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Interview – Konstantin Shepes (Lifetaker)

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Lifetaker

***Interview by Luke Hayhurst, writer for Morbid Wings (Print) Zine, VM Underground Fanzine and Doom-Metal.com***

Luke Hayhurst: Greetings Konstantin and to all of Lifetaker. How is life right now in Germany?

Konstantin Shepes (Lifetaker): Hey Luke, thanks for having us! Since we can not speak for every soul living in this country. Indeed; to us life seems quite bearable at the moment because we are stoked about our new record that came out on Friday!

LH: I won’t lie, until you messaged me about your new album I had not heard of Lifetaker. With that in mind, can you tell me about the genesis of the band? How you came into existence, and how you came to choose the provocative name, Lifetaker?

KS: Lifetaker was formed back in 2018, and we’ve known each other for years. However, we played in different bands up until this point. So, forming Lifetaker became a lucky twist of fate in a way. The band turned out to subjectively fulfill every aspect of being in a band that each member was missing at some point in the past. So, the genesis of Lifetaker lies in the fact that four dudes who share the same vision on art and musical direction happened by mere accident.

You are right! The name itself may appear kind of provocative but so does the music!

LH: You are about to unleash an absolute colossal panzer attack of a second album entitled ‘Der Letzte Raum’ which translates into English as The Last Room. What can you tell me about the concept behind the album name?

KS: We went with “Der letzte Raum” because we thought it’s a decent allegory for the word “crypt” and at the same time the title is not over-explaining things to the listener. On the other hand, it made sense to choose a German title since the songs are performed in German. This is an idea we finally decided to do on this record because it allows us to put lyrics to songs that the songs deserve. Overall, the record is not meant to follow a specific concept. Every song stands on its own.

LH: I’m intrigued by the artwork for the new album. Who designed the piece and what instructions did you give them? How happy are you with the final piece?

KS: The artwork for “Der letzte Raum” is an actual painting by the Russian artist Veronika Polonskaya. We loved it at first sight and worked things out so no instructions were needed.

LH: I mentioned in my review that I’m not massively well versed in the style you play. You combine the very best elements of Grind, Sludge and Hardcore. Which bands would you say are direct influences to the Lifetaker sound?

KS: To be honest, and by saying this I am really honest… We are not influenced by any band out there. We love music to the fullest, of course we do, and we listen to a lot of stuff out there for sure. But, over the years we figured out that being influenced by other artists leads to nothing but the past. We record all the time and besides the records we have already put out, there is an uncountable amount of b-sides on our hard drives that never made it on a record. What drives us is vaguely motivated by music. It is more likely that we let things happen naturally based on our experiences as artists, as musicians, as human beings…true to the motto: If it feels right, it is right. By saying this, I mean that there is not a lot of overthinking going on and we do not plan everything down to the last detail. When you think of a Lifetaker record, and everything that lies beyond, you can think of a car crash. Things happen when you do not expect them to happen!

LH: I saw on your social media that you describe yourself as an anti-fascist band. Do you consider yourself a politically influenced band and how does that channel into your work?

KS: To our understanding anti-facism, or identifying as an anti-facist band, means that you are embracing the future with a healthy mindset and respect for your environment. And the people you are surrounded by, no matter who they are and where they come from. Lifetaker is not meant to be a political band because we prefer the subject of art over the subject of politics. In my opinion, there is no such thing as political art. It is always art, or politics, never both. The moment you try to inject your political taste into art, you are a politician and not an artist. This is what propaganda means. As a band, we really don’t feel like betraying the potential of art because of propaganda that is based on nothing but personal taste. Overall, political views are never channeled into our work.

Album Review – Lifetaker / Der letzte Raum (2022)

LH: Have you had any dealing with bands of a fascist nature? How prevalent in Germany would you say National Socialist ideals are within the music scene?

KS: No, we never had to deal with artists or bands of fascist nature and never will. We do not deal with facism, we smash it!

Concerning National Socalist ideologies within the German music scene. I would say there are people who do not make a secret out of it and are proud to carry these ideals. And there are people who flirt with these ideals but would never admit it in public.

In both cases, the only thing we as a band can say is fuck them!

LH: Getting back to your music. You released your debut album ‘Night Intruder’ back in 2020. How do you feel your sound has progressed since your first album going into your second?

KS: The sound has progressed in a way that we have managed to let go and get rid of certain aspects that are not necessary. The overall statement of a song/record is based on how we have pictured it before recording. Compared to our debut, the new record is straight to the core madness! Both in sound and songwriting, you will find a more punk and noise inspired approach to it.

LH: You have released the new opus on a great looking LP through Black Omega Recordings, who also released your first album. How did this collaboration come about? Why did you decide to stay with the same label?

KS: John who runs Black Omega Recordings used to be the vocalist for a band that I am friends with. At the time, Lifetaker was looking for a label when it came to the release of Night Intruder. We asked John if he would be interested in releasing the record. Since John is a really cool guy, who shares the same views and beliefs, plus the fact that he obviously must have enjoyed the record, it came to the collaboration that lasts until today.

The fact that we stay with the same label is based on the principle that we only work with people who share the same vision and who are truly dedicated towards what they do. We like authenticity, that is why we go with Black Omega Recordings and Lower Class Kids Records.

Lifetaker

LH: Do you take much notice of your local music scene? Are there any bands local to you that you feel people should be paying more attention to?

KS: Sure, we always keep an eye open for what is going on right now! We would love to shout out our friends in Isocult. Check them out, they definitely deserve more attention. It is your way to go if you are into cold post/wavy electronic tunes!

LH: What are the upcoming plans for Lifetaker once the album is unleashed? Will you be touring the new album? How hard is touring right now in Germany, what with the current energy crisis?

KS: We have already started working on new material for future releases. Hopefully we’ll be able to properly tour the new album since COVID-19 made it nearly impossible to play live for the past two years. Furthermore, we hope that the energy crisis will not get us in too much trouble. We are constantly working on things so that we can do what we love most, play live! Let’s see what the future holds for us.

LH: That is all I have for you. Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions. I shall leave the final words for you.

KS: All the best to you and everyone out there! Stay safe!

Links
Lifetaker Facebook | Instagram | Linktree | Spotify | BandCamp | YouTube

Album Review – Lifetaker / Der letzte Raum (2022)

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***Review by Luke Hayhurst, writer for Morbid Wings (Print) Zine, VM Underground Fanzine and Doom-Metal.com***

Prolific Grind/Hardcore/Sludge quartet Lifetaker have returned with a sophomoric full length album entitled Der Letzte Raum (“The Last Room”) which will see the light of day later this month on an impressive looking LP, put out via Black Omega Recordings.

If you are going to call yourself Lifetaker you damn sure best have a sound to match the statement, and these German chaos merchants go about proving their mettle over the course of fifteen short sharp bursts of violence incarnate. I’m not massively well versed in either Grindcore or Hardcore so I’ll instead spend my time telling you how the album sounds rather than trying to unpick the bands myriad influences.

And what it sounds like is what I imagine having your face forcibly dragged along a cobbled street at a hundred miles per hour might sound like. A violent uncontrollable maelstrom of bludgeoning beats, Buzzsaw riff-age and a vocal style from the gutters, spewing forth bile and spite at every available moment. And yet at times Lifetaker produces moments of pure unadulterated fist pumping madness such as the delightfully catchy Kehlbiss or the equally as fun sounding Kadaverstille which are surely destined to be pit favourites at any upcoming shows that the band grace.

An absolutely banger of an album from start to finish; chaotic and carnage filled, viciously spiteful and intoxicatingly gratifying. Like a Panzer tank belligerently bulldozing your house and making you ask for more! Plug this directly into my veins and leave me to it!

Released in 2022 Black Omega Recordings

Track listing
1. Bunkerjugend 1:33
2. Patrizidprotokoll 2:31
3. Fleischwolf 1:37
4. Strafisolator 1:11
5. Alpha Antichrist 1:02
6. Kehlbiss 1:05
7. Störfunk 0:49
8. Kadaverstille 1:25
9. Blutopfer 2:05
10. Gottgeburt 1:22
11. Madenvolk 0:55
12. Schlafparalyse 1:42
13. Tempelfaust 1:49
14. Vernichtungstanz 2:22
15. Gamma Mörser 2:15

Band members
Konstantin – vocals
Alex – guitars
Gerrit – bass
Nico – drums

Links
Lifetaker Facebook | Instagram | Linktree | Spotify | BandCamp | YouTube

Album Review – Bonded / Rest In Violence (2020)

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Bonded by old school and modern Thrash Metal, these German metallers masterfully unite the past, present and future of the genre in their debut album.

Featuring former Sodom members Bernd “Bernemann” Kost on the guitar and Markus “Makka” Freiwald on drums, as well as guitarist Chris Tsitsis (Suicidal Angels), bassist Marc Hauschild (Tauron) and vocalist Ingo Bajonczak (Assassin), German Thrash Metal squad Bonded was formed in 2018 in Dortmund, a city in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia region, aiming at creating nothing short of highly versatile and hard-hitting Thrash Metal with no shenanigans nor any type of artificial elements, and let’s say they more than succeeded in that with their debut full-length installment, the excellent and pulverizing Rest In Violence. Produced by Cornelius Rambadt (Sodom, Disbelief, Onkel Tom) at Rambado Recordings in Essen, Germany, ddsplaying an obscure artwork by German artist and musician Björn Gooßes (Killustrations), and featuring very special guest appearances by vocalist Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth (Overkill) and bassist Christian “Speesy” Giesler (Extinct the Scum, Kreator), Rest In Violence will bring to your avid ears a well-balanced mix of the past, present and future of Thrash Metal, showing how much those guys love such rebellious and heavy metal style.

A Testament-inspired intro quickly explodes into melodic and vibrant Bay Area Thrash in Godgiven, where Bernd and Chris waste no time and begin slashing their strings mercilessly, resulting in a great headbanging tune to properly kick things off, whereas the even faster and more infuriated Suit Murderer is an amazing thrashing tune by Bonded bringing elements from the traditional sonority by Sodom and Destruction, where Ingo roars deeply like a maniac while Markus doesn’t stop crushing his drums not even for a single second. And featuring guest vocals by the aforementioned Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth and guest bass by Christian “Speesy” Giesler, Rest In Violence is a bestial display of modern-day thrash where Ingo and Bobby make an infernal vocal duo while the rest of the band puts the pedal to the metal armed with their instruments of mass devastation, also blasting some wicked guitar solos for our total delight.

And there’s more of their pounding and visceral Thrash Metal in Je Suis Charlie (the slogan created by French art director Joachim Roncin and adopted by supporters of freedom of speech and freedom of the press after the January 7, 2015 shooting in which twelve people were killed at the offices of the French satirical weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo), with Marc and Markus being responsible for keeping the “kitchen” heavy and dense, providing Ingo all he needs to vociferate the song’s austere words. Then razor-edged riffs dictate the rhythm in the also furious and groovy The Rattle & The Snake, where Markus is once again bestial on drums while Ingo keeps growling loudly and rabidly, turning it into a fantastic option for slamming into the pit and with the harmonica bringing a welcome touch of finesse to the overall musicality. Although the obscure No Cure For Life is darker and heavier than its predecessors and a good choice for breaking your neck headbanging, it looses its grip after a while, though, but nothing that would harm the album. And keep banging your heads nonstop to Where Silence Reverberates, leaning towards the vicious Groove Metal blasted by Lamb of God and with the demolishing riffage by both Bernd and Chris sounding beyond awesome; followed by Galaxy M87, where bonded get back to a more berserk mode inspired by Bay Area Thrash the likes of Exodus and Testament. Furthermore, Ingo is on fire with his demented roars, while his bandmates exhale heaviness and rage from their sonic weapons.

In the deranged Arrival we’re all treated to an amazing job done by the band’s guitar duo with their incendiary riffs and solos, not to mention the accelerate pace spearheaded by Markus and his venomous beats, and it looks like their circle pit extravaganza has no time to end based on the violence flowing from The Beginning Of The End, one of the bonus tracks from the album’s limited first-pressing edition CD, led by Ingo and his enraged gnarls. The entire band blasts a lesson in modern-day Thrash Metal infused with Groove Metal nuances, once again highly inspired by the most contemporary creations by thrashing masters Exodus. But wait, as there’s still more, as melodic guitar lines ignite the second bonus tracks of the CD version of Rest in Violence, entitled To Each His Own, also speeding things up and offering us fans a very good reason to crush our skull into the mosh pit, with Markus stealing the spotlight with his infernal performance on drums. Lastly, a serene, acoustic intro kicks off the introspective and grim The Outer Rim, with Ingo’s vocals getting closer to the clean voice by Soilwork’s own Björn “Speed” Strid, while Bernd and Chirs bring tons of feeling and groove to the song with their riffs and solos, ending the album in a truly powerful way.

The year of 2020 has barely started and it has already provided us all several amazing Thrash Metal albums, with Rest In Violence by Bonded being one of the most interesting and honest of all releases hands down. Hence, go check what those metallers are up to on Facebook, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and click HERE to check all places where you can grab your copy of such killer album. As mentioned in the beginning of this review, while listening to Rest In Violence I’m sure you’ll identify all influences from the past of Thrash Metal in their music while at the same time sensing a modern and fresh sound, always moving forward and never sounding outdated or obsolete. Those German guys are definitely bonded by Thrash Metal, guaranteeing a lot of fun for us fans of violence and rebelliousness in music and, above all, of our beloved mosh pits.

Best moments of the album: Suit Murderer, Rest In Violence, The Rattle & The Snake and Galaxy M87.

Worst moments of the album: No Cure For Life.

Released in 2020 Century Media

Track listing
1. Godgiven 4:13
2. Suit Murderer 4:12
3. Rest In Violence 3:49
4. Je Suis Charlie 3:55
5. The Rattle & The Snake 4:00
6. No Cure For Life 4:40
7. Where Silence Reverberates 5:14
8. Galaxy M87 4:52
9. Arrival 3:52
12.The Outer Rim 4:42

First-Pressing Edition CD bonus tracks
10. The Beginning Of The End 4:15
11.To Each His Own 4:26

Band members
Ingo Bajonczak – vocals
Bernd “Bernemann” Kost – guitar
Chris Tsitsis – guitar
Marc Hauschild – bass
Markus “Makka” Freiwald – drums

Guest musicians
Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth – vocals on “Rest In Violence”
Christian “Speesy” Giesler – bass on “Rest In Violence”