Prologue

When we met for our first rehearsal, we had no idea where all this was going. We were pissed off with all that shit? around us and that's what we wanted to show the world or at least our damn city, Dresden-Fucking-Rock-City.
For that a monster was needed, which had to be created ...

Beissert (voc.) And I (drums) were left with the band Trojan, which broke down because too big egos clashed in a shitty business. After shooting each other down for several weeks, we decided to start all over again. For what we wanted, we needed suitable people. We found our first colleague in a bar, the Groove Station, where Beissert was the bartender at the time. Connie (Stringster), a damn good bass player who already had quite a list of bands and projects behind him. The search for the guitarist turned out to be more difficult. We couldn't think of anyone useful, either too busy or an asshole or some freaky guy. At some point at a festival I met Jack, who fell under the first category and also played primarily grindcore. I asked him anyway, since I was totally crazy anyway. I talked about Hellacopters, Entombed, Crowbar, Down and he said, quite interested, he would come over. We immediately arranged something for the next Thursday (by the way, Thursday has always been a rehearsal and at least I don't know any band that doesn't rehearse on Thursday ... doesn't matter ...).

Phase I

A great day. We wanted to meet at eight. We had thought of everything, beer, dope, cables. Who did not come was the Lord Sabbath. Initially optimistic? He's coming? 'Attempts to set up gave way after half an hour? Maybe he's just got it? missed? and after 60 minutes of disillusionment. We were really into brass. Today I know better. It was as simple as it always has been. Jack's car was screwed. But in the end he came, of course, an hour late. So we drove to the rehearsal room. Everyone was in a damn good mood again and we got along really well. After another hour to check out etc. we pounded.
And the first chord? HARD !!! - made obvious:! YEAH! We are a new band!?. We couldn't stop grinning and wrote the first song.
A few weeks later, Willi called from Heavy Duty and wanted us to play our first show there. We had a couple of songs done by now, so we said for July 21st. to. The booth was full, just like us. In the beginning nobody really seemed to know what to do with our noise, but that should come quickly and in the end we were able to book our first triumphant advance. What was closer to spitting up our first demo? Correct! Nothing! So in August we entered the Robotronic Studios here in DD-Fucking-Rock-City and, under the direction of Pezi? Deflowered world? within three days.
The reactions to it were very benevolent, especially since Doom and Stoner-Rock were experiencing a renaissance at that time, the categories into which we were classified although we already called it Hellrock at that time. Thanks to the good reviews and the internet, we quickly came into contact with other bands, and a network began to develop in which we were (and still are) a part.

Phase II

In March 2002, Beissert suddenly had the idea, for whatever reason, to let the cleaner sing from the Egyptian Gaylovers. He switched to bass himself. So from now on we had two bass players. Yet! Because somehow Jack and Stringster couldn't get away from each other and it got worse from rehearsal to rehearsal! Maybe it was because of the drug lull, I don't know, but Stringster cleared the field before the Smoke Blow gig.

The first gig with this new line-up was supposed to be at the Noisepoint III Festival, but unfortunately the Cleaner was on the road with Robert and the Roboters in the Czech Republic. So Mr. Sabbath had to sing, uh, scream. He never wanted to (what a parallel to Metallica), but had no other choice
But with? M Cleaner we still had two cool Muggen: Smoke Blow and Warhorse, Electric Wizard (now we know why they always need the butt bag ...). The Wizard drummer literally dismantled my drum kit, but it was worth it to me. It's a shame he didn't get my sister over, maybe we'd be related now.

But it was shaky the whole time, Beissert wanted to go to Berlin to join a well-known band there, Cleaner wanted to go to the Gaylovers. In addition, senseless misunderstandings ensured that he was pissed off (but everything is cleared up today).
There we were, Jack and I, and Smegma had arranged a tour for us. Holy shit! How are we supposed to straighten that out again within two months?

Phase III
This situation really sucks, especially when you have a booked tour ahead of you. Smegma from Noisepoint typed her fingers sore and organized a tour through Germany for us together with the Finns from God Forsaken.
The hunter! We had known him for a long time, especially me, after all, he maltreated Trojan's bass strings. The hunter must whether he wants to or not, he's always been there as a roadie anyway. He just didn't want the bass, he wanted the Mike. Eggi, the bass player from CHC, Jack's other band at the time, offered himself up for the ax. We hit!

At that moment, Beissert wanted to go back, but it was too late. Jack, Beissert and I discussed a whole night, there was no way inside. The course had already been set.
Eggi and the Hunter got it on pretty quickly. In September they went on tour with God Forsaken. They then dissolved, for whatever reason - Finns !. I think they just didn't communicate with each other ... ( tour diary ).
We knew beforehand that the Hunter would only be a short interlude because he wanted to go to Scotland. That's how it was. Tired of looking for singers, Jack simply took over the vacant position of shouter himself. Reluctantly! But after being persuaded, he just did it.
A new demo was needed! Not only that the old was old, but the whole band had changed and with it the sound (a little). So in February 2003 we did? ... demonstrating heaviness ?. It looks more mature than the first. After all, it took us a day longer. Here we immortalized our live standards Born to Lose, Codeine Commander and My Way for the first time. The first two were each made in a rehearsal within maybe ten minutes, at three or so at night. The Hunter gave his farewell again in the form of guest vocals on Hatebreed.

Phase IV

Two months later we got the idea to get a second guitarist. So we roamed the clubs, but couldn't find anything reasonable. The solution was again closer than expected. Mr. Sabbath knew of one who was playing next door in the rehearsal room of his other band, the predecessor of Senorita Spitfire, in a combo called Sethqen. He played simple, cool, fat riffs. Perfect! At the Darkforce Festival in April 2003 Phil played Born To Lose with us for the first time. And he was freaking out.

It went further uphill. Always in small steps, but steadily. When Beissert and Cleaner were out, there was a brief rumor that Monsoon was dead, but a circular email and a few muggles dispersed it to all four winds within a very short time.

The demo did the rest, we got mostly good reviews. Then in October we organized the disaster tour. Nomen est omen. Eggi couldn't join for family reasons. As before, fate solved the problem. Jack slept with a babe. At some point at night they sat in the kitchen, their roommate was a guitarist. You heard Vitus. Jack told about the little dilemma. It should start in three days. Chris, the roommate's name, put the stuff on it within these three days. Got it! Originally he was only supposed to go on the tour, but on the first evening, on stage, I thought to myself:? Damn it, I think it looks bad for you, Eggie !?

Chris thought at the time that things were already going really well for us. No way with the hotel and hot food every day. The first day we could still give him this illusion, then no more. We traveled with our junk mills through the republic, played in some pretty fucked up venues and were happy when there was a real bed. And it was cold, all the time and it was cold everywhere. But we wanted to eat shit! ( Tour diary )
After the tour we played two gigs with Eggie. I think he could feel it, because he took it really cool. Chris played the first gig again in 2004 and was in the band from then on.

There were more and more responses to our? ... demonstrating heavieness? Demo and they weren't bad by any means. You could almost be exuberant? say. At some point during this time we also got to know Stalin from Kickass Promotion. We already knew he had us on his screen. At the end of 2003 he was in heavy duty with one of his bands. I just asked him if he would like to manage us. Until then we had only received dubious offers in terms of promotion, publishing or booking. Stalin did not give us false hopes, because of: "I'll make you big!", That made him sympathetic to us. The result was Muggen, Muggen, Muggen. We played in every poop we wanted. No way was too far and no barriers insurmountable. If we didn't have a cart again

I once promised Chris that at some point we would play with Wino. Frank Nice from the Eastclub got us to support a hidden hand show. Wino built Jack's backline himself. After our gig he came to Jack to applaud and congratulated Jack on our performance. We were practically raised to the nobility. Then I watched backstage football with him ...

The Stoned from the Underground Festival was also absolutely great this year. We played in the club sometime at night, there was a foam party next door. Everywhere foam, foam and we gambled everything short and small. The masses celebrated us with every trick in the book. The whole day the atmosphere was like it was probably only in the 70s at festivals. But the evening was also the culmination of our work so far. The next day we unfortunately had to leave because we had a show in the Czech Republic for the first time. Another festival, but I think the Czechs weren't ready for us at the time.
At the end of August we had a slot at the Up from the Ground Festival.

Gorilla Monsoon at a death metal festival. Alleluia! We had the honor of waking up the pack on Saturday morning around 11.30 a.m. Lo and behold, it seemed to work. Afterwards Jack and I strolled across the campsite and everyone gave us a benevolent growl! A guitarist from Illdisposed came to us just after the gig and said in broken German: I'm going to steal a few riffs from you ??.
The rest of the year was shaped by Konzis, Petra from the Disbelief area brought us to Hesse for the wine festival. After that Jagger said to me:? At some point you will get a record deal and you will release records and you will be a good band !? Nuja ma see?

Phase V
At the beginning of 2005 I got an email from Frank Nice at the East Club.
It said that the people from Wacken Open Air were calling a metal contest that went over several rounds. The first round looked like that each federal state sends a winner into the second round, the East Club provided the location for Saxony. The winner was determined by a jury made up of people from business and the scene. However, in order to be nominated for his state, a demo had to be sent to Wacken beforehand. All we thought was:? Cool, we can play at the East Club again.?. Provided you liked our demo.

It did. So on March 11th we should? Fight? Against Braindead, MOM Hunters, Odysseus & The Argonauts, Persecution and Testimony. Well, from? Fighting mood? in the sense that there can be no question of how the common Saxon is like that, he makes himself comfortable first. Almost all the bands sat around a huge table and the dowel went around, and one or the other line was shared.

Each band had 20 minutes of playing time. Shortly before it was our turn, we thought:? Come on, let's at least win Saxons! What the hell??. We climbed the boards, steeled by all the performances of the past few years, hungry and aggressive. The club was full of headbangers. We got started and sparked a hurricane that gave the other bands no chance. We compressed everything that makes Gorilla Monsoon into these twenty minutes (from that point of view actually the perfect performance time). Break it, just break everything. Veni, vidi, vici as the cleaner said so beautifully.
In April we got the unexpected honor to play on the Doom Shall Rise and we also got the opening act. Just in time for th
is event, Gunnar released our split with Weed In The Head on his own label Grimmgrinner Records, at the? A lesson in darkness? from us, which is only available on this disc, by the way.

In May that was? So it was semi-finals in Wacken. We went there with no expectations, most of them could play better than us anyway, or make a more trendy sound, or both, but we didn't give a damn. We just wanted to play. The semi-finals took place on Friday and Saturday. We played in front of maybe 20 man on Friday. The next day we had a gig somewhere near Berlin with Coogan's Bluff. After the Mugge, Enno, the chief initiator of the Metal Battle, as the contest was called, called and said:? You are in the finals!?. That had to be celebrated! The backstage was rearranged afterwards (although Coogan's bluff was not entirely innocent).
We played a couple of smaller festivals up to Wacken and finally the time had come.

We should play at the festival where I said in 1997:? I want to be on the stage !? Of course we celebrated as much as we could and after a night of partying we got on the stage in the tent on August 5th. Sometime 4:00 p.m. full like a thousand Russians (except Chris). After that, that's it for us. Jack disassembled his guitar and we had finished with the Metal Battle theme.
The next day the winner of the whole event was to be announced from the main stage. The winner who won a record deal. The decision should be made between Sinners Bleed, a damn great Death Metal combo, Hatedrive, an official Thrash combo with newfangled influences and us.

? And the winners are? GORILLA MONSOON!?. First of all I yelled at Jack: "Shit, what should we do now?" We didn't want the deal.

Phase VI

Earlier this year we played with the idea of ​​recording a new demo. Willi, one of the bosses from Heavy Duty, our favorite bar, forbade us to do this and wanted to pump us money so that we could record a whole album right away. In June we went to the Goat Cunt Laboratory for? Damage King? to tackle. The recordings lasted until October, because we weren't constantly in the studio, through the whole Muggerei and so on. That said, in the meantime we won the thing, so we offered the label if they put the record out as it is, we'll sign it. There was a long back and forth. Finally we had it mastered by Schr? Dey in Hamburg, which was to have consequences.

At the end we put our three crosses under the contract (with our own blood - no shit ?!) after we really had every passage translated into normal German. You know all the stories right !? When it comes to the band, we're really damn stubborn. And that has often paid off.'

In any case, over time we found out that you can talk to people quite normally and that they don't just have the dollar signs in their eyes and want to wring us out, but have signed us because they think we are good.
So now we were a band with a contract. On March 16, 2006, "Damage King" was released. Before that we released the EP? Four to conquer? out, so that we can headline the Metal Battle Shows 2006, which we were supposed to headline as last year's winners ( tour diary), had an appetizer for the debut album. But actually this thing only exists because we were again too lame to get the CD ready in time.

At one of these shows we met Angry Ann, who later often helps us out of the shit. She also often picks us up from Dresden and always comes from Celle. Stalin and Anne complement each other magnificently. They are like our second brain. If we miss anything, know one of the two, however, always informed. And one of the two is usually with me. It is always best when everyone is together, there is something familiar about it.

2006 to 2008 was shaped by Muggen. We were sent on tour with Metal Church and Victory, where we came to Holland and Belgium for the first time ( tour diary). He also went to France, England, Ireland, Switzerland and Austria. In Austria we owed Alex from Pungent Stench, whom we met at a gig in Altenburg. In general we got to know a lot of cool people during this time, who supported us and with whom we celebrated properly. Everywhere there seem to be little oases of good taste with people who independently create something and create a scene. Whether in Vogtland, Ireland, Celle, the people from Gods Of Noise, Heavy Meddel nix im Sch? Del, Smegma ... the list could be extended at will.

Phase VII
At some point it was of course time to arrange a sequel to "Damage King". And this is where Schr? Dey comes in again, because his studio should be the one. We started at the end of March 2008. But at short notice we were offered a tour with Trouble and Sahg for April. So we had to interrupt the recordings after two weeks, go on tour and then go to the studio for another three weeks, which Mr. Sabbath spent alone, since the rest of us with our shit? were already done.


On November 17th, 2008 "Extermination Hammer" was born.
It was planned that we would go on tour with Grand Magus and Grantig. Unfortunately, it occurred to someone to cancel the thing two days before the start. We were still on the phone in the area and wanted to go through the tour alone, because the clubs were finally booked and the advertising was already out, but the organizers were all too hot because we were too? were. So Stalin tried to save everything and organized replacement gigs for us on the weekends for 2009 that covered the same area. The houses were always full and the Muggen awesome. A couple of cool festivals were there too, including a reunion at Stoned from the Underground and gigs at Wacken Rocks South and Wacken Rocks Seaside.

2010 got off to a good start, we were invited to a tour by Disbelief. Together with Lay Down Rotten we plowed the republic. Everything went on our own, except for the booking. Nobody thought it would work before, but we taught everyone better. On average 200 people came to the shows and we got money for the first time - despite the nightliner. As a result, we had better positions at the festivals in the summer, which of course we also rocked a lot. Everything seemed to be working. However, something was looming this year that we hadn't expected and that we only realized later. Phil distanced himself increasingly. At the beginning of 2011 he had to leave the band.

Phase VIII
That happened just before a Mugge, so we played the thing as a three. Was also possible. But with two guitars it's just cooler. So we wondered who would be eligible. Our first preferred candidate was basically in the mood, but didn't want to because he is also very involved in his private life and we would have come from bad to worse. Too bad we hadn't come up with an alternative. But at this point, chance comes into play again. An old photo should determine fate. After we had found this old friend on the net, we wrote to KK and asked how it is with him and whether he might want to gamble with us. The man couldn't believe it and was immediately hooked. Before the first rehearsal we should name a few songs for him. When he was there we rocked Damage King, Codeine Commander, My Way and Death Revolution right away and that was an instant hit. Has he got that? heard out! At the second rehearsal with him, we informed KK that he had the gig.
Since February 23, 2011 Gorilla Monsoon is full again!

http://www.gorilla-monsoon.de/main.php?page=history