Lanfear’s Markus Ullrich

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by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

HRH: Lanfear has recently released a new studio studio album called X to the Power of Ten. This is your sixth studio album but your first with new singer Nuno Fernandes. So, why did the band decide to part ways with former singer Tobias Althammer, and what was the process of finding a new singer like? How many vocalists did Lanfear try out before deciding on Nuno?

Ullrich: It’s never easy to give something as a reason for a change in the line up. We felt that Tobi and the rest of the band were totally different people. There were some personal and some musical reasons but nothing I can specify. Always difficult to explain that to somebody who isn’t a part of the band. There was no process of finding a singer. We sat together and talked and because we already knew Nuno as a person we thought that he would be the right person for the job. He has the same humor, he’s very intelligent and a down to earth guy. There was one rehearsal and everybody felt that Nuno would fit perfect – that’s it. We didn’t try other vocalists.

HRH: With a new singer on board, did the band approach songwriting differently, since Althammer and Nuno have different styles of singing?

Ullrich: Most of the music was already written when Nuno joined the band. Since there were no vocal lines or lyrics, he was totally free to do what he wanted to. He has a great feeling in writing memorable and beautiful melodies and he also writes great lyrics and he did a great job!

HRH: You and I had a bit of a “discussion”, via e-mail, when Tobias left the band, if you remember back then … so how have the other critics embraced Nuno as the new voice of Lanfear?

Ullrich: Nuno was accepted without any problems. Maybe there were some guys who simply adore high pitched vocals and of course then they preferred Tobi, but you can count them on one hand. It’s also not important to us what other people say or think of our music. It’s our band. We always do what we want to do and there’s no need to justify any of our musical steps or decisions. If the fans like our music this makes us happy – if not…well, they can find their own band 😀

HRH: What exactly does X to the Power of Ten mean to the band, and, why did Lanfear choose that as the title?

Ullrich: The original title would have been “X to the Power of N” as a synonym for the always increasing creed of mankind. We then did our typical little play on words and changed the ending to ten. Sounds better and is of course more metal, hehe. All men play on ten!!! Except for Spinal Tap, of course 🙂

HRH: You guys have a sort of a reputation, almost like Spock’s Beard, as being the kind of band other musicians listen to and try to either emulate or at least keep up with. For instance, I know the guys in Katagory V are huge fans of your compositions and musicianship. X to the Power of Ten is as intricate as Another Golden Rage, but is different. Do you think the band has evolved sonically, and, is there any pressure to top yourselves as songwriters and musicians?

Ullrich: Oh, we’re not only musicians, we’re really big music fans; I would even call me a music junkie. I also love the Katagory V albums and I hope they’ll find cool people and manage to get a stable line up for the next album. If I lived in the States I would be happy to help them out. Relating to our sonic evolvement: It’s pretty important to always expand your musical senses. No album should sound like the last one. Never betray your music but try to integrate new stuff, other arrangements, fresh ideas. This is a natural progression for us. It’s not important how fast you can play, it’s important to write good songs. Just click on YouTube and you’ll find thousands of teenagers trying to play difficult arpeggios, licks and sweeps.What they don’t recognize is, that when you’re able to play hyperspeed licks without mistakes, this simply means nothing. A good musician has feeling, is able to create and has originality. That’s something most of these pseudo-shredders will never know, not to mention that they’re (not) able to write a good song with memorable melodies.

HRH: Did X to the Power of Ten turn out as you envisioned? Is there anything about the songwriting, recording, production, etc. that you would change?

Ullrich: No. I wouldn’t change anything. Of course there’re also some parts in the mix you’d like to have a little different, but the songs turned out exactly the way we wanted them.

HRH: You have a video for the making of “Enter Dystopia” on your Web site. Is the band always that laid back during the recording process? I’m surprised you didn’t have a cigarette burning from the corner of your mouth or something …

Ullrich: We have a very good chemistry in the band. We’re all friends and of course we’re used to the recording process. We know exactly what we want and then we enter the studio, we play our stuff and that’s it. The drums were recorded in about three days, the guitar in one day. No need to be nervous if you’re able to play your songs and know your sound 🙂
It’s always funny in studio. A relaxed atmosphere, lots of sappy jokes and slipslop. We’re very funny guys and surely not the typical kind of musicians. I hate musicians 😀

HRH: Over here in America, we have a recession going on, a former president who has locked us into two wars; it seems that every band in the U.S. just has to open the newspaper or turn on the TV to find something to write about. Lanfear finds themes in the political spectrum as well, with songs like “Brave New Men” and “Synaptogenesis.” So how much of your writing is influenced by what happens around you in the world today.

Ullrich: Nuno writes all the lyrics so I’m not the right guy to answer this question. Nuno’s a clever guy, though and as long as you keep your eyes and ears open almost everything what’s going on has an impact on your writing … at least I think so. We also have a recession over here and there’re lots of problems to be solved, but I’m sure there’ll be better days sometime. I think people in the States also have to look forward. Obama is a very intelligent, likeable and charismatic person. I’m sure that he’s the right person for this job.

HRH: The big test for Lanfear, with the new singer, is going to be when you guys hit the live circuit. The band has three shows coming up in May, playing with Helstar. So how much is the Lanfear back catalog going to be represented at your live shows? Are you going to stick mainly to the new release, or have a mixture of your past tracks as well?

Ullrich: Oh, we already played about 10 gigs with Nuno and had great responses. He’s a real entertainer and is able to communicate with the audience — maybe the most important thing for a singer.We play songs from every album, but of course most of the tracks are from the new one because that’s the album we have to promote.

HRH: Lanfear is also playing Rockmania, with like 20 other bands, in August. What can you tell us about that festival, and who are some of the other bands you are playing with?

Ullrich: Only a few bands have been confirmed until now and we’ll see which bands will follow. We already played some gigs together with Dreamscape which are also on the billing, so this should be fun.

HRH: Thanks for your time, as always Markus, and is there anything I left out that you’d like to leave with our Hardrock Haven faithful?

Ullrich: Thx so much for the interesting questions. A big hello to all your readers, thx for reading my silly answers. Listen to as much music as possible, be open minded, form your own opinion and always be true to yourself.
…AND BUY OUR ALBUMS, FUCKERS!!!