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
Live is Life
Axxis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Live is life
Live
Live.
When we all give the power
We all give the best.
Every minute of an hour
Then you all get the power
You all get the best.
When everyone gives everything and every song everybody sings.
Then it's live
Live is life
Live is life
Live.
Live is life - when we all feel the power.
Live is life - come on
Stand up and dance!
Live is life - when the feeling of the people -
Live is life - is the feeling of the band.
When we all give the power
We all give the best. . . .
Then it′s live
Live is life
Live
Live is life
Live.
Live
Live is life
Live
Live is life.
And you call when it's over
You call it should last.
Every minute of the future is a memory of the past.
'Cause we all gave the power
We all gave the best.
And everyone gave everything and every song everybody sang.
Live is life.
The song "Live is Life" by Axxis is a motivational anthem that encourages people to give their best and to live life to the fullest. The lyrics begin with the phrase "Live is life," which is repeated throughout the song, as a reminder that life is meant to be lived in the present moment, with passion and enthusiasm. The song encourages people to give their all, to not think about resting, and to keep going until they reach their goals. The lyrics suggest that everyone has the power to give their best and that when they do, they will feel the energy and excitement that comes with living life to the fullest.
The song emphasizes the power of unity and the importance of working together to achieve a common goal. The line "When we all give the power, we all give the best" suggests that when people come together and work in harmony, they can accomplish great things. The chorus of the song is a call to action, encouraging people to stand up and dance, to feel the power of the music, and to embrace the feeling of being alive. The song concludes with the message that life is short, and that we should make the most of every moment, giving our all and living life to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
Live
Celebrating the experience of living
Live is life
Life should be lived to the fullest
When we all give the power
When we all contribute and collaborate, we achieve greatness
We all give the best.
We all strive to deliver our best selves
Every minute of an hour
Treating every moment as valuable
Don′t think about a rest.
Don't let fatigue hold you back
Then you all get the power
When teamwork blends in its highest form, there is collective empowerment
When everyone gives everything and every song everybody sings.
With collective commitment, we can create a powerful and unifying moment
Live is life - when we all feel the power.
The energy of life is experienced when the power of collaboration is felt by all
Live is life - come on Stand up and dance!
Life is a celebration that requires participation and movement
Live is life - when the feeling of the people -
When the people collectively experience authentic joy, that's when life is most significant
Live is life - is the feeling of the band.
The band is an expression of the people - together they create the life energy
And you call when it's over
When the experience is ending, we reflect
You call it should last.
And we recognize that true moments like this should endure
Every minute of the future is a memory of the past.
Our moments become memories that shape our future
'Cause we all gave the power We all gave the best.
Every one of us contributed to the energy and success of this moment
Live is life.
Life is meant to be lived - fully, collaboratively, and joyfully
Contributed by Amelia E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.