Interview with Guitarist & Vocalist Matthias Behringer of Void of Animus
By Mick Michaels
COSMICK VIEW: Hello! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking
some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.
CV: Do you feel Heavy Metal music in general is viewed differently by fans in Europe compared to fans elsewhere, especially in America, and if so why?
Matthias Behrin: Of course there are some different preferences, but all in all I think we appreciate heavy metal or metal music in general equally. A lot of big headliners at music festivals in Europe are American bands and also the other way round.
CV: What do you feel makes Heavy Metal music so alluring to the fans? What is it about the music that personally resonates so strongly with you?
MB: The variety
is its beauty. Metal can come in so many different styles, sounds, quality,
noisy or softly, nasty or an absolute pleasure to your ear. There's at least
one song, band or subgenre for anyone and as soon as you're on the hook it's
just a matter of time many dive deeper and deeper into the music and culture.
For me there are many reasons why I like metal music the most. Most important
is the energy and influence on my emotions. If I'm having a terrible day or if
I'm really tired, music can fix it. The second is I'm a big fan of good
songwriting and there are many songs I'm listening to for years, but sometimes
I can still find something in those songs, which I've didn't notice the first
100 times.
CV: Has Metal splintered into too many sub-genres in your opinion, thus, making
it harder for newer bands to actually classify themselves as one style over
another? Is it confusing for fans as
well?
MB: I don't think you can count how many subgenres there are at the moment. If the music is actually specific, I don't mind a special description but most of the times it's just not. I get that everyone wants to be different in some kind of way, but putting a random genre in your bio is not the solution. I mean, what's wrong with just being "alternative"? Of course the fans are confused as well and there many discussions about it. But I personally couldn't care less if it's brutal-tech-death-mathcore or tech-brutal-math-deathcore, it's so dumb.
CV: How would you describe the current state of the music business considering we are now living in a COVID aware, and maybe even feared world? Have things drastically changed long-term for artists and bands given the recent pandemic? What are your thoughts?
MB: I hope COVID
won't be a thing anymore, so that the music business can recover from the past
2-3 years. Many festivals, bands or venues had to shut down and the rest of
them had to increase their prices drastically.
CV: What do you feel makes your band and its particular approach to songwriting
work? What keeps the band together and making music?
MB: We have two main songwriters, myself (Dias) and Stefan. I usually write in a more simple way and melodic and Stefan is more on the technical side. But I think we complete each other’s song very well and also we try our best to write different kind of songs anyone can tell apart easily. As long as there is inspiration, we got a reason to write new songs and keep it going.
CV: On a more global view, how do you see your band’s music and songwriting separating itself from just being another Heavy Metal act?
MB: We add instruments to our songs which are unusual to the genre. We already got a song with a banjo and one with a tambura. Later we plan on involving a balalaika and sitar, for example. We're not writing in a specific genre, we just try our best to add our signature style to any song and I don't think there are many comparable bands to us.
CV: Can an artist truly be unique? Some would argue there is no such thing as being unique; that it’s nothing more than a compounding of influences making an artist who or what they are. Would this then say that artists today are destined to be just copies of those who have already come to pass?
MB: In my
opinion, yes. There will always be one Freddie Mercury, for example. You can
get heavily inspired or even try to imitate him, but you'll never be him and I
don't think anyone wants you to be him. Anyone is unique but it takes a lot
until people actually call you that way.
CV: Are there life lessons to learn being in a Heavy Metal band that you feel cannot be taught elsewhere? If so, what are they?
MB: I thought about this for half an hour now... but I can't come up with any life lessons, which are specific to being in a metal band. It's just great and fulfilling experience in general I'm very thankful for.
CV: What do you feel makes someone a “rock star”? Does being a rock star automatically make one iconic or are the two completely different in your opinion?
MB: I never thought about it, but my first thought is that it doesn't matter if you play in front of 50 or 50,000 people. If you deliver, you're a rock star from this moment. Being iconic has nothing to do with it, but of course would he really helpful and makes it easier.
CV: What's next for you? What can fans expect to see coming as the world looks to surmount a new normal laced with a load of restrictions?
MB: We want to put more time into songwriting and releasing stuff and take a little step back from playing live shows. We all work full time, so we can't do both now. But putting more songs out there is what we prefer to do, mainly to reach more people.
CV: Thank you again for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. It was a pleasure. I wish you all the best and continued success.
MB: Thank YOU for your time and to you, who's reading this right now.
It's been a pleasure.
Check out Void of Animus at:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voidofanimus
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voidofanimus
The Cosmick View
Where the stars always shine bright
www.thecosmickview.com
www.facebook.com/TheCosmickView
www.thecosmickvoice.com
www.anchor.fm/the-cosmick-voice
Spiritual Counseling and Sessions Available
www.pamelaaloia.com
 |
| The Cosmick Voice Music, Talk & Nothing But Business www.facebook.com/TheCosmickVoice |
Family owned & operated - Made in the USA
www.blackbeltammunition.com
Want to see your logo here? Contact The Cosmick View for details and rates.
Comments
Post a Comment