1994 » Yes, I'm very amused recalling DISILLUSION's optical appearance in the beginning: 5 students, no longer the regional grunge C-Bones band we were, trade name and robe to indulge in metal. With hair barely to the ears, but angry to the core, we took the chances to let go our aggressions and all the pain of the world through the music.
Today almost romantic recollections weave around this bygone time, since it was to be the only time DISILLUSION had a complete line-up: Tobias Spier on guitar and mic, Alex Motz on drums, Markus Espenhain bass, me on second guitar and mic and Jan Stölzel on the controllers.
At first, carried by the neo thrash wave of the mid-nineties, we tried to melt the energy of Pantera and the complexity of Machine Head or Testament, but adding melancholic acoustic parts. We banned this onto a 40 min tape in July 1995 (not even 6 months after we began) that we completely recorded at our rehearsal room in Zwickau. Fortunately, this masterpiece only came to an edition of 3 copies. At least, the tape showed where we were heading, but still being far away from perfection.
1996 » Well, already then Markus Espenhain left us and turned to other musical realms (www.morhythm.de), and, out of necessity, we plunged into the vain quest for his replacement, still continuing to write new songs. Meanwhile, Meshuggah had spoiled us with inspiration, and the new songs apparently became more demanding, partly confusing, and even irretraceable. As it became obvious that our trio would not gain strengthening, we decided to record the 4-track demo Subspace Inanity in march 1996.
Also this one was recorded at our rehearsal room, but we went to studio to do the mastering. It turned out to be listen able, with fat guitars but still with vocals in puberty that I sometimes smile about. With Subspace Inanity in baggage we came to do more and more gigs and made ourselves a name, well, regionally. Due to our characteristic field of tension between confusing guitar attacks and almost depressive, melodic acoustic parts we built up an independent and almost unmistakable face.
1997 » For the time being, we had found our musical identity that received its expression with the RED demo (1997). The 5 songs we recorded (Red, Painkiller [ NOT A JUDAS PRIEST COVER !!! ], Submission, Swallowed und The Edge of Honor) were somewhat catchy and better structured as their predecessors. And finally, the vocals gained in range and variety. Especially Tobias' clean parts had reached a high level, and I was able to contrast that properly. Alex' drumming and the guitar abilities turned out to be at our best at this stage. Some gates opened for us with RED, so we could start plans for an extended tour.
Soon we were to find out that DISILLUSION had become more than some boys' spare time fun. We all had to make decisions in how far we were ready to engage in touring, managing, etc. It was about time to clear the future of the band. As personal claims ever increased, it showed that Tobias and Alex were not set to go all the way and handle the consequences. Still, we went on until 1998 but with a lack of enthusiasm. Finally, in March '98 we broke up.
1998 » The bargaining for every gig, with this creeping character of a firm - to go on with this obvious burden on our backs was not what DISILLUSION started as in the early days, what it stood for in our hearts. The name of the band once again was not only an empty phrase. We felt DISILLUSIONed. But with the differences between us and our thoughts about the ongoing with DISILLUSION, the situation allowed no further collaboration without lying to ourselves.
And it struck me ... It was not before the end of that year that I got a hold of myself again and began to work at home, looked around for other bands and tried to find fellows - but nothing would work out. Until, in spring 1999, Alex and I met for a beer again and decided to restart from where we ended the year before. We began working on the songs we had written after the release of Red and on a couple of new ones. But it was only for the two of us. An unpleasant situation.
1999 » Well, we didn't get too much done, probably due to the fact that we were not a real band. And in October 1999, as Alex turned out to have not that much time as expected, I started to work on new songs on my own. Basically, I spent two months at home with the new material - must have been seven songs. Some time in December I met with Rajk Barthel from Dying In Silence (R.I.P.) + LOOM, and he joined us.
DISILLUSION 1997 Too bad, in January 2000, just as things seemed to work out, Alex left DISILLUSION, this time for sure and the line-up roundabout started to spin. But that's the deal, I guess. Everything had to be done pretty fast, since we decided to play to Wave-Gotik-Treffen in June - that was only five months of time. Rajk and I, we found drummer and keyboarder and prepared ourselves for the gig.
2000 » For those who were at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen, you know that we did not play. It seems that we tried to work things out a little too eagerly - but failed in the core: because by March all of the new members were gone already. Alex jumped in again, but as the day came closer and closer we ended up canceling the show and all of burdens fell. We decided to keep the balls down (Rajk and I). Finally, we got a rehearsal room in July and redecorated it. Still, somehow things were too much for me to handle. The constant reorientation and the ongoing with the band lying in the hands of fate consequently made us put DISILLUSION to a hold for some time.
But this was not made to last. Only a couple of weeks later the guys from Pig Must Purge decided to be DISILLUSIONed, meaning that finally Jens Maluschka took a seat on the drums - great and we could get going with Jörg Heinze on the other guitar. Also I joined MOSHQUITO on the second guitar. Jens plays there as well. Anyway, at least we got 2 new songs done, till Jörg left us, in a very fair fashion (haven't seen that much honesty in a long time).
Some weeks later I met Rajk at a party - what a coincidence. We decided to try things again.
So here we are, the three of us, hoping for the bass player to come...
But no one came - OK, sure, there have been some tryouts, but it never really felt right.
2001 » Anyway. Rajk, Jens and I started to work together in December 2000. Neither one of us knowing where this would lead us in all regards. It surely took some time finding a compatible language, figuring out what the others really want to achieve musically. The pretty much only thing that was clear were the basic concepts of DISILLUSION as they have grown over the years; they were expressible with words and as all three of us share this world-view, it was the 1st thing we got settled. But we made it: within only 8 months we wrote a complete new set of songs, built up a studio to record our stuff ourselves and not to have any pressure while recording and prepared for the 1st live appearances of the band in late 2001. As soon as everything was set to go, we started preparations for the recordings of THREE NEURON KINGS, our first release to come.
We did some pre-recordings for THREE NEURON KINGS in early summer 2001 which gave us enough time to again go over the songs and round them up. Having finished that, we locked ourselves up at SALVATION RECORDING to do the "real" recordings through Aug/Sep and went on to Alex "Sasch" Tscholakov at TAM RECORDINGs in October to record the vocals, do the mix and mastering. Again, we feel extraordinarily grateful for Alex` eagerness and passion for DISILLUSION, as without him THREE NEURON KINGS would definitely not have been any close to what it became due to his work. THANX SO MUCH!
When we left the studio, we were not really sure about the quality of the songs and the production as well. The songs were - a little strange maybe. But it was only a few weeks later, when the first reviews came back. Ooops! And ever since everything has changed for DISILLUSION. Maybe, in some illusive dream we had a fantasy, but that this would ever become real - no one would have thought so: the press was speaking in superlatives all along --- "The best self-production that came to my ears in the past 12 months..." (Legacy Nov 2001) - " A jewel..." - With these four songs recorded we seem to have achieved what is one of the major achievements to make: To create music of a very unique character; music that can only hardly be compared with music other bands and therefore stands for itself, on its own feet. For us this surely is the greatest trademark to receive, both from the press and of course the FANS! We then decided that a suitable label for our music would be MELODIC DEATH METAL somewhere in the tension field of ANATHEMA, OPETH, SOILWORK and EMPEROR. Still, DISILLUSION do not at all sound like any of the bands mentioned above.
2002 » We drew loads of self-confidence from the reviews and all what was said about THREE NEURON KINGS (sounds a little cheesy?! but that's how it is!). BECAUSE: DISILLUSION were voted Newcomer of the Month of the Feb/02 issue of the German Metal Mag "METAL HEART". Also in February 2002 the band has won a nationwide underground band contest held by the No.1 German Metal Mag "LEGACY"!!! Far more than 100 demos and CDs were sent in and DISILLUSION could stand their ground! AMAZING!
We went on to present the EP and all the other songs we had not been able to record to the audience throughout Germany. Also live responses are nothing but amazing. I am always surprised and so glad about the fact, that there are so many Metal heads out there who don't give a s*** about the Metal mainstream nowadays and are open for new or even experimental music! A mountain-tall THANK YOU!!!
Source: ANDY ( andy@disillusion.de )
