Interview with MECHANIC TYRANTS
!!!WORKING CLASS SPEED METAL FROM GERMANY!!!
We had a conversation with Danny (Bass). Enjoy!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
The last time we talked was 3 years ago when TORPEDO was active. What had happened to the band those years?
Well, I guess Covid happened. During the lockdown the band fell apart due to several reason, but since the split didn't happen on the best terms, I don't want to go into much detail here. But what also happened during lockdown was, that Mechanic Tyrants came to life during those days.
Our Frontman Flo was working on some side project, focusing on a more technical and downright more furious sound and riffing. One of the first demos he made was an early version of our Kansas cover "Carry On Wayward Son". And since we spent the lockdown days getting drunk on my couch, Flo showed me the demo and I didn't have to think twice to tell him, that if he'd want to turn this into a band, I'd be in.
Not soon after we started rehearsing with Jake, who we've known for years now. He's one of the finest guitar I've ever played with - take that as you want, haha - and ever since he moved to Nuremberg from Berlin, I wanted to make music with him. He actually liked the Kansas cover as well, so that and maybe a fridge full of beer in our rehearsing room made him decide to join the band.
First rehearsals were held in our old Torpedo rehearsal room using a drum computer. Well, since this kinda sucks, we needed a drummer and soon found Orlando, who's not just in the band because of his precise skills on the drum, but also because of his mustache and overall sexiness. He's the only one in the band with an autograph card. I'm not making this up!
So we wrote some songs, learned some old Torpedo tunes to fill a live set and soon after forming we played our first gig at the Storm Crusher e.V. birthday party. Great festival by the way, if you ever have the chance to go there I highly recommend it. Well, fast forward to now:
We have a 4-track EP out - including the already mentioned Kansas cover - which we released on CD and tape yet, although there is a vinyl release as well on November 19th and we are also already sorting out some shows for next year
Tell us a few things about your EP ''Meanhattan''& what is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
We recorded it by ourselves in our rehearsing - thanks to our friend Lukas for helping out with the microphones - and we, or better, Jake did mixing as well. The mastering did Horst Pfaffelmeyer at Goldchamber Studios in Austria. The feedback as well as from our audience. The best feedback anyway is to see a crowd go wild live. You know, people go crazy! Banging their heads, spilling their beer, bottles are break, there's this pool of human bodies bursting into chaos. It's actually very good fun, you know?
Congratulations for the cover artwork. It has a great atmosphere! Tell us a few things about the lyrics content of the EP.
First of all I have to pass that compliment on to our frontman Flo, who painted the cover. Actually he does our all design stuff, like he did the logo, the shirts and the overall layout of the record. The cover itself is inspired by another record by the way named "Der Watzmann" by Wolfgang Ambros, probably one of the best musical pieces of art outside of heavy metal. I'm not kidding! It might be a bit strange, but we love it. It also represents the lyrical theme of the lyrics. Which leads us to our next question. I'm glad you asked, haha.
All songs on the album are are thematically set in the same universe. Imagine "Meanhattan" as a big film noir dystopian city. You know kind of like Sin City, which was part of the inspiration. So Denied "welcomes" you to the city and sets the tone - it's like an introduction, the lyrical prologue. And a banger of an live opener at shows. Granada revolves around a shady night club somewhere in Meanhattan, there might be more to the lyrics, but that's up to your interpretation. Meanhattan as the title track starts with a picture of a funeral. It then takes you from the graveyard back into the city.
The Return to Madness, if you want. The music changes from this very gloomy slow part into this "run for your life"-melody part and then goes into that very fast, frantic final. So the music kind of represents the lyrical journey as well. Well and for Carry On Wayward Son you'll have to ask Kerry Livgren, I guess. We'll follow the Meanhattan concept at the upcoming album as well and even push it at bit further...
You released it on CD & tape indepently. How many copies did you press and are you in search of a record label?
We pressed 200 CDs and 100 tapes. The vinyl will come in too versions. There will be 200 black and 100 random coloured LPs, but both will cost the same. So it was no financial reason to offer two versions, we just wanted to have both. The vinyl will be available via us on concerts and online and also via Zanns' Records, who helped us realize the vinyl release. As for CDs and tapes, yeah we did release them on ourselves and most of it is gone, so we wouldn't mind to re-release it on a label. You sure reach a broarder audiance and we want our music to be heard. That's one of the reasons why we do it. Get out there, having people come to your gigs and play music.
You labeled your music style as ''Working Class Speed Metal''. Why is that & which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
It has a certain ring to it, hasn't it? Well I can't really give you an explanation why how we came to that term, but we all just felt it fit well. Well for our main influences you should definitely name all the classic speed metal bands, especially Megadeth I guess, I for example love Iron Maiden, while our lead guitarist Jake is really into AOR, bringing in some more melodic, maybe sophisticated aspects. Flo on the other hand is more into old NWoBHM and Thrash and our drummer Orlando is a total Mercyful Fate and King Diamond maniac. And of course we all love prog and japanese fusion jazz.
You have cooperated with record labels in the past. So, after that experience, what would you say that is better for MECHANIC TYRANTS? Label or DIY and why?
Yeah we worked with Gates of Hell Records from Italy, who were very lovely people. True enthusiast, putting a lot of energy and passion into their work. As I said before, a label let's you reach a broader audience and also it helps you with all that financial stuff. Releasing a record can be very expensive, haha. Also they have a lot of contacts and help you with advise and take care of your production. So it takes away a lot of work and you have more time for writing music. On the other hand I have to admit that it's quite fun and satisfying to see it work out, when you do it on your own. But we definately want to release the upcoming debut album on a label, it's just the next step.
The last 2 years worldwide we have faced many dark, strange & new situations with our everyday life (covid, lock-down etc.) Did all of this affect you positively or negatively?
Well, both I guess. That's a very philosophical question. When you look at the big picture, those years were - and are - dark. I mean there's a fucking war going on, a world wide pandemic, fascists on the rise in Europe and climate change. But if we look at our own, private lives I guess we can consider ourselves lucky in this band. For several reasons. One is that - as strange as it may sound - Covid was like a katalyst for forming Mechanic Tyrants.
What are your future plans?
Well after the vinyl release we will mainly focus on finishing the writing of our upcoming album. As said before, we are also already planing to get some shows in for next year. Some are already in the making, but there is nothing officially confirmed yet. And of course we are happy about every chance we get to play live. One dream would be playing at one of Greece' legendary festivals like Up the Hammers or Into Battle
Thank you very much for your time & Keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Thanks for your support, we'll do our best! Have fun!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
MECHANIC TYRANTS CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/mechanictyrants
https://www.instagram.com/mechanictyrants/
https://mechanictyrants.bandcamp.com/album/meanhattan
https://mechanictyrants.bigcartel.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0H681XyYAJHciU2rh63Wwt