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
The moon
Axxis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your light touches my face
You seem to be so great tonight
I wonder if you change your light
When the moon falls down to earth
Danger in the universe
When the moon falls down to earth
Darkness around our light
I feel a danger in this night
Tonight the moon has got a face
Laughing into our space
It's grinning - it's laughing
Deriding our helpless lifes
We'll explode in a fireball
When the moon starts to fall
When the moon falls down to earth
Danger in the universe
When the moon falls down to earth
Fire in the universe
Days after the collision
Silence in the universe
An empty place - a dark space
Where our planet lived before
When the moon falls down to earth
Danger in the universe
When the moon falls down to earth
Fire in the universe
In Axxis's song "The Moon," the singer is watching the full moon and is intrigued by its beauty. The lyrics suggest that the singer is wondering if the moon changes its light. However, there is a sense of danger as the lyrics talk about the moon falling down to earth, which could lead to fire in the universe. The moon's light is juxtaposed against the darkness of the night, which contributes to the sense of danger. The moon even seems to be grinning and laughing, deriding human life, and suggesting that we will explode in a fireball when it starts to fall.
The lines "Days after the collision/Silence in the universe/An empty place - a dark space/Where our planet lived before" suggest that if the moon were to fall on earth, it would cause great destruction leading to silence in the universe. As a result, it creates a sense of fear and terror in the listener. The moon is usually seen as a symbol of beauty, grandeur, and mystery. However, in this song, it is depicted as a dangerous object that could cause destruction in the universe.
Line by Line Meaning
Full moon - I'm watching you
The singer is looking at the full moon.
Your light touches my face
The light from the moon is shining on the singer’s face.
You seem to be so great tonight
The moon appears to be exceptionally large and bright.
I wonder if you change your light
The singer is wondering if the moon's appearance changes.
When the moon falls down to earth
If the moon were to crash to Earth...
Danger in the universe
...it would pose a threat to the entire universe.
Fire in the universe
...it could cause widespread destruction and devastation.
Darkness around our light
The singer is noticing the darkness around the moon's light.
I feel a danger in this night
The singer is sensing a feeling of danger in the air.
Tonight the moon has got a face
The singer imagines that the moon has a face.
Laughing into our space
The imagined moon face appears to be laughing at the world.
It's grinning - it's laughing
The singer is still imagining the moon's face and its expression.
Deriding our helpless lifes
The singer believes the moon is mocking humanity and our vulnerability.
We'll explode in a fireball
If the moon were to fall on Earth, it would result in a catastrophic explosion.
When the moon falls down to earth
Again, the singer warns of the danger should the moon crash to Earth.
Days after the collision
If the catastrophic event happened and the moon hit Earth...
Silence in the universe
...there would be silence throughout the universe.
An empty place - a dark space
The impact would leave an empty and dark space where Earth once existed.
Where our planet lived before
The singer emphasizes the world that would be lost if the moon collided with Earth.
When the moon falls down to earth
The singer repeats the central warning of the song.
Danger in the universe
The threat of the moon's collision looms large.
When the moon falls down to earth
Again, the singer cautions against the disaster of the moon falling.
Fire in the universe
The song concludes on the note of potential destruction and immense danger to the entire universe.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNHARD WEISS, WALTER PIETSCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Yorcen
This song is one the greatest hard rock hits of all time.
@frankyounow5442
I love this song !
@segnalepirata2580
awesome memories
@linguamortis5879
Klassiker! Ich bin mit Axxis aufgewachsen.........
@portcask
Me and the wife love this album
@FreiwilligFrei
yeah...my childhood revisited:) thanx 4 the upload!
@andrehartwig05
Voll geil. Dankeeee.
@monikagraser7780
1991 mein lieblingslied 🧚♀️
@saschag.7519
Für mich bestes Lied vob Axxis
@andrehartwig05
Da war ich 14. Dr Hammer