Interview with the Band Hell in the Skies (Germany)

May 13, 2024

Interview with the Band Hell in the Skies (Germany)

Photo by Nola & Joel Design

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?
Garmr: No. I think the people that love the same music have similar feelings about it. That’s what connects them. Maybe the scene in Europe is way smaller but is just as vivid.

Solas: I think basically all real metal fans, no matter which country they live in, realizes that the metal community is a very special one. This unites us all under the same banner and yet everyone has a very individual connection to metal and lives this lifestyle in a different way. It's more a matter of personal preference than a territorial deviation, I would argue.

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?
Asmoday/Baka: Because you can find your niche.

People who feel misunderstood can create their own world with heavy metal. No matter what problem you have in life, there is always an artist or music that reflects exactly that in this genre.

Garmr: In my opinion it is all about the volume, the frequencies and the experience of sound. It finds a way into you.

Solas: It's definitely the rebel thing. You can just freak out in a completely different way. Metal is so diverse. Furthermore, for me it is and remains high art. I think people realize that there is a lot of skill and passion in it. In the end you have to discover the spirit of the thing and find it suitable. At first it was the toughness and coolness that the artists embodied for me. Today it's more the perfection and just incredible songwriting that I recognize.

Baal: For every situation and emotion in live there´s a suitable style of metal music. It gives you strength and helps you in difficult 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?
Solas: A few years ago I might have even said that, but today I just find it exciting how bands define themselves and how well the description ultimately fits. You read a crazy genre and think: Yeah, I got it! In addition, differentiating, standing out, creating something new is always a good claim if you ask me.

Baka: Yes and no. Since we make a mixture of metal, stoner and doom ourselves, we invented our Swamp metal, as it is becoming increasingly difficult to categorize it. But in the end it doesn´t matter which category you are.

Garmr: No. I think music should be a way of expressing yourself to others from the heart. So what is the purpose of such a classification of genres and sub-genres except for a theoretical view? A listener must obey to the impression and the musician has to find the connection to him through music.

CV: How would you describe the current state of the music business considering we are now living in a post-COVID aware world? Have things drastically changed long-term for artists and bands given the pandemic? What are your thoughts?
Garmr: I think meanwhile everything came back to a similar state like it was before COVID. The industry is back alive but the underground is also hungry for the future. I don´t think the world is more feared as usual.

Baka/Asmoday: A little further into the pandemic, there wasn't much difference. Except that at the beginning with the fear the halls were a little emptier and now that everything is obviously over, you can hardly escape the fans and concerts.

Solas: I think the world keeps turning. We learn from everything and change our strategies; we become better and are more prepared. I'm never afraid of what happens next, because it will always go on and then it's always just what you make of it. I firmly believe in the creativity and assertiveness of people, especially in the music and metal worlds.

Baal: For smaller bands it´s still more difficult to get a gig, because the clubs are mostly booking well-known bands to avoid any risks.

CV: What do you feel makes your band and its particular approach to songwriting work? What keeps the band together and making music?
Garmr: We come together and just let us fall into the music when we play. It always depends on how you resonate as a band but everyone adds an own nuance as well. We try to feed our songwriting from that.

Solas: I would say a good structure. Everyone does their part and has the same passion. Plus, the 5 of us are just amazing friends and making music together means a lot to all of us.

Asmoday: First and foremost, our friendship. It makes a big difference between making music as a brotherhood and with strangers, for example just recording an album. We also want to continually grow and become a strong unit.

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?
Asmoday: Some others play music, we are music!

Solas: It's perfectly fine if you're classic and do the normal thing. It's really not easy to stand out without completely exaggerating and perhaps going astray. HITS definitely has its own special mix that will hopefully reach many music lovers around the world.

Garmr: I’m not sure if our songwriting separates itself from other Metal Bands so much but I think the songs have their very own character. In the end the listener is the one that decides.

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?
Garmr: It depends on the measure of comparison. You can compare the riffs, the song structure and even every single note but you just get a theoretical access to the music. On the paper this would be easy but the main problem is that the real access to the artist and his music comes through experience of the listener. If there is a resonance between the listener and the music it does not necessarily have to be the new Beethoven who is making the music. It is transcendental and always a unique feeling of connection.

Solas: Of course we are much more influenced today. We are also the sum of everything that is already there. I still think nuances can be enough to have something special. Unique always sounds so impossible to achieve at first, but if you think about it, we are all unique anyway. Do you have that certain something...your own sound, a kind of innovation, very good expression? Just one small detail can be enough to stick in people's minds.

Baka: Despite other influences, an artist can be unique. Of course, as a musician you are always a fusion of influences from other musicians. But that's not the only point. What makes an artist unique are the environmental influences and experiences that they incorporate into the music. And that's the point that's hard to copy.

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?
Asmoday/Baka:Playing black out drunk and everything goes perfectly.

Garmr: Tune your guitar and get yourself a noise gate.

Solas: With us metalheads it's more of a "never judge a book by it's cover" thing. People who have experiences with the community are often so positively impressed that we are such positive, kind, funny and balanced people… hard shell, but a soft core. I think I've strayed a bit from the core of the question, haha.

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?Baka: There is no definition to be a “Rock Star”. Your good feeling tells you who is a so called “Rock Star”. They live their lives with the own ambition and you can feel it.

Solas: I have the feeling that the era of stars is no longer so prominent. Apart from the big ones, who have been releasing music and being on stage since the 70s, 80s and 90s until today, today everyone is pretty normal people, easy to touch and chat with. The great thing about our scene is that you can be really damn successful and still be able to walk through the streets like any normal person. What star appeal means to me is actually talent, outstanding skills, being a master of your craft.

Garmr: To me a “rock star” is someone who has a high level of fame, lot of money and maybe also lot of sex and drugs. But this is just a title given to him by the media to worship his fame. Time will prove what will last of the fame.

CV: What's next for you? What can fans expect to see coming from Hell in the Skies?
Asmoday/Baka: Another banger of an album!

Solas: We'll all see what the future holds once it gets closer and becomes the present, haha. I hope for a lot of good stuff. We are definitely motivated, want to take our music far and wide and are grateful for every opportunity to reach new levels.

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.
Solas: Thanks a lot man and thank you for the opportunity. Everyone stay cool and have a good time! Peace!

Check out Hell in the Skies at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellintheskies

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hell_in_the_skies/

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.