by Alexandra Mrozowska
— Senior Columnist —
In popular culture, the 1970s are usually discussed in the context of the Disco craze and the Punk revolution, but there’s way more to this decade – and every Hard Rock and Heavy Metal fan knows it well.
Differently from the following ‘80s, it was a time when every Rock act had a distinct style to it, and you just couldn’t have possibly mixed up Black Sabbath’s lumbering riffs with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Southern Rock vibe. Is it the reason why the ‘70s bands – from Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and aforementioned Sabbath to Thin Lizzy, Uriah Heep or Budgie – are a never-ending source of inspiration for each generation of their successors…?
Recently we caught up with Alex Beyrodt of Voodoo Circle, Primal Fear and Rock Meets Classic to discuss Voodoo Circle’s upcoming album Locked & Loaded (out on January the 15th, 2021 via AFM Records), the recent line-up changes and juggling different bands and projects. But the ‘70s influence – especially in shades of deep purple – was one of the things that must have been talked about as well…
Hardrock Haven: When you founded Voodoo Circle back in 2008, you claimed it was because you needed to re-think your personal vision of music and return to your early influences. Now, twelve years later, is it still a fulfilling experience that allows you to re-define yourself as an artist again and again?
Alex Beyrodt: Absolutely. When I started Voodoo Circle, I started it with the intention to make the music I like and the one I grew up with. During the last couple of years there were so many bands that stopped recording or musicians [in those bands] died – I mean, we won’t be getting any younger, right? (laughs) So every new Voodoo Circle album is a new challenge for me music-wise and artistically and I always try to give it another direction, so that they’re all a little bit different. But there’s always a consistency too, as they all have the same musical vibe.
Hardrock Haven: What is it that keeps you, Mat [Sinner – Voodoo Circle, Primal Fear, Sinner etc.] and the rest of Voodoo Circle coming back to this project even in spite of the busy schedule you have with all the other bands and projects?
Alex Beyrodt: First of all, it’s not a project – it’s a band and it’s really important to us. And why we keep doing this is just for the love of music. Every member in this band has grown up with this kind of music and these are our roots. We enjoy this so much and that’s the reason why we keep doing these albums – plus, the fans like it and that’s also a big part of it (laughs).
Hardrock Haven: Absolutely! And speaking about your musical roots, Voodoo Circle has always had this retro ‘70s vibe to it. What do you think was so special or influential about this particular decade of music and of course, the music itself?
Alex Beyrodt: Well, this decade in music to me is when it all started for Hard Rock. That’s when all these famous bands were so successful and they made blueprints for songwriting and sounds for this kind of music and the whole idea of it. And of course they took it from other bands like the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, but this music was defined in the ‘70s. And I also hear a lot of the ‘80s in my songwriting… Maybe you’d agree with me or maybe not – I don’t know – but to me it’s lots of the ‘80s sound also in my guitar playing and in the way I write.
Hardrock Haven: I definitely agree, especially when it comes to early ‘80s, like the early ‘80s Whitesnake for instance.
Alex Beyrodt: Absolutely, yes. And there’s a purpose for it. Those are my roots, this is music I still love and I still love listening to and it is very easy for me to write in this style of music. It just feels natural – probably because I grew up with it.
Hardrock Haven: The new Voodoo Circle album Locked & Loaded marks the return of former band members David Readman and Markus Kullmann. How do you think this fact translates into the new album?
Alex Beyrodt: Well, there’s a story behind that and I’m glad you asked! Actually, when me and David started talking to each other and decided to work together again, I’ve already had the majority of the new material for the album written. So the songs were already written here in my studio and recorded as demo versions. And then I spoke to Markus, and he was also happy about the idea of rejoining Voodoo Circle. That gave me another push and more power, so I sat down and I listened to the song material and then I decided to start writing new songs with the fact of David and Markus returning to the band in mind. And songs like “Flesh & Bone”, “Wasting Time”, “Magic Woman Chile”, “Locked & Loaded,” “Devil With An Angel Smile”, “This Song Is For You”… these songs are all brand new, written after I knew they’re back in the band, and with that fact in mind.
Hardrock Haven: Reviewers who compared David to the Raised On Rock era singer Herbie Langhans often pointed out to David bringing his Melodic Rock influences to the table which were apparently missing further on. Would you agree with that?
Alex Beyrodt: Well, probably yes… but in a good way. I can’t say anything bad about Herbie. At that time he was a perfect singer for Voodoo Circle and he did a great job – a job that was very difficult, you know, to fill David’s shoes. David’s such an amazing singer and character and it wasn’t easy for Herbie, but he did a great job. And also his reaction, when I told him that David is back in Voodoo Circle, was just classic. He just laughed and smiled and said, “You know, Alex, it’s okay ‘cause now I have a band I can be a fan of again.” It still was kind of cool and he took it really easy. They [David Readman and Herbie Langhans] have a different approach of course – Herbie is more of a Metal singer and David is more of a Hard Rock singer. And of course, when it comes to the legacy of Voodoo Circle, David is the original singer and that makes everything a little bit easier.
Hardrock Haven: You’ve mentioned starting the writing process for the album all over again once the returning members were back on board. So in general, was it any different than with the previous Voodoo Circle albums?
Alex Beyrodt: I could say that the difference was that this time I wrote especially for David’s voice, but that’s not true – I always did that (laughs) But when I knew they were back in the band, I was given some extra power and extra ideas. I also have to give credit to Mat, ‘cause when we talked about that whole situation, he also said, “Alex, why don’t you sit down, think about it and maybe try to write one song with having in mind that these guys are back in the band…?” Actually it was him who gave me the idea and then I started to write and it felt great and right at the time… just natural. And for example, in “Wasting Time” – in bits and pieces where the drums are featured – I wrote that especially for Markus. And when he was in the studio, I told him, “This is your moment. Just do whatever you want with it. Just show everyone what you can do.” It was kind of cool – he loved it and enjoyed it. In general, we’ve just had a great time recording this album.
Hardrock Haven: That’s the way it should be. You actually say in different interviews over the years that you write constantly, not just for the occasion when working on a specific album. Also, probably some of the earlier material for what ended up as Locked & Loaded ended up being shelved too. So how often do you revisit your vault of unreleased songs?
Alex Beyrodt: I have probably around four hundred guitar riffs recorded in my iPhone as ideas. It’s crazy, it’s totally crazy and I totally lost track of it (laughs). At some point, I have to listen to them and I have to sort them out and give them names – otherwise they will be all forgotten. But you’re right – I write music constantly. I’ve already started writing for the next Voodoo Circle album and I have five songs (laughs). Especially these days, when it’s not too much to do anyway… And to me, writing songs and being here in my studio – my man cave – that’s like medicine. You know, I close the door, I light the candle and I’m just by myself and I can just enjoy things and be creative – I love that. It’s important to me and my personality, as a musician and as an artist. And of course, I sometimes I sit here and listen to my older ideas and older demos – and sometimes I just start working on them again and re-writing them or re-doing them. And it’s actually fun, it’s all fun and really enjoyable.
Hardrock Haven: You claimed you’ve had a sort of “Led Zeppelin concept” in your mind while writing songs for this album, especially with the line-up change becoming a fact. Were Led Zepp and obviously Jimmy Page a crucial influence of yours, or maybe it’s not really possible to pick just one major influence among all?
Alex Beyrodt: Well, you’re right when you say there’s a Led Zeppelin influence on this new album. That’s totally right and of course, Markus… I mean, listen to his drumming – he’s like a German John Bonham. And I know David is a huge Led Zeppelin fan, but to be honest, I’ve never been one… I was more into Deep Purple and Rainbow – that was more my kind of stuff. But you can hear a Led Zeppelin influence on every Voodoo Circle album, that’s for sure. And I always like bits and pieces from them – you know, what they did with the rhythm and the guitar riffs in songs like “Kashmir”… There’s something in their music that has just an oriental kind of feeling and at the same time a very traditional, old English Folk vibe to them… and it’s all really inspiring for me to work with something like this, to take it and listen to it and do what I can do and how it would sound if I played it… then I play along with it and then I come up with this kind of songs. Honestly, I have never been a huge admirer of them. But I really enjoyed that movie with Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White, It Might Get Loud [2008] and the moment when Jimmy Page entered the room and he started playing the guitar. It was such a honorable moment – such an epic moment. Actually I really enjoyed when he did that and I thought, “This is the real Rock royalty.” I also follow him on Instagram (laughs), but he probably doesn’t know me… (laughs)
Hardrock Haven: Did you introduce any other changes, like using a different gear for example, to achieve the particular sound you had in mind for this album?
Alex Beyrodt: That’s another question I’m happy that you’ve asked! I actually have redone my studio gear completely – I bought new amplifiers, new software and hardware and that also led me to re-recording all the guitars for the album. As I said earlier, I already had the songs written and of course, some of them are also on the album, but I have redone all the guitars from the original recordings. I had new gear and new amplifiers and it sounded so much better in my opinion – and it also gave me that extra push… over the cliff (laughs). And it was a lot of work (laughs).
Hardrock Haven: I can imagine! We talked the ‘70s, Led Zeppelin, the Purple family and so on, but there’s also something modern about certain tracks on the album, such as the title one. Do you find it challenging to balance the old and the new – your roots with more modern sound?
Alex Beyrodt: Talking about “Locked & Loaded,” what I had in mind when writing it is that I wanted to write a single with a modern approach, but also the old ‘70s and ‘80s songwriting ideas and feeling and vibe. I mean, there’s a Jimi-Hendrix-a-like kind of solo in it, with an old Fuzz Face, and the guitar riffing is like Lenny Kravitz… And there’s even a drum loop in the song, something which we’ve never done before. But for me it was an experiment – I wanted to see how far I can go and what people will say about this kind of song. Now it turned out that it’s a single ‘cause everybody liked it so much. It’s different and it shows the band from a totally different angle. And I like it – it was a lot of fun doing it. So what do you think about it, what’s your opinion?
Hardrock Haven: I love it. This mixture of old and new is really refreshing and as you’ve said, it sounds different than the other songs.
Alex Beyrodt: Yeah, and that was the idea. I wanted to write a song for people to go on a dancefloor and dance to it. Not that is there’s such a thing anymore as a Rock disco (laughs), but if there was one, people could dance to “Locked & Loaded” (laughs). Sad days… but that’s how it is.
Hardrock Haven: Unfortunately. Anyway, mix and mastering for the album was done by Jacob Hansen. Having worked with him before, why did you decide to renew this collaboration?
Alex Beyrodt: Jacob is a real artist and he can do things that are unbelievable. I’m honored that he worked with us again and he seems to have lots of fun with us too, ‘cause our music is so different from what he usually does. It’s very refreshing and so easy to work with him – he’s so fast and the way how he mixes… He can lift a song from the “okay” level to the “wow” level, really. It’s really amazing. I remember that when I sent mixes to David and to Markus and they listened to them for the first time, they gave me a phone call and were like, “What the hell is this…? What has he done…?” These songs are really in a different league now.
Hardrock Haven: This year also new Primal Fear album Metal Commando saw the light of day. Is it a smooth sailing to work on an album with two other guitarists on board? And what kind of experience is Primal Fear for you in general?
Alex Beyrodt: Yeah, absolutely. That’s all easy to handle, we’re all friends and there’s no competition or anything. It’s all very professional and easy. And you know, whenever we do Primal Fear, I wear a Primal Fear hat and whenever we do Voodoo Circle, I wear a Voodoo Circle hat. It’s like driving different cars – you always drive a car, it’s just a model that is different. And in general, I played my first Primal Fear concert in 1999 – this is when I started to help the band. When they needed a guitar player for touring, I was there. So we played together in 1999, 2001, 2003, I think in 2005 and 2007 – and in 2009 I finally became an official band member. But that felt just natural to me, ‘cause I was with these guys from the very, very beginning. And I work with Mat for over thirty years, and also with Tom [Naumann]… I’m happy he’s back in the band and we know each other since 1985 actually (laughs). God, I’m old!… (laughs) We’re longtime friends and that’s just lots of fun. We can read each other’s minds – we just look into the each other’s face and we know, “Ahh, he likes that” or “He doesn’t like that” or “Now he’s gonna do that”. It’s like in a long-term relationship. Really relaxed and easy.
Hardrock Haven: What’s the current status of Silent Force and are there any plans to record a follow-up up to Rising From Ashes [2013]?
Alex Beyrodt: Well, I haven’t planned to do it and let’s say nothing is scheduled, but I’m thinking about it. Not planning it, but thinking about it – let’s put it this way. Especially that I have so much time because of this situation and I think I already could record a full album with the material I have here in my studio from the last couple of years. Let’s see, why not…? I’m definitely open to the idea and you know, never say never!
Hardrock Haven: Absolutely! Being also a part of Rock Meets Classic, what do you think is the secret of its success? Is it more about the timelessness of the songs that you perform, or people who perform these songs?
Alex Beyrodt: You know, Rock Meets Classic is like a time travelling. And of course, those songs and those singers – their legacies – are so huge and to play this kind of music together with a fifty-piece orchestra is very special for everyone. It’s special for the legends, for the bands, for the orchestra and of course very special for the audience. And I think that’s why it is so successful. And also, the mix of the artists touring with us – you know, we have guys from Thin Lizzy and Uriah Heep, and then Ian Gillan of Deep Purple and Paul Rodgers and Alice Cooper… the mix is also really cool. We had the guys from Magnum, we had Doro, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, Steve Lukather of Toto, Eric Bazilian from The Hooters… so it’s a great mix, and the atmosphere onstage and in the audience when we do this is really enjoyable. If you ever have a chance to come over to Germany and watch a show, you should do it. It’s really special.
Hardrock Haven: Having a chance, I would!
Alex Beyrodt: Yeah, definitely! I remember watching the first Rock Meets Classic show myself ‘cause I wasn’t in the cast for the first tour as I was supposed to go on tour with Glenn Hughes at the time and I couldn’t do both. But I was in the audience when they did their very first show. I had tears in my eyes, it was amazing (laughs). I was really touched, goosebumps all over and everything… It was really, really cool. It’s very special. A lot of work though to do it – of course, you know all the songs and you can play them more or less, but if you go onstage with guys like Steve Lukather or Ian Gillan, you’d better know them right. You cannot improvise… it’s not a cover show or band, it’s totally different. It’s the original singers that make it totally different from every cover band or project. A different direction.
Hardrock Haven: So is it possible for you at all to pick just one special moment when it comes to Rock Meets Classic?
Alex Beyrodt: There are so many!… But probably my favorite moment and experience was the first time when I played with Ian Gillan. You know, I’m a huge Deep Purple fan and I started to play the guitar because of Ritchie Blackmore. And here I am onstage with Ian Gillan… thirty or even forty years later (laughs). I remember that moment so clearly. We played “Highway Star” as every Deep Purple show starts with it. And there’s this famous guitar solo which I learned piece by piece and note for note… Then it gets closer and closer to the guitar solo and I look over my shoulder and I see Ian Gillan in the center stage doing his thing and I’m like, “Jesus Christ, this is fuckin’ Ian Gillan (laughs) and I’m playing fuckin’ “Highway Star” in front of the 4,000 people. It’s like, what the fuck is going on…? Am I dreaming…?” And when the solo started, I did something totally crazy. I took the guitar behind my head and I played the first part of the solo with the guitar behind my head. I turned around and I looked at Ian Gillan and he looked at me with his eyes wide open. He was like, “Oh my God, what is he doing…?” There’s actually a picture of that moment and I had it on my Facebook profile for a long time – you’ll probably find it still somewhere there. It’s hilarious. So anyway, I played the solo and then there’s this fast part, so I took the guitar and I threw it on the ground, and I played it like the piano. I was going totally nuts and I don’t know why I did this (laughs). I didn’t practice it, I just did it (laughs). And it went okay, it wasn’t perfect, but it looked great (laughs). Everybody onstage was like, “What the fuck is he doing…?” but it sounded cool and it looked amazing. But my moment came after the show – I mean, that was already quite a moment too… Anyway, I’m sitting backstage, taking deep breaths and relaxing after the show. And Ian Gillan comes offstage. And he looks at me, and I’m like, “Uh-oh, I’m in trouble,” ‘cause he gave me a certain look… (laughs) And I’m like “Oh my God, he’s coming here. He’s getting closer. Uh-oh, he’s going to say something like ‘You stole my show!… Don’t do this again!’ or something like this”… And then he stood right in front of me and asked me, “What’s your name…?” And because we didn’t rehearse and I met him onstage, I’m like, “Nice to meet you, I’m Alex.” And he said, “You know, that thing in “Highway Star”…” and I’m like, “Uh-oh…” (laughs) And he goes, “Can you do that every night…?” (laughs)
Hardrock Haven: That’s so incredibly cool of him!
Alex Beyrodt: Yeah, and from that moment actually we clicked, and we became friends. From that moment, it was clear that we’re friends. I think we played eighty shows with him as he did the tour four times… And he always says, “Ahh, here comes the German Blackmore!…” (laughs)
Hardrock Haven: Now that’s a compliment!
Alex Beyrodt: Absolutely… There’s so much material on YouTube, for example when we did “When A Blind Man Cries” and stuff like that… It’s amazing – and he always introduced me at stage and he pointed at me, so you could really tell that he enjoyed what I was doing and he understood that my kind of guitar playing is totally in the ‘70s Deep Purple Blackmore-ish style. And he enjoyed it a lot, I can tell.
Hardrock Haven: And speaking of Deep Purple and you being such a massive fan of it, is Ian Gillan era your favorite within the band’s history?
Alex Beyrodt: To me, that’s the classic line-up and my favorite one, absolutely. I also like the line-up with [David] Coverdale and Glenn Hughes… it was different but I also liked it. Anyway, to me the line-up with Ian Gillan is what I liked about this band the most.
Hardrock Haven: Is there anything else you’re up to at the moment?
Alex Beyrodt: Well, as I said earlier, I’m already writing songs for the next Voodoo Circle and for Primal Fear… for everyone. I’m constantly writing and enjoying it and let’s see what the future brings!
Hardrock Haven: And speaking about the future, it’s near the end of the year now, how do you think all the things that happened this year with the pandemic and recurring lockdowns will change the music industry?
Alex Beyrodt: I’m afraid to think about it. I’m afraid it will take another six to eight months for live music to return and then let’s see what happens… I don’t know how the audience will react – if they are afraid to go to concerts – or what you will need to do the show… I don’t know what’s gonna happen. It’s just really said that the whole music industry is totally forgotten by the politicians. That’s really a nightmare and really disturbing, and we can’t change it.
Hardrock Haven: So do you have any concert plans for late 2021 or 2022, when it’s assumed we’re back to normal?
Alex Beyrodt: Well… yeah, there are ideas and we already have schedules and stuff but I don’t want to mention anything ‘cause it’s all guessing and hoping and nobody is sure if it’s gonna happen. I don’t wanna guess and I don’t wanna mention it, you know.
Hardrock Haven: Absolutely, let’s better leave it as it is. Is there anything you’d like to add in the end then?
Alex Beyrodt: I just wanna thank everyone who listens to Voodoo Circle and of course to Primal Fear and Silent Force too – to this kind of music… All these bands are like a family and I have a feeling also our fans are like a family and they support us… I wish them all the best of luck and that we can meet again soon and have a party together. And of course, thank you!
