Panzer
Twinmusix Talk to Marcel Schmier from Panzer to talk about their new album
Your new album ‘Fatal Command' is coming out soon what can fans expect?
It's a dive back into day eighties, When you hear the album you'll hear a lot of references from the eighties. We try to pay tribute to our roots, to where we are coming from, fatal command gives you a dose of the eighties all. The way the production is more up-to-date, But it's not too modern and we are paying a tribute to an area, that's what faith to command does. And hatefully the fans will have as much fun Listening to this album. As we had to produce the record I don't record it.
how did you come up with your album cover?
it is also an eighties thing, Back in the day It was normal To put the put album covers out the cold war all those guts on the covers back in the day .we thought we should do something similar. because those 4 people on the cover Are a fret to the world. And what's going on right now is pretty scary. So we wanted a cover is a bit ironic about all this. So to me came to Together with this crazy end of the World Party. In a tank, It is those for world leaders That is either going crazy basically. I'm surprised no other band had an album cover like this. Because when we did the cover in February or march the cover was already finished. I was scared that other band would come up with the same idea. Which is quite obvious at the moment to do an album cover like this too but no one did.
In 2014 you released your album ‘send them all to hell' what were your fans responses to this album? And how has your sound changed between now and then?
I think the first album was a tryout we didn't know where we were going to go. It was the first time we worked together. We built a basement for the band on this record. For the second album, we knew what direction to go in. We were much more sure about the musical development of the band. So the difference from the first to the second album is we have added a lot more twin guitars, harmony guitars, double lead guitars.so there are much more guitars on this album. But the album has not lost its grip. It an aggressive heavy metal album, straight in your face. This time it has more catchy moments.
How was your experience playing at summer breeze?
We played there a couple of times now. This time we played there it was a special surprise night. No one knew who was playing and it was a big honor for us to play the opening night because you don't know how people are going to react.there were fifty thousand metal heads there and you don't know whos coming up next on stage. It was a tribute to the boss the original owner of the festival died four years ago he had brain cancer and he was a good friend of all the bands that played on that Wednesday night. His colleague who runs the festival. thought it would be a great thing to do. let the bands play that are close to him. Pay tribute they named the stage after him.
How did you pick the name Panzer for your band? What's the story behind it?
It was very difficult to find a name all the names are gone. We see us as a big metal machine. We wanted something typical German in the name and a metal machine. The word panzer came up at one point. We were skeptical about it in the beginning. One side because of world war two and the history and people could miss understanding the interpretation of the whole thing but on the other hand its heavy metal we have to play a bit of the cliché. And the panzer is a big straight forward metal machine. That's what the band is all about.
If you could have any band perform one of your songs which band and song would you choose and would it be in your style or there's?
Its important for a band to pay tribute to you but put it in their own style. Motorhead doing fatal command
How did you come up with your music video for death knell?
We needed something basic that shows the band and fits the song. We gave the filming and storyboard to the director. Which are good friends of mine and he also does a lot of video work for waken festival. So it's just a song. It's your vision make it how you see panzer these days. That's how the video came out.its pretty pure that's the way panzer works best.
Who writes the music in your band or do you all write it together?
We prepare ourselves a little bit. If the whole song is done already you sit together and arrange it with the guys. We sit together in the studio. Our guitar player has his own studio so we meet there and record bits and pieces and we make a song together. It depends on how much we like the song at the end. If you have a song and it's almost perfect you don't change the song you just arrange it. And sometimes you come together and have a few ideas and arrange everything together. At the end its all about the song. When you hear the song it has to catch you. And that the way we decide if a song is good enough or the riff is good enough. If it doesn't get you right away it doesn't work.
Do you prefer playing festivals or small shows?
Booth have their charm. Big festival there are a blast all those people It's an amazing experience. But people are far away from you. Nothing is close there's a big photo pit and the first faces in the front row are ten fifteen twenty meters away. I love to play the clubs because people are close and you can see the faces right in front of you. The energy from the crowd comes to the band much easier in a smaller club.
What's your favourite concert memory?
I think there's no such thing because there's a lot of great moments on stage its always an adrenaline rush. The moment when you play the first time certain places or a big festival. I think if you ask me what is the biggest one from the past the memory of the first time we played in London with Motorhead when he had his album out back in the day no sleep till Hammersmith it was the album of my youth. And the first time we played with Motorhead was a game changer for me. I was so excited and never imagined that was going to happen when I was young. But as a musician, you have a lot of crazy moments on stage. Sometimes you have crowds that are so loud that they are over singing the band. Those moments are especially magic.
What's your Craziest fan story?
There were a few times we had autograph sessions. There was a grown-up man that got down on his knees and started crying because it was the first time he meets his favorite band. Those are the moments you feel like crying with him because you are so touched.music can deliver so much emotion. It's an amazing thing. And when you go to Brazil and the guy starts crying because he sees you that's an amazing fan experience for me.
Check out Panzer Album link here - Panzer Fatal Command
Check out Facebook link here - https://www.facebook.com/TheGermanPanzer/
