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
Fly Away
Axxis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I get lost - your blood is cold as steel
All I got was hell
but I don't want a better world
Your world has made me blind
Your devil's on my heaven's side
Like a parasite - you're gettin into me
I feel my blood like fire
No mighty force can make me stay
The power of divine desire
Hold me back before I fly away
Fly, fly away
Fly, fly away
Just try to be myself
ain't easy when the world imprisons me
I try to flee from you
Into a land of my own phantasy
Shadows from the light
I hide away from you
Voices in the night
give me another point of view
I feel my blood like fire
No mighty force can make me stay
The power of divine desire
Hold me back before I fly away
Fly , fly away
Fly , fly away
I feel my blood like fire ...
The song "Fly Away" by Axxis is a rock ballad that describes a person's emotional struggle against a dominating force that has made them feel trapped and bound. The lyrics speak about the singer's difficult relationship with someone who holds power over them, making them feel lost and vulnerable. The reference to "blood is cold as steel" implies that the other person may lack empathy or human feelings, making it difficult for the singer to connect with them.
The song also touches on the theme of wanting to escape the harsh realities of the world in favor of a more peaceful existence that exists only in the singer's imagination. The imagery of "shadows from the light" and "voices in the night" suggest that the singer is haunted by their fears and anxieties, yet they cannot shake off the feeling of being weighed down by this dominating force. Ultimately, the singer expresses the desire to break free from the shackles of this existence and "fly away" to a place where they can live freely without being held back.
Line by Line Meaning
You gonna make me feel
You have the ability to influence my emotions and thoughts
I get lost - your blood is cold as steel
Your actions make me feel confused and your demeanor is unfeeling
All I got was hell
My experiences with you have been unpleasant and painful
but I don't want a better world
Despite my hardships, I am content with my current situation and do not desire a different world
Your world has made me blind
Your influence has made me unable to see the situation clearly and objectively
Your devil's on my heaven's side
Your harmful influence is present in a seemingly positive aspect of my life
Like a parasite - you're gettin into me
Your influence is slowly and negatively affecting me, like a parasite invading a host
I feel my blood like fire
I am overwhelmed with passion and intensity
No mighty force can make me stay
I am determined to leave, and no obstacle can prevent me from doing so
The power of divine desire
My strong motivation to leave is akin to a divine force
Hold me back before I fly away
Stop me before I leave and move on
Fly, fly away
Emphasizing the desire to leave and escape
Just try to be myself
Attempting to be true to oneself and break free from external influences
ain't easy when the world imprisons me
It is challenging to live authentically when societal constraints hinder individual expression
I try to flee from you
I am attempting to distance myself from your negative influence
Into a land of my own phantasy
Escaping into a world of imagination and creativity
Shadows from the light
The negative aspects that come with positivity or success
I hide away from you
I am avoiding contact with you in order to protect myself
Voices in the night
Internal thoughts and feelings that arise when reflecting on the situation
give me another point of view
Providing a fresh perspective to help navigate the situation
Fly , fly away
Final repetition of the desire to escape and move on
Contributed by Andrew P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.