Rock Impressions
 

INTERVIEW WITH SACRIFICIUM (NO italian version)
by Leonardo Cammi

Sacrifium play christiandeath metal from ten years. They arrive at the debut album only in 2002, after some underground releases. Read thestory of this prime christian movers.

Can you describe the history of the band till now describing also your past releases?
Well, Sacrificium started some when in 1993 with Oliver Tesch (guit.), Sebastian Wagner (voc,bass) and Markus Hauth (drums) in order to play more heavier music that they had done before. The result of that is a very bad demo tape but a lot of shows with Ashen Mortality (UK) and Sculpture (NL) in Germany and in The Netherlands. Soon Sebastian Wagner quit the band and Roman Wagner (not related) got into Sacrificium for the vocal part. For quit a long time Sacrificium played shows with different session bass players until Claudio Enzler (guit.) and Manuel Iwansky (bass) joint Sacrificium. But right after that, Markus Hauth left Sacrificium because he moved the Chicago (USA) for a year and we got Mario Henning as our new drummer. With this line-up the Demo CD “1996” has been recorded which opened the door for Sacrificium to play more shows in the local area and got quite a few good critics in the press. In summer 1998 we had to let go Manuel Iwansky so that Sacrificium has been again without a bass player. Before Manuel Kerkow came as the new bass player into Sacrificium in winter 1998, Sacrificium recorded their demo tape “Mortal Fear” which was high rated by the press. Until fall 2000 the line-up was stable and Sacrificium wrote new songs and played a couple of shows every year. Then Roman Wagner left Sacrificium and Claudio Enzler took over the vocal parts. It took quite sometime to get into this new situation with playing guitar and do the singing at the same time. By the end of fall 2001 we have been invited to join Extol (Century Media) on their European tour but Claudio Enzler broke his hand in a motorcycle accident and we had to bring Christian Urff (Acoustic Torment) as a session guitar player for the tour. After the tour we decided to finally record our first album so that we started rehearsing. We also decided that we leave Claudio Enzler on the vocals and get our selfs another guitar player, which we found in Ulrike Uhlmann. Because of some trouble with the artwork we went together with brain[faq] (D) on our release tour without the new CD. We played shows in Slowakia Republic, Czechia, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland and Germany. Right after the tour we since to Whirlwind Records who are some friends of ours. Unfortunately we had to let go Manuel Kerkow (bass) in March 2003 so that Sacrificium, again, is without a bass player. But we think that we’re going to have a new bass player by the end of this month (august 2003). The current line-up is: Claudio Enzler (vocals), Mario Henning (drums), Oliver Tesch (guitar), Ulrike Uhlmann (guitar).

Now I want a complete description of all the lyrics that we can find in ‘Cold Black Piece Of Flesh’. Many titles (‘Kill Me’ or Killing With Style’ for example) are really strong so I want to know all the metaphoric significances that we can find.
Cold Black Piece Of Flesh - Every time we fail and we some kind infect our mind and soul with the wrong things, God offers to renew us and to make us new again.
Come Closer - The freedom of choice is so very important. But what if our choices are turning out to be the way to endless darkness and pain? Would it be ok if we turn around and start all over again? Would it be ok to regret? Yes it is. There’s no weakness in regretting and giving our selfs in safe hands.
Existence - Ever wondered what you do here on this planet, or if this here is maybe just a bad dream of someone else? Or are you just a bunch more or less intelligent cells? A product by evolution? No you're not.
Kill Me - This is pure provocation with a bit of black humor. No matter what you do or what you say will bring us down. This is for all the closed minded people who just talk after others just to be some sort of cool. And for all the ones who believe in lies just because it’s so much easier. The end will tell my friends ....
Killing With Style - One man has had to be killed just because mankind was and still is stupid enough to leave a safety and well chosen path.
Labyrinth - We like to build little worlds of our own where we can hide so that others are not able to reach and hurt us. Once we've in there it’s so hard to come out again. But these worlds tent to collapse and everything is even worse. We forget where we came from, where we belong to, and most of all where we should be.
Paupers Grave - For countless generations mankind has suffered by it’s own. Above us our own sword of Damocles: our faults, our sins. Sin is no illness nor a cure (like some people claim). Sin is the result of our mere existence, an inevitable fate. Nobody can hide himself from the eyes of our creator, he can look into our innerst thoughts and feelings, true or false. He sure doesn't like what he sees. Nevertheless he is willing to forgive us and welcome us into his realm. I would never say I'm a prefect Christian, but I would rather choose to be the lowest in the kingdom of God than to be nothing.
Psalm Of An Unborn - This song deals not just with abortion from the view of the aborted one and with the pain and fear the victim fells. It‘s also a song about responsibility. The responsibility we have for our actions. Problems aren't solved if we run away from them or by killing them. The little child dies in incredible pain but still has the love and power to forgive those who murdered. Love and forgiveness solves our faults and more problems then we can imagine.
Vast - Is a cover song from a band that we where friends with Pale (R.I.P).
Zustand Tod - “Zustand Tod” is very personal and deals with the senselessness of suicide and suicidal thoughts. Suicide is always a lie. It doesn't matter how deep you’re lying in the dirt, there’s always a way out. You just need to “wanting” to see, because when you think of suicide you tent to close the eyes and let nothing get close to you. Maybe you say that you don't care about it anymore even not these lines, but keep in you mind that man commit suicide because they care.

If is possible tell something more about the composition and writing of ‘Psalm Of The Unborn’, a death-metal suite that I find similar to Paramecium (for the slow parts) and Mortification (for the speedy parts). Do you agree?
No. What parts do you find similar to Mortification?
As we wrote that song we had the lyrics first and then just wrote riff after riff fitting the lyrics.
Personally we don't listen to Mortification that often and never did (expect maybe for Mario because Jason Sherlock is one of his main influence). So we think that Mortification never had a major influence in our songwriting.

Your music style is pure classic death metal. Don't you feel the urge of a different style direction?
We have many different styles of music that have influence to our music. Old school death metal is just one style that we play with.

Are you in contact with others Christian metal bands? Is there a good Christian metal scene in your country?
Yes we have contact with other Christian bands like Noiz, Extol, Acoustic Torment, AWAS and Icon Clan. As for the Christian metal scene, there are a lot of people who listen to Christian metal bands but there is no such thing as a community or so. Just small groups of people who communicate on different web sites. We wouldn't call that a good scene.

What’s about your religion (Protestant, catholic, other?) and beliefs?
We come from different Christian backgrounds. It’s all about Jesus Christ and not some sort of religion. Christianity is no religion.

Talking about music can you tell something more about influences and fave bands?
Claudio: Bolt Thrower, Brutal Truth, At The Gates (very cool vocalist), Deep Purple, Napalm Death
Mario: Jason Sherlock, Extol, Living Sacrifice, Deep Purple
Ulrike: Extol, In Flames, Muse, Eric Clapton, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, different styles of folk music, classical music, ancient music
Oliver: Bolt Thrower, In Flames, Soilwork, Dark Tranquillity, Black Sabbath, Metallica (old stuff), Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society), classical guitar music

What does represent the cover of your album? It seems a broken window…
It is a broken window. But if you want to know if there’s message behind it, you should ask the artwork designer. We just let the designer to what he want’s to, and so he came up with that idea which we liked and there we go.

I went this summer to Wacken Open Air festival, a really enormous metal festival. Is there an equivalent for Christian metal bands in Germany?
Only for Christian metal bands? No! There are some festivals (but not as big as Wacken) like Freakstock or Christmas Rock Night where also metal bands play.

In Germany Bible has a great importance for believers that generally have their copy near there bed. Is it true? What are your preferred books in the Bible?
And every Russian drinks only Wodka? Hahaha. We don't know. Never heard of that. Our favorite books in the bible are Ephesians, Romans, Psalms, the gospels, Philippians

In your opinion what we (Christian metal fan, writers and musicians) can do to try a more successful approach to secular metal listener?
Being respectful towards them, taking them seriously, going into the scene, lots of prayer and having a heart for the people.

I had your contact by Whirlwind Records. What can you tell about your label?
It’s a small , nice and growing record label with nice people who support small bands with passion.

Line Up
Claudio Enzler: vocals;
Mario Henning: drums;
Oliver Tesch: guitar;
Ulrike Uhlmann: guitar

Discography
Sacrificium – Demo, 1996
Mortal Fear - Demo MC, 1999
Cold Black Piece Of Flesh – CD, 2002

Review (in italian): Cold Black Piece of Flesh


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