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
Shadowman
Axxis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hear the steps in my mind
I'm freezing and feel the fear
This nightmare won't disappear
I try to touch your face
Hiding away in the haze
You're turning your head, I cry, I die
I'm gonna break the glass
I'm in a mirrorland
Everywhere I go, I stay
There is no place to hide away
Magic night
I can hear the voice of the shadowman
Dream my dream there is no way out
Magic eyes
Take a look in the face of the shadowman
It's like a hell ride through your mind
Wings of night
A black door to the other side
Here is the gate to the depths of my soul
When my spirit is out of control
I feel it in a daze
I watch that demon face
I know it's myself I see
The shadowman it's me
I'm on the other side
The dark world of dreams
I'm bad, not innocent
My other self in the mirror land
The song "Shadowman" by Axxis describes the singer's struggle with his inner demons. Every night, he hears steps in his mind, which leave him feeling fearful and frozen. He tries to touch the face of someone he is hiding from in the haze, but they turn away from him. The singer's eyes turn red like fire, and he feels like he's in a nightmare that won't disappear. He feels trapped in a mirrorland where he is unable to escape, and there is no place to hide away from his darkness.
The song continues to describe this dark world of the singer's psyche, called the "black door to the other side." Here, he sees the shadowman, who is a demon face, but he realizes that it is, in fact, himself he sees. He is on the other side, the dark world of dreams, where there is no easy way out. The singer is not innocent, but he is bad, which is his other self in the mirrorland.
Overall, "Shadowman" is an evocative song that speaks to the human experience of struggling with one's inner demons. The singer's nightmare world is relatable to anyone who has experienced anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues.
Line by Line Meaning
Every night
Each night
I hear the steps in my mind
I experience auditory hallucinations
I'm freezing and feel the fear
I'm extremely frightened and feel physically cold
This nightmare won't disappear
I can't escape this terrifying dream
I try to touch your face
I attempt to make physical contact with a person who may not actually be present
Hiding away in the haze
I am obscured by a cloud of smoke or mist
You're turning your head, I cry, I die
The person I'm trying to touch turns away, causing me extreme emotional pain
This eyes red like fire are mine
My own eyes are red and fiery-looking
I'm gonna break the glass
I am going to smash a mirror or other reflective surface
I'm in a mirrorland
I am in a place where everything is reflected back at me
Everywhere I go, I stay
No matter where I go, I cannot escape
There is no place to hide away
There is nowhere to go to escape from my own mind
Magic night
Fantastical evening
I can hear the voice of the shadowman
I can perceive the vocalizations of the titular entity, who represents my inner darkness
Dream my dream there is no way out
I am trapped in a nightmare and can't escape
Magic eyes
Enchanted eyes
Take a look in the face of the shadowman
I confront my own inner darkness
It's like a hell ride through your mind
The experience is akin to a terrifying rollercoaster ride through my own psyche
Wings of night
Dark wings
A black door to the other side
An entrance to another realm
Here is the gate to the depths of my soul
This is where I confront my innermost fears and desires
When my spirit is out of control
When I am unable to regulate my own thoughts and emotions
I feel it in a daze
I perceive everything through a foggy, dreamlike state
I watch that demon face
I stare at a face that represents my own demonic tendencies
I know it's myself I see
I realize that I am looking at my own reflection
The shadowman it's me
The dark figure is a manifestation of my own psyche
I'm on the other side
I am in a different world, separate from reality
The dark world of dreams
The realm where my nightmares reside
I'm bad, not innocent
I am filled with wickedness, not purity
My other self in the mirror land
My reflection, representing my own inner darkness
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BERNHARD WEISS, HARALD OELLERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind