Messiah is a death/thrash metal band from Switzerland. Their new album Christus Hypercubus is out now on High Roller Records. R.B. Brögi answered some questions about his band's current state and past history.
Messiah has been around since the 1980s. What changes has the band witnessed in metal over that time?
Well, I think there are two circumstances. On the one hand, the further development of the metal scene with all its musical sub-styles - on the other hand, the shaping of Messiah through several line-up changes. What I also notice today is a considerable proportion of older fans around our age, mixed with younger fans who attend our concerts together and buy our new albums and re-releases. In the early years, it was de facto exclusively young fans. Apart from a few older hippies who occasionally got lost at a metal concert.
What do you attribute your longevity to?
To our very loyal fan base, definitely. Our passion for metal, also meant as fans. To be honest, however, it has to be said that Messiah hasn't actually been active for that long. If you add up the years, we've only been around for 15 years. The remaining 25 years were a break - but not for the fans! And Messiah's longest active period has been right now, since the reunion in 2018. And it's been a wonderful time.
Your new album "Christus Hypercubus" I was able to review last month for our site and I really enjoyed it.
What is the meaning behind the title?
Thank you very much, we are very happy about that! So the title doesn't just stand for the title track, but also for almost all the songs/lyrics on this album. A combination of two pseudonyms. Christ stands for questions of faith and religion in general, Hypercubus for the incomprehensible, only imaginable, not directly visible - but the perception of effects. To be understood as a thought construct. Both, the cause and the effect are visible - what happens in between and what the end result might look like is not directly visible. A hypercube is a tesseract, mathematically and geometrically 2-dimensional, but it is not possible to assemble such a body in multiple dimensions because we humans lack a further dimension in addition to 4-dimensional space-time.
Nevertheless, humanity's actions could move in such a hypercubus. With fatal consequences for its finite future. Infinite density, emptiness and time displaced. Our video for the title track is just a visually designed example. Those interested are free to invent their own interpretations. You could make dozens of visually artistic representations/videos of Christus Hypercubus. Both the lyrics and the video are just one example: demonization of man and his actions up to the apocalypse, be it his very own of a single individual or that of humanity as a whole. All from an atheistic point of view. Neither the cause nor the effect can be changed directly - but the seemingly invisible path in between can. That would help humanity and the entire planet. If we were prepared to do so, and perhaps think and act in another dimension.
You achieved a very modern sound I believe on the new album. What do you enjoy about current metal as opposed to the older style that originally inspired the formation of the Messiah?
Yes, the new album comes with a modern sound, but not unnecessarily overproduced, which would not suit Messiah. We have our 2nd guitarist and producer V.O. Pulver to thank for that. But you also have to realize that some of the songs are faster and heavier than on the “Fracmont” reunion album. But without losing the typical Messiah style.
Well, it depends a bit on the direction of the metal. I can only answer for myself. I personally like symphonic compositions paired with brute beats, guitars and vocals very much. Only if the whole thing is good and not overproduced. But that has nothing to do with Messiah. Of course I'm still at home in the oldschool 80s and 90s.
Messiah obviously has drive since the band has existed for so many years. Any new hopes for the future with this new album?
I don't think there are any new hopes. Not as far as the commercial and music business is concerned. That has always been the case with Messiah - and will probably remain so. It's important to us that our fans like it. And of course ourselves - we've always done what we like anyway and never let anyone tell us what to do. We enjoy being creative, playing a few gigs/festivals and meeting our fans around the world, and one important hope is to be able to do this for as long as possible - because we all get older or fate strikes at some point.
You have two songs on this album involving "The Venus Baroness" what was the concept behind it?
Transmigration (part 1) to reincarnation (part 2). The first part is based on Egyptology with the scientific background of a murdered daughter of a baron who was denied ascension to pharaoh, dynastic epoch 2000 BC. Her soul travels to the stars in the sun boat and returns to the present day in the freely invented story of the second part. Visiting the soul of an intellectually weak girl, she realizes that the world has not improved after 4000 years - and travels on again.
Christus Hypercubus will be released as a cassette as well. What do you think is the interest in cassettes is again? Do you believe it is mostly a nostalgic thing?
Yes, that's definitely the case. A small edition for nostalgics and collectors. Purely self-supporting.
Out of the entire history of Messiah what are the accomplishments you are most proud of?
To the loyalty of our fans and that we have always remained true to ourselves as musicians and people.
Was the break Messiah had in the 1990s until your release in 2017 due to the change in the musical landscape in metal?
No, not at all. It was for personal reasons. As with all things in life, there are ups and downs. The line-up changes and what came out of it were more the reasons. My friend and bass player Patrick recently said it was time for us to break up again....ha,ha, meant as a joke, because Messiah has never been as active as it is today since the reunion. That's a good sign!
Your album release show is coming up in March. Any special surprises in the set? Will you be playing the new album in its entirety?
Yes, this will be a very special occasion. And the most important one for us in our 40th anniversary. We couldn't have a release party for the Fracmont reunion album because of the corona crisis.
We have invited a lot of guests, some of whom will be coming from far away.
Then we'll play an extended set. We'll play about half of the new album, as our classics and 2-3 songs by Fracmont are not to be missed.
Then we will also offer something for the eye with a special visual show.
We will also be joined by Poltergeist and Comaniac, a talented young Swiss band. On top of that, our friend and manager Roger Wicki will be celebrating his 50th birthday with us. The Dynamo will be transformed into hell on 16.03.24 until the early hours of the 17th.
Any information about Messiah you'd like to share that I missed?
I would like to add that our hearts will always go out to Andy Kaina (R.I.P.) and the music of Messiah. We will never forget him.
And a little "sermon" at the end: In life, sometimes don't always just ask why and why not. Just be your own “messiah" not in a narcissistic way, but to do good, with a healthy dose of criticism. The bad comes naturally without effort, the good has to be worked for tirelessly over and over again with a lot of effort. That too is metal!
13.02.2024 R.B. Brögi
www.facebook.com/MESSIAHthrashingmadness
Messiah has been around since the 1980s. What changes has the band witnessed in metal over that time?
Well, I think there are two circumstances. On the one hand, the further development of the metal scene with all its musical sub-styles - on the other hand, the shaping of Messiah through several line-up changes. What I also notice today is a considerable proportion of older fans around our age, mixed with younger fans who attend our concerts together and buy our new albums and re-releases. In the early years, it was de facto exclusively young fans. Apart from a few older hippies who occasionally got lost at a metal concert.
What do you attribute your longevity to?
To our very loyal fan base, definitely. Our passion for metal, also meant as fans. To be honest, however, it has to be said that Messiah hasn't actually been active for that long. If you add up the years, we've only been around for 15 years. The remaining 25 years were a break - but not for the fans! And Messiah's longest active period has been right now, since the reunion in 2018. And it's been a wonderful time.
Your new album "Christus Hypercubus" I was able to review last month for our site and I really enjoyed it.
What is the meaning behind the title?
Thank you very much, we are very happy about that! So the title doesn't just stand for the title track, but also for almost all the songs/lyrics on this album. A combination of two pseudonyms. Christ stands for questions of faith and religion in general, Hypercubus for the incomprehensible, only imaginable, not directly visible - but the perception of effects. To be understood as a thought construct. Both, the cause and the effect are visible - what happens in between and what the end result might look like is not directly visible. A hypercube is a tesseract, mathematically and geometrically 2-dimensional, but it is not possible to assemble such a body in multiple dimensions because we humans lack a further dimension in addition to 4-dimensional space-time.
Nevertheless, humanity's actions could move in such a hypercubus. With fatal consequences for its finite future. Infinite density, emptiness and time displaced. Our video for the title track is just a visually designed example. Those interested are free to invent their own interpretations. You could make dozens of visually artistic representations/videos of Christus Hypercubus. Both the lyrics and the video are just one example: demonization of man and his actions up to the apocalypse, be it his very own of a single individual or that of humanity as a whole. All from an atheistic point of view. Neither the cause nor the effect can be changed directly - but the seemingly invisible path in between can. That would help humanity and the entire planet. If we were prepared to do so, and perhaps think and act in another dimension.
You achieved a very modern sound I believe on the new album. What do you enjoy about current metal as opposed to the older style that originally inspired the formation of the Messiah?
Yes, the new album comes with a modern sound, but not unnecessarily overproduced, which would not suit Messiah. We have our 2nd guitarist and producer V.O. Pulver to thank for that. But you also have to realize that some of the songs are faster and heavier than on the “Fracmont” reunion album. But without losing the typical Messiah style.
Well, it depends a bit on the direction of the metal. I can only answer for myself. I personally like symphonic compositions paired with brute beats, guitars and vocals very much. Only if the whole thing is good and not overproduced. But that has nothing to do with Messiah. Of course I'm still at home in the oldschool 80s and 90s.
Messiah obviously has drive since the band has existed for so many years. Any new hopes for the future with this new album?
I don't think there are any new hopes. Not as far as the commercial and music business is concerned. That has always been the case with Messiah - and will probably remain so. It's important to us that our fans like it. And of course ourselves - we've always done what we like anyway and never let anyone tell us what to do. We enjoy being creative, playing a few gigs/festivals and meeting our fans around the world, and one important hope is to be able to do this for as long as possible - because we all get older or fate strikes at some point.
You have two songs on this album involving "The Venus Baroness" what was the concept behind it?
Transmigration (part 1) to reincarnation (part 2). The first part is based on Egyptology with the scientific background of a murdered daughter of a baron who was denied ascension to pharaoh, dynastic epoch 2000 BC. Her soul travels to the stars in the sun boat and returns to the present day in the freely invented story of the second part. Visiting the soul of an intellectually weak girl, she realizes that the world has not improved after 4000 years - and travels on again.
Christus Hypercubus will be released as a cassette as well. What do you think is the interest in cassettes is again? Do you believe it is mostly a nostalgic thing?
Yes, that's definitely the case. A small edition for nostalgics and collectors. Purely self-supporting.
Out of the entire history of Messiah what are the accomplishments you are most proud of?
To the loyalty of our fans and that we have always remained true to ourselves as musicians and people.
Was the break Messiah had in the 1990s until your release in 2017 due to the change in the musical landscape in metal?
No, not at all. It was for personal reasons. As with all things in life, there are ups and downs. The line-up changes and what came out of it were more the reasons. My friend and bass player Patrick recently said it was time for us to break up again....ha,ha, meant as a joke, because Messiah has never been as active as it is today since the reunion. That's a good sign!
Your album release show is coming up in March. Any special surprises in the set? Will you be playing the new album in its entirety?
Yes, this will be a very special occasion. And the most important one for us in our 40th anniversary. We couldn't have a release party for the Fracmont reunion album because of the corona crisis.
We have invited a lot of guests, some of whom will be coming from far away.
Then we'll play an extended set. We'll play about half of the new album, as our classics and 2-3 songs by Fracmont are not to be missed.
Then we will also offer something for the eye with a special visual show.
We will also be joined by Poltergeist and Comaniac, a talented young Swiss band. On top of that, our friend and manager Roger Wicki will be celebrating his 50th birthday with us. The Dynamo will be transformed into hell on 16.03.24 until the early hours of the 17th.
Any information about Messiah you'd like to share that I missed?
I would like to add that our hearts will always go out to Andy Kaina (R.I.P.) and the music of Messiah. We will never forget him.
And a little "sermon" at the end: In life, sometimes don't always just ask why and why not. Just be your own “messiah" not in a narcissistic way, but to do good, with a healthy dose of criticism. The bad comes naturally without effort, the good has to be worked for tirelessly over and over again with a lot of effort. That too is metal!
13.02.2024 R.B. Brögi
www.facebook.com/MESSIAHthrashingmadness