MICHAEL
WEIKATH INTERVIEW
TO HARD ROCK MUSIC RADIO
The exclusive
first pressing of this special limited-edition double disc
package, Master Of The Rings on Castle records includes the
original 11-track European release with seven additional tracks,
over 84 minutes of music. The CD bonus disc is available in the
U.S. until the end of April when it will revert back to 11
tracks. Their first new album to be released in Europe and the
U.S. simultaneously is The Time Of The Oath which was released in
March.
Sheila Rene': Good to
hear from you.
Michael Weikath: I'm sorry if I kept you waiting. Some folks just
want to know too much and it's hard to disengage.
SR: I just received an
advance cassette for your new album. It's great. How long have
you been in the U.S.?
MW: We arrived Monday and we've been doing interviews every day.
Oh, god I can tell you, I'm so tired.
SR: When will we get to
see you play in the U.S.
MW: After the Japanese tour I believe. We're really wanting to
get back here for a club tour.
SR: We've gone through
a lot of changes in the music biz. You've been around for 12
years now, is the format changing on The Time Of The Oath.
MW: There's a very important concept behind that album. It's a
spooky thing from Nostradomas who mentioned the time of the oath
would be between the year 1995 and the year 2000. Something
really grave is supposed to happen to mankind and he saw red in
the sky and snow whiter than white which could be a nuclear war
or a snow catastrophe or many other horrible events. All in all
what is requested of mankind is that they should stick together
to deal with things like this, politics and so forth, before the
year 2000. After the year 2000, Nostradomas predicted peace,
prosperity, life and health. So we just need to get through those
few years.
SR: I love the
spiritual feeling I get listening to your music.
MW: It would probably give them goose bumps if they listened
closely. They'd conclude that they had emotions and wouldn't know
how to deal with them.
SR: The scene has
changed so much.
MW: Oh, God nothing is like before. I missed it all and ever
since AIDS so many strange things have happened to mankind. I
have the feeling that everything went grey at one time.
SR: Did you ever think
of giving up during the time you were having problems with your
label? You've always maintained your integrity.
MW: No, I'm much too hot headed for that. I'm a natural born
musician and I've already gotten rid of all the women who might
have loved me when I was 15 because they thought I was the
greatest.
SR: What's the most
exciting time in your career?
MW: Now. Although it might not be the most famous time, on the
other hand when I was more famous, I might as well have put my
finger up by ass. Right now, we have a good contract and a nice
band happening. We're going somewhere again and I feel that
something great is going to happen to this band. I've never been
any more lucky than now. I have a friend as a singer and very
decent people around me. I'm not surrounded by idiots today.
SR: The double CD, was
that your idea?
MW: No, it was Castle's idea. It's just brilliant since you get
the whole recording session of that very time. Even I didn't have
it before. I'm going to have, for the first time, the whole
collection.
SR: I love all the
sounds on this album. It's got such a tempo. It's so gothic.
MW: It's just back to reality. We're supposed to sound gothic.
SR: Did you do most of
the writing on The Oath?
MW: No, everyone helped out. In fact, I did five tracks and Andi
was there with four tracks and Uli did two tracks and then Roland
did one track. Andi and I worked on the lyrics together because
we tend to do things as a team. This happens when you have a good
unit.
SR: What's the cover
like?
NW: Don't care. No, it's a monk in a monk's suit and symbolizing
Nostradamus, making some funny signs with his hands. I didn't
like the cover and so I sat down with a graphic artist and a
Macintosh changed it completely. The angle's are different and
more correct. We changed the outlook. What you see is the same
with a lot more color and a lot more expression.
SR: You've already got
a website and an e-mail address. Are you into this scene?
NW: Yes, but Hamburg wouldn't let me through. I'm still wondering
what I can do about it. I would guess that you can pick up more
fans on the internet. We are very much into computers. Andi is a
computer maniac. We don't have any e-mail yet but it'll be up and
running soon. It takes a lot of time to answer all the mail. It's
extremely expensive to explore the internet. I'm still looking
for a provider that will put me into the internet very easily.
SR: Have you done the
video for "Power" yet?
NW: Yes and we're doing one for "The Time Of The Oath"
next week in London.
SR: Are you a spiritual
person?
NW: I'm a Catholic and I try to be good. It's very hard not to
over react if someone is giving me a really bad time. But, all in
all I try to bear in mind not to harm people. I don't want to
show off, I'm just human.
SR: "In The Middle
Of A Heartbeat" is a wonderful song.
NW: That song was written by Andi. We did those lyrics because
sometimes I'm not exactly sure he knows what it's all about. My
girlfriend would leave with an insurance guy because he made more
money. Ever since then I've lost my belief in women, but those
lyrics were written at that time. I didn't know if she would come
back or not.
SR: Your last night in
the U.S., what do you have planned?
NW: We're going to dinner with Steven Learner of Alliance and
we're interested to find out what he thinks the future for us is
in Mexico and Brazil.
SR: Are you able to get
into the new hardcore bands?
NW: No, I don't like that kind of music. It's too negative.
Sepultura is one of the more positive bands.
SR: Thanks for this
time. I'm really looking forward to seeing you play the states
this year.