SOURCE – The album Bleeding The Stars represents a fresh outlook considering your time writing and recording in the metal scene. Can you discuss the ambition and goals you wanted to achieve regarding this effort?
Oliver Nikolas Schmid (Guitars) – You know, people kind of often think about the best period of their life. As I thought back about my life in music, it was the starting point to Bleeding the Stars. Cause the best period musically in my life was as I discoverd old Paradise Lost stuff, that was my first touch with the scene. Back there my 3 favorite bands were Paradise Lost, Anathema and My Dying Bride! Today my 3 favorite bands are Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Anathema, so I did not change much, except that I mess up the order with increasing age, laughs. So, Bleeding the Stars is the looking back in time. Kind of: let’s take a look at the Lacrimas apple tree that I planted 26 years ago. How it looks like nowadays and what new apples grown on it. You can find an Primordial apple and over there a Dark Tranquility one, this yellow one tastes like the 69 Eyes. Now you kinda got the root of the Lacrimas tree. Some season it grows more into goth, next time more dark, it depends on the weather. Laughs.
SOURCE – Considering the changes in digital technology and production methods, would you say that for Lacrimas Profundere, you prefer to keep things basic, primal, and in your face – or do you embrace some of the advancement of recording techniques for the benefit of the final product?
Oliver Nikolas Schmid (Guitars) – Hmmm, I would say it changed. The music is consumed differently than in the past, first of all, the recording techniques were completely different back in 1995. I’m still running a cold shiver down the back, I think about the recording tapes, where you had to play over and over half the song, if you’ve made a single mistake, but that was also a damn good exercise. Nowdays you can also record good sounding stuff by yourself at home. So I would not say, in the past everything was better, today everything is bad. I’m just glad that there are still many collectors in the metal field who are still getting vinyls and / or digi paks, because a development entirely based on digital and streams would be really a pity. We and many others are always trying to bring something new, valuable, unique to the market, which you just can not stream. So I like to sit down for a whole Sunday together with my father and cut our disused giant stage banner in the same parts and put in the ltd. Box Sets, or pack exactly the song “Breathing Souls” I wrote together with Chris Harms (Lord of the Lost) and Tobias Schönemann (The Vision Bleak) onto the bonus CD that you can not stream. I still like listening to my favorite records on my stereo system and not with headphones via the handy. What can I say, we still invest thousands of Dollars for a great wall of sound, so if you wanna enjoy our music real, order our new album on vinyl, dust your system, turn it on and when you hear the neighbor ringing, it was too quiet, yours, Joey deMaio.
SOURCE – Can you discuss the impressive Elton Fernandes cover art for this record? How did the idea develop, as it’s very striking and hopefully will be a part of your merchandise campaign when you play out live…
Oliver Nikolas Schmid (Guitars) – Bleeding the Stars deals primarily with the theme of destiny, how it is fulfilled or how it is forced to fulfill it. For example, they say “it’s in your blood” or “it’s written in the stars“, which in the end makes up the album title, which is composed of fate analogies. Or the question: is there a life after death, what will stay if we leave and I always come to that point that you only can leave the biggest footsteps you can walk. That’s it. Back to the concept behind of the title: we read up on the big bang theory a bit. When something huge was created, there was always blood involved somewhere in the process. So we thought that as the universe was created the stars had to spend their blood to create it. And voilà: the album’s title was born. The former title we had in mind was “Father of fate, Mother of doom” and Elton and me had a cover finished for that one during the recordings, but my brother suddenly came around the corner with the words “Bleeding the stars” and a week ago I’ve heard about the story of my endorser ESP guitars. They did a limited edition model for Gary Holt (Slayer, Exodus) and for the paintwork of his guitar he sent his own blood to mix in. Really liked that idea and we switch from the old cover and title to the new, red one. My brother was looking for a picture and Elton re-created it many times till the final result was born.
SOURCE – What do you want to accomplish in this next segment of your musical career? Are there more bucket list goals left to accomplish either personally or professionally?
Oliver Nikolas Schmid (Guitars) – OK, first of all it would be great to play a show in Brazil finally. We’ve got so many mails and massages of great people there only with the words: please visit and play a show in this wonderful country. Really, it would be a dream for us. Second: to sell more CD’s. Not like Metallica, but AC/DC would be fine, laughs.
You know Lacrimas Profundere is an underrated band, was and still is. We did so many great records and not gained the success these albums deserved. Not here to be cruel cause still a lot of cool things happens to us we had never had written on our bucket list. For example, Bleeding the stars was reached “Album of the Month” in biggest Metal Print Magazine here in Germany, called Metal Hammer, this makes me really proud of, cause I read this zine for about 30 years. What I wanted to say, I don’t think about goals or whatever, I just take it as it comes, but like Yngwie Malsteen once said: more is more…
SOURCE – Can you look back to a certain event or circumstance in your life (or career of Lacrimas Profundere) that may have been an initial setback or failure- but in the end set you up for a future win or success that you learned from?
Oliver Nikolas Schmid (Guitars) – Hahaha, good question. Yeah, if I think back there were many failures: for example: we had the chance to sign a major label contract during the recordings to “Filthy Notes For Frozen Hearts” and were so drunk at the meeting, that the label manager said “we call you, don’t call us”, but, as you know, they never did. Laughs. Lesson learned: don’t enter a label meeting drunk… One day in Luxemburg at a show together with Septic Flesh and M. I was so drunk that I’ve lost my satin black guitar soon before the show started. The intro track was already running and I was jumping up and down the stage and was looking for it. Hey, it took me one and a half song till I´ve got it back, laughs. It fell between the drum riser and the lightning stuff, it was dark and the guitar black, so I couldn´t see it. At the end I could finish the show including my lovely guitar. What I’ve learned? always use a guitar stand…
SOURCE – What do you consider some of your most important moments in your music career – be it specific albums, tours, festival appearances, or otherwise, that will stay in your memory banks forever?
Oliver Nikolas Schmid (Guitars) – The first tour in Mexico was a highlight, the show in Dubai two years ago, Wacken, Méra Luna, ah there were so many… and to be honest the new album. Really, there are some songs on this one, which has the ability to lead us into a successful future.
SOURCE – Discuss the importance of branding and merchandising to keeping Lacrimas Profundere top of mind for your fans/followers?
Oliver Nikolas Schmid (Guitars) – It’s important for every band out there to pay their bills. You know, as many people streaming the music the money that is left for the artist after the deductions of label, the clearance of advances and the manager fees is not enough you can live from. So the merchandise sells and the concert fees are the only chance the bands can earn money. We always try to be in contact and interaction with our followers on insta and facebook. We read every single comment and we are thankful for every follower and all the years.
SOURCE – What type of goals does a veteran band like Lacrimas Profundere set for themselves now, after achieving a certain level of success and sustainability in the global metal scene?
Oliver Nikolas Schmid (Guitars) – That we are able to do what we do for another 26 years. At the end it’s really simple, cause it’s always about the people. If you wanna see us live, go and get your tickets and go and stream or buy our albums, if you like Amon Amarth more and buy their stuff instead, don’t be shocked if we had to quit, or can’t visit your country, thats the truth.
SOURCE – Finally, what’s on deck for the rest of 2019?
Oliver Nikolas Schmid (Guitars) – We play some festivals here in Germany, in September two shows in Russia and in November we tour Europe together with our buddys in The 69 Eyes. So, no holidays in RocknSad office so far. Really hope the most of your readers already now my band Lacrimas Profundere and LIKE IT A LOT and hoping that you are enough interested now to buy the new Album. All the best and thanx for the interview.
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