album. What are the slight differences between ‘Songs for the Last View’ and ‘The Grandiose Nowhere’?
Oliver: The sound, the working process and the studio! Retrospective I have to say that “Songs for the last view” is a bit to polish over-produced! John Fryer (HIM, Depeche Mode, Cradle of Filth) our producer said the same, so we try to bring the “dirt” back!
9. Can you tell us all about the writing process of the songs this time? When did you start writing and who were the main composers?
Oliver: I always start to write songs soon after the recordings are done!
10. Are there any songs you want to emphasis or can be seen as your personal favourites?
Oliver: My fave tracks are “My Little Fear” because this was the last song I composed for the album and it has this special feeling for me and “Not for Love” because this is my tribute to my fave bands like Buckcherry and Motley Crüe!
11. When in your life did you pick up the music of Lacrimas Profundere and what did it mean to you?
Oliver: Yeah in 1995 I had this idea to found a band because I was sick of playing alone with my songs books Overkill and Slayer songs! I met our former bass player at a Metal Pub in my hometown, he had a friend who plays rhythm guitars and I had a friend who plays drums! My brother looks like a singer and a week later we had our first rehearsal in this bog called rehearsal room! Now we entered the German Charts, toured together with fantastic bands like Lacuna Coil, The 69 Eyes, or Apocalyptica and we have met all our idols, like Paradise Lost, Type O Negative, and Overkill and have visited such countries as Spain, The Netherlands, Mexico, Russia and the UK. I never regret my decision to find this band!
12. Anything else you want to add for our readers…
Oliver: Thank you very much for supporting us. Stay dark and check out THE GRANDIOSE NOWHERE at the end of April 2010 at your dealer next door! Find more information and Song snippets at: www.myspace.com/lacrimasprofundere
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