Interview with Anima guitarist André Steinmann

Metal Blade Recording artists Anima are preparing to release their newest disc Enter The Killzone and guitarist André Steinmann was more than happy to sit down and chat about the disc. The band has adjusted their sound a bit by lightening up on the Hardcore elements and making the disc a more straightforward, technical, thrashing Death metal album. It is heavy, it is brutal and it is everything a fan of extreme metal will dig.

Many of your songs are so hard and intense that I am sure they translate well into a live setting taking on a completely new life in front of a live audience. How does it make you feel when the emotion and power that you envisioned in the recording studio, come to life while playing in front of a crowd?
André: Nowadays we play one promotion song live and it’s really cool to see how the people like it! I am looking forward to our release show. On MySpace, we get many good reviews for the new songs. I hope that everyone likes our new songs especially when we play them live. We have rehearsed everything to perfection in our test space and I think that all will workout well.

The record is a pretty dense affair with increased levels of technicality. Musically, how would you say you have progressed compared to the previous album?
André: In comparison to the previous album we were much more structured. Enter The Killzone is a more technical death metal record with less hardcore influences. We used a lot of thrash elements and in one song, we included an orchestral passage. This time out we play more solo parts and overall I believe this one is much faster. The drums and bass are also more technical and the voices are more aggressive. I think it’s our masterpiece in theme of modern death metal.

What was the recording process like for Enter The Killzone? Did you guys all write together?
André: Our recording process went really well because this time we had more time. So we could insert many little things (like the orchestra in “XXXIII” or the sample in “Black night”). I have written a large part of this disc, so Enter The Killzone sounds different from The Daily Grind. In spite of that we all cooperated together and the recording process was really cool!

Are there any tracks on Enter The Killzone that are personal favorites or that have good stories behind them?
André: Yes, my favorite music style is black metal and I am very proud of my somber work “XXXIII.” I like the dark ambient feel in this music. Sure, it is not the real black metal track but I like it. Another song I like a lot is “Necromantica,” it is really cool to play this song live. The vocals are abnormal, there are guest vocals and I love the solo parts. This song is really groovy.

What are your touring plans for this year?
André: We are hoping to play a tour this year, but we don’t know the dates. We hope that we can play a death bringing tour in the summer of this year. Until then time we will play a lot of weekend shows.

When you are on the road for a while, I am sure you see and experience many different things you might not even have known existed. Are there any stories that stand out in your mind as being exceptionally strange or odd?
André: When we played in France, I didn’t know that you could buy living animals in a supermarket (like frogs, lobster or crabs, etc.). This was very unusual for me. When we drive through the Alps, it is always very thrilling. I think that’s it.

When you are out on the road anything can happen and often does. Can you think of any disastrous events that happened while out on tour? How did you solve the problem?
André: One time we played a tour with Aborted, Textures and Neaera. When we played the first show, Benni, Steven and I became ill and couldn’t play one show. We all ate painkillers, medicine and slept a lot, until we became healthy.

What is the hardest part about being in a touring metal band and what is the biggest obstacle your band faces?
André: I think the biggest problem of being on the road is getting holidays or free time off because we have so much work and school. All of us go to work or to school. Mostly we play weekend shows and sometimes some shows in the week, but not so often…. When we want to play a tour, we have to plan it exactly!

Any closing words?
André: I hope that all of you buy our new CD. Please, NO DOWNLOADS! This time we have a new merchandise package that you can order at IMPERIAL clothing. And when we play near your, visit our shows. Cheers Anima.  [ END ]