[MUSIC]
This is the place where our first demo recording was finalised.
[MUSIC]
We made people think.
They found different angles and new ways of thinking.
[MUSIC]
What still impresses me is the fact that within the metal genre
as an older guy...
Well, it's kind of like Japan
where people assume you've grown wiser with age.
[MUSIC]
A quarter of a century of metal from Thuringia-Germany. [MUSIC]
FIRST REHEARSAL SPACE Youth club Bad Berka-Thuringia/ Germany [MUSIC]
Matching our musical abilities back then they only let us rehearse in a boiler room.
Some of you may remember Matze was our drummer. You know him.
You don't really know him.
The mystery in our band.
Michael Hartman who played guitar on our first EP
and on our split cd that we did with FALL OF SERENITY.
[MUSIC]
The founding core members of HEAVEN SHALL BURN
used to be us three, down here in the boiler room.
Back then the description "metalcore" didn't even exist.
I've used to describe our music as a mixture
between KREATOR and PARADISE LOST.
[MUSIC]
I once said that this lifestyle was looking for a band and it wasn't a band looking for a lifestyle.
This was first and foremost initiated by Matze and myself.
Michael was pushing the music.
Even though our ideology is definitely based upon the same values.
On one hand we felt close to the metal scene,
but our ideologies matched those
of the hardcore/punk scene.
As for myself I was very much into the doom and the slowness.
The better we got, the faster we wanted to play,
but Michael wasn't into that style of music anymore.
GARAGE MUSIC Unterwellenborn-Thuringia/ Germany [MUSIC]
Here we are at Patrick's parents place, at the garage where everything started for me regarding the band.
[MUSIC]
Patrick is our former guitarist.
We were part of a small project and Patrick's band had a show.
For the last two songs, it was our turn.
By chance Maik was also there that night.
He watched me screaming on stage.
He decided that I should sing on one of his demo tapes.
This is the place where our first demo recording was finalised.
We had a range of gear there. That's why it made sense. 48 01:02:39,239 --> 01:02:41,920 We recorded Marcus' vocal tracks here.
FIRST EVER DEMO RECORDING OF MARCUS 'MOLLE' BISCHOFF [MUSIC]
I can't exactly remember if we made 50 copies of this recording or even more.
That was re-recorded over and over again. This recording is very, very rare.
Fans of ours who have this, own something very valuable.
RUHR AREA VS. THURINGIA [MUSIC]
This is the venue where in 2006 my first show with HEAVEN SHALL BURN took place.
It happened to be the CALIBAN release showcase.
I joined the other guys from Thuringia by chance,
because my former band DEADSOIL used to be on Lifeforce Records, too.
So we used to play some showcases together.
At some point Matze called me and asked
if I could take his place in HEAVEN SHALL BURN just for a couple of shows
since he was busy working on his university degree.
Later her also started to suffer some back pain,
which stopped him from delivering what HEAVEN SHALL BURN needed.
After all it does require a certain amount of fitness and strength to play this music
for about 90 minutes at a time.
[MUSIC]
Ali was the last one to join the band in 2005, who stayed a constant member.
Since I've helped out every now and then in 2006 the line-up didn't change anymore.
TAKING A STANCE [MUSIC]
Throughout the bands history we've always included political topics in our music.
Places like this are one of the main reasons for that.
This is the memorial of Buchenwald concentration camp.
I've grown up in the shadow of this place.
It has had quite a political impact regarding our lyrics.
[MUSIC]
First of all HEAVEN SHALL BURN is about tolerance,
without being stupid.
We like to advertise the idea of thinking independently,
but within defined moral limits, that don't get crossed.
There's a significant difference if you compare that idea to the so-called "independent thinkers" these days,
who for example launch some Youtube, Twitch or Twitter feeds
and spread a lot of BS.
They leave these moral guidelines behind.
These moral guidelines of our lives have been created for example,
because of what happened at places like this concentration camp.
It really matters how people who may think different than you do
should or respectively shouldn't be treated.
It's key to understand how much tolerance is needed to guarantee a real democracy.
Every time you are about to give up,
you remember positive experiences.
Fortunately, it's not just idiots in these groups.
You sometimes reach people that really do start to think differently.
Some even tell us that we helped them to change their attitude towards certain issues.
Such experiences can really lift you up.
[MUSIC]
STUDIO Bad Kösen - Saxony Anhalt/ Germany
[MUSIC]
I've discovered metal quite late for myself.
In the beginning, every day I would find 2-3 bands that really impressed me.
Not so much anymore these days.
A lot of modern metal isn't my cup of tea,
but I find that the possibilities these days
to cross over into different genres and styles
are still very interesting.
I believe long time musical heroes should stick to the same quality that they became known for.
They shouldn't try to reinvent the wheel by giving up what they did before.
ST.ANGER by METALLICA comes to mind!
Every Metallica fan is hoping for the next
MASTER OF PUPPETS or RIDE THE LIGHTNING.
Innovation should come from younger bands.
We're now basically turning into older geezers
whose job it is to complain about the younger bands.
[MUSIC]
It still impresses me that metal is one of the few musical genres
where older guys...
...I mean, it's kind of like Japan
where people assume you've grown wiser with age.
In other genres you're old when you turn 29.
Pop musicians are usually over by then.
It's like grandpa is trying to keep up,
but with metal it's like:
Oh, listen, Iron Maiden are back on stage!
I find this kind of respect very impressive.
Even though not everyone actually deserves this kind of respect.
Only bands that remain great receive this kind of respect.
That's why they are perceived as the keepers of the grail.
[MUSIC]
Back then, when we started out in the boiler room about 25 years ago
we would have never thought that we'd meet so many people,
travel to so many different places
gaining so many positive influences
as well as being a positive influence on some people.
As far as our future is concerned we will continue this way.
Stand up for our ideals such as tolerance,
solidarity with the weak and vulnerable in society,
environmental protection,
animal rights.
This is what we're all about
and it will be like this for the next couple of centuries.
[MUSIC]
Alexa, play HEAVEN SHALL BURN on Amazon Music.--