Another dream came true with this HOLY MOSES interview. I was honoured by the phone call of Sabina Classen herself on the 9th of June, 2008. It was my first phone interview so I was a little bit hectic, ha-ha... But right after the first seconds I've realized that everything is going rather smoothly, because Sabina is a hell of a great yet charismatic person and likes to talk a lot. Below you have the result of our almost 25 minutes long conversation. Enjoy every inch of it! Thrash 'til death!!!



"Agony of Death (Todeskampf)" is the title of the forthcoming HOLY MOSES album.
- Yes, that's right!
Please tell us why did you change the previously announced "Bloodbound" title. What symbolizes the new title for you? Is there any special meaning behind it?
- The "Bloodbound" title was only that we had a name before we started recording. Our fanclub is named "Bloodbound Alliance" and so we said OK, we wanna do a bloodbound thing so this was the reason why we said in the pre-production, the album, we name it "Bloodbound", but this was only for the pre-production. And during I was writing the lyrics I could see that what the bloodbound means to me, because it's the agony of death what we are doing, we have an agony of death in our whole life and also we have agony of death, which helps HOLY MOSES with the bloodbound to still be in the business. And so we said "Agony of Death" to say for everybody is a better name and you can't say that the bloodbound is something like an under title, because the bloodbound helps to fight against the agony of death, he-he-he...
On the new album you are dealing with some melodies & harmonies between the growls. Is it kind of experiment from your side or the structures of the new songs needed them to be involved?
- Oh, this is a good question. I mean, I always did and try to do to put some harmonize in my voice. I also did this already on the "Finished with the Dogs" album. I did it on the "Terminal Terror" album also. And with my old band, the other one – TEMPLE OF THE ABSURD, I've always was trying to put something into my voice. And this time it fits totally to the music we wrote, because we have some more things what's going really deep into your soul and to put a little kind of harmony into it is always good but it's not too much, because I like to growl and this is my typical voice, but I think all aspects of my voice is a kind of harmony, a kind of hysterical aggressive higher crying and my deep growls. So now everything will be in the album, because a lot of fans told me Oh, Sabina, please sing like on the "Finished with the Dogs", please sing like on "The New Machine of Liechtenstein" and I said everything is always like a movement of my soul, how I can sing. But now all the music is between all the other stuff what we ever did and it's a new kind of aggression and power in HOLY MOSES. So I had the possibility to use all my voices rejoin in my body. And so we also have some harmonies, but not too much, so I am not going in to be a power metal singer, he-he-he-he.... So it's typical Sabina and I think more typical than ever, because it's all kind of colors of my voice are now in the new album.
By the way, how many songs will include the new masterpiece?
- It will be 12 songs; it's more than 80 minutes, the whole album. So we did a really full production and I think everybody can really be happy, because it's a really long album and value for money.
The new album will be released in September 2008 by Wacken Records/SPV. How do they treat HOLY MOSES compared to your previous labels? What was bad with Armageddon Music and Century Media?
- OK. Armageddon Music is Wacken Records. So we didn't change the label. The only name, it is still behind the Armageddon Music company, but it's now the mark, it's Wacken Records. And we only changed the distributor with the record company. So because we were distributed with Soulfood in Europe and especially in Germany and now it's SPV worldwide. And it's great for us, I mean it's a lot of power what we getting now with SPV also and it's a great step I think with changing the distributor here, but we didn't change the record label. So Wacken Records is Armageddon Music, ha-ha-ha...
You are already confirmed for this year's Wacken Open Air festival. It's the biggest metal festival on the globe. Tell us your impressions about past appearances. Are you preparing some special show and set-list for it?
- OK, that is 3 questions in 1, he-he-he... First, Wacken is always a huge party. I mean, we played already in 1995 the first time at Wacken. So we saw the festival growing really and we were a part of this growing festival. And this is a really great feeling for me, because now to see that so many people are coming to Wacken and celebrate a huge party this is always a special moment. I mean, so many metal fans from all over the world together and I think this is a special. Mostly on the biggest festivals in Germany not so many people from foreign countries are coming and in Wacken the focus is we have a metal party from all metal fans from all over the world. I mean the people coming from Australia, from South America, from the U.S.A., from everywhere in Europe and I think this is a perfect thing. And yes, the second question. We will put there a special show. We have 45 minutes. So it's not so much. It's always hard for a band like us with 12 albums to choose the right playlist. But we will do it. In the next days we are e-mail and in forums that we wanna discuss with our fans, which songs they wanna hear live from us and on top we will play 2 new songs from the new album. And we have a special thing also what we wanna do, but I will say not now, ha-ha-ha... That will be a surprise. And yeah this is the playlist, we will let decide the fans.
Let's talk about the actual line-up. Michael earlier played in EROSION. It was a Thrash Metal yet Hardcore-oriented band. His first album with HOLY MOSES was "Strength, Power, Will, Passion" in 2005. How did you find him back then? Was it due to his work in EROSION?
- Yeah, I was finding Michael it was like a special thing. I was coming back with "Disorder of the Order" album in 2002 from the studio and he was in the studio here in my house with EROSION, ha-ha-ha... And he was really nervous, he wanted to listen to the new HOLY MOSES thing that was the "Disorder of the Order" one. And he liked it a lot and he said: "Sabina if you ever need a guitar player you can always phone me". And only 2 months later that was April and 2 months later in June 2002 I have to phone him and said: "Yes, you remember what you said to me. I need a guitar player". And he said directly: "Yes". And so he is here in the band since the "Disorder of the Order" tour and he is really into the band. I mean, EROSION was a lot same kind of mix between Thrash and Hardcore like HOLY MOSES did and he was directly familiar to the music of HOLY MOSES, he was directly feeling HOLY MOSES and so he did the first real album with songwriting and production with the "Strength, Power, Will, Passion" and now he was writing most of the stuff also and he is the producer again of the album. And yeah, it's really great to have Michael in the band and yes, he's a real deep member.
Atomic Steiff also returned to the band. He played on the famous "Terminal Terror" album. How did you recruit him again?
- Yeah, it was Olly, our second guitar player, when we were searching, because we were always searching for the right drummer for HOLY MOSES. Everybody I've checked out was really young, they were playing the raw, but the feeling was not into Thrash Metal. And they were too young to feel it really. And they were doing it only to get success and not because of the music. And then Olly said so we will going through all the ex-members and I was knowing that most of them are not playing anymore and then we were like: "Atomic Steiff! Let's phone him!". And I phoned him and it's really curious, because in the '94 Steiff was dreaming that one of his ex-bands from the bigger ones will phone him and asking if he will play again. And there were only 2 possibilities – SODOM or HOLY MOSES. And I was on his answer machine and for him was in this moment clear that is my dream. And he phoned me back and he only said on the phone "Yes", ha-ha-ha... And so I was feeling yeah that's the right thing, so that must be right.
Oliver Jaath has taken over bass duties through your recent tours and gigs, but now he became your second guitar player. He already recorded his guitar parts for the new album, right? How was to work with him now as a guitarist?
- It's perfect because he's also are playing the guitar in records tight. So he's normal instrument was the guitar. And the only problem was, because I was knowing him such a long time and we were a good focused band to find the right second guitar player or a new bass player. And when we were talking to Thomas, he did our website, and then he explains of "I am a great bass player". And we said: "Hmm". That's my opinion/idea, he's a really nice person, because he does really important for us also to have a great character and the band. And yeah, we said: "Do you know the HOLY MOSES songs?" and he said: "Yes! I am younger than you all, but I have all HOLY MOSES albums, I love the band, I know every song". And we said: "Let's try!". So we rehearsed only 2 times and then we were flying directly to Oslo (Norway) and we played our first show together a few weeks ago. So that was a reason why Olly changed back to the guitar, what is his normal instrument, and then we have Thomas in the band.
Thomas Neitsch is the new bass player. What should we know about him?
- He was playing and still playing in a great band from Berlin called DESILENCE. He's young, he's like 26 years old, but he is a real Thrasher. And when we are on stage and together so I don't feel that he is 26. I mean, he has a much older character, he knows a lot and he's a player. Sometimes when I look on the stage, like last time in Oslo and I saw the pictures and I said: "Oh, my god, he's looking like Cliff Burton", ha-ha-ha... So it's a reincarnation maybe from Cliff Burton...
In 2006 you've played in Ukraine at "Metal Heads' Mission-7" Open Air Festival. What are your memories/thoughts from that show and did you like the atmosphere of MHM itself?
- Oh, yeah. It was wonderful. I remember it was totally hot. It was at the beach. It was sold out. I was feeling like playing in SLAYER, because 3-4 bands before we started to play I've heard already the crowd calling HOLY MOSES, HOLY MOSES... It was a nice city. I mean, there was like a, I don't know, like a from the feeling at the beach and all the people like the tourist center it was like if you go here somewhere to Morocco, Ibiza, ha-ha... It was great! I mean, I really would like to go back. Great fans, great atmosphere, great organization, a lot of great things to drink, he-he-he... Great food. Yeah, it was wonderful. So I really hope that we can come back to Ukraine.
"Strength, Power, Will, Passion" included a hidden bonus track with Tom Angelripper on guest vocals. It's a funny track. Please enlighten us some details about this collaboration.
- Tom Angelripper is a longtime friend of mine. I mean, we know each other now more than 20 years and I was singing on his ONKEL TOM albums and so I've said song like this, like a typical German slager song, what you only can listen to when you drunk, ha-ha-ha, because it's a funny idea, only person who can do this with me together is Tom. Yeah, I did one phone call and said: "Hey Tom, I have a song on the album, so we have to sing it together" and he said: "Yeah", directly "Yes". When he is getting the idea about the song, which one will it be, he said directly: "Yes, we will do it".
Also voice your opinion about the latest releases of SODOM as well as other German Thrash Metal acts such as KREATOR, DESTRUCTION, TANKARD or HEADHUNTER just to name a few. Which one impressed you the best and why?
- Ah, this is hard, because they're all my friends, ha-ha-ha-ha... And I can't say now which one is the best, because they wanna kill me, ha-ha-ha...
Do HOLY MOSES have in plans to release an official DVD shortly? If so, please tell us when and what kind of program can we expect on it. Do you ever thought to release or re-release/re-master some old and rare concerts and video clips in a DVD format?
- Yes. We are in the plans, but now we have first to finish the new album "Agony of Death". But when we are back from tours. So we will start the tour end of September, next European tour, then after we are back we start, because we wanna do a kind of historical DVD, which all the old albums, old live stuff all we have here we collected in the last nearly 30 years such a lot of things. But I think the main thing will also be from the new Wacken Open Air 2008. We will do things from our 21 anniversary party and we will record new stuff now when we are on tour in end of September. So I think you will get like a really huge thing that we will release it next year.
In January/February you had a European tour with Death Metal monsters OBITUARY. Tell us briefly how this tour was and were there any funny or just nice to remember stories during it.
- Oh yes. We had a lot of nice things. Because, they're really good friends of us now OBITUARY. We did a lot of nice party, he-he... But all these things there what happened so it's more private things between the bands, he-he-he... I mean if it has to match it some. Yeah, I mean, a lot of things happening in the night, in the night we are all together making party. So it's not so good to tell everything, ha-ha-ha...
How the guys of OBITUARY treated you plus tell us your opinion about their latest album "Xecutioner's Return" as well as what is your beloved OBITUARY album from their entire discography.
- Oh, I don't know. I mean, I really like the first stuff of them and so the new one, I've got listened on the tour and I like it also, but I am always a fan, so I like really the first and second one of OBITUARY. But they've played a really good mix live from all the albums and so I really loved to see this band live, because it's a mix of everything.
How did you like the show in Budapest on the A38 boat? Did you play earlier at other strange or I would say unordinary places/venues?
- This is a very strange and great venue. I mean, I couldn't believe when I saw the ship and I was looking always, but where is the venue, ha-ha... No, it's on the ship. OK. A great ship, I mean, at first was in fear that I maybe when I am on stage that I feared that there is water, ha-ha-ha-ha... under my feet. But it was like a normal club when you played. That the surrounding in the ship, great catering, so nice people there. Yeah, that was a special experience.
Will you prepare a video clip for a particular song out of the "Agony of Death" album? If so, please name us this song as well as the story behind it.
- We don't know like now. We will do a video definitely, but we are still in the mix of the album and we will decide together with the record company and also with our fan club. The fan club got already some tunes and they will building up already ideas, ha-ha... and so we will see, but this decision is not their, it's too early. I mean, we will be ready with the album in 2 weeks and when we are ready then we will start to think about the video clip and the ideas behind.
Nowadays more and more people, bands, record labels, magazines, etc. using the growing services of MySpace! In my opinion it's an awesome opportunity to get known better and meet interesting people on the net, who might not be found otherwise. It makes people really close, sometimes you even get a "big family" feeling. How do you feel about MySpace and its possibilities?
- The possibilities are amazing. And I feel really good with it, because we are meeting a lot of fans there. And we are now since 2 years on MySpace and I see we have now more than 250000 people on our site. And I am getting amazing e-mails through MySpace about people finding out about HOLY MOSES. And I think without MySpace these people were never knowing about HOLY MOSES, because promotion is so expensive if you do it with advertisings and so we don't have those moneys to do that, but with MySpace all the people can listen directly to the songs, you can meet fans. I could see that when we played on the tour with OBITUARY there everybody was knowing the "End of Time" song, because it's a video on the site. Yeah, I think it's a great opportunity for bands, to be working in the underground and being now for more people it's a great situation.
A personal question. Michael became your husband for almost 2 years now (if my information's rightful). How is your family life going? Any plans to widen it with children? Or at the moment HOLY MOSES is the main priority for both of you?
- Yes, this children is the most important one, ha-ha-ha-ha... This is my children, yeah. And the bad thing it's not growing, ha-ha-ha-ha... It's still a kid we have to work on.
What newcomer bands/albums impressed you lately from the up and coming mass in the underground? Do you prefer to listen to some new stuff or you better stick to the good old-school bands and their albums in general?
- Um. It's a mix, because I also work for Wacken Records and I am listening to a lot of new bands. Like now we signed TORTURE SQUAD from Brazil, a really great newcomer Thrash band. So I am listening to the good old stuff, especially when I am relaxing myself, but all the day I working into the music business, especially because of MySpace I am getting so many e-mails from bands from MySpace. And I am listening to everything. So I think I am in everything. But when I'm relaxing in my own apartment then I am listening to the good old stuff. Like only a few days ago I was on KISS. KISS played live in Hamburg and it was amazing, ha-ha-ha...
Do any of you still have jobs besides the band? If so, what kind of work do you pursue and is it enough interesting for you, I mean, compared to playing live and recording albums with the band. Would you change anything in the future regarding it?
- Yes, I am working for Wacken Records also in the time when I can't be on tour with HOLY MOSES. Michael is a producer. So he is producing all the bands, making DVDs and stuff like that. Olly has also a little job behind HOLY MOSES. Thomas is working as a graphic, I also. We all have our time to do the HOLY MOSES thing and working on our jobs when we have free with HOLY MOSES, because we need to earn money in that time, he-he... And to pay our rents, so when we are not on tour we have to do other jobs. But I mean, the best is to be on stage, producing albums and getting the money to live and getting all paid our rents with doing the music. And yeah, I mean this a dream of every musician, every try to do it mostly being on tour with HOLY MOSES much we can do.
Please share with us your five year plan or at least what can we expect from HOLY MOSES in the very near future.
- Yeah, very near future is finishing the album. Then we will bring on MySpace the first audio files. Then starting to make the video. Rehearsing for Wacken Open Air. Then rehearsing for the next tour, because end of September will be the release of the new album we will be on a new European tour. When we are back from this European tour we start with the DVD and also going to the United States, to South America, to Japan and hopefully Australia the first time. So the next month will be really busy and I think we will not so much at home.
Thank you, Sabina, for taking the time to answer my questions. Please finish the interview by sending your blood-bounded wishes to all the Ukrainian HOLY MOSES fans.
- Yeah! Hello all my Ukrainian fans. Thank you very much for joining us 2 years ago at the festival. And I hope I will come back with HOLY MOSES to you. Thank you all for the bloodbound and your great support all over the years. Thanks! And buy the new album "Agony of Death"!
Thank you for the interview. That's all I had.
- Thank you very much!


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