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Band page - Wizard
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Band Profile
What is your name and your current position in the band?
Snoppi (Sören van Heek), Drummer
How would you categorize the style of the band? And did you ever consider or try playing other styles of music than the one(s) you are playing now?
We play Heavy metal. In the early beginning we played Thrash, that was much more for fun.
What is your latest album and why should people buy it?
It's named THOR. People should by it, because it is fucking good, you get good vibes and the will to party, to drink and to f...
Tell us about the history of the band. More specifically, when was the band formed, how did you meet, and have there been any particular highlights or low points in your career, any crucial events that have taken you where you are today?
After a lot of lineup changes within two different bands, Wizard came together 20 years ago. Since then we play in the same line up, only Dano Boland came in addition to the band 4 years ago. We met us because we were all in the same scene in our hometown, there were much musicians and so it was not too difficult to come together. Highlights in our career were the gigs in Wacken and Bang your head and of course the tour with Grave Digger. But there were also other great gigs, with Virgin Steele or Doro or Rage ...). A very low point was the release of the Magic circle album. The songs we composed were absolute great, but the production, the cover, everything went wrong. It's a shame. We should not have published this album with such a sound. It's horrible. If I remember those songs with a GREAT sound, oh man, that would be superb.
Was there ever a time when you wondered if your band would remain just a local outfit and never make it in the industry?
Yes, of course. In the beginning we started recordings only for ourselves. It was great to have your own music at home. Something that would be there for your ancestors when you are gone, hahaha. And also after sending away the first CD (Son of darkness) it took about over 1 year when the first answers and interviews came. So we thought that nobody would like us at all. But with the years and the albums we got more and more fans. And last week we had our release-party for the last album (Thor) and there were so much people that we were sold out and not all fans came in. Great to see, that we can make so much people happy with our music.
Can you share with us one or two of your favourite moments with the band?
One moment is the same every week, since 20 years now: Time for rehearsal! That the only really important thing for me. Five guys meet and drink beer and talk about shit and play metal and laugh and smoke. Just 5 friends. See, everything breaks down around us, everything changes. In the beginning we had girl friends, we moved to our own flats (away from our parents), we married, we got divorced, we got children, one woman died, parents died and a lot more. But one thing never changed: Once a week Wizard meet for rehearsal, no matter what's coming. And that's absolutely great. I can miss concerts, I can miss CD recordings and I can miss all public things, but I cannot miss these few hours. We are bound by metal!
How is the writing process in the band?
Except me all the others compose. Then we play the song together and see, what we can add or cut or do better. Nothing strange.
What brought you on the path to becoming a musician? Did you ever consider or take any other paths through life besides music?
I don't live from our band. I have a usual job as software engineer. And today I think I would not want to change. I would hate it to be on tour longer than 3 weeks. The most you do is waiting for the show to start. After the show you wait for the bus. Then you drive to the next town. Arriving on the venue. Waiting for breakfast. Hanging around. Waiting for lunch.. After lunch waiting for soundcheck. After soundcheck waiting for concert start, than waiting to play. All the time waiting. If you do not really push you to live in health or do sport, you will soon be very fat and have a big alcohol problem, hahaha. So after a year I would have the feeling that I did not spend my time very useful. My current job is very much fun for me at the moment. And also our concerts are much fun, because there are not so much (perhaps 10-20 a year). A great hobby!
Do you have any idols? If yes, who?
When starting drums I liked very much Ian Pace, Dave Lombardo, Charly Benante. I tried to play as they do. But nowadays I don't have real Idols. I look up to people who manage it to be good to other people. That's not very easy. But in musician matter I don't have Idols any more. I know that I am not the best drummer, but it fits to the music we play and I think I will not change my style in my old days, hahaha.
Do you have any regrets looking back at your career? For example any songs or even full albums that you regret recording? If so, what made you regret it?
As I told before, I regret having published the Magic Circle album with such a bad sound. But all the other albums were ok. They represent the music and feeling we had during that time. I like all the albums and I stand behind them.
Are there particular songs in your catalogue that the fans love but you're not particular fond of yourself?
I think so. We play since so long the songs Defenders of metal or Hall of odin or Bound by metal. If you have played them so often, you can't hear them any more. But the fans like the songs. It's like Heavy Metal Breakdown from Grave Digger. I could believe that they can't hear the song any more, but they always play it as last song on every tour, hahaha.
How important do you rate the lyrical side of your albums?
For me the lyrics are not very important. For me the music is more important. But for others (e.g. our bassplayer Volker) the lyrics are very important. We had albums about Odin and Thor, and that's his religion. He believes in the gods and he wanted to bring this religion to the fans. And also the other concept albums (e.g. Goochan) were written by Volker together with other writers. So he is very involved in this.
What do you think about the state of the music industry today?
Hm, I think that did not change during all the years. Music business is shit business. I don't like it very much. Everybody tries to earn as much money as possible. And all people get money, except the musicians (I only speak for my band!). And always you have trouble because some things must be done and there is a deadline and so on. And I think that we have a very good record label! If you know the right people at the right place, everything is possible. But if you don't know anybody you are lost and you will never come up. That's very frustrating.
What do you think is the best way to fight music piracy?
I don't know. Music must be cheaper. If a CD would only cost 8 Euro, I think everybody would by CDs. But the industry makes CDs expensive by hand. If you go to a company who presses CDs, it costs not a full Euro. And of course selling mp3 is a way. I saw that you can download Thor at amazon.com for 4,89 Euro. That's great for the fans, I guess. I also think, that the kids who download mp3 illegal don't have in mind, what it means to bands like Wizard: We don't sell so much cds any more, so we get less money from the label for the next album. So budgets a decreasing every time and our time in the studio is shorter and shorter. And of course this you will hear on the next album. Quality takes time. And when the next album has a more bad sound, it sells not as much cds as the last. And so you will also get less money for the next ..... So in the end the band is at the end of the career.
Do you have a life philosophy? If yes, what is it?
No, no special philosophy. Sometimes I think I should be more good to people, but that's difficult, to do it really from the bottom of your heart. To do it without thinking about it, only if you are used to it. I am Christian and I hope to get in paradise when I die.
Can you describe a typical day in your life?
Oh, that's simple and boring: Waking up, waking my children (Finja: 7years, Linus, 4years), making breakfast with them. Then riding to work with bicycle. Work from 7.30 to 17.30. Coming home, dinner with the children and my wife. Watching TV with the children for about half an hour (in Germany: Sandmännchen). Bringing them to bed. Make some sports. Watching Tagesschau (the news). Reading a good book.
And of course there are other fragments coming (like drinking beer with my neighbours when the weather is fine)
What do you like to spend your time with besides music?
I make a little bit sport, I like programming useful programs (e.g. for the shop of my brother), I love reading interesting books (mainly fantasy stories).
What's the craziest thing that has ever happened on a tour?
Oh, there is so much, I don't really know what to tell .... We played in italy with Edguy and Death SS years ago. And everything was very strange. The people in that little town had so much fear because of the metal fans that they met and stood (armed) around the cemetery because they thought we all would take the dead out of the graves. After that concert we went to the hotel and had one of the biggest parties Wizard ever did. With everything you can imagine, hahaha. I don't want to tell details now, but it was really really heavy.
You're heading off to live on a deserted island for a couple of years with your portable entertainment system... Which albums, movies or books would you bring? (Max. 3 of each)
Oh, that's difficult. Albums perhaps: Something from Pink Floyd (there are very long and often very sad), Machine Head (Burn my eyes) and Testament (The gathering). Books: Der Drachenbeinthron (don't know the english title), Karly May, Die Säulen der Erde.
What is your favourite joke?
George Bush
Can you tell us about any future plans for you and your band?
Yes, we will play some festivals this year in Suisse, Tschechai, Poland and Netherlands. And also we will play on the Magic Circle Festival together with Manowar. Beside that we will work on new songs for the next album to come out in the beginning of next year.
Thanks for answering these questions. Now you are free to write a few lines to our readers.
Thank's very much for the interview. I hope to see some of the readers live in concert, making party together. And please remember: Help us out by not downloading or copying music illegal for free! You really push us if you buy albums or mp3. Thank you very very much! For more info about us (concerts and news) please also visit our website (legion-of-doom.de or myspace.com/wizardgermany myspace.com/wizardband )
Bye!
Snoppi
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Nina's Wizard Discovery
"I never thought that I can love something more than my sword / the battle and blood / but there were you".
A little quote to get you into the world of Wizard! This band started out as a walking cliché (guess they still are, somehow), with extremely bad lyrics, but okay riffs and musicians who could play pretty tight, but left a lot to wish for concerning singing, songwriting, sound, and basically having their own style! I admit I laughed a bit when I first listened to Hammer, Bow, Axe and Sword, Gladiators Of Steel and Believe in Metal but they surely knew how to play really fast and tight! I also kind of liked the "True Metal" image, though it was also a little funny.
Then came the amazement, and I finally saw the light with this band! It's called Head Of The Deceiver and if you haven't got it, run out and buy it! Now! All my laughter was put to shame when I heard it! Everything got better on this album, but most importantly the songs themselves! Wizard had already proven on their previous releases that they could play, now it was time to write some good songs too! The surprise was, that not only did they manage to write some cool songs, they did one of these albums with no bad songs at all!
Well, back to the actual band story! :)
Wizard was formed in 1989 in Germany. They have kept the line up of Sven D'Anna (vocals), Volker Leson (bass), Michael Mass (guitar) and Snoppi Van Der Heek (drums) intact since releasing their first attack Son Of Darkness till today. The first two albums were self financed and ended up getting Wizard a deal with B.O. Records. Due to the bigger record label Wizard was able to reach a much bigger audience with the next album, Bound By Metal, displaying a much better production and a fit band. The rest is history, see above!
Their latest album, Odin is also great, following the same good old Heavy Metal path with very good songs and skilful playing!
Personal memories :
- Seeing Wizard live at Wacken 2002 was great and later in the evening I met Sven D'Anna among the audience at the UDO gig! He seemed very happy to meet a fan and I got a photo with him!
- Sitting in a bus full of tourists on the way home from Germany, where I just bought Battle of Metal and reading the lyrics. I wonder what people thought I was smiling and laughing about...
Discography :
Son Of Darkness (1995)
Battle Of Metal (1997
Bound By Metal (1999)
Head Of The Deceiver (2001)
Odin (2003)
Added by Nina - 5/31/2009
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| Articles on this site
Album Review - Odin
(Ulrick)
Band Information - Band Profile and Biography
(Nina)
Interview - Interview with Snoppi van Heek
(Nina)
Album Review - Goochan
(Alanna)
Album Review - Thor
(Nina)
If you like this band then try- Sacred Steel
- Manowar
- Iron Fire
- Dream Evil
Related Links
Wizard - Official Website |
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