Interview with Bruno
questioned by Yang Yu, Painkiller Mag
(1st. chinese Metal Mag, www.painkiller.de.tf)

The Czechic Death Metal Heros HYPNOS just finished the recordings for the fourthcoming album "The Revenge Ride" (at SPIDER HOUSE STUDIOS by Harris Johns!). I used the opportunity of recording breaks to do the following interview with band mastermind Bruno...:

When did you get into death metal? Which bands did have the most importend influence on you?
I started with metal around 1982 year, when I was about 12 years old. I started to listen to Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Accept, Scorpions.....When I have heard Metallicaīs "Ride The Lightning" I knw that I wanna go the more brutal and extreme way....I joined Christopherīs band, we started to listen to Kreator, Sodom, Slayer, Possessed, celtic Frost, Venom.....we have been lost. I loved that music so much. It was natural that we continued with new extreme wave at the beginning of 90-ies. Pestilence, Obituary, Death, Morbid Angel, Entombed ...It is total love to that kind of music, it is a part of my life...forever. I stil search for new bands, new albums, new extremities.....

Do you think you musick is your profession? If not, what is you main income?
I donīt think, ha,ha,ha. I know that. I work in a factory near of the place where I live as a service man. Easy work for really small money, just surviving. But I can do the music, I still can do the tours, studiorecordingds etc. They donīt make me any tourbles yet and thatīs important for me.

What kind of musick do you like now. Of which band's CDs do you prefer?
It is so many bands and singers..... I use to listen very various stuff from pop to death of black metal. Of course that I consider myself as a extreme metaller, I am crazy for a new records for example of HATE ETERNAL, DIMMU BORGIR, EMPEROR, MAYHEM, BEHEMOTH, LACUNA COIL etc. as of course I like to listen to pop rock songs, cool for relax. I hate rockīnīroll, traditional czech music, house, techno, rap and complete 60-ies shit!!! That drive me mad!!! DEATH TO BEATLES AND ROLLING STONES!!!
If you invite some guest musicians to record an album or on stage, I have not such plans at the moment. Recently we finished recording a new album THE REVENGE RIDE with producer Harris Johns with no guests at all. Only exception was Mika Luttinen from Impaled Nazarene on the first album.

What do you know about China and the chinese Rock happenings? What do you wants to know about this? Do you think that this kind of musick you are developing does need to progress communications in big steps (international)? If communicate with this kind of musick from China, how shall the way of communication look like?
Hey! You got me now, causeīI know not really much. We have learn about China in school so I know the wellknown facts as a names of your cities, that China has most people from all the states worldwide, I know wall and some of your traditions. Spometimes I watch a Chinese movies on Czech TV (Special night movie club). About music I know nothing except huge amount of bootleg CDīs coming from China. Best way is probebly to go there because we have really no informations about any kind of musical movement in China. From Pedro I know that there are metal bands in China, he brought some CDīs as well, I had it borrowed from him but I donīt know the names causeīeverything was written in Chinese language.......I had a lot of toys from China, still you could find enough products from China at my home....

Why did you leave KRABATHOR. Was is an painfully decision to make?
It was much easier as I would ever expected. But in general, departure from Krabathor is one of the two my biggest life dissappointments.

Are you still a friend to Christopher?
Our friendship is unfortunately dead...

What about the rights of the songs you wrote for KRABATHOR Alben? Do you still have an word on it what will be happaning to them?
I told them not to play live the songs I made completely (music+lyric). I do not wish that.

Now after a year of the splitt and the formation of HYPNOS do you miss the golden times with Christopher a little bit?
Of course that I remember to it from time to time, it was really great. We have been not only bandmates, we have been real best friends, talking about everything..... Itīs a pity that itīs gone but we couldnīt keep the common working anymore. Thatīs a fact and I couldnīt change that. I live the life how it is.

Is HYPNOS now totally under your control or is HYPNOS an equal community of all band members? Are you afraid of that the same could happen to HYPNOS?
I have the right to handle with everything the way I want but I respect the opinions of others as well, I ask them really often a lot of things, I discuss with them....With Pedro, Pegas, David, with label as well.... The same thing probably cannot happen with HYPNOS because itīs a kind of totality system there. In KRABATHOR was too strong democracy so the 2 voices against 1 had no chance and power to change anything. I left rather...

HYPNOS's musick is a lot different to KRABATHOR and ranged in more variation of styles. Is HYNPOS a new beginning for you? How do you take the whole changes?
I donīt see any big difference but generally I can say that I do the music the way I always wanted to do. In Krabathor and in Hypnos as well. We do our best.

Does it go on your nerves if annoying people me always remind you of the KRABATHOR stuffs?
No, it is comprehendable and it is a big part of my past.

It last not long before the HYPNOS Debut came out. Did you already started writing news songs for a solo project before you left KRABATHOR?
No, I started with eveyrything after my departure. I did not wanna split myself for 2 bands at one moment. I eneded with Krabathor and started with Hypnos. From point zero.

You have been a lot on tour and huge festivals. It was quiet obviously that you were not treaded as nameless newcomers inspide of being a new found band. Was the start up easier than you expectet of?
Yes, I had respectable past to continue on, a great manager , great label and great drummer standing by me, longing to work hard. The rest we had work out as any other band at beginning. Spreading out the brand new name, letting to know my old friends that I am not this anymore and that I am that......Hard times.

You played with nearly all wellknow band in the international scene and also in many importent countries. Are you tired now of touring around?
A bit of. I would like to play less tours now but more important ones, as the one with MORBID ANGEL been etc...

KRABATHOR has changed the label for certain reasons, do you think that you will one day feel the need to do the same (maybe for the same reasons?)?
I donīt know, I donīt know their reasons. Once I would like to bring my band as high as possible. I know that and MORBID RECORDS know that as well. As far as we are under contract and as far as our co-operation is positive for both sides, we are staying together. I will never forget the huge support that MORBID put in HYPNOS. I use to remember such things and I can apprecciate that.

What drives you to do a band? What do you want achiev with a band?
I donīt know the english word for that.....but you know, people like to be glorified. It makes so nice feelings. Also I love that music and I guess that I am able to create something that people can pay attention to. I would never wanna be a typical home-man, sitting in front of TV, having a job and a lot of spare time at home thinking what to do....Bbbbbrrrrrrr!!!

A lot chinese musicians are thinking that good (expensive) equipments are absolut necessery to create a powerfull sound. What do you think about that?
Depends on many things. I guess itīs not totally necessary. Most important point is total passion at the heart of musicians. Than you are able to overcome everything!

The songs of your debut have different guitar sounds, do you have to rely on the variaty of equipments when it comes to create or play with different sounds?
We used 2 rhythm-guitar sounds (MESA BOOGIE and MARSHALL) but I wonder how you recorgnize that when even I donīt see any difference when I listen to that. Ufffff.

How long have you been in guitar bussiness and are you satisfied with your hand work?
I play bass for 10 years and I honestly think that my playing is not too good.....

What was the first CD or LP you brought from brutal bands (in the early days)... Do you still have some of these today?
I used to record everything on blank tapes. My first tape was some self-made metal compilation, first CD (except own-band CDīs) was DARK THRONE "Soulside Journey". Someone from France sent it to me as a present. Now I have really huge amount of tapes, LPīs and CDīs.....Hundreds of albums....

You have a lot of different styles mixed into you debut, why didnt you stayed on a certain style? Arent you afraid of being call an technique show off?
I do the music how I like it to do. I do not think of mixing the styles just to be more listenable. I like death, black, thrash....I like extreme metal, itīs comprehendable that you hear it in HYPNOS. Watch out for new album THE REVENGE RIDE (out in September 2001), it is probably most brutal stuff I have ever recorded.

I have heart that you hide some quiz or puzzls into the layout of the 1st CD. But I didnt found a sign of it.
You will understand when we will release CD nr.10!

The new album will be out soon, what will you serve your listeners this time, a 2nd all round performance?
Pure death metal inferno!!!

The covers seem to be very unique chosen (even each time a unique color), where did you got this woodcuts? Do they have any relation to the songtext?
Yes, they do a bit, I guess that they fit to HYPNOS really good. It is taken from very old german book, I will continue with such covers in future as well, I wanna make something typical for us.

Its not easy to say what kind of band HYPNOS are, but your music is mostly based on death metal. What does death metal mean in your opinion? Where are the limits, are there any?
There are no words to define what death metal means, but itīs easy to recognize by the heart and mind.

The name HYPNOS is taken from the greek sleep god, why did you choose such a name? Does it have something to do with hypnotics?
No at all! I just liked that word, it sound cool and can be spoken easily in any kind of language. Itīs short and fits to death metal bands as we are.

What is the roots of brutal Metal styles in your eyes?
You know, I donīt care as much about this. I like death metal as old thrash brutal bands. We are all products of heavy metal and we have to respect these roots.

Harris Johns: Are you ready now with the recordings? How long have you been at his Studio ("Music Lab"?)? Did you stayed there overnight? You even have kitchen and TV there, everythin very nice.
Harris Johns doesnīt has MUSIC LAB STUDIOS anymore. A few years ago he moved to SPIDERHOUSE STUDIO where we spent 2 weeks in May-June 2001. We felt comfortable, we had kitchen, TV, sleeping rooms etc. We are satisfied.

Harris Johns is one of the most importend thrash producer of Germany. KREATOR, SODOM, TANKART, GRAVE DIGGER knows what magic this indian blood can do. I know you dont like to label your music style but Harris Johns (Music Lab) is really wellknow for its thrash-productions. Why did you decided to record the new album in Berlin and not in Czech where is good and cheep?
We got a chance from Morbid Records to spend more money these time and we decided for Harris because he is really experienced and famous metal producer. Even the meeting with him is an experience you will never forget!

Do you have piracy copies in Czech coming from China? What are these?
Not really, most of the pirate releases is from ex-Russian lands and Balkan.

How do you find the chinese bands from the CDs Pedro brought home? Did you see his video and fotos?
He must have taken something from the underground gig we visited once he was here with Olaf.

Unfortunately I did not hear the music yet, but I have seen the pictures and there was no big difference between live pictures in Europe and in China
Thatīs cool. Itīs a proof that people are still people. Everywhere the same.

You didnt answered my question. Why or what was the mainreason or thing that you broke up even your longyear friendship? No comment? All the (chinese) fans want to know this.
In my opinion Christopher changed a lot, he behaved unfair to me and there was no chance to communicate with him in normal way. Usual shit. Itīs gone.

Do you think there ware any possibility to recharge your friendship once again after some years of calm down has passed?
I donīt think so. He dissappointed me so much that I could never believe him again.

Do you have now more abbilities to realize ideas than in KRABATHOR?
Sure I have but I would never broke band like Krabathor for such a childish reason. One of my greatest advantages these days is my "veto" right. I do only what I want.

You also play guitar, dont you? Also in HYPNOS (at recordings of "In blood we...")?
Yes, I play some guitar parts on I.B.W.T. but itīs not too important. Now we have a great permanent guitarrist DAVID M.

I saw OBSCENITYs emailadress in your maillist (emailheader). (You also wearing a shirt of them on the foto). Are you special befriended with them? We done a interview with them too in our 2nd issue (Pedro will receive this soon).
Yes, we are good friends. In my opinion they are the best band on MORBID RECORDS ever! So professional and good stuff. I enjoy them all. Recently we did 2 small tours, 1 in Czech and 1 in Germany. We had a goot time. Regards!!!

You are also good friend to your manager Pedro. How did you come to him? Do you see him often now?
Almost everyday, we works too hard for us. I remeber that he joined Krabathor at spring 1991. He was living with sister of our drummer these days and he was involved in our band, he wanted to do smething for us. There is no one who could replace him!

"Same"-MCD The new Death Metal sensation  with ex-KRABATHOR-members!!!
"In blood we trust"-CD The new Death Metal sensation  with ex-KRABATHOR-members!!!
"The Revenge Ride"-CD Recorded by Harris Johns and mastered at Morrisound!!!