WARRANT
M.P.: Jörg, how did the lineup change in the band come about?
J.J.: It was primarily due to playing issues. Our drummer had some sort of problem with his arms, so we couldn't play any gigs without risking problems with him, and that was really shitty. There were musical disagreements with the guitarist that we couldn't and wouldn't accept. In one respect, he was also fed up with making money and all that.
H.P.: Can we expect stylistic changes from WARRANT now?
J.J.: It definitely won't stay the same style. I mean, that was already apparent with "The Enforcer" LP, where we tried to introduce new concepts into our music. It will probably all sound a bit more commercial, since we want to slow down the speed. But there will still be decent guitar parts, like there have been so far.
M.P.: Why did you get new management?
O.M.: The old one was simply too unprofessional for us, plus they lacked the necessary contacts and ambition. It was just a friendly arrangement because we couldn't find a proper manager at the beginning. So, of course, not much came of it, and in the end, we had to arrange everything ourselves—the two gigs we've played so far, and everything else that goes with it
M.P.: You've often been accused of sounding like RUNNING WIRD. What do you say to that?
J.J.: That's absolute nonsense! I would never let myself be influenced by them, because then we might as well just copy PRIEST. That would eliminate any chance of achieving anything later on.
O.M.: Independence is our goal, and that will be reflected on our next album. Okay, we kind of got swept up in this trend, but you're always evolving, so you don't even like the old songs anymore. Now we've reached a point where the old songs don't offer us anything anymore. The new material has a significantly higher musical potential.
M.P.: Is there a special meaning behind your album covers?
O.M.: Well, I'd say the interpretation of it doesn't really mean anything (laughs). They were more like stopgap covers. But this will definitely change in the future. Currently, the covers are still printed on the T-shirts, but not anymore starting with the next album.
M.P.: How is "The Enforcer" selling?
J.J.: As far as I know, quite well. We recently met with Karl Walterbach from NOISE Records, and the sales figures were around 7,000. I can't say more than that.
M.P.: Do you think you can survive as group?
O.M.: I don't know what the others think about it, but I don't think we'll have a meteoric rise to 100%. Therefore, we have to try to win people over with the music. It's clear that we won't have much say in the matter when the next LP is released
M.P.: Are any concerts planned soon?
J.J.: Yes, we're doing a few gigs in Belgium first, and then we'll participate in various competitions, which are more like test concerts since we still need to properly gel with our new lineup. After the LP is released early next year, we want to go on tour immediately so people can experience our new sound right away.
M.P.: Has the record company approached you with any plans in this regard?
J.J.: Yes, we'll probably tour with Grave Digger. There wasn't much initiative from the record company at first, but now you can tell they want to involve us more.
M.P.: Okay, that's it! Thanks for the interview.
Interview: Karsten, Jörg, Frank Editing: Karsten & Frank.