Hi Maurice. First of all I want to thank you for accepting my offer. I hope everything is ok with the LOTD. 

I wish to start with a short question. How do you identify LOTD?

LOTD is all about speed, thrash but with a modern touch

What did the LOTD live within the 3-4 years after changing the name? If we will compare with Occult, LOTD seems as more popular whether the gigs they have participate or sales. What do you think about this and also what causes this in your aspect?

We had a big promotion compaign around the new name, it was planned really well + with the new name we didn’t have the negativity behind us that we had with occult

 

I guess one of the most asked question is about the transform of Occult into LOTD. Actually I want to ask the same thing for the ones who are curious and also the ones who do not know the essence of the matter. Why did you want to give a new direction to Occult, which has been active between 1992 – 2005 and also which has had a place in its genre?

It was really neccesary, we headed towards a brick wall, there was in the end alot of shit going on, so we really had to change the name.

 

I guess some of our major questions will be the differences between LOTD and Occult :) Another conspicuous thing is that the band Occult –which has more extended past- mostly toured in Germany and Netherlands but LOTD has taken place with the festivals that has been known in all over the world.  What are the reasons of it?

LOTD just became known and selling good albums, festivals all over the world were intrested in booking LOTD, with Occult with struggled and mostly did tours in central europe.

 

I have watched the gigs of LOTD by videos. I see that you and the audience get heavy enthusiastic in the gigs. How do you consider the contact of the audience and band? In which aspect must it be?

Its really important, therefor I like to play in smaller clubs, because at big festivals the contact between the band and audiences is not always possible.

 

LOTD has been shown as one of the best band which reflects the soul of the 80’s Thrash with modernizing it. I guess it is not wrong to say that you have a musical structure which keeps alive the Thrash explosion that has started at 80’s.  What are your aspects in this subject? Will LOTD walk in the same path or shall there be any changes of style in course of time?

Thats hard to say what the future brings, but I guess we will never drastically change anything!

 

 

The album “Feel The Blade” which is the re-record of the “Elegy for the Weak” has taken good reviews from all over the world. What was the aspect of re-recording this album?

It was just released under the name Occult, it was a great album and a pitty if the newer fans wouldn’t know of this one, so we did a rerelease in a great package!

 

I guess “Sons of the Jackal” was one of the most popular album of the band. Especially the cover design was great. What kind of reviews do you take about your albums? Which album do the audience like most?

Poeh, hard to say, I hear mostly that fans like our first album, I guess its something like movies, always the first part of a trilogy movie is the best, rocky I, Rambo I, Die Hard I etc..haha

 

How was it to work with a veteran as Andy Classen for LOTD?

Super! He was the best choice for the albums we have recorded until now, and we started a good friendship, it was always a pleasure and relaxing time recording with him

 

I want to talk about Twan who has left the band. The togetherness which has started at 1999 has finished after a while LOTD had been active. Shall we get detailed information of the reasons of this decision?

He had become dad for the 2nd time when we toured with Kataklysm, we spoke about him that his family is important and that it will be tough for him to go away for 3 weeks and not seeing his new born baby son, when something happened to his kid and came in hospital he had to leave the tour, so we told him its best that he would stop the band and focus on his family.

 

Lets talk about the other projects of the band members. As I know noone except Richard (Inhume) has other project. Can you give us a little bit information about your ex-projects and the reasons of abandonment? Are there any projects that shall take place in the future for any member?

None of the bandmembers have other projects, we are all to busy with legion of the damned, Richard was in Inhume in 1995, only the new bassist Harold had 2 projects: Charlie Adler and Inhume, but he stopped doing both bands because of Legion of the damned

 

You have a cooperation with Massacre Records that has begun at the Occult period. And you are working with them for a long time. I have heard good things about Massacre Records with the other bands that I have interviewed. What are your aspects about Massacre Records?

There is nothing to complain, they are doing there job, but don’t forget we are licensed to Massacre we never signed to Massacre, we signed to Boomer Entertainment.

 

You have given some personal information in your website. I will have a little questionnaire at the end of the interview. But we wish to know the members of LOTD with your own words.

We are all like brothers, I have been in the band with Erik for almost 20 years, with richard almost 18 years or 17 years, we know eachother very well and we never have fights, this makes it very pleasant, everybody knows in the band what his role is, so there is never any discussion or anything.

 

My last question is about our country. What do you know about Turkey in aspect of musical or cultural? And what do you think? Did you ever get any gig offer or do you want to have a gig in our country?

I don’t know much about Turkey, its always hard to imagine that there is a metal scene, because you never hear from this country, but its good to hear that metal is also alive in turkey

 

I want to ask you some questions that has been asked in the forum topic which I had opened for LOTD.

 

 

Maybe it is a negative review but I wanted to ask it to you.

 

 

“Elegy For The Weak” was a great album which has kept great thrash elements in. And also this album was a crescendo for Occult. Why did they changed their name and started to release low level albums? Were not they glad with the job they had done with the “Elegy For The Weak” ?

I don’t know what this means, I mean the albums that we recorded with LOTD would be the same for occult, so it makes no difference, everything stayed the same, if we had recorded sons of the jackal under Occult we would have the same album as with lotd only difference is that LOTD is known and Occult was not, Elegy for the weak was the first time to Andy Classen.

 

The second question is from another member of MetalTR.NET:

 

 

You are having so many gigs and also there are so many albums. How shall LOTD handle it?

Thats always hard, we are really busy with recording and playing, but its still to handle it, if we  wanted we could play even more but we keep it so that we can still do it.

 

The third question is about the “Full of Hate Tour”:

 

 

You have a busy schedule for 4 weeks. What are your expectation from the Full of Hate Tour? And shall you give us information about the other cities that you will visit for gig this year?

The expectations were great and the tour was great, we played big halls and the bands were really relaxed! Other places we play this year among them are portugal, greece, finland , germany and czech republic.

 

We shall add some questions according to your answers. I wish this interview to be the one which will introduce you entirely to your fans. So do you have any question that you wish to be asked or do you want us to touch on any subject specially? I will add a questionnaire at the end of this interview. I request every member of the band to reply those questions please. Do you have anything to ask as a musician to your fans –especially about Turkey? I shall reply your questions on behalf of them. I shall reply your questions about Turkey or a fan’s opinions. So we shall make this interview more colorful. But of course this is up to your request J In addition to these, we wish to get your pics which have been taken as promo for the latest album for using in this interview. Or we shall get the pics you wish for using in the interview.

 

 

Questionnaire (Every member has to reply all of them):

 

-          Equipment You Use (Trademark, Model): Shure Wireless

-          Birthday And Place: May 14th, Venlo

-          Favorite Bands: Nevermore, Devil Doll, Slayer, Sanctuary, Marduk, Destruction, Kreator

-          Favorite Albums: Slayer “Reign in blood”

-          Favorite Musician: Love Warrel dane’s voice

-          Spare Time Occupation: Don’t have any spare time ;-)

-          Favorite Drink: Coca/Pepsi

-          Favorite Food: Mostly meat and patato’s

-          The Best LOTD Album: Cult of the dead

-          The Best LOTD Concert: Up from the ground perhaps

-          Unforgottable Memory That Has Been Lived With LOTD: Wacken open air!

-          With Which Band You Dream To Be On Stage?: Slayer

-          The First Album You Have Bought: Something from Bathory

-          The Last Album You Have Bought: Thats hard because I hardly buy stuff, I mostly get stuff

-          Last Question: Philosophy of Life: Enjoy it the fullest

Thanks for your answers in advance.