(About one week ago MDD Records released a new album by the German thrash band Accu§er (or Accuser), whose roots extend back into the ’80s. In advance of the release Comrade Aleks reached out and conducted the following very good interview with the band’s founding (and still) vocalist and guitarist Frank Thoms.)
Teutonic thrash was a blast back in the ’80s; this entire movement inspired many metal bands around the world in a lot of ways. And this movement still rocks despite the passing of time, space, and whatever.
Accu§er joined the German thrash wave in 1986, and you see – they’re more than alive! The band’s 13th album Rebirthless came out on the 21st of November, and you’ll easily notice that this band has power in its veins and aggression in its fists.
So feel the wrath of Teutonic Titans! (and read the interview with one of the band’s founders, Frank Thoms)
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Hi Frank! How are you? What’s going on in the band’s camp nowadays?
I’m doing very well. We’re currently rehearsing the new material and our complete live set for the upcoming concerts. Sascha [Stange] has integrated very well into our team, we work well together and have a lot of fun.
Frank, Accu§er was reformed in 2008, and the further years proved to be the most prolific and successful in the band’s entire career. Do you feel that the band still lives through its best times?
They really are different eras. In the original line-up, we had a lot of new experiences and did things for the first time that bands do. We experienced this development together with the whole music scene and were a tail of it. When we reformed with a different line-up, we had to find our way again, as a lot had happened in the scene in the meantime.
We started with the album Agitation, which still included demo material. By the time of the album Dependent Domination at the latest, we knew where the journey was going. We felt attuned and couldn’t wait to record another album. Apart from the lockdown period, it has been a very intense and beautiful time so far. We are excited about what is to come.
By the way, how would you sum up the band’s lowest and highest periods? When were its most significant ups and downs?
As already mentioned, the beginning was very interesting because we were experiencing new developments in the scene. The studio time in New York Ithaca with Alex Perialas was great and some of the tours were among the highlights of the old days. Since the reunion we have also had times that we will never forget. All of the festival experiences, the studio work with Martin, and everything we did with the band.
The downs that we experienced are also downs that other bands have experienced. At the end of the ’90s there was a change in the music scene. Other styles became established, which was however positive for the performers. Our motivation was very low and we disbanded without a final agreement. We pursued other things and mentally distanced ourselves from music. The last negative impact we had to experience was the lockdown. But we are happy that this is history and that we can now move on.
I bet that back then, in the first years of your career, being a part of the scene, the fact what you could tour and play your songs live was a kind of reward in itself. How do you perceive your experience of being in a metal band nowadays? What drives you to continue?
Nothing has actually changed. Even though we are older, we are still full of energy. Curiosity is still what drives us forward. What will the new songs be like? What will they sound like? What will the next studio session be like? Which festivals will we play at? Which places will we get to know? And so on… and so on.
A year ago you re-recorded the band’s classic album Who Dominates Who? What was your primary goal when you decided to do it? How much did you search to change in these songs?
We basically recorded and released the album in 2014. A re-release of both versions came out last year. Since the first version was released in 1989, we wanted to celebrate 25 years of Who Dominates Who? with the new release. Of course, we recorded the new recording with the sound from 2014 and recorded everything in D tuning instead of the original E tuning. We are totally happy with the result. The aggressive recording shows the timeless songs in a different guise.
Oh, shame on me, yes, I see the edition released in 2014 now. How many of those songs do you play on your gigs nowadays? How do you see the strong sides of the original Who Dominates Who?
We always play the title song in our live set. However, since we have a few releases, we sometimes swap songs and add another WDW title. The album sounded modern back then and the material is now timeless. There are a few playful parts that don’t interrupt the flow of the album or the individual songs. These parameters form the overall picture of the album.
Also, Brutal Planet Records released the boxed set Teutonic Thrash Titans in 2023. Well, the release’s title sounds a bit ambiguous, but after all, was this release demanded? Do people appreciate it?
The title for the releases came from Brutal Planet. It was important to us that older albums were available again. The collector prices of the originals are sometimes unbelievable. And this gives fans another opportunity to buy and listen to old albums.
Do you see whether young generations dig the things you play and say with Accu§er, or is it a kind of retro now? You know, like people who search to satisfy their feeling of nostalgia towards the ’80s and so on?
Sure, there are people interested in retro music at every concert, and bands also want to sound like bands sounded decades ago, but I think metal is more timeless. I think that the high points of original rock’n’roll or original jazz of the ’50s and then the disappearance and declaration of it as music of yesterday don’t happen in metal, because this musical phenomenon lasts too long. In any case, you get the feeling that we play music of our time for young people and an audience that has grown older with us.
Brutal Planet Records seems to be the label which tends to release albums of bands with a “Christian” reputation. How did you get on this label? And did you ever associate Accu§er with some political or social movement?
Brutal Planet know that we are critical of politics and religion and they still like the band. I think that even if someone follows a certain religious or political direction, they should allow other opinions. We recorded Repent in a Christian studio and ultimately mixed it with the band Believer because we thought their sound was so brilliant. And this album is very critical of Christianity. But that’s how it can work.
A Christian studio? Really? How can it be?
Our sound engineer at the time also worked for the Christian scene and recorded for them in a very good studio that was financed by the church and not far from our hometown. He offered to record the new album there. In the end we used the rooms and the technology and nobody was bothered because you’re alone in the studio when you’re working anyway.
Your new album Rebirthless sounds noticeably heavy, inspired, and energetic. Do you feel that you were able to channel all of your ideas efficiently through the new songs?
Yes, we actually have that feeling. We wrote the songs and recorded them at home. They worked very well in the demo version, and it was great to hear and play them. In the studio we noticed that we had recorded an album that we were totally happy and satisfied with. We are currently practicing the songs for our live set and every single track is going well. We are excited to see how people react.
You recorded at GernhartStudio with Martin Buchwalter again, and I think that it’s your fifth or sixth album recorded with Martin. How were your sessions organized? How smooth did the recording go?
It was our seventh album with Martin and we are a very well-functioning team. He always has new ideas for recording tracks, as he also makes certain updates in the studio. Then we come to Martin with our new material and try out which sounds best support the songs. This works without any problems and sometimes certain steps take more time and sometimes less. We get along without much discussion and have become good friends.
Are studio sessions fun or work for you? How much of your attitude toward recording at studios has changed over the years? Did you ever allow yourself a totally relaxed approach, with all those bacchanalia stories which we could hear in the ’90s from a lot of bands?
In the past, you were very excited and nervous during the first recordings. You had to get used to the fact that when the red light came on, you had to deliver and play it as best as you could. There were multi-track tapes that had to be rewound whenever you made a mistake. The pressure was very high and I can imagine that there are some negative experiences and stories about studio situations.
Nowadays, you record digitally and have the option of doing pre-productions at home. So you get used to the recording situation and don’t lose any material and jump to the part of the song that is about to be recorded. As we have also been recording with Martin Buchwalter for many years, and he has become a good friend, we look forward to the time in the studio.
You only feel a certain amount of excitement at the beginning when you are working on the sound and recording the first parts. After a while, it works and you become self-critical and you are the one who says, again, again, and again until you are satisfied. It is a relaxed way of working and you look forward to it. For me it’s like New Year’s Eve and Christmas all in one.
The album was recorded without one of the band’s founders, René Schütz (guitars). He left Accu§er and returned a few times through the band’s entire history. How did everything change when he left?
It’s always a bad time to leave a band, because you’re in the creative process, recording something or rehearsing for live shows. Every band member is needed and a change means investing time and work to get back to the previous level.
The last collaboration showed René that it was definitely not his path anymore and that’s why he decided to leave. However, we were able to get Sascha involved before the new album was released, so he was able to play a few live shows with us and work with us in the studio on Rebirthless. In that sense, the change wasn’t chosen at the worst possible time.
You mentioned above that Sascha has integrated in the band — how did you recruit him? I see that his main act was the progressive metal band FireScent. Did his background play a role during your work on Rebirthless?
Yes, Sascha used to play with FireScent. He gave Rebirthless a finishing touch with his ideas. Sascha sometimes redirected harmonies and solos into disharmonies, so that parts which seemed really threatening were created. It fits perfectly.
Can you say that you found the “right” sound for Accu§er? Did you think to try it faster or more aggressive? Would such be natural for you?
I think we have found the right sound for Accu§er. That is what makes us special, that it is what it is. Looking back, I can say that today I would have done certain parts or sounds on past albums differently. But I think that is exactly what other musicians in other bands think of themselves. There is always a final moment in a recording and you have to accept it. On the other hand, it is good that you can no longer change what has happened. It can also get worse, and as recordings get older they mature too.
How much did you put into the Rebirthless lyrics? What is the main motive of the album?
I wrote all the lyrics. Overall, it’s about transience and accepting it. Many people seek spiritual comfort or other things to compensate for death and therefore fail to restore balance to negative situations, misunderstandings, or grievances while they are still alive. Observations are also made about living together and the influence it can have on generations. The album metaphorically links psychological aspects with politics, religion, or social behavior, including in social media.
If we take the album’s opening song “Master of Disaster,” with lines like “High Financial Underground / Dreg of Society / Selling toys for a Game of War / Licensed to Kill / To Celebrate Military overturns / Includes Corrupted Minds…” and so on, then we’ll see that these lyrics are still actual, and the world is the same as 35 years ago in terms of degradation. What influenced you as the lyrics’ author now, when we can continue to blame corporations, government, and the church for corruption and other stuff just as usual?
I am influenced by reality and of course the realization that people unfortunately continue to do things the way they did 35 years ago, 100 years ago, or since the beginning of humanity. All I can do is pick up the issues and bring them up again in the microphone. We certainly can’t change any of the grievances, but we must not forget them and it is important to keep reminding listeners of them, again and again.
Your home-city Siegen has its own long history and it’s one of the metalworking centers in Germany. How much of Siegen is in Accu§er? Do you feel that the city with its historic, cultural, and social background influenced your lyrics and music?
Not really. Of course, we always have to deal with friends, acquaintances, and relatives who have something to do with metalworking. It hasn’t influenced the music or lyrics. In other cities, people have different work priorities, depending on which industry or company is located there. Of course that would also be material for bands that live there, but for us it’s a different topic.
What’s your tour schedule for 2024 – 2025? Do you see the support of Rebirthless with gigs as one of your priorities?
We are currently preparing for 2025 and will start in January with a release concert in our hometown. Then we will be touring the Czech Republic with Tankard in March. More dates for summer festivals are being planned. We will of course play some new songs to promote our current album Rebirthless.
Did you tour with Tankard before? How was it?
We have never toured with Tankard but have played a few concerts with them. We have known each other for a long time and supported them at their anniversary concert. It is always fun with the guys and we are looking forward to the tour.
What are your further plans for Accu§er?
We will definitely start writing new songs during the live season, as we already have some ideas in mind. When we’re ready, we’ll go back into the studio and record a new album. But there’s still a long way to go until then. First of all, we’re really excited to see how metalheads respond to Rebirthless.
Thanks for the interview Frank! I wish you all the best with promoting Rebirthless, and I hope that the band will have more opportunities to play live in good company. Did we skip something important?
Thank you very much. The questions were very interesting and a little journey of thought for me. I don’t think we’ve forgotten anything important, have we? In any case, we’ve already touched on a lot. Thank you to everyone who reads this and likes and supports us. Bye and hopefully see you soon.