RAGE

With greater kick

- „Carved In Stone” contains a set of very melodic compositions but also catchy and heavy at the same time. No bizarre effects, no great experimental projects. Victor didn’t have fun this time…
He also likes this album very much (laugh). As you can see, sometimes you don’t need much to make a damn good work. Writing new stuff we were still under the influence of the mentioned session for Nuclear Blast. Many excellent ideas came up then. Quite naturally we started to follow this direction ourselves, nobody planned anything, we were just doing our job with great pleasure and before we noticed the material was ready. In this way there was created the best RAGE’s material since years! I don’t remember when we were writing such good things lately but I guess that at the beginning of the 90s (laugh). One is for sure, so much good choruses, melodies and harmonies you won’t find on any of our previous releases.

- Listening to “Carved In Stone” don’t you get the impression that you made kind of Volta and after years of writing ambitious music you felt hunger for simple riffs again?
I don’t know if it’s a Volta but if so – it was unintentional. The best formula for writing good things is to get out of the role of musician for a while and putting yourself into fan’s shoes. Then you have to answer a simple question – what music would you like to listen to and then simply write it (laugh). Of course I’m ridiculing a bit now, it’s not that easy. But we’ve gained enough experience through all those years not to be afraid to come to the ground sometimes and make some music fore people, if you know what I mean. Well, yeah, are you suggesting that we recorded little ambitious album? (laugh)

- No, but I wonder if this album has any progressive nature or is only a relaxing excursion into known and liked regions…
Definitely it’s a progressive album although created according to quite traditional formula. Progressive mainly in compositional meaning, these arrangements let you receive the album without any problems. Writing good material is a great art. It’s progressive also in evolutional categories. Each album is a new experience, you have new ideas and learn knew things. Maybe some artists become less receptive with time but it’s quite the contrary with us. The older we are, the more we look for new solutions. I dream about writing an album based on typical rock-metal opera although being my age I should rather think about making a living from re-editions and compilations (laugh).

- Limited edition of “Carved In Stone” will contain additional DVD disc with your concert on Wacken Open Air. Is it worth having?
I think it is. It was a marvelous concert, I guess that one of the best that we gave in 2007. It was also very special for us as we were accompanied by orchestra and the show was seen by around 100.000 people. It was unforgettable day.

- Just before Christmas you made videos to „Lord Of The Flies” and „Open My Grave”. The session took place in some old dungeons dating back to 18th century above which there was a brothel…
(laugh) Yeah, that’s true. The session was very interesting as several invited actors and dancers took part in it. We also had a guest performance of Jen Majura in „Lord Of The Flies”. But for the terrible cold of this place I would recall it very well. I hope that the effects will appeal to everyone because I paid for the shooting with a dreadful bronchitis and practically spent the whole Christmas in bed. As you can hear it holds me till now. Victor and Andre also didn’t escape unharmed (laugh).

- Forgive me my indiscreet comment but as much as I talked to you as often you was sick….
Well...that’s me (laugh). I suffer from bronchitis and I’m generally not very resistant to different illnesses. Or I just have a bad luck. Recently, during the tour in Russia in April last year, I caught a serious virus which couldn’t be killed even by the strongest antibiotics. The worst thing was that no one could help me and I felt really awful. Recovering took me next few months. At the mere thought of such an infection it makes my flesh creep.

- Ok, I won’t bother you anymore and I hope that my questions weren’t the dullest today. Thanks for the interview and the excellent album! Keep going!
It went well, I had fun. I also thank your magazine for giving a place for us. By the way I’d like to say hello to all our fans in Poland. I hope that we’ll manage to come to you this year. Buy our new CD and have fun!

Line-Up:
Peter Wagner - vocals, bass
Victor Smolski - guitars, keyboards
Andre Hilgers – drums

Discography:
Reign Of Fear (1986)
Execution Guaranteed (1987)
Perfect Man (1988)
Secrets In A Weird World (1989)
Reflections Of A Shadow (1990)
Trapped! (1992)
The Missing Link (1993)
10 Years In Rage (1994)
Black In Mind (1995)
Lingua Mortis (1996)
End Of All Days (1996)
XIII (1998)
Ghosts (1999)
Welcome To The Other Side (2001)
Unity (2002)
Soundchaser (2003)
From The Cradle To The Stage (live, DVD 2004)
Speak Of The Dead (2006)
Full Moon in St. Petersburg (live 2007)
Carved in Stone (2008)

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