Rebellion - Rebels From The Grave

After their uproarious breakaway from GRAVE DIGGER, guitarist Uwe Lulis and bassist Tommi Goettlich formed REBELLION. The line-up of their new band is completed by Bjorn Eilen (ex-WARHEAD) on second guitar, drummer Randy Black (ANNIHILATOR) and vocalist Michael Seifert (ex-BLACK DESTINY). Almost exactly one year after the release of their ambitious concept debut album “Shakespeare’s Macbeth” they hit again with their awesome new release “Born A Rebel” and I got the chance to interview their main-man Uwe Lulis.

Hi Uwe, this is Themis from Metal Invader.  Congratulations for your new album “Born A Rebel”.  I really loved it although, to be honest, I did not expect something that good in such a short period. If I am not wrong it’s less than a year since the release of your debut “Shakespeare’s Macbeth”. How did you manage to come up with something new so quickly?
Thanx for the good response for the new album. We love it, too. So, my head is full of ideas, and if you are able to work with so fantastic musicians, it’s not very hard, to make an album like this in a short time. We needed about 5 months to create and record it.

Do you plan on continuing in the same rate, releasing a new album each year?
I don’t know yet, but we´ll make pure Heavy Metal albums in the future. That’s our main intension and our lifestyle.

Now that “Born A Rebel” is complete how happy are you with the final outcome? Is there anything you would change, regarding the music or the production? Do you feel there is anything that needed improvement?
Yeah, everything is great and fits perfect to each other  (Music, Cover, Lyrics and photos)

Although to my ears REBELLION play classic German heavy-power metal “Born A Rebel” sounds very fresh and unusual. Do you agree, and if yes, how did you achieve that?
 Yeah, that’s my opinion, too. And you have to see us live. We’ll blow everybody away. For me. Heavy Metal has to be straight, powerful, aggressive and Loud!!!!

Michael Seifert’s voice at the high points reminds me a lot of the singing style of Rob Halford and in addition I noticed a few PRIEST influences in the twin guitar parts. Is correct to say that JUDAS PRIEST is one of your favourite metal bands?
Correct, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Accept and AC/DC are our main influences.

The album transfers a lot of energy and a feeling of power to the listener. Is it something you tried to do on purpose or it came out naturally?
The Album is a Mirror of that, what we feel inside of us. It came out very spontaneous and raw. When we started the Production, we had 5 Songs finished. We composed the rest of the Album during the songwriting progress. That kept the freshness and live feeling in the music. And that is what we are proud of.

Which is your favorite song from the album and for which reason?
Well, I love the whole album. I thing “Through the Fire”, “Dragons Fly”, “Queen of Spades”, “Born a Rebel”, “One for All” and “Devils Child” are my favorites. But the other songs are great, too.

What are the reactions of the fans to your new album up to now? What kind of feedback do you get? Are you satisfied with the response or is it too early yet?
We got a real good response from the fans. They were going like: “This is the new masterpiece in Heavy Metal” and “The best album after Painkiller”. Well, that is a good reaction? Isn’t it?

In what direction do you plan to continue in the future?  Will you do a concept album like your debut or a more spontaneous and direct one like your new album?
I don’t know yet. As I said in the beginning, our music will be pure Metal. Played from our hearts.

Which were the main reasons for your and Tommi’s departure from GRAVE DIGGER? How are your relationships now? Is there still any bitterness?
Well, after all these things, what Boltendahl did behind my back over the years, he better should get out of my way.  Don’t get me wrong, I wish to GRAVE DIGGER all the success in the world, but that Fucker has to be careful!

What are the plans of the band over the next period? Have you arranged any touring?
Yeah, we’ll go on tour with Overkill in July. More details on our website: www.rebellion.st

Which are the bands you admire most and would like most to play/tour with?
I think Judas Priest is one of those bands. Iron Maiden and Manowar, too.

Tell me a recent record that you liked a lot? Which modern metal bands do you appreciate the most?
I like the first “Lost Horizon” album. I don’t know that many new bands. Iam mostly listening to  the old stuff likeIron Maiden, Accept etc.

What do you wish for the future of REBELLION?
That we can keep the success, keep the same line up (which is for sure!) and make many, many many, many albums!

Do you have any closing comments?  Any message you wish to transfer to your fans?
I want to say hello to all the fans and I hope, that we’ll meet on tour soon. Have fun with the new album and stay heavy. We all are family.

Thanks a lot Uwe and I hope we will have the opportunity to see you live on stage soon!

Interview by Themis Pamfilos (10/05/03)