With:	Oliver Nikolas Schmid [guitars]
Conducted by:	Azhidahak
Published:	14.08.2004
Band profile:	Lacrimas Profundere

1. Could you please give us a brief description of your band to those fellows that haven't heard of you yet?

OK, In 1993 I loved the Paradise Lost sound at "shades of god"-times so I searched for a band who plays this kind of music, but I can´t find any group that plays this kind of music, so I founded a new band and Lacrimas Profundere was born. Our first album "? and the wings embraced us" was recorded in 1994 and came out in 1995. First of all we thought we record a demotape, but after the recordings we liked it so much that we decided to release the material as a CD. Some month later we got a distribution-deal of perverted taste and this was the beginning for us in this business. We got our first record contract and "la naissance d´un reve" comes out in 1997 via the Swiss label witchhunt records - the same label released the first anathema EP too -. Both first CDs was a very progressive work with a lot of breaks and different parts. We used female vocals, a flute and violine on this recording. After this we changed the label and since 1998 we´re under the flag of napalm records. Under this sign we released the albums "Memorandum", "burning: a wish", "fall, I will follow" and the new one "ave end". With "memorandum" we composed shorter songs that came faster to the point. And use sometimes a harp in our compositions. "burning: a wish" was the best album we could do in this musical direction so it was time to go new ways. My brother Christopher (vocals) said he won´t grunt in the future so I changed the songwriting a little bit to let the clean vocal-lines the freedom they need. In my opinion we´re one of the first bands that combined a flute, a harp, violin and female vocals in their sound. Now many bands play this kind of music so it was time to search for a new challenge. Gothic metal got boring in all the years. Every band copies the same parts. So we changed our sound, because its boring to copy yourself. Now I think we´ve found our new own style again but we never forget our roots. At the "fall, I will follow" record we tried to combine the melancholic part of gothic with the dirty sound of rock. It's a goth rock album that kicks ass, not more or less. We had our own words for this: rock´n´sad music. And now in 2004 here is our new output "ave end" that is a mixture between the last album and our sad and melancholic roots. Melancholy kick ass music!

2. There have been big expectations for your new album "Ave End". Please tell us more about the album itself and also about its progress.

We don´t had any pressure or such things. We always compose the songs in the same way. I give a shit to record-sells or to success. We only play our part of music and its overwhelming that so many people like our sound. First of all we recorded a demo-tape in our rehearsal room. First of all, we recorded the songs in our own studio in our rehearsal room. This was no problem because our keyboarder has his 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 gets a demo-CD of the whole record and we had to play the songs at home ever and ever. At the beginning of February we entered the lungfull studios near Munich for a month and after the recordings Mika Jussila of Finnvox (Moonspell, Sentenced) did the mastering. We love the sound of this CD.




3. How was the response from the audience for that album so far?

Great, really great. We got so many new fans here in Germany because you can watch the video of the title song "ave end" in the biggest TV stations here in Germany and everybody loves this song. We got great reviews and many many fan mails every day.

4. Why did Rico leave the band?

He decided to play in a band in his neighbourhood. He is from Munich and he has to drive about 100 miles to the rehearsal room. So we understand his decision.

5. Daniel Lechner is still a pretty new member. How successful do you see his work so far?

He came into the band last year. We like his bass-play a lot and he is a very good bass player. We did a lot of songs before he became a member of lacrimas, so lets talk again after the next CD. But he had a lot of good ideas and he fits great to the rest of the members. This is the best band we ever had.

6. I think you have changed drastically throughout the years and moved more and more towards gothic metal. Are you completely leaving doom-metal behind yourself?

Oh, what can I say, if I think back to our beginnings nobody ever thought that we would someday play in Mexico in front of thousands of fans or go on tour with paradise lost and amorphis, so we´re very satisfied with our "career" and the step we reached. Now we play a kind of goth rock. With "Memorandum" we try to compose shorter songs, but with "burning: a wish" we changed our way. Now I think we´ve found our new own style again but we never forget our roots. We only try to combine the melancholic part of gothic and doom with the dirty sound of rock. It's a goth rock album that kicks ass, not more or less. We had our own words for this: rock´n´sad music. We get older and older and the sound we listen to changed in all those years too. At this time I don´t think that we compose a real doom records again.






7. When you got a deal with the record label Napalm Record in 1999 it must have been a real boost for your band. Was it like the start of a new career for you or??

Yes, sure it was the first step into a new business for us and be sure we love it to play the music we love and to have a label that pays the bills.

8. What are your future gig plans?

We play some summer festivals now. After this we have a small break in September because of our drummer and at October we play gigs in Turkey and France and two festivals her in Germany and at December we play a tour in Germany. At February we have the offer to play in Mexico again, so a lot of things to do.

9. Lacrimas Profundere consists of six members which can (maybe) make it hard to agree on a subject. How often do you end up fighting or fussing about making a decision?

Hahaha, no. First of all I compose the songs and riffs at home. After this I take it to the band rehearsal and we talk together about it. If the band members like it we did the arrangements together, it they don´t like it we throw it away.




10. I think that one of your main influences is Paradise Lost. Am I right or wrong? What are your other influences?

Oh, what can I say, since the beginning we had to live with comparisons. So, yes we love a lot of bands like Paradise Lost or anathema, but we like the 69 eyes, muse, monster magnet and Type o negative too. You know, my most important influence is my ESP guitar, six strings and a moment alone. Sometimes you listen to good music and you compose a new song, sometimes you listen to great music and you compose nothing. Sometimes I´m alone and I compose a complete song in 30 minutes and sometimes I can´t compose anything for two weeks. We grew up with black Sabbath and we listened to so many different styles of music, so its very hard to name one or two bands. It's perhaps a mixture between Paradise Lost, the 69 eyes and black Sabbath.

11. Which are your five most listened albums?

The 69 eyes: paris kills
Muse: origin of symmetry
Anathema: a fine day to exit
My dying bride: turn loose the swans
HIM: greatest lovesongs vol.666

12. If you had to pick between either gothic or doom-metal, which one would you prefer?

Gothic, because this is what we like to be and to play at this time. Don´t understand me wrong, I like doom a lot, but at this time we had fun to play gothic and we need the pepper in our asses.

13. What is the best thing about being in a band?

You don´t have to pay for festivals, for eat and drink and you have the chance to see other countries completely for free.

14. I'd like to thank you for your time. Any last word for your fans?

Thanx for the great interview and thanx to all our fans that supported us throughout the years. If you like sad melancholy music try "ave end". Hope to see you all as soon as possible. Check our website under HYPERLINK "http://www.lacrimas.com" www.lacrimas.com - there is no hope without despair-"ave end" bye oliver nikolas LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE