Today's metal scene are swamped with retro and tribute bands. From Abba copies (whisky can serious damage your brain -the web master) to Possessed and Sodom tribute bands. The quality of these bands are, at best, dubious. But there is one retro/tribute band that stand out and who release high- quality music. This band is called Warhammer. They are a shameless Hellhammer tribute band. But more important; they have released two brilliant CDs during the last two years. We caught up with their vocalist Volker Frerich for an update.



1. Let me first state that Warhammer are head and shoulder above all other retro bands (for example Inferno, Gehennah etc. etc.) on this planet. Those who disagree……. When and where was Warhammer started ? Could you give us a brief biography ??

Thanx for the compliment ! The only record of that kind I like from Scandinavia, is the Guillotine album, that's a killer. And I like Ritual Carnage, but that's no real retro-band, just old school. And off course; Ritual Carnage are better musicians than we are, hahaha. OK, I will make this biography really brief. Warhammer has existed since the end of 1994. We started as Triumph Of Death. Since last summer we have got a guitarist, so we kick ass live now.
We has released one demo tape and two albums so far. I have known all the guys in Warhammer for at least 13 years now !

2. Viewed from outside; the whole Warhammer concept is a great tribute to Hellhammer. From the artwork to the music. Please tell us more about this connection and Hellhammer.

I bought the Hellhammer EP back in '84 from a friend, who liked Accept, Dio and such stuff. I guess, it was too much for him, hahaha. It was love at first sight, I can tell you ! And Frank was already infected by the virus. No sentence out of his mouth without the word Hellhammer in it. Anyway, we lost contact for some time. I think it was in '88 or so. We met again at a concert, it was a coincidence. Soon after that evening, we talked about Hellhammer again, hehehe. Frank told us, that in the meantime he learned to play guitar and bass. That started it all. We stated very early that the concept has to be a unit, from the lyrics, the artwork, the songs….everything. We wanted to do something just a couple of bands has done so far; a perfect tribute, but not with cover songs but with our own ones !!

3. Have you ever been in touch with Tom G. Warrior and the other guys in Hellhammer ? What is their opinion about your music ?

Frank has had contact with Tom and Martin some time ago for quite some time. We sent Martin our demo tape and he said it was great ! Then we sent him our "The Winter Of Our Discontent" CD, but we haven't heard from him again. We heard that Tom knows about us and that he has at least heard the "Winter…" CD. He said something like that he accept what we are doing, because we tell everyone about our intentions.

4. Your first album was the "The Winter Of Our Discontent" CD. Please tell us more about this album.

That album features some great tracks like "Warzones", "Imposters For All Times" an "Drowned In Blackness". But some tunes like "The Shape Of The Enemy"; we don't play anymore. On our new album "Deathchrist" I like every song and that is no lie ! The production features a bad drum-sound and a guitar sound that could have been better. Retrospectively; it could have been better, but I still like it. The lyrics are great, the cover is great, but it was not perfect !

5. How did you get in touch with Voices Production ? Why did you split with them ?

Frank Stover made us a proposal, and we accepted. It was as simple as that. Frank's a maniac and a very friendly guy. Metal through and through. We didn't split. Frank closed down Voices Production because the stress was getting to much to bear.

6. How did you get in touch with Grind Media Syndicate ? Please tell us more about this record label.

Grind Syndicated Media is a sub label of Nuclear Blast, featuring eight or nine bands so far. It's owner, Andy Siry, got in contact with us, and we decided to work together. Andy is also an maniac who know all the old stuff from the eightees !

7. Please give us a full insight to your album "Deathchrist". The recording, the tracks, the concept, the line up on the album and the art- work.

The idea behind the "Deathchrist" is a negative version of Jesus Christ. No antichrist, but a deathchrist who is wicked, deceitful. He doesn't forgive sins, he consume them to collect evil. When he spits these collection of badness out, Armageddon will arise. An Armageddon version that comes from my imagination, off course. I made that up because I believe that Jesus Christ and his journey is just a story, a legend, a fairy tale. So "Deathchrist" is an anti- story, so to speak, a twisted version. So you may guess, who's the creature on the front cover ! The recordings went OK. We will record at that studio again (Prolog Studio). The production is great, killer bass, crushing guitar and an old- school drums-sound. The artwork is done by our bass- player Frank Krynojewski. Fantastic job that is ! Rolf Meyn plays drums, Rainer Filipiak do the guitars and I torture the poor microphone. The album starts of with a speed song, we did no intro, it should've gone right into the face. The second one is also speed. Then we slow things down with the third song. The title-track comes next, it's influenced by the Hellhammer track "Maniac". The sixth track is our tribute to the Hellhammer classic "Triumph Of Death"; it's called "Defy The Dark". The song "Among The Dead" is reminiscent of "Aggressor", and with "The Tempter Of Destruction", we recorded an old demo song. "The Realm Of Torment" close the 40 minutes long album with speed. Check out the ending of the CD, huh !

8. Please give us an insight to your lyrics.

Frank and I do all the lyrics. They deal with religious themes like the inquisition ("Under The Wings Of The Cross") or theoretical ideas ("Imposters For All Times"). And the destruction of mother earth and the ignorance towards this fact ("Warzones, "The Tempter Of Destruction" and "Damned To Extintion"). "Among The Dead" is more occult with the subject of the Sumerian Cult. "The Realm Of Torment" is a name for the Third Reich. It should express my inability to understand the insanity of that period; our darkest days of suffering and crime. The whole concept also often comes down to the end of this world (Armageddon), and the guilt we all carry with us through time. That's more or less it. Pretty optismistic, isn't it ?? (sorry, I have to shoot myself. -ed)

9. How would you place yourself in the German metal landscape ?

That's difficult to answer. Right now; we have no "brother-band" or something like that. A lot of older people support us, but not all of them. Let's just say, we have our friends here.

10. I guess Warhammer is not your day-time job. How is the daily lives of the members of Warhammer ?

I am unemployed at the moment. So is Frank. Rolf is working and Rainer is studying. I visit concerts, hang out with friends, practice in the rehearsal room and love to watch video/cinema. I love movies to death ! Japanese stuff, Italy western, Blaxploitation, all kind of films. Check out my lyrics to the songs "Shattered Memories" and "Devastation Of Silent Resistance" and guess where they came from !

11. What is your plans for 1999 ?

To play live as much as possible ! That's the priority right now ! And of course collect material for the 3rd album.

12. Where can Warhammer be contacted ? Any web sites ?

We're working on a website. Just contact me:

Volker Frerich
Wandelsweg 63
45894 Gelsenkirchen
GERMANY

or Frank at

Frank Krynojewski
Falkenstrasse 30
44577 Castrop- Rauxel
GERMANY

at our normal addresses.

13. Any final comments ?

Thanx a lot for this interview. Don't support false metal like Hammerfall or the last Savatage album, hahahaha ! And remember; your life is just an illusion 'cause only death is real !!