Interview with German speed metal band Calderone

Back in the 80's Germany produced a lot (I mean A LOT) of excellent speed metal bands who combined fast riffs with catchy melodies. Some of them became well-known but many of these bands remained obscure. Calderone, the band from Berlin, broke up just after one EP but what an EP that was! I did this interview with Chris Mosch (drums), Marc Alexey (guitars) and Jorg Franke in 2015. A lot of things have happened since then (the band released full-length album "Full Metal Injection", for example, and Jorg Franke rejoined Calderone just a few days ago), so go to Calderone's official FB page to check out the latest news. Below you can find an interesting jorney to the days where it all started! 

Please tell me how did you start listen to heavy music? Was Calderone your first band?
Chris: There were different influences we talk about: Deep Purple, Rainbow, Mercyful Fate, Metallica, Slayer. Combination of these  bands and everyone’s own made Calderone’s music.
Jörg: The first band I heard and that opened my mind was Rainbow, which is my favorite until today. 
Marc: AC/DC, little bit straighter. My first band was Tritonus together with Mischa Mang (Ivanhoe) and Emil Hachfeld (Tangerine Dream).
 
As far as I understand Calderone was named Crypt at first but later you decided to change the name. What was the reason of this decision and who came up with the name Calderone? Did you mean Italian Mafioso Calderone? What kind of music did you play by the time of Crypt?
Chris: The music of Crypt was nearly the same as Calderone’s style — the name was the “work-name”, before the final line-up stood… And yes, Calderone, Mafia Catania…
Jörg: The band Crypt was a different band with the singer Marcel "Klinger" Stürznickel from the band Black Burn with bassist Jörg, see LP "The Invocation" on High Roller Records, recorded 1983/84, released 2012. This was Black Metal inspired by Venom. One night we sat together to find a name. Next day we didn't recall anything, but found a piece of paper with that name and decided to choose it...
Marc: It sounds cryptic to me.
 
What do you remember about the very early days of the band: first rehearsals, records and everything like that? 
Chris: In the beginning, especially for me, ‘cause I started playing my instrument nearly from zero, there were two rehersal demo tapes. They played it on Radio (AFN — American Radio Berlin) for example. With my other band Wotan I had a lot of correspondence all over the world — then I used these relationships for sending our demo tape to South America, USA, Russia, Japan, etc. We received good feedback! Our EP Vinyl in 1988 came in a time when the scene was changing (Metal — Punk — Crossover,..). I think that was the reason for the crowd reaction: From good to "like many bands" and sometimes poor… As for zines they liked our music.
Jörg: Every rehearsal was a public party. So we played every day with an audience.

Bear, Spider, Beast
and some handsome guitar player

Marc: The impression of my first rehearsal: a bear, a spider and a beast in a small cave… I was really nervous that day, a 17 years old boy. First I saw Zlatko — he looked so big and strong like a bear, I was afraid but he was such a warm person. Later we were like brothers. My brother Bear. Then he brought me to the rehearsal room — the cave, only 1,60m high — on the ground sitting a big spider with extremely long red/black-striped legs, long hair with a black Rickenbacker bass, and in a dark corner behind the drums I saw only some waving black hair, sometimes some white flashing teeth and eyes. Now I was nervous AND scared! Sorry guys, just my first impression! The first hour I  understood nothing what Jörg showed to me. Zlatko was disappointed but Jörg gave me one more chance and showed me a very difficult riff (think it was "Statue"). Zlatko said, "I can't play it yet, how should he doing it!" But I did it! After this I was playing a classic guitar version of "Fight to the Front“ … bam! My first Calderone gig was in BlockShock two weeks later.
 
Can you clear the situation with the guitarist Peter Osz (a.k.a. Peter Arrow). Some sources say that he was in Calderone in 1987 and later re-joined the band in 1992. Is it correct? Were you friends with his own band Pain? Peter died in 2011. What happened to him?
Chris: Yes, he played in the band from the start, and then he left the band to return in 1992. Big YES, we were friends with all members of Pain (I helped out on several gigs with drums). Peter died 'cause of alcohol. I can tell you it was a  black day for us, especially for me!!
Jörg: Calderone was founded by Peter Osthues who asked his favorite musicians to join after his record with the band Pain from Noise Records flopped. So all of them played in different bands before. Peter founded the band with the best metal musicians he knew. After a while we all realized that he could not play the new songs we wrote. So the split was unavoidable and we had to look for a new guitarist — Marc Alexey. In 1992 the band Kick and Rush with Peter and Jörg changed the name again to Calderone. In 1993 Chris joined this band. The style changed into hardcore metal like Pantera which was influenced by the singer Billy Watt.
Marc: My relation to Peter wasn’t very close ever, maybe he thought that I was the reason that he had to leave the band .. But it was impressive how many people and musicians came to the RIP Concert to remember and honor him. I was glad to play there, for him.
 
In 1987 Calderone recorded first demo. What are your best memories about this demo? Did you send to labels and magazines and did you sell it at your shows?
Chris: As I wrote above, we send and sold it to fans, magazines, etc. but never on shows/gigs — to get a label was a real difficult thing, ‘cause of the situation between 1985—1988, too many bands "overran" the scene, the labels were in the lap of luxury. Parallel Line Records published our music on the music market…

Jörg: We recorded it with very poor equipment and were very proud of the sound. Peter was genius in this matter. This was the very first songs we played together. So it was clear that this was not the last demo before signing to a record company. But...
 
There are two songs – “Storm of Power” and “ Fight to the Front” – which never appeared later. What can you say about them? Why didn’t you include them in your EP?
Chris: Our manager had the idea to release two EP’s (just like Celtic Frost) — one Europe and one Japan (Asia). On the Japanese EP there was the bonus track “Bam Bam”. The songs “Storm of Power” and “Fight to the front” were planned for the LP, but then we split…

Jörg: We decided to record the newest songs on the EP we considered to be the best one.
Marc: Great songs yes, we wanted to keep them for the LP but…
 
After the demo the band signed with the label Parallel Line Records. Why did you pick especially this label or was this label only one who showed interest in the band? Did you try to get an attention of bigger labels like Noise or SPV?
Chris: This label showed interest, two or three times, Peter tried to get K. Walterbach from Noise Records to work with us (like he did with with Pain). Other labels also had an opinion: “This would be no premium-seller”.

Calderone played this rare kind of pure speed metal but was it popular in the late 80’s when thrash metal was on its peak?
Chris: After bands like Helloween, Satan or Artillery there was only a poor demand for melodic speed — you’re right, but we got so many positive feedbacks, therefore we looked forward to the near future…
 
In 1988 the band put out the EP “Calderone”. Why did you decide to record an EP and not a full length album? What can you say about reaction from press and fans on that EP at that time? And what do you think about this amazing EP nowadays?
Chris: We decided to bring out an EP — we expected the reaction of the fans and then we would talk about a LP... This was the approach of several bands/companies. The reactions were great, now we talk ‘bout the “thing” released in the 80’s — for us a great Berlin, there’re many people who talk about it between 40 and 60 yr. — great vibes...
Marc: Still great songs and still one of the ugliest cover designs EVER!!! 
 
The first track “Wanna Make You Scream” starts like it was recorded on 45 rpm instead of 33 rpm. Who came up with this funny idea?
Chris: O.K. — our bass player Jörg, one of his very special types to play out something...
Marc: No, no… we played so fast or do you mean the voice? Yes this was Jörg,  he always wanted to be Lemmy, Rickenbacker bass and vocals... but you hear his voice.
 
Did your label support the band and did you play any shows in support of the EP?
Chris: The split was caused of one/two of us; we negotiated the terms, then there were misunderstandings… bullshit situation, I can tell ya... So, the support had no chance to start as it should be...
Marc: It was a "strange" situation.  They were talking about the tour with a secret (!) major act and we asked the conditions for the LP — we recorded and mixed the EP in just four days! They wanted to give us one week including mixing for the LP. In the meantime the label produced two LP´s with a Guns 'n Roses styled band and a "singer", discovered in adult movies... both had got two weeks for the recordings. And we were still waiting for the Japanese version of the EP... Yes, some misunderstandings.
 
As far as I understand the band split-up after the first EP. What was the reason of this decision?
Chris: I’ll tell it short: someone let things slide, another got job/money problems…
Marc: Some lost the faith ..
 
The band re-united in 1992 and recorded the demo “From Greed Blinded”. What kind of music did you play at that time? How much different it was to your debut EP?
Chris: The performance went into something like Grunge Metal — brutal but melodic! The time for melodic speed metal was definitely over — not important to think about the past, we also looked  forward,  regarding our style, how to transfer it into those 90’s...
 
By 1992 the band changed its line-up — Zlatko Relic and Marc Papanastasiou left the band. What was the reason for that? Was there any argument around musical direction or did they just decide to do something else?
Chris: Marc had several other possibilities/bands to play with, he worked as an actor on TV and today he’s playing things like Greek music and Classic ensemble; Zlatko went his own way, alone...

Zlatko Relic

Marc: Hmmm. not really correct. Zlatko and me didn´t left the band! After the cancelation of our EP-promotion tour and the break-up with the management/label, Chris and Jörg left the band for their reasons. We were sitting in our rehearsal room and tried to finish the recordings of the new songs, searching for a new drummer and bass player to keep Calderone alive. Then Zlatko had some private problems, so I was very often alone in the rehearsal room. These days I met Nils from Tarot, their rehearsal room was next to ours. I started to jam with Tarot but Calderone had always the priority and so I was carrying my amps and guitars every day on the corridor. One day Zlatko came and told me, that he lost his faith too. After this I made one or two testing rehearsals with a drummer, but .. 
"Four little Calderones strong as superglue
a cancelled tour, and no LP then there were only two
two little Calderones try to reach the sun
the one has burned his fingertips then there were only one“
one … not enough for Calderone!
 
Then I accept the offer from Tarot.
 
What happened to the band since 1994? Were you still active all these years?
Chris: Three of us played in other bands, Peter worked as a sound engineer, I had a baby break...
 
Please introduce us the new members of Calderone. Why did you decide to work with female singer Nikki? Do you have any plans to release some new music in the future?
Chris: Calderone 2015 (since 2014) are: Chris Mosch (drums), Doc Hell (guitars), Pinky (guitars), Sean (bass), Nikki (vocals). Nikki and Sean are the latest members, we met Nikki at the OPEN STAGE Berlin; Sean is a friend of her family — we never searched a female singer; it happened one day, that we met and it worked pretty well. After tnhe release of the video for “Freewheel Burning”, we will record some titles for an EP — CD with 3-4 tracks — at the moment we’re playing covers of several bands.
 
Do you still stay in touch with your ex-band mates? That they are doing at the moment?
Chris: Peter died four years ago, I had good going contact with him, Doc Hell (1992) is still with me — the others are doing their things — but no one is in trouble with others!

What do you think about possible remastered re-issue of your first demo and EP?
Chris: That’s the point: I don’t know anything about any master tapes... — that caused the “bad-split” in 1989 — I think those recordings will stay in our minds and record collections as memories!
Marc: At the moment I’m doing a research for the tapes and the old material. Have to check out the terms, maybe O. C. Thöns is still angry with us/me. I think it´s time to release the old stuff/recordings and maybe we record two or three old unreleased songs maybe with old and new members of Calderone and bring them together on one LP cause  Encyclopedia Metallum says: “Definitely a huge shame these guys didn't get a real chance at something they well deserved. All hail underground speed metal!“ A few days ago one Label from Chile asked me if we want to release something … so we´ll see.
 
Marc, please tell me about your band Tarot: how did you get in touch with Harry Amthor? The band released only one demo — why is that? Does this band have any unreleased stuff? You also mentioned that you’re going to release this demo on CD and vinyl — please tell me details of this release. What did you do after Tarot? Are you still active as a musician? 
Marc: As I told before, Tarot rehearsed in the room next door. They were searching for a second guitarist and a singer, so we started to rearrange and compose some songs with Nils Brandt. It was difficult to find a good singer, we made some announcements in several magazines like Metal Hammer. One day we received a tape from Harry with songs from the band Energy, there was the guitarist Peter Szegeti (ex-Warlock) and a mind blowing voice Harry Amthor. We decided to rent a studio to record our first Demo. I saw Harry the first time in the studio, we didn't lived in the same town, he was 600 km away. No rehearsals and he sang the songs unbelievable. We sent our demo all over and a we got very positive reactions, but it didn't sound like G´n R or ”Smeels Like Teen Spirit” or whatever… Only Stefan Kaufmann (ex-Accept) showed big interest to produce Tarot, he loved “Atlantis” and wanted to hear more songs, so we made a second demo. Our "manager" and Harry met him (this time I didn't go with them) but they didn't come back with a contract, we never heard something from Stefan again. Don't know exactly what happened there. Harry left Tarot and we were searching again, we found two or three good voices but it was hard for them to replace Harry. In 1992 our drummer Martin Mosh Breitenbach died in an accident, this was the end of Tarot. I joined the band Moraine together with Mischa Mang, kind of Saga/Dream Theater influenced rock, great songs but there was no market for them at the time.

Tarot

In 1994—1996 I was in Cashmyr project with Chris Lyne (Heartlyne, Soul Doctor). In 1995—1997 I became a part of a studio project Station Y with Wolfgang Neuhaus (Alphaville) and female singer Michaela, this was Bristol Sound like Portishead. At the same time I was playing together with Tangerine Dream (from 1997 again with my buddy Emil Hachfeld from my first band Tritonus) here I “changed“ my Name to Marc Alexey (my first name is Marc-Alexey). Tangerine Dream said “nobody can spell this name Papanastasiou“! I said that it´s easy as “Papa nice to see you“. Tangerine Dream was one of my most unenjoyable  experiences in music. After this I decided to stop with music but I couldn't! I started as a 5 years old boy to play guitar, it is a part of me. I was looking to my classical guitar, then practiced every day 8-9 hours and in ´98 I started to study classical guitar in University. After this I played some classical concerts and then my rock roots caught me. From 2006 to 2008 I was playing with Soul Doctor with Chris Lyne and Tommy Heart, We recorded in 2008 a  live album “Tha's Live“. In 2010 I founded Aenaos to play Greek music in a classical/jazzy/rock/acoustic style, no borders, everything is allowed and in 2011 we got in Greece the title “ambassadors of Greek music“. Enough history…

Yes we'll release a remastered album with Tarot with 12 Songs on CD, maybe this summer. I don't know yet exactly. (Note: the compilation "Tarot Beyond" came out in 2017.) The four songs from the 1st Demo: “Atlantis”, “Breaking all the Rules”, “2 late 4 love”, “Tarot”. The other 8 songs are unreleased stuff some live versions or recordings on a 4-track tape recorder. I found the old tapes and bought the legendary Foster X-15, so we can make some better mixes with the digital possibilities of today. But all the stuff is recorded in 1990—1992, only one small voice track is new. We plan to bring out later a LP with two bonus tracks and one totally new recorded old song. As a legacy and honor and to our drummer Martin, his biggest dream was a LP. 

Marc "Papa nice to see you" Alexey

Jörg, now it’s your turn to tell about your career after Calderone.  You played in such bands like Ballantinez and Black Burn. At what point you joined Black Burn? Did you play on the album “The Invocation”? And please tell me about your participation to Ballantinez which was considered as a kind of super-group of German metal with ex-members of SADO and V2. What you’ve been doing since your departure from Calderone? 
Jörg: Black Burn was a studio project in 1983—1984. Ballantinez was done in 1982—1983. I founded the band together with Carsten Köhler, later came some newcomers to the band (after Ballantinez they played in SADO and V2). Then started a strange business, they fired Carsten and I left the band, but Carsten and I played one track for the LP, because they couldn't play it. After Calderone I was in  Asaiah. After Billy Watt left Calderone a singer came to an audition, he didn't fit to the style, but after playing “Child in Time“  I decided to found a new band with this singer called Andy van Straden. Assiah was born. The style was classic metal between Rainbow and Fates Warning. In 1999 we recorded 12 songs in the Headquarters Studio, recorded and mixed by Peter Osthues. The Assiah song “Black Burn” from 1999 appeared as bonus track on the LP “The Invocation", released in 2012 via High Roller Records.
 
If you want to add something to round up this interview — go ahead!  
Chris: What should I say? After 30 years of making music, I want to send metal wishes to Peter Osz, all the best for the ex-members in their lives, “Here we go again” to my band fellows. Thanx to everyone who supports Metal.
Marc: You don´t think I said enough? Ok, one small story: after my first gig with Calderone came one guy to me and asked “What kind of music do you listen to??“ I answered little bit provocative “Hmm, Whitesnake, Rainbow, AC/DC, Michael and Janet Jackson and sometimes Metallica“. The colors of his face changed from red to green to white. “What!?! Sometimes Metallica!! Why?“ I said “For the variety in music, not only speed metal!“ He said „WHAT variety… There are enough different speed metal bands!“  My nickname after this concert was “The Speedmetal-Poser“. If you are a musician, don't let borders or sections limit yourself, be open-minded to create your own music, to give your fans something real.