Marco Wriedt

by Jay Villain
Staff Writer

HRH: Hello, Marco. It’s great to speak with you. Axxis is celebrating its 25th anniversary with the release of Utopia. Congratulations. To start off, can you explain the CD cover artwork and how it relates to the title Utopia?

Marco Wriedt: Hi There! Well, regarding the cover; there is obviously a lot of fantasy, but you can also see the actual state of “Utopia” that tries to hide itself from outside influences … sounds pretty “Spinal Tap-ish,” but it’s just a very fun cover with a lot of positive energy! I mean, look at the colors.

HRH: Is the songwriting process a collaborative effort or is there one primary writer?

MW: Harry and Bernhard write most of the songs, but I also contribute a lot to the band music-wise (riffs and licks for example). But since the both of them are the founders of Axxis, they wrote more or less most of the material. But when it comes to the guitar solos, I have 100 percent creative freedom that I really enjoy.

HRH: What led to “Fass mich an” being recorded in German?

MW: Well, during the songwriting process, we thought that this could become the most crazy Axxis album. You know, the hardcore of Axxis is still there, but this time we added some tasty progressive elements to the album. You have to know that Alex Landenburg (our new drummer) and myself are huge prog fans. Actually, I’ve never called myself a die-hard Metal fan, but I’ve always been a “proggy” at heart, so I’m proud that we could put some of these elements into Utopia. And then Berny wrote “Fass mich an.” It has these really abstract lyrics, and if the complete album wouldn’t have sounded a bit different anyway, we would have never put it on there. That’s why we thought, “Come on, let’s take some chances and risks and go for it.” I’m happy that it is on there because it’s polarizing a lot already, and we like to polarize. Actually, Axxis has always polarized.

HRH: After using many guitars and many amps to record Utopia, did you come out of the experience with a favorite guitar and amp?

MW: Yes I guess so. My fave amp would be the “ENGL-FIREBALL” and guitar-wise, the PRS with 24 frets. I just love ENGL Amps. They sound so diverse and crispy, like THE perfect Kentucky Fried Chicken. And 24 frets give you so much more freedom to experiment. I loved to experiment on that album. I used millions of old vintage stomp boxes (Fuzz’s, Wah’s, Pitch shifters, compressors and so forth) and also old Stratocasters, which I truly love. They just have this great feeling.

HRH: Has Axxis ever played the in United States and are there plans to tour the States for Utopia?

MW: Axxis produced two albums in the States actually (The Big Thrill in New York and Matters Of Survival in Los Angeles), but we’ve never played in your great country. I would love to do it because I love the States and the people there (my uncle lived in El Paso, Texas), so let’s hope for the future.

HRH: What songs from Utopia will Axxis be playing live on this tour?

MW: We’re going to mix it up this time. We want to play more songs of the new album because we are so proud of it. But since it’s the 20-year anniversary, we have to play some vintage songs as well; songs we didn’t play for a long time. It’s hard to chose from such a long history. But I think the set list is very cool and is going to please the fans.

HRH: So far, are you pleased with the response to Utopia?

MW: So far, they have been amazing. As I told you before, “Fass mich an” is polarizing a lot, but that’s fine. It’s always a matter of taste, and I know that the people have to listen to the album a couple of times because there are some very interesting details here and there. But yeah, so far, so good.

HRH: What are some future plans for Axxis?

MW: To get more well known throughout Germany. We are still very huge over here, and it’s going better every year outside Germany, but there is still a lot to do. The U.K. and the States, for example. It’s very difficult, but I’m sure we are going to gain some fans from there with Utopia. Besides that, [we will be] recording albums every two years that are always a little bit different than the prior ones, which is a challenge, but we are on a good run.

HRH: Is there anything else you’d like the Axxis fans to know?

MW: Please BUY the album Utopia and don’t download it illegally because it damages the artist a lot! And keep coming to our shows and enjoy it! And thanks for 20 amazing years!

HRH: Marco, thanks for taking time to answer my questions. Keep in touch.

MW: It’s been a pleasure! I hope to be in the States soon again! I miss your country! Take it easy and all the best from Europe!