This album was a big turning point in the career of this five-piece band. Produced by Joey Balin and recorded in Philadelphia, it was the first international production by AXXIS.
In the following years AXXIS had traveled thousands of miles. One if the most impressive destinations was Japan, where Bernhard Weiss and guitarist Walter Pietsch performed a couple of acoustic live shows due to the release of the Japanese only CD "Profile". The band became known worldwide!
The album "Matters Of Survival" was produced in Los Angeles in 1995, the city of angels which is uncritically praised as a Metal capitol by some, a city where glamor, violence and homelessness live together very closely. An impression, which was responsible for the choice of the album title.
With Keith Olsen (FLEETWOOD MAC, WHITESNAKE, FOREIGNER, SCORPIONS) the band had a producer who had already worked in the biz since 25 years. Olsen had visited the band in Germany first and both together chose the 12 best songs from the original 30 demo tracks and committed the arrangements. Afterwords they flew over to Los Angeles where Olsen is running his Goodnight L.A.-Studio.
AXXIS especially see themselves as a live band. At a perfect gig, as Bernhard Weiss once said, the own hands have to glow. "It is the best possibility to play your music", says Weiss, "already alone because of the chance of getting so close to your fans." So, the performances at "Rock am Ring" in front of 30 000 spectators were for sure important highlights of the years 1994 and 1996!
To keep on moving into new directions was a principle which this Hard Rock band from the "Ruhrgebiet" had always followed. If you have a look on “Kingdom Of The Night” (`89), “Axxis II” (`91), “The Big Thrill “(`93), “Matters Of Survival” (`95) or “Voodoo Vibes” (97), the latest album by the band, they had always avoided to repeat themselves.
AXXIS do, of course, have their basic sound, their roots are lying within the traditional Heavy Rock of the 70's and 80's, they have found their very own style which is orientated on hooks like "Living In A World". This song is still regarded as a hymn at every show and, as Walter says, the best example for a typical AXXIS song. Bernard's unique vocal style is another characteristic trademark, which makes AXXIS' sound unique. But the cover on these basics is very different anytime. The permanent move can be found within the details.
AXXIS' major ambition is, as Walter adds, "to be a pure Rock 'n' Roll band", and to wash away any doubt, “Voodoo Vibes” became the most Rockin' album since the very early days. The heavy guitars remind the listener a lot on the intensive “Punch” of the debut album.
The production this time was done by the band itself for the very first time. After those great lessons in the US by highly skilled producers, AXXIS felt strong enough to handle the complex studio technics alone and to take over the responsibility for it themselves. "The idea for this was invented by our label", says Harry. "We had already produced our demos for a long time before. And as we presented our new demo tapes to our A&R manager, he was not only convinced by the quality of our new material but of the sound of this supposedly rehearsal room recordings as well. He told us to put it on the album as it was. But the songs and especially the vocals weren't completed yet at the time and that was the reason why the idea came up to let us mix it up ourselves. Because of our demos our label gained a lot of confidence in our abilities to produce an album."
Confidence which was confirmed. “Voodoo Vibes”, produced by Bemhard, Walter and Harry with the help of co-producer and engineer Thomas Kemper at Dierks Studios in the outskirts of Cologne, offers a straight and powerful sound from the beginning to the end which couldn't had been done better by an American star producer. The fact that those complete recordings were finished after only 18 days in the studio is a proof for the band's reliability, who according to Walter, "had a little fear to do the job right in the beginning. The band had to deal with new aspects like being responsible for a recording budget and to be judged for anything that might have gone wrong. But finally everything worked perfectly" and it worked so well that AXXIS would like to repeat it again when starting to record the next album. This self-determination will not be missed in the future anymore...
Current Line-Up:
Bernhard Weiß – Vocal
Harry Oellers – Keys
Marco Wriedt – Guitar
Rob Schomaker – Bass
André Hilgers - Drums
Previous members:
Kosta Zafiriou – Drums (on “Time Machine“)
Richard Michalski – Drums (on “Kingdom Of The Night”, “Axxis II”, “Access All Areas”, “The Big Thrill”, “Profile-The Best of Axxis”, “Matters of Survival”, “Voodoo Vibes”, “Sarajevo Exklusiv”, “Back To The Kingdom“, “Collection Of Power” & “Eyes Of Darkness”)
Walter Pietsch – Guitars (on “Kingdom Of The Night”, “Axxis II”, “Access All Areas”, “The Big Thrill”, “Profile-The Best of Axxis”, “Matters of Survival”, “Voodoo Vibes” & “Sarajevo Exklusiv”)
Markus Gfeller – Bass (on “The Big Thrill”, “Profile-The Best of Axxis”, “Matters of Survival”, “Voodoo Vibes” & “Sarajevo Exklusiv”)
Werner Kleinhans – Bass (on “Kingdom Of The Night”, “Axxis II” & “Access All Areas”)
The official site:
http://www.axxis.de
History (english):
http://www.axxis.de/eng_history.html
Another Day in Paradise
Axxis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He walks on, doesn't look back He pretends he can't hear her Starts to whistle as he crosses the street Seems embarrassed to be there
Oh think twice, it's another day for You and me in paradise Oh think twice, it's just another day for you, You and me in paradise
She calls out to the man on the street He can see she's been crying She's got blisters on the soles of her feet Can't walk but she's trying
Oh think twice...
Oh lord, is there nothing more anybody can do Oh lord, there must be something you can say
You can tell from the lines on her face You can see that she's been there Probably been moved on from every place 'Cos she didn't fit in there
Oh think twice...
The lyrics to Axxis's song "Another Day in Paradise" tell a story of a homeless woman asking for help from a man on the street. Despite her desperate pleas, the man pretends not to hear her and walks away. The lyrics highlight the harsh reality of poverty and homelessness, and how many people choose to ignore it rather than confront it.
The chorus of the song serves as a call to action for listeners to think twice about their lives and the privilege they have, as they are living in paradise compared to those who are homeless and struggling to survive. The lyrics remind us that we are all part of the same society and that it is our moral duty to help those who are less fortunate.
The verses of the song further illustrate the woman's situation and the futility of her efforts to get help. The imagery of her blisters on her feet and the lines on her face suggest that she has been struggling for a long time and has been turned away from many places before. The song serves as a powerful social commentary on the issue of homelessness and poverty and encourages listeners to take action and help those in need.
Line by Line Meaning
She calls out to the man on the street "Sir, can you help me? It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep, Is there somewhere you can tell me?"
A homeless woman asks a passing man for help, desperate for somewhere warm to sleep and seeking his guidance.
He walks on, doesn't look back He pretends he can't hear her Starts to whistle as he crosses the street Seems embarrassed to be there
The man ignores the homeless woman and puts on a facade of being oblivious to her plea, even feeling embarrassed to be in her presence.
Oh think twice, it's another day for You and me in paradise Oh think twice, it's just another day for you, You and me in paradise
The chorus serves to contrast the comfortable lives of people like the passers-by with the daily struggles of the homeless people trying to survive.
She calls out to the man on the street He can see she's been crying She's got blisters on the soles of her feet Can't walk but she's trying
Even after being ignored once, the homeless woman still seeks help while showing obvious signs of extreme exhaustion, having walked miles with painful blisters on her feet.
Oh lord, is there nothing more anybody can do Oh lord, there must be something you can say
The singer vocalizes an anguished prayer, begging for some sort of action to help people in the dire situation of the homeless woman.
You can tell from the lines on her face You can see that she's been there Probably been moved on from every place 'Cos she didn't fit in there
The woman's weathered appearance indicates she has been homeless for a long time, being unable to fit in anywhere and being constantly forced to move from city to city.
Contributed by Penelope B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.