MetalKings.com:
Yeah, but as far as I know famous German drummer Jorg Michael (now with
Stratovarius) played on the first Traceelords album...
Riff:
WOW! You're well informed! I didn't have a band then, it was in 1997 and
then I released a mini-album called "Pussy!" But the whole thing was called
Andy & The Traceelords and that's right, Jorg Michael played drums on
that one. But that's not the official first album 'cause the official
debut album is called "Sex, Money, Rock'n'Roll". It was released last
year, it is recorded with Haan and that's the real official debut album.
That "Pussy!" thing was more or less a demo.
MetalKings.com:
Was that mini album released officially by any label?
Riff:
No, but 7 of 9 "Pussy!" songs are on "Sex, Money, Rock'n'Roll" but fully
new recorded and better than those ones.
MetalKings.com:
But why such a nice title "Pussy!"?
Riff:
Because when I was kicked out of Sodom Tom always used to say in interviews
that I was a pussy (laughs), that I was a poser, a wimp and stuff like
that. And I said, "Hey, that's cool! A good title!" I think I proved everybody
wrong because the music that I'm involved in right now kicks ass, it’s
not pussy music.
MetalKings.com:
And with The Traceelords you also played on a Kiss tribute album...
Riff:
WOW! You seem to know everything! Yes, that's true, in 1999 we recorded
a song "I Want You" for the "KISS Deutschland" tribute album with the
real band. WOW!
MetalKings.com:
The sleeve of the album "Sex, Money, Rock'n'Roll" says that "Born To Be
Alive" is a bonus track...
Riff:
Oh, that was just a joke. And you see, "Born To Be Alive" is called 'track
number 14' but in fact it is 13. So the album actually has 13 songs but
we wanted to avoid the number 13 because it's a bad luck.
MetalKings.com:
You also recorded a Boney M cover "Daddy Cool". Why?
Riff:
We enjoyed it, it's been a part of our live set for a couple of years
now. And people have fun when we play it and I think our versions of other
people's songs are good to dance to, enjoy and have fun. So it's... fun!
MetalKings.com:
OK. All three Powergod albums are entitled "Evilution". Why three parts?
Riff:
We gave the first CD the subtitle "Part 1" because we wanted to make it
clear to our record company that we want to do the second album. That's
the only reason. But that's not because it's concept, it kinda deals with
the fight between good and evil, but no message, no history lesson, nothing
like this.
MetalKings.com:
So those three albums are not concept ones?
Riff:
No, they're not. We don't believe in stuff like this. In a way we're just
a rock'n'roll band.
MetalKings.com:
Does this third album ends the "Evilution" story?
Riff:
Yeah.
MetalKings.com:
So next time you're gonna do something different, right?
Riff:
You might know our tribute album ("Bleed For The Gods (That’s Metal -
Lesson 1)" (2001)) and the next album will be that tribute part 2.
MetalKings.com:
Well, that tribute album seems like a big German metal project with so
many guests…
Riff:
Yeah, we invited some friends. And we wanted to know the original artists
from the songs. So we were on tour with Rob Rock and had a chance to record
a Project Driver (M.A.R.S.) song, we had him singing on it, it was amazing!
And Doro Pesch... well, Doro Pesch is the queen of heavy metal and, you
see, we had her here and we were just nuts. So she was in the studio singing
"Burning The Witches" and we were just looking at each other thinking,
"Oh, it this true?" (laughs) We basically do the whole stuff ourselves,
we have fun and if somebody else likes it - even better.
MetalKings.com:
And how did you menage to invite Peter Szigetti (ex-Warlock)?
Riff:
I knew Niko (Arvantis, guitarist, ex-Warlock) when he was in Stormwind
before he joined Warlock. And you see, when I was 14 I tried to put out
a heavy metal fanzine and somehow I got contact with Niko in 1985. We
met a couple of times, I was a huge Stormwind fan and when he joined Warlock
we met a couple of times after that but they were super-busy and we lost
contact. I stopped doing my fanzine, started playing guitar. And in the
beginning of last year I somehow found his e-mail and wrote to him, something
like, "Hello! You might not know my name but my name is Andy Brings. Here
is what I'm doing right now, I was a fan of yours in 1985 and if you read
this I would be super-happy and maybe you can play on "Burning The Witches"."
And I didn't know that he is still playing in a band with Peter Szigetti.
They still play together in a hard rock cover-band. He wrote back and
said, "Oh, I'm gonna bring Peter with me!" I said, "WOW! That's great!"
And the funniest thing is that he remembered my name! He still knew who
I was! And when we met he said, "When you wrote to my that your name is
Andy Brings I already knew who you were!" And it's like... 16 years went
by and he didn't know what happened to me, that I played music myself
and had little success on my own with Sodom and other bands. And that
was cool because he kinda brought me on my way because I really admired
him when I was a kid, you know. And he somehow made me play the guitar
because I was so proud that I knew him, he was a star to me!
MetalKings.com:
: And what about Ferdy Doernberg (Rough Silk). Is he a good friend of
yours too?
Riff:
Yeah. When we were on tour, I mean, Powergod with Axel Rudi Pell, last
year we became friends. And then we met and that's how he ended up playing
on that album.
MetalKings.com:
And what about Manni Schmidt (ex-Rage, now in Grave Digger)?
Riff:
I've known him for many years when he was in Rage and when we were in
Sodom we used to meet a couple of times, we had the same management. And
I was so happy when I heard that he's back to metal with Grave Digger.
That's really cool because he's one of the best guitar players I know.
So it was like friends were coming by.
MetalKings.com:
You see, the German band Running Wild has a song called "Evilution" on
their album "Death Or Glory" (1989). Did you know about that?
Riff:
Running Wild? I'm not a fan of Running Wild, I'm sorry. The only Running
Wild albums I know of are the first two, "Gates To Purgatory" (1984) and
"Branded And Exiled" (1985). And I lost completely track on Running Wild
since that time, I never liked the band that much so I don't know this
song. Do they really have it?.
MetalKings.com:
Yes, they do?
Riff:
I didn't know that.
MetalKings.com:
Several information sources say that you're a big fan of Kiss. Is that
true? When did you hear them for the first time?
Riff:
I knew them from 1980 and it was everything to me. And I was their fan
up until the beginning of last year because they replaced Peter Criss
again and brought Eric Singer in the band, he's a good drummer, one of
the best in the world in metal and rock'n'roll music. But Peter Criss
is Catman, you know, and you can't replace Catman. And now they're putting
Tommy Thayer, their road manager, in the Space Ace make-up. I don't understand
it and now I'm quitting my Kiss fan-being, my 1,000 percent devotion,
because I can't understand it. In my opinion they should just leave...
MetalKings.com:
But they're going to...
Riff:
But I think it should've happened 2 or 3 years ago. To me the reunion
was a chance to end the band the way it has started, you know, the original
four guys, and that's not good anymore. But Kiss will always be my all-time
favorite band, I've seen 45 of their concerts since 1996 in America, Germany,
etc. I spent all my money but it was definitely worth it! And that's the
best band in the world, I've never seen such a hard-working and better-entertaining
band like this ever!
MetalKings.com:
Many people didn't like the latest Kiss album "Psycho Circus". What do
you think about it?
Riff:
"Psycho Circus" was... brilliant! I loved it from the first second I heard
it! I don't like the fact that the original band, I mean, Ace and Peter
didn't play that much on the album but they were on the cover, they played
a little and they sang on the album. And the album itself is amazing!
I think it would take a couple of years for the album to get the glory
it deserves. I think there's some incredible material like the title track
or "Dreaming". And I don't care who's playing on the album, it has the
four original guys on the sleeve and the album is awesome!.
MetalKings.com:
And how did you get that name, Riff Randall?
Riff:
Riff Randall is the name of the character in "Rock'n'Roll High School",
it's the movie featuring the Ramones. And Riff Randall is a girl in the
movie but I thought it was cool. The thing is that when we started Powergod
we didn't want to use our real names, we just wanted to let the music
make it and come through.
MetalKings.com:
Does it remind you a bit of Kiss?
Riff:
I didn't think about it at that time. And you know, at first we were even
wearing masks on our faces! But I didn't think about the Kiss connection
because we just wanted to protect the music. People might say, "Oh, that's
The Traceelords guys who wanna do a metal project just for quick cash."
And we also wanted to protect ourselves because the record company would
put a sticker on the album "Featuring ex-Sodom guitarist". And I hate
that, I hate that kind of sticker. By putting it on the cover... it will
draw the wrong people 'cause the music is totally different from Sodom.
And if a Sodom fan buys Powergod albums... maybe the new one would be
something for him. If you like Sodom buy their albums, if you like Powergod
that's cool but if you buy Powergod because of Sodom you better save your
money. I want people to care about the music and not things like "ex-blah,
blah, blah". But record companies think that way and record companies
are stupid!
MetalKings.com:
And did it really take you three years to establish The Traceelords?
Riff:
More, it took more. "Sex, Money, Rock'n'Roll" was released in August 2001
but we started writing songs long before that. The song "Sex, Money, Rock'n'Roll"
itself was written back in 1995. And I recorded "Daddy Cool" and other
songs for the "Pussy!" CD back in 1997! We began the recordings for the
album "Sex, Money, Rock'n'Roll" on February 15, 1999. So it took over
six years for The Traceelords to find a way. But people who buy the CD
love that music because it's fun, absolutely trend-free and that's great,
I think. And right now we're recording new Traceelords songs, the first
new songs in almost four or five years. When "Sex, Money, Rock'n'Roll"
was released it was old material to me and to people. It was the material
we have been caring around for years but it was still good and we stuck
with the songs. And if the song is good stick with it and it will make
its way.
MetalKings.com:
What about the second part of the tribute album? What covers will be there?
Riff:
I think there are some songs that didn't make it on the first one because
of playing time, we didn't want to release a double CD. So the new album
will have Malice on it, I think Hirax, Griffin, Abbatoir, Overkill and
stuff like that. Also there might be some poser stuff like a song from
the first or second Motley Crue album, maybe "Red Hot" (from "Shout At
The Devil" (1984)). Some obscure stuff, I think it will be just as good
as the first one.
MetalKings.com:
On the first tribute album you played a song of Yngwie Malmsteen "I Am
The Viking". What do you think about Yngwie? Did he influence your style?
Riff:
He didn't influence my playing 'cause I am no way as good as him. If he's
a 100 percent then I am... 5 percent. It was very hard for me to play
that song, I had to practice a lot but I wanted to do it because I love
the first three Yngwie albums. For many people Yngwie is the fastest and
the most perfect. His songs are not all interesting but he influenced
the whole generation of guitar players. And "I Am The Viking" is an incredible
song! Also I am the proud owner of one of his guitars from his personal
collection. A friend of mine was on vacation in Florida, he met Yngwie
in a record-store where Yngwie was selling some of his guitars and he
bought one for me. And it's white Fender Stratocaster with scalooped fretboard.
I mean, it's one of his guitars, you know. So I wanted to play the solo
myself, it was really a hard work to do but I think I did it OK.
MetalKings.com:
Well, the music and the name of Powergod remind me a bit of Manowar. What
do you think about such comparisons?
Riff:
I take it as a complement because Manowar is a great band. And all the
albums up until "The Triumph Of Steel" (1992) to me are... god! I love
"Battle Hymns" (1982), I love "Sign Of The Hammer" (1984), I love them
all. I know every single note on those albums. But the "Louder Than Hell"
(1996) and the live ones are not my taste of music anymore. But the old
stuff is great, Manowar is a very successful and very influential band.
We actually did "Kill With Power" on the tribute album and if you say
that Powergod reminds you of Manowar I take it as a complement.
MetalKings.com:
The very name Powergod means that you play power metal music. Do think
it might limit your style on the albums?
Riff:
We don't care, we do whatever we want to. I mean, the new album is very
different from the first one, it's much more brutal, 'in your face' and
heavier. We just do what we want to and to me that's the best way of creativity.
And if you say Powergod is heavy metal, power metal or true metal we don't
care, we just do our thing.
MetalKings.com:
Is it OK if I name some people which I saw on Powergod photos in the Internet
and you tell me who they are?
Riff:
OK, go ahead.
MetalKings.com:
The first is Leo L. Sing.
Riff:
He was our first singer in Powergod, he is a great singer, he did a good
job but we didn't get along.
MetalKings.com:
OK, then Peter Wagner.
Riff:
Peter Wagner is our live bass player. When we play live we have an additional
player because I only play guitar live. I play bass in the studio but
in concerts we have an additional member and that's Peter.
MetalKings.com:
So that's not Peter 'Peavy' Wagner from Rage?
Riff:
No, it's not! (laughs).
MetalKings.com:
Another person is Olaf Krueger.
Riff:
Olaf was our sound engineer on our tour last year.
MetalKings.com:
OK, the last person is Mirko Salispahic.
Riff:
He is the guitar player in The Traceelords and our live guitar player
in Powergod.
MetalKings.com:
Do you play cover-songs from "Bleed For The Gods" or KISS covers live?
Riff:
Yes, we do. For example, last Friday we had our first show from the tour
and half of the songs were from the cover-album and half of the songs
were the original Powergod material. Because many people love that tribute
album and I think it would be not cool if we don't play stuff from it,
we love to play power metal. And with The Traceelords we play "I Want
You" and "Daddy Cool".
MetalKings.com:
Do members of Powergod play in any other projects?
Riff:
Me and Haan play also in The Traceelords, we are the Midas Twins, we have
our own studio and produce all the albums ourselves. And President Evil's
real name is Alexander Koch and he sings in Spiral Tower.
MetalKings.com:
Have you ever thought about releasing a solo album?
Riff:
No, never. I mean, I can play whatever I want! With Powergod we play the
most powerful metal that I can imagine while with The Traceelords I sing.
So I can live up to all my musical dreams in those bands. And I don't
know why I should do a solo album. I have to focus on both bands so why
starting something else? There's enough room to put out all my ideas.
MetalKings.com:
And what about any live albums of Powergod?
Riff:
I don't think about it. When we play live we don't care, we might play
wrong notes but that's live. And I don't think that Powergod should release
a live album now, no, not at this point.
MetalKings.com:
What about releasing Powergod and The Traceelords albums in Japan?
Riff:
I would love to but it didn't happen so far. But we want to release albums
and tour everywhere possible so if we have any good proposals we would
surely agree to it.
MetalKings.com:
This year Powergod is going to play at the Bang Your Head festival. What
do you like most, festivals or clubs?
Riff:
I prefer playing rather than not playing! Of course, festivals are better
because you meet a lot of people, fans and friends. But I don't care,
as long as there's people who want to be entertained we're the right guys.
MetalKings.com:
OK, Riff, it was fun talking to you. You're such a funny and interesting
person to talk to, not so boring as many metalheads...
Riff:
Thank you very much! I think if you play quality stuff and play it good
people will get it. I had an interview with a German reporter who said,
"What about your credibility? How can you play power metal and punk rock'n'roll
at the same time? And how come you like Kiss and on the other hand you
love Agent Steel?" And I said, "Hey! Why not?" I can eat at McDonalds
today and eat vegetables tomorrow and cheesecake the day after tomorrow.
I don't see the problem! I don't care! I don't wanna be boring or bored!
And I need the variety, it would be boring for me to play only heavy metal.
To me variety is the spice of life!
MetalKings.com:
Riff, thank you for the great interview! Thanks a lot!
Riff:
Thank No problem! I liked it too! Thank you for your interest! Bye!
Dead Ripper
MetalKings.com
(June, 2002)
Special
thanks to Helen from "AMG" for her precious assistance in organizing the
interview.
MetalKings.com:
OK, Riff, as far as I know your real name is Andy Brings, right?