Author: Rok Klemše
Location: Metalcamp, Tolmin, Slovenia
Interview date: 07/15/2011
Over 25 years, German power metal outfit Blind Guardian have grown into the biggest name in the genre, and with their work they’ve actually outgrown and outdone it. Last year they put out their ninth studio album, which is probably their most successful one yet. This year Blind Guardian played MetalCamp again, once more (and fully deserved) in the role of headliner. Right before their set, guitarist Marcus Siepen, who’s been in the band since 1987, carved out ten minutes for a quick chat.
RockLine: Hey Marcus, first of all, welcome back to Metalcamp. If I’m not mistaken, this is already your third show at this festival. Given that, I guess you have fond memories of Metalcamp?
Marcus: Yeah, definitely! As far as the crowd goes, I have really great memories, the shows were awesome every time. As for the weather… When we got here I checked the forecast, which said rain, and that reminded me of the swamp last time. I got ready for that, but luckily it looks like I won’t need to prepare for bad weather after all (laughs).
RockLine: You recently released the album At the Edge of Time, which has been a huge success. Did you feel or expect that kind of success while you were recording it?
Marcus: That’s something that’s really hard to predict. When we put out an album, we’re 100% convinced about what we’ve made, but just because we like it doesn’t mean the fans will. But with the new album, we haven’t gotten a single bad or even mediocre review, and that’s incredible. Every time we record songs we like and that we think are the best we could’ve made at that moment. We did that this time too, and people like it, which makes us very happy (laughs).
RockLine: I personally get the feeling that the last three records, so from A Night At the Opera onwards, are a kind of building block leading up to your symphonic project. Would you agree with that?
Marcus: It’s not some concept we had mapped out, but without A Night at the Opera, its successors would definitely sound different. That was our intention, with Night we wanted to make a very, very complex album, and I think we did (laughs). You can definitely hear its influence on the new record and on A Twist in the Myth too. It’s part of our music, and for us it was a natural progression.
RockLine: You recorded with the Prague symphony orchestra. Was it hard this time to weave a huge, symphonic “concept” into metal?
Marcus: I wouldn’t say it was hard, since that’s been part of our music for a long time. The big change, the big novelty, was that we finally worked with a real orchestra. In the past we always used keyboards with pre-recorded samples, which can sound good, but they’re nowhere near the real thing. The good part is that you can program whatever you want, whereas with an orchestra you can’t just show up with a recording and tell them to play it. For an orchestra you have to write out every single note, you have to write scores, you have to talk things over with the members of the orchestra… That was a big step for us, because we can’t write that kind of music ourselves, we don’t work that way, we work by ear. So we had to rely on people who wrote our ideas down for orchestra and handed them over. It was a really big step, but the result is great and we’ll definitely work this way in the future.
RockLine: How did you approach writing the material for the new album, and what did the process look like compared to recording the previous albums?
Marcus: This time we did something very different. Usually, after finishing a tour we’d treat ourselves to a longer break to clear our heads for new ideas. This time we changed that, because we didn’t have time for that month or two off. We had to start writing new material right away, since we’d been asked to help compose music for the game Sacred 2. I think we were still so full of adrenaline and energy from the shows we’d played that you can hear it in the music. On top of that, we changed something else for the first time in our career. We’d usually strictly separate writing and playing live: once we finished a tour we’d focus only on writing and wouldn’t play a single show. This time we changed that; in 2008 they asked us if we’d play some festival in Spain, which we turned down. Then they told us we’d be co-headlining with Kiss. We said, “Yes!” (laughs) Two more festivals followed, and then the next year about twelve festivals across Europe. We were full of energy and drive again, we carried on writing new songs, and I think that positive energy shows in them. Personally I really liked it and I hope next time we can write again with shorter interruptions like that.
RockLine: Do you record or write any ideas while you’re out on tour, or do you wait until it’s over?
Marcus: No, we usually start writing after the tour ends. On tour we don’t have proper studio gear. I do have ProTools on my laptop, but on tour you don’t have a calm environment where you can create. If we have a day off between shows, I’ve sometimes thought we could get something done at the hotel, but then we just rest (laughs). We start writing after the tour. It can happen that you record some idea or riff and we use it later, but the main ideas definitely don’t come up during the tour.
RockLine: Something that’s always struck me as Blind Guardian genius is how well you manage to translate Hansi’s lyrics, which are mostly fantasy-flavored, into music…
Marcus: We don’t do that, because we always write the music first. So he’s actually the one who translates the lyrics into music (laughs).
RockLine: So he’s the one struggling (laughs)?
Marcus: Yeah (laughs). With us it’s always music first. It’s always been that way and it always will be. We always have the music first, and Hansi sings over it with working lyrics that don’t necessarily make sense…
RockLine: Just to catch the vocal lines.
Marcus: Exactly. The melodic lines, the rhythm of the words. Only once we’ve done that does he change the working lyrics and write the real ones.
RockLine: Do you ever take part in writing the lyrics, or is that purely Hansi’s job?
Marcus: No, never, the lyrics are always written by Hansi.
RockLine: And when can we expect your symphonic project, which has been in the works for quite a while?
Marcus: Yeah, true, but the big step is that we’ve found the right orchestra. The project will be recorded by the Prague symphony orchestra, which has already recorded parts of six tracks. Most of the material is already written, but we’re still working on it between tours, and we’ll record during those breaks too. Now we’re going to push this project a bit harder, since we’ve finally found the right orchestra. I can’t give you an exact release date yet, but we’re making progress.
RockLine: How will this thing actually sound? Will you as a band play with the orchestra, or will it just be the orchestra with Hansi’s vocals?
Marcus: No no, it’ll just be the orchestra and Hansi. It’ll basically be typical Blind Guardian music with reworked arrangements and melodies, but without a metal band. So no guitars, no drums, just the orchestra and Hansi’s voice.
RockLine: And one last question. Can we expect a new Blind Guardian Open Air once you release this symphonic project?
Marcus: Let me put it this way… I’m sure we’ll do another one in the future, but there are no concrete dates or plans yet. This symphonic project will definitely be a real opportunity to present it on stage, since no band can send a ninety-piece orchestra on tour. Like I said, there are no concrete plans, this takes a huge amount of time and planning, but there will undoubtedly be another one down the road.
RockLine: And finally, your last message for your big base of Slovenian fans.
Marcus: Come to tonight’s show, if you read this in time (laughs). If not, come to the next one and “let’s celebrate together.”
Photos: Nina Grad
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