Devil-M is our featured band for episode #74 and they shared with us their song “Revenge of the Antichrist, Pt. 1”. I was able to interview many of the members of this German Industrial band.
Max Meyer, the band’s frontman, admits that “it’s quite difficult to describe how everyone plays together, ’cause we’ve switched the bandmembers far too often. Besides me there’s Julian who’s in the band since January 2011 and brought so much energy to Devil-M. He will be the drummer for our future concerts but still play piano/synth for our upcoming album. We also have Kevin Colditz on the guitar. He’s not that often on tour with us because of his other bands but will always be a great artist for the three Revenge of the Antichrist song parts. For our upcoming concerts I’m proud to announce that my brother Jonathan will be on the keys, background vocals and do some samplings. Plus Lars Everwien, an awesome artist playing percussion, guitar and bass. We (Julian and myself) have a good feeling with this line-up.”
Of the song “Revenge of the Antichrist Pt. 1”, Max told me, “it’s a tough and rough song and will be one out of three parts for our upcoming album Revenge of the Antichrist. The energy in this track is great, you can feel its power riff by riff.” With that I totally agree.
Max started Devil-M as a project in late-2002 in Schöningen/Helmstedt, Germany and said, “it seemed that I was the only one liking experimental and depressive music around me and so were the offer of these kind of styles. So no, there is not a single influence this region could have consider and that’s good. Otherwise Devil-M would sound like any other Industrial/Experimental band.”
Devil-M has played mainly in Germany but Max noted that they “had some cool virtual concerts on Myspace and StageIt. It would be awesome to see a chance for playing on the Mera Luna Festival in Germany and the Kinetic Festival in Canada.” Julian added that it “would be nice to be in Peru with a Peruvian Panflut Group.”
When I asked about the origin of the band’s name, Max told me “probably there is just a dumb one. I tried to create a tribal with the letter M and put some horns on it. A Devil-M. That’s it.” Heh, that’s still pretty cool in my book.
Outside of the usual labels describing music, Max said, “it’s quite impossible describing your own music, if you’ve made it with heart.” Julian described it as “Rich in variety. I think there are many styles of music that create Devil-M.” Lars then added, “for me, the music is an expression of our inner feeling. The darkness, the pleasure, the hate, the love. Everything we feel. And I like to get goosebumps, hearing Max’s voice.”
Of their favorite albums so far, Max said, “it’s definitely Kannst Du sterben, our current release, especially the track ‘Another heart Inferno’. While listening to it I always feel hopeless, the song is one of the most depressive tracks I’ve ever listened to.” Julian added, “me, too, but the songs are ‘Inside You’ and ‘Hold Me’, because I love to play the song on drums and keys.” Lars made it unanimous, saying, “it’s also Kannst Du sterben but the songs are ‘What We Need’ and ‘Inside You’. I like the oppressing atmosphere and the scream Max does in ‘Inside You’. I have goosebumps every time.”
Max described the album itself as “quite an emotional one. Kannst Du sterben is just a follow-up from the 2009 EP Willst Du sterben in which I described my thoughts and feelings for a girl. I later took on a relationship with her but we broke up. So, KDS is just like an end result. I’m done with her and I’m already in a new relationship and it’s one of the best ever. But I doubt I’m done with the concept of Willst Du sterben as a whole, ’cause both releases are also about my Depression and self-hating. Maybe in 4 years there’s a possibility to continue.”
Just in listening to their songs, I would describe it as a mashup of Pink Floyd and Marilyn Manson. Max confirmed this when I asked about the band’s influences: “Marilyn Manson, Pink Floyd and Combichrist. But also Underground Bands like Skindive, Dumper, Wormparade and Daniel Laufer.” Lars added, “the heaviest influence for me is Katatonia. Jonas Renkse is an amazing songwriter. They have so much emotions in their songs. Also the band Samsas Traum is still an influnce for me. I’m not really a fan of German lyrics, but Alexander Kaschte has the talent to play with metaphors, that cause a fairytale in me.”
The members of the band have varying backgrounds with music. Max said, “I started writing music when I was 12. My parents bought a piano and I got some lessons. Some time later I wrote my first composition but lost it. As far as I remember it was based on A Minor.” Lars has played guitar for 5 years and said, “everything is taught by my own. I sing and scream. Someday I want to play cello. Writing lyrics is for me the perfect way to relax and reflect past situations. I began with writing poems and now it’s lyrics with thousand of metaphors.” Julian added, “since 2010 for myself. But now for Devil-M.”
For Max, the hardest part has been in writing the lyrics. “After so many years of composing music it’s still nearly impossible writing your thoughts on a piece of paper. That’s also the reason why I love concept-albums; you can listen to a whole story instead of being compressed in just about 4 minutes. The most fun parts are the recording sessions for the lyrics, ’cause everyone who takes part on them is still surprised for my screams and they interpret something completely different.” Lars added, “I never created a full album. But in my own band we wrote a few songs. And it was hard. Not because of time or something. Because of mind. It was hard to write about things I lost or things I failed. But in the end it helped a lot.”
Max listens to podcasts, although not that often. “For example it’s ‘Incoming Fire’ from Grave Concerns, and recently Horror Addicts, too.” We’re glad to hear that, Max!
So what’s next for Devil-M? Max said, “the next big thing will be the upcoming shows we’re attending. Besides that we’re just recording the long awaited album Revenge of the Antichrist. It took about 8 years finishing the story and now we can write the songs for it and record them. It will be out next year.” Lars agreed, adding, “Yes, it’s gonna be a huge piece of art. I’ll play the guitar and some bass-lines.”
What advice do they have for new bands? Max suggests, “don’t just work out for a label sign, you won’t appreciate it. Try performing when you already know that you will fail or you won’t appreciate people still buying the tickets for seeing you. And please, appreciate everyone who listens to your music, it could be your next fan.” Lars had something fun to add: “Haters, make me famous! Fuck the others and do what you like.” Finally, the wisest words cam from Julian, who waxed poetic: “Respect unicorns and rabbits. They smell tasty.”
If you want to find out more about Devil-M, you can download every single track they have released on their website (at www.Devil-M.de) for free! Max said, “music should be for everyone, not for those who can afford it.” You can also find them at Jamendo, MySpace, Facebook, Reverbnation, and all the usual haunts, I’m sure.
Devil-M is the brainchild of Max Meyer, the band, emerging in 2006 as a solo project for the Schiningen hailing musician. Merging his interest in movie scores with pungent electronic diversity, the project was soon contributing soundtracks for independent movies like Die at Dawn. 2009 saw Meyer turn the proposition into a band format which was swiftly followed by a relatively well-received release of debut EP Willst Du sterben and a host of live shows with bands like Nachtblut. In 2011 first album Kannst Du sterben was unveiled to strong and positive responses, its success followed a year later by the uniting of the current line-up of guitarist Lars Everwien, bassist Lisa Hass, and Sonja Langenfeld on keys alongside Meyer. Shows with band such as Grausame Tichter, Centhron, Vlad in Tears, Angelspit, and FabrikC pushed the bands presence and reputation further which Revenge of the Antichrist and its fiery blend of industrial metal and cinematic/theatrical endeavour can only reinforce and open a wider attentive spotlight upon Devil-M.
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