SINNER: METAL'S SAFE SANCTUARY
INTERVIEW BY MARTIN POPOFF

If we are somewhere within the third wave of German power metal, then Sinner belongs emphatically inside the second, Mat Sinner and his recirculating band of groove-ground metalheads joining the exalted ranks of Rage, Coroner, Sodom, Destruction, Grave Digger, and Running Wild as bands who have soldiered long deep and hard into metal's true and raging heart.

Now back with with their thirteenth album The End Of Sanctuary, Sinner find themselves bemused at the power metal community that has built up around them, Sinner sounding perhaps the purest of the old guard jostling amidst the hotshot upstarts. Keyboardist Frank Roessler relates the fact that it's all part of an unswerving mission. What is old is new again. "Well I think with the direction that metal went in the beginning of the 90s, when grunge and alternative came out, I think the main thing was that we didn't follow this trend. We stuck with what we have always done. We still play songs off the albums we did in the 80s, and some of those are still our biggest hits."

Adding snap to the step is the acquisition of Helloween drummer Uli Kusch (still very much a part of Helloween), who replaces Fritz Randow, now a card-carrying member of Saxon. Which, given the musical chairs phenom that is power metal, doesn't mean Fritz is gone forever. "Well, Uli is also going to play live with us as long as time permits," indicates Frank. "His main band is of course Helloween. But for years, we've had to coordinate all our different bands. Everybody in Sinner has different bands, like Primal Fear, where Mat plays, or Alex Beyrodt, his stuff he is doing with D.C. Cooper. So we are very used to coordinating several activities. If Uli can't play with us live we always have replacements, like Klaus Sperling from Primal Fear and we are still in good contact with Fritz..."

And speaking of Primal Fear, work on their third begins in July (kinda goofy, but for the first part of this phone interview, I thought I had Mat on the line, hence the Primal Fear questions, which Frank was surprisingly useful in answering!). They are going to start recording their new album in July, over four separate sessions, and I think the release is scheduled for September or October. I think it's going to be very surprising, even tougher than the first two albums. I think you'll be surprised. Some song titles are 'Dying Star', 'Eye Of The Eagle', 'Angel In Black' and 'Iron Hand In A Velvet Glove'."

Frank (not Mat!) continues. "It will be recorded between tours. In three weeks Sinner are going to start playing support for Dio in Germany, and we're also playing some festivals here in Europe, with some headlining activities later this year, but there is nothing confirmed at the moment. In terms of sideprojects, well (laughs), I'm involved in every sideproject of the other members. There's plans for a Thin Lizzy tribute album. Primal Fear is going to contribute to that as well as Sinner. Then we did an Accept tribute album, where we did 'Balls To The Wall' and Primal Fear did 'Breaker'. For the moment it's still a secret what Thin Lizzy songs Sinner And Primal Fear are going to do."

Until both (either/or, all of the above!) hit your town, you can spend your time headbanging to the band's traditional, well-executed and metal-proud new album, a record bolstered by the band's signature two guitar attack, featuring Alex and new guy Henny Wolter, ex-of-Thunderhead, comprising a team that Frank considers particularly exciting. "Alex's style is more into Whitesnake and melodic things and he also provided the basic idea for 'Destiny' (ed. an awesome, hooky, orchestrated seven minute departure), and Henny is a guy that has his guitar more down at his knees (laughs) and plays more of the riff rock stuff like for example 'Signed Sealed & Delivered' or 'Pain In Your Neck'. I think they work very well together. The guitar work on this album is awesome."

Interview with Mat Sinner (SINNER, PRIMAL FEAR)
FROM WWW.RESSURECTION.AT

Mr. Sinner ranks dock Hansen or Rock`n'Rolf without doubt as well as people as for instance among the German Metal pioneers. This year there were to report even already two to strong signs of life of in, first at the beginning of the yearly in form of the outstanding PRIMAL FEAR Debuts, then in the summer with the new sense he album "The nature OF evil". Three conclusive reasons, in order to place to Mat times a few questions.

J. S.: Sinner are one the serve-oldest German Metalbands. But, success seems with "The nature OF evil" would only adjust themselves (I think there only of the Chart entrance), although eingentlich no special quality difference can be recognized to volume such as RUNNING GAME or GRAVE DIGGER, which more successfully act around some. How do you think of it?

M. S.: We say it times in such a way, we had end of the eighties with albums like "Touch OF sin" and to "Comin ' out fighting" large successes. Since "Bottom LINE" in the year 1995 goes the success curve constantly uphill. "Judgement day" was the crack point with the fans and at the press and now with the new album agrees all factors and we lands in the Charts. After years of hard work a satisfaction. I cannot imagine that GRAVE DIGGER are momentarily substantially more successful than we.

J. S.: Which you hold of the Auferstehung after of the good old Metals the Crossover/Alternative/Industrial Durstperiode of many years (although also some milestones there are more drunter!) Hype or not?

M. S.: What is Hype called? We can be before-chewed for decades of American graduation artists, who CDs we has to buy. Finally times now again a trend developed, which bubbled far apart from the states in the Underground. There we are to be rather proudly on it, as already again among us ` rumzunoergeln, why and why. I find this development sensational, not only, because I prefer this music.

J. S.: Do you believe to be able to profit with your both volume also from it or are you the opinion that qualitatively high-quality, handmade Metal intersperses itself anyway in the long run?

M. S.: If not too hypothetical, I became on the fact bets that "Judgement day" with Nuclear blow would be likewise gechartet. Unfortunately High Gain did not have the personnel and the structures, in order to fulfill these requirements and for the second part of your question, are clear I the opinion that qualitatively good music - all the same which style direction - in everyone, also the most difficult time chances has to intersperse itself with the fans.

J. S.: With PRIMAL FEAR you drive to rather the straighte power to my modest opinion Metal rail, on the other hand Sinner tend nevertheless more in somewhat a "more darker" and/or sometimes even experimentielle direction. Your opinion?

M. S.: I am your opinion and like that am also planned it in principle. It would be nevertheless Verarschung at the fan, if volume only by the singer would differ. That we do not want and so are it also in the future to remain, become rather still more extreme.

J. S.: On the PF Debut it noticed to me (and also many different) that Ralf clearly strong and more aggressively than in former times with GAMMA RAY sings, where its voice nevertheless rather thinly rueberkam. Although this question could answer Ralf surely better - do you see also in such a way, and if, which the reason for it could be?

M. S.: I think, when producer of the plate I can very probably say to you, this has which reasons. Ralf wanted to show some people, where the hammer hangs. In addition you must feel as singers in the studio very well to deliver over exzellente work and I think, Ralf feel with us in the best way. Nevertheless I think in addition, that Ralf delivered mostly very good work at GAMMA RAY.

J. S.: Is a sense he route planned? If, do you make also a excursion to Austria? Gibt's already a Package?

M. S.: We will go with SINNER in December on route. We play Germany, Switzerland and Italy - later it still goes to Greece. How you see, there are no Gig in Austria. That is not however because of us, but there is no concrete inquiry. We will carry EDGUY forward and AT the I BLOOD as guests on the route.

J. S.: Gibt's a reason the fact that it just (is not meant negative) with Nuclear blow, which were responsible in former times rather for more extreme "music", signed?

M. S.: NB made a sensational development. The personnel consists of people, which understand and live the Metal. The world-wide structures are correct. The selling in Germany (East west) carries outstanding work out. In addition we had the chance to test the company with PRIMAL FEAR. We are very content. NB are to publish also in the future extreme music, but over to expand, you must have also different music in your stable. If that can run off everything under the generic term "Metal", is nevertheless point. We must get away slowly from the drawer thinking and finally would like I to still notice that good work should be respected and geneidet!

J. S.: You go with PF straight on euro-route as support for CASE OF HAMMER. Isn't it an amusing feeling to be vorgruppe of a Combo their members around some younger and more inexperienced than you is and straight only two albums outside has? Do you see as challenge, so after the slogan "now zeigen's we the Youngsters times"?

M. S.: There we have already again these drawers. We agreed this route only if we arise equally - as CO-Headliner -. Our contribution on this route is a desire of our disk company and also hammer case had interest (particularly in Germany) second strong volume on the Billing to have. We had rather interest to work on our second plate to go as on route. If it should be absolutely a further tour, then the basic conditions must be correct, although CASE OF HAMMER naturally have the momentarily clearly more current plate on the market and "Youngsters" I would also not call the volume. It harms that this does not rueberkommt in such a way graduation-moderately `, as this was agreed upon, but at the latest with the posters this condition will relate itself, whereby we may not forget also that PF are new volume and an Debut album on the market have. There it is nevertheless nearly no matter whether 2 people in that have volume larger experiences.

J. S.: PF arose on the "Mind Over Matter" open air in Austria. The public behaved initially rather reserved, but I find, it it nevertheless created to take the three points with home. Because of what can that have been?

M. S.: The organizer wanted to absolutely let traditional Metal volume arise on Sunday, whereby on Saturday 3 or 4 of volume of this direction played. Now, I think that the main fan parliamentary group stood on Sunday rather on other music and there we had through. I think, even the "bloodiest" fans at the latest after the fourth Song noticed, how much strength and authority of the stage come. Nevertheless no easy task - we had already more fun.

J. S.: What was your impression of the MOM Festival? Would you play again there gladly?

M. S.: The organizers gave themselves very much trouble and made its job also good. In addition I saw young also on other Metal Festivals in the summer, where they were inspired certainly positively. If the basic conditions are correct, we would play surely again on the MOM Festival.

J. S.: I saw also your appearance in Wacken. Has me still one tick better than the anyway already geile MOM Gig fallen. How do you see that?

M. S.: Exactly the same - Wacken is Metal purely. The fans abgefeiert us with start of the first Songs and along-sang. If a Gig runs then smoothly, we can increase on the stage still enormously. Play joy plus power, which give a good time to people and back-get this enormous resonance of the fans on the stage. Like that it was in Wacken and also on other Festivals of this summer. Altogether an enormously informative summer for PF.

Thank you for the detailed interview!

J. S.