With:	Oliver Nicolas Schmid [Guitars]
Conducted by:	KwonVerge
Published:	02.07.2005
Band profile:	Lacrimas Profundere

- First of all I'd like to ask you to give us a brief information concerning the history of Lacrimas Profundere for all of the music fans that haven't heard of you yet!

Oh-in 1993 I loved the Paradise Lost sound and I searched for a band that plays this kind of music. After two month I can´t find any group in my hometown that plays this kind of music, so I founded my own band and LACRIMAS was born. At our beginnings we had a very expensive rehearsalroom without water, heating and toiletts. I know it like yesterday. We always pissed out of the windows hahaha! It was fuckin cold in winter and fuckin hot in summer. It was very hard to find all the musicians and if I go out I always asks people: hey do you play an instrument? And after a month I had my first band together. Till now only my brother Christopher and I left. But we met the first bandmembers every year and we have a lot of fun if we thought back to our beginnings-our former bassplayer did the merchandise at our tours. In 1994 we startet the recordings to "? and the wings embraced us" its our doom deathmetal debut. After this we signed a contract with witchhunt records a Swiss label and in 1996 we release the "la naissance dún reve" Album. After this we signed a contract with Napalm Records. Under this sign we recorded the CD´s: "memorandum", "burning: a wish", "fall, I will follow" and the last one "ave end".


- Let's go to your latest release "Ave End", another step forward for the sound of the band which is progressing from album to album! How much time did you spend in the studio concerning the recordings of "Ave End"?

We started with the songwriting soon after the recordingsessions of the last album. I think we composed about 2 years. First of all I compose the songs and riffs at home. After this I take my ideas to the bandrehersal and we talk together about it. If the bandmembers like it we did the arrangements together, if they don´t like it we throw It away. At this record it was the first time that we recorded the songs in our own studio in our rehearsal room. This was no problem because our keyboarder has a own studio and he knows exactly what he has to do. After the recordings we checked out the songs in different tunings and talk with the whole band in witch tuning this or the other song sounds better. After this everybody gots a demo-CD of the whole record and we had to play the songs at home ever and ever. We entered the studio for about 2 month. And after this Miika Jussila of Finnvox Studios did the mastering.


- "Ave End" in my opinion walks on the thin line of metal and rock concerning its heaviness and musically is a goth n' roll oriented album; and by saying that I mean that it is a gothic metal/rock album with some hard rock references lending groove to its compositions!

Yes, we think so too. Its very important for us to play METAL beside our goth and rock roots.






- Many of your fans adore both of your periods, including myself, but some of your older fans that adored your melodic doom/death (with orchestral references) metal were disappointed by "Ave End" and felt "betrayed" by the band since you started moving into gothic soundscapes, a change that was distinctive in "Burning: A Wish", became obvious in "Fall, I Will Follow" and unleashed its grandeur in "Ave End"! But you also gained the respect of many new fans concerning your new music style that didn't remain in your latest releases, but also searched for the past of the band! What's your opinion?

In my opinion we lost some old fans with the "fall, I will follow" release. But a lot of old fans love the "ave end"album as the former releases. After the "fall" record we thought ok, it's a little bit too rocky, so we go a step back because for us and for the lacrimas sound. The sad melancholy touch is very important. So after a lot of mails in the past month I could say, that a lot of old fans came back to the band with the new album. On the other side so many new fans like the new album and they are now interested in the old stuff too.


- Oliver you are the main composer of the band concerning the music and for that I'd like to thank you because you have written some of my favorite compositions! Do you write the music showing which sound paths you'd like to explore and the other band mates follow or you discuss with them concerning the way the band will move from album to album and then start writing the music?

Thanx a lot. No, we don´t talk in front of the compositions. You know, music came from the heart not from your head. So, you can´t speak about music, you have to feel it.






- Except for the music of Lacrimas Profundere another strong weapon you have as a band is Christopher's charismatic and deeply expressive voice and, of course, his wonderful lyrics; abstract in a way, poetic still, leaving the listener translate them the way he wants to while losing himself into Lacrimas Profundere's soundscapes!

Yes, Christopher is very important for the sound of Lacrimas.


- Lacrimas Profundere from their very beginning, "?And the Wings Embraced Us", until now, "Ave End", never failed composing fabulous and from the heart music filled with intense emotions, in any style you were moving! How do you feel when you look back? What need made you form this wonderful band bearing the dramatic name Lacrimas Profundere?

We did about 8 new songs till now and we can´t expect to record the next album. We have a lot of very good new songs composed during the last month, so we hope the next album came out this year. If I look back, I understand that every album shows the way to the next, so I´m? how can I describe, yes, I´m proud of our history.


- Could please tell us some words/emotions/situations that are related to each of your releases, a few words about your albums up now?

OK? and the wings embraced us was our first record and we had to learn a lot of things in the music scene like the business and the songwriting. A lot of old fans love this records, but for me I would do a lot of things different if we had to record this CD again.
La naissance d´n reve, was the album we searched for our place in this big big music scene. We did a lot of experiences and its the progressive album in the history. A lot of different feelings and 20 breaks in one song and very long songs.
With the "memorandum" record we learned to write shorter songs and came faster to the point.
The "burning: a wish" album was one of the important records in our history because with this record we said this is the best album we could do in this musical direction so we had to change the way and go some steps forward.
Fall, I will follow is our rock´n´roll record with the fuck attitude.
Ave End is the best record of all our influences and combines all our emotions till now. It´s our goth bastard.






- Your influences back then and now; which bands do you think have influenced the doom/death metal of Lacrimas Profundere (if you ask me, you had a personal style with the orchestral pieces throughout your music, a style enriched with your influences, as every band does, yet without losing your personal identity) of the early days and which ones your latest gothic-oriented sound?

Oh, I don´t listen to music very often at home, but I like the old bands like Paradise Lost, Black Sabbath and the doors or the cult since our beginnings.


- What does gothic rock mean for you? What is your opinion concerning the dark wave/gothic rock/EBM scene of Germany that rises stronger day by day?

For us its not only music, it's a living attitude. We don´t think that the scene in Germany is so strong, but it´s great to have the chance to make music and earn money with your music.


- Concerning your live shows, do you play also songs from "?And The Wings Embraced Us" and "La Naissance D'Un Reve" (this album had a huge impact on me!) or only from your latest releases?

We play a mixture of the last four records. Only at our gigs in Mexico we played a song of the la naissance record.


- Any plans for the future? What should we expect from Lacrimas Profundere in the forthcoming years?

We do everything to release the next album this year and play all the festivals we get the right offers!






- If you ask me, here in Greece are many fans of atmospheric metal generally, including myself, that would love to see Lacrimas Profundere performing on stage! Are you planning to pass by Greece for live shows in the forthcoming future?

This would be so great, at this time we had some offers to come and play in Greece and we hope that we can visit Greece as soon as possible and perhaps with the new album.


- Emotionally, what follows after "One Hope's Evening"? Does "falling in love mean to blow up fate, breaking down for a distant life"?

Hahaha, I don´t know-I don´t write the lyrics.


- I'd love to thank you for all this beautiful music throughout these years and for giving me the chance to interview you, it was really an honour! End the interview in any way you like including some special to you lyrics of Lacrimas Profundere!

Thanx a lot for this interview hope to see you all as soon as possible live and its only rock´n´sad but we like it.