LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE
Nürnberg 2005

“Having the best time all the time”

Suiciderock: What was it like to found Lacrimas Profundere?
Oliver Nikolas: The band exists since 1993. At this time Paradise Lost released "shades of god" and I was listening to it all the time. I wanted to do that kind of music but I couldn't find a band who had the same imagination as I had. So I decided to make-up my own band. I actually wanted Christopher to become the singer from the very beginning. He is my brother and he was always singing at home.
Christopher: Well, it was no singing at this time, it was more grunting. And at home I did a lot of grunting.

Suiciderock: What about the name of the band? Whose idea was it?
Christopher: That was my idea. I was very much into gothic, a real hardcore goth. It always lasted up to 3 hours till I was ready to go out. I wanted a name for the band that is sad and cool at the same time. As there were less bands who had a latin name, actually didn’t know any band with a latin name at this time, so I came up with Lacrimas Profundere.
Oliver Nikolas: We also wanted to avoid that there is another band with the same name. That always leads to trouble when it comes to a record release.

Suiciderock: People like to compare you with Finnish bands. Now you are on tour with a Finnish band, the 69 Eyes. What do you think is the reason you are always compared with these bands?
Oliver Nikolas: I guess that kind of music is always connected with Finnish bands.
Christopher: They invented it! We are big fans of this music...
Oliver Nikolas: Also of the 69 Eyes!
Christopher: ...you always make the kind of music that inspires you. You won’t do anything that doesn’t interest you. So is logical that we sound like them. For us it is surely not an anti-compliment.

Suiciderock: You like the 69 Eyes very much. How do you feel as their support act on this tour?
Oliver Nikolas: It's great. We've been on tour with Subway to Sally 1 1/2 month ago, that was fantastic as well...
Christopher: But it Doesn’t top this here!
Oliver Nikolas: It was also great to tour as support act of Subway to Sally but the 69 Eyes are a band we really like a lot, I'm a real fan of this band. When we found out that they want us to support them...
Christopher: Olli, it's better I tell the story! It’s simply genius to be on tour with the 69 Eyes. Meanwhile we are good friends, actually it was like that from the beginning, because Jyrki really wanted us to support them on this tour. He knows our new and elder stuff. There is no other band I would more appreciate to be on tour with.

Suiciderock: How does the 69 Eyes audience treat you?
Oliver Nikolas: Very good. The people like our music and we also sell a lot of merchandise.

Suiciderock: "Ave End" is your sixth album release. What's the idea behind the title and has the band developed itself compared to the last album?
Christopher: Our last album "Fall, I will follow" was very rocky for us. We wanted to get back to our gothic roots. That's why we decided "Ave End" as title of the album. "Ave End", greeting the end, is the program of the entire album. It’s the first time that we have a title track.
Oliver Nikolas: Every song is about the end, the end of a relationship, ...
Christopher: ... drugs or whatever. It’s about the end itself or about something heading for the end.

Suiciderock: What was the studio work like for you?
Oliver Nikolas: Studio work is always horrible. That's what I call hard work We had a lot of stress but I have to say there is nothing better than to hold your own CD in your hands afterwards. It’s the point you know that it was worth all the work. At least it should be like that. The album was mastered at the FinFox Studios in Finland. We thought they would understand our sound best. We already recorded and arranged the whole CD in our own rehearsal room, in a studio. Everything was ready and when we came into the studio we recorded everything quickly.

Suiciderock: You describe your music style as Rock `n` Sad. What does Rock `n` Sad exactly mean for you?
Christopher: Sadness is our main theme. We simply connect dirty Rock `n` Roll with sadness and that’s what we call Rock `n` Sad.

Suiciderock: Do you have any idols?
Christopher: My idols are Jim Morrison, The Doors, Billy Idol, Jyrki,...
Oliver Nikolas: I agree.

Suiciderock: For the song "Ave End" you had to freeze in a underground car park. Why did you shoot the clip there?
Oliver Nikolas: Yes, the clip was shoot in a empty underground car park. We like the sad and cold atmosphere of the location. I always had the idea to shoot a videoclip in a garage and it was great when we finally had the chance, the money and the right song to realise this idea. The first three hours have been fun but we had to stand in front of the camera a bit longer and it became very cold. It was March when we shot the video so it was damn cold. It’s the same like the record thing: You're totally happy when you see the result and see what the hard work was for.

Suiciderock: Oliver, you have another job besides the band: You work in the community of your town. How does this fit into your music career?
Christopher: Haha cool question!
Oliver Nikolas: Great, I guess I have to thank the EMP catalogue for that question?
Suiciderock: Yes!
Oliver Nikolas: Well, the story is as follows: If you do an interview you have this little smalltalk before you do it, you say "Hello", you offer a beer and all that kind of stuff. We gave a interview by phone for the EMP and the women who did it was from the same area where we live, so she asked us what we are doing. That wasn’t ment to be part of the interview. Since I said that I work in the community people visit me at work and ask for an autograph. Of course my boss doesn’t like it that much, neither I do. I like signing stuff for people but we do that at our shows and I don’t want people to follow me home. If you know a lot about a person it is easy to find out his private phone number and so on. My phone is always ringing. I guess I have to change my number. We are always glad when people are interested in our music or in us but there are limits. That’s why I didn’t like that this smalltalk was used for the interview. It has nothing to do with music whether I’m from Nürnberg, Munich or Finland or what I do in my freetime. If I have a home or not, if I sleep under a bridge or if I work in a community.
Christopher: But it’s quite similar!
Oliver Nikolas: Ha Ha! But when you spend the whole day in a office music is a welcome balance.

Suiciderock: What is it like to play in a band with the own brother?
Christopher: It’s terrible!
Oliver Nikolas: No, it’s ok. Christopher visited me regularly before he moved. So I saw him more often than the other band members. When I had an idea, he was the one who heard it first. When he said "This is crap" I quit the idea before presenting it to the others. I think it’s an advantage.
Christopher: It’s ok, as we are very different. We are really very different, I’m the good-looking one, intelligent... and he works in the community.
Oliver Nikolas: I know, I know, I’m the black sheep of the family... no, that’s not true.
Christopher: I wouldn’t say it’s an advantage or disadvantage. He is a normal guy like everyone else.
Oliver Nikolas: I would have seen it as an advantage, but after this now, I'd say it’s a disadvantage.
Christopher: Thanks Olli!

Suiciderock: Is there a song you prefer playing live?
Oliver Nikolas: Yeah, it’s strange because it is a song I never thought of. It’s "For bad Times", from the previous album "Fall, I will Follow" and it just worked very good on this tour...
Christopher: My favourite is "Sarah Lou".

Suiciderock: You played at the "Metal gegen Krebs" festival ("Metal against Cancer festival") last year. Will you play there this year again?
Oliver Nikolas: Maybe, we don’t know that yet. The organiser of the festival always likes asking us to play there as we are a band who are standing behind the idea and it does not depend on the sum of money we get for this for the gig. Performing is more important to us than money.

Suiciderock: What about your future plans for Lacrimas Profundere?
Oliver Nikolas: World control!!
Suiciderock: Sorry, our idea.
Oliver Nikolas: Ok, you are first.
Christopher: I would say what Jussis said, but it also weren’t his own words: "Having the best time, all the time"!

Suiciderock: What does success mean for you?
Oliver Nikolas: Free beer for everyone!
Christopher: Yes, something like that.

Suiciderock: Is there something in your career that you regret?
Oliver Nikolas: To be in a band with my brother!?
Christopher: That’s private.

Suiciderock: The best experience as a band?
Christopher: That’s also private.
Oliver Nikolas: For me this tour, at the moment.
Christopher: That’s right... and the rest is private.

Suiciderock: There are rumours that you will stop playing as a band. Are they true?
Oliver Nikolas: It happened a lot with the band in the last time regarding work, gigs and stress.
Christopher: As unfortunately we all have to work besides our music career it became indeed a bit stressful for all of us but we definitely won’t quit. That are only rumours. I can say that. The only one who will leave us is Freitsi, our guitarplayer. That’s really sad.

Suiciderock: What are you personal wishes for the future?
Christopher: Sex, Drugs and Rock `N` Roll.
Oliver Nikolas: hmm
Christopher: I guess he wishes a mustage for himself.
Oliver Nikolas: No, I wish I had two pigtalls.
Suiciderock: Excuse me?
Oliver Nikolas: Ok, I wish the next record will be as good as the current one. Due to all the stress we don’t have that much time to write new songs but the label forces us to a new release, supposed to come out this year. We have to hurry up and hope that the next album will be good. We hope that we can shot a new video that will be broadcasted as much as the last two clips. But besides that... Piece and Love for everyone.

Suiciderock: That’s it. Thanks guys
Christopher: Thank you.
Oliver Nikolas: Thanks.

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