FREEDOM CALL (Eng.)
– Hello, thanks for taking your time. What’s currently keeping FREEDOM CALL busy?
Hello Sergio, everything is running great for Freedom Call at this moment! After playing successfully our first part of our tour “Journey to the Crimson Dawn” we came back home last week from Spain. We allowed ourself one week being resting and next upcoming shows are up north in Scandinavia.
– You have just released your new “Land of the Crimson Dawn”; how is its feedback going so far?
We’re getting lots of brilliant reviews and it seems to be that our fans are loving the new album:)
In my opinion the new album is a harmonious blend of traditional Freedom Call trademark and new variations in song writing. “Land of the Crimson Dawn” offers the ability of various song types without loosing the clear direction of our music.
– I’d dare say this new album has more of a rocker feeling. Was this something you aimed for?
We didn’t plan anything before the production started. Our song writing is pure emotion and I don’t want to control or calculate my inspirations during the song writing process. The reason why the new album is sounding a bit more rocking, could be caused by the circumstance that Freedom Call was touring a lot in the past years. There you can find many inspirations and experiences which are leading your creativity.
– And have your influences changed throughout the years? Are you opening to new musical inspirations?
It’s a part of your own evolution…would be sad to stand still without any development in your personality, belief or musicality. But I don’t agree that our inspirations were changing! The new album shouldn’t be the effort to walk new paths in music. In my opinion it’s a logical continuation of Freedom Calls work and direction of music. We always felt free to write songs out of the traditional “Melodic Metal”- style…and we will also feel free in the future to interpret songs in our own performing style.
– Moreover, the general sound on this effort is rawer. What was the main reason behind this? Was the final production what you wanted for this album?
I realized that Freedom Calls albums were sounding different as FC is sounding live on stage. I love to play live and the band is made for being on tour, playing great shows and have lots of fun and a strong connection to the audience. That exactly is the strong point of Freedom Call.
When we began with the first recordings we tried to perform the track like playing live on stage. Less dubbing and less punch-ins…We didn’t want to create a “perfect” performed album, we tried to bring over all our energy and fun during the recordings.
Maybe that’s the reason why “Land of the Crimson Dawn” sounds more alive and raw.
– It also sounds more guitar driven, strings seem to play a bigger role. Why did you take this approach this time around?
Yes, that is one of the results of playing energetic and live orientated. We didn’t use many of effect boards and plug-ins for the guitars…it’s just an old Marshall 800 amp from 1978 and it rocks!!:)
When we began to record the keyboard tracks, I was not really satisfied using the sample sounds for stings. So we invited a violinist in the studio to record the real classic strings in a very detailed arranged way.
Real strings are sounding harder and giving the song the right human touch.
– There are also plenty catchy paces, lots of interesting melodies, and all this within well-cared compositions. Could you say this is the most mature piece by the band to date?
Thanx at first for your kind words…:) I’m loving all our albums, cause I’m emotionally tight connected with all songs we ever wrote. I’m still fascinated about the extreme variability of atmospheres on the new album. I’m not yet getting bored while listening to the new songs.
I can’t say that “Land of the Crimson Dawn” is THE masterpiece of Freedom Call, but I can say that we are on a good way to continue our way to become the happiest “Happy Metal”- band of the world:))))
– And all this being said, how could you describe “Land of the Crimson Dawn” in just 3 words?
Fast, catchy, extremely addictive
– In general, this new effort is recognizable but it also sounds fresh so, how was the songwriting process this time? Did anything change?
It was early in 2010 I began to write the first new song material. After a short settling in period I felt like a “creative explosion”. I was able to write many songs in a short term…but I always could refresh my inspirations by playing great shows with Freedom Call. Seems to be a good combination:)
After finishing our song writing, we practised in the rehearsal room and change some of the arrangement and parts. We learnt to work as a creative team, that makes the album sounding like “a band is playing”.
– And what are some of the lyrical ideas covered on the record?
The main topic of “Land of the Crimson Dawn” is the virtual world, a dimension in between bit and bytes. People are longing for to escape from reality, maybe they’ll find their place in the digital Cyberworld, like World of War craft or in guilds of communities.
There are a lot of different digital zones you can move…close to reality…find it out by yourself!
The story about the glorious Land of light, the 66 Warriors or the Age of the Phoenix will animate your individual power of imagination. You can built up an own creation of fantasy…built up your own private paradise…:)
– This album is the first one without Dan Zimmermann; has this affected the band in any way? And what has Klaus brought to FREEDOM CALL?
Dans schedule was growing and growing around 2007 and some shows and tour dates were colliding in between Freedom Call and Gamma Ray activities. So Dan decided, heavy-hearted, to work with Gamma Ray.On the one hand I was disappointed about his decision, on the other hand we can prove, that Freedom Call never was a “project of Gamma Rays drummer”!!It was a slow process, from 2007 til 2010…so the band could prepare well for the change on the drums.
But Dan and me are best friends and we’re still spending good times together…so he didn’t leave the band in trouble!! I respect his decision and our friendship doesn’t suffer…but… never say no :), but for the next future, Dan will be concentrated in other projects!
I met Klaus the first time in 2005, he was playing for a supporting band and from the beginning on we hooked up right away!
He also was member of bands like Primal Fear and Sinner before.
Freedom Call welcomes Klaus Sperling as the official new drummer of Freedom Call! He’s a fix member in the line up since 2010 and the Live DVD “Live in Hellvetia”.
Klaus is not only a brilliant drummer, he also brings into the band a fantastic mood and lots of fun…:) Great guy!!
He still didn’t write songs for the new album, but he emphasized the compositions with his own individual style of drumming…
Maybe it’s his credit, that the new album “Land of the Crimson Dawn” is sounding more alive and human groovin’ than some previous work.
We didn’t have any auditions for drummers. The first time that Klaus was drumming for Freedom Call, was in 2007, Klaus played as the stand-in drummer for Dan…the rest was a creeping process.
– You have filmed a video for “Hero on Video”. What could you tell us about it?
That was an awesome shoot,… that was 100 % fun:)
We filmed the video in mid of winter in a very, very cold venue, so we were incredibly freezing in our superman, batman, spider man and Robin costumes …but the “Fabulous Four” won’t never show suffering!!:)
The concept was to bring in lots of humor and funny moments, I think the result is more than this!
The engagement of an German famous comedian artist “Bembers”, by the way, a friend of mine…was underlining the expression of this song…don’t take it too serious, life is hard enough:)
– Last 2011 you released the “Live in Hellvetia” DVD; how did you come up with this idea? Have you thought about releasing any stuff like this in the future as well?
We toured with “Legend of the Shadowking” with around 60 Shows a lot in 2010 and we just wanted to capture these moments of emotion. I feel the DVD as a present for the band and the fans.
It was a hard decision to find the right place, cause we played in the last years so many cities and clubs where the people are acting great and lots of fans very supporting Freedom Call in an awesome way!!
So we tried to find a place where the production crew of 10 technicians can work comfortable and professional.
The Z 7 is a very professional organized venue, so it seemed to be the perfect place for the DVD filming. The crew and technique of the club are high quality.
But the most important things is, the crowd in this venue is really kickin’ ass:))
The result is captured…on DVD:)
But we didn’t already plan other activities to record a DVD or Video…in my opinion there should be a couple of years in between…so can better trace the ageing process of the rock band members :)))
– GAMMA RAY has always been linked to FREEDOM CALL due to many reasons: same country, similar sound, Dan Zimmermann, etc. Dou you think this comparison has been a handicap for your band?
I think that Freedom Call has its own distinct style of music and meanwhile its own trademark. My one and only connection to Gamma Ray was, that Dan was also drumming for them…But now we will prove that Freedom Call never was a project or dependent on GR:))
– The Metal scene seems to be really healthy since some years ago, and almost every single Metal sub-genre as well but, what bands could you suggest?
Do you really think that the metal scene became healthy?? The selling rates are constant decreasing, the illegal downloading is out of control…the result could be, that all metal fans have to accept lowest quality productions and nasty sound – concerts in the future.
But it shouldn’t be reason to surrender…but we gotta stick together, the politics and the society has to respect that professional musicians are hard workers and their music is a valuable commodity, which has to be protected!
So the music business could recover and could support their artist to produce many more great albums and fantastic concerts in the future…
– You have been around with FREEDOM CALL for almost 15 years now, which is actually a lot. What have been both the best and worst moments with the band so far?
One of our best moments is the present! We have a great line up, we’re playing fantastic and successful shows all around Europe and our new album “Land of the Crimson Dawn” was entering the Charts in several countries…what more??:)
But it was a disappointing moment, when my friend, co-former and partner Dan Zimmerman quit the band. But on the other hand we are still best friends…that’s more worth than business!!
– And what could you like to get with FREEDOM CALL you haven’t got yet? Playing with any particular band, touring any special countries, etc.?
We still haven’t been out of Europe, so it’s time to crusade other continents like USA, South America or Asia…the time has come:)
– Finally, what are the near-future plans for the band?
We are still touring and this will past the entire year 2012. In between the tour periods we’ll start to write new song material and the game begins again:)
– That’s all from my side, thanks once more for your time. Now feel free to add some final words.
Last week we arrived back home from touring in Spain. It was fantastic again and we really enjoyed the tshows in your country!!
Thanx for the great time and hopefully we can come back soon…
We hope that all spanish metal heads are loving our new album “Land of the Crimson Dawn” and…maybe…it will “kidnap” you out of your reality into the glorious Land of Light:) salud
Chris Bay
