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
Utopia
Axxis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I look around and see, what's going on everyday
I can not stand, the hate and misery, it really knocks me down
Tell me why we're saving the world of today?
Let our vision fly, don't know why, we don't wanna try...
Utopia - and I see the promised land
Utopia - the land of the free
To turn around this way of life
Take my hand and fight!
I don't know, when I face my life
Live in a world of lies - live in a world of fire and ice
It seems to be, that our fate is sealed
And in the train of time, we're rushing through our life
Like the click, of the clock, moving, through our time
A vision will revive, see the signs - the time has arrived!
Utopia - and I see the promised land
Utopia - the land of the free
Utopia - the fortune is in our hands
To turn around this way of life
Take my hand and fight!
I close my eyes, here in Utopia
I realize, it's not afar...
Utopia! - and I see the promised land
Utopia! - the land of the free
Utopia! - the fortune is in our hands
To turn, around, this way, way of life!
The lyrics to Axxis's song "Utopia" speak of the frustration and disappointment that comes with living in a world filled with hate and misery. The singer can't understand why people aren't doing more to save the world of today from its many problems. The song speaks of the desire for a better world, a perfect place where everyone has a sense of freedom and hope. The lyrics encourage listeners to take action and fight for change while acknowledging that the journey may be difficult.
The chorus of the song, "Utopia - and I see the promised land, Utopia - the land of the free, Utopia - the fortune is in our hands, To turn around this way of life, Take my hand and fight!" embodies the message of the song. It encourages individuals to keep pushing forward and take action towards making the world a better place. The lyrics suggest that if everyone comes together and fights for change, utopia is achievable.
In conclusion, "Utopia" is a song for those who believe that a better world is possible. It speaks to the power of community and encourages individuals to fight for change.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know, when I face my life
Uncertainty about the outcome of life
I look around and see, what's going on everyday
Observation of everyday life and its happenings
I can not stand, the hate and misery, it really knocks me down
Dislike for negativity and its consequences on oneself
Tell me why we're saving the world of today?
Questioning the motive behind saving the world
Let our vision fly, don't know why, we don't wanna try...
Unwillingness to put in the effort to achieve our goals
Utopia - and I see the promised land
An ideal society where everything is perfect
Utopia - the land of the free
A society where people are free to do what they want
Utopia - the fortune is in our hands
The potential to create a utopian society lies within us
To turn around this way of life
To change the current way of life
Take my hand and fight!
The need to fight to create a utopian society
Live in a world of lies - live in a world of fire and ice
Living in a world full of contradictions and extremes
It seems to be, that our fate is sealed
Feeling powerless about our future
And in the train of time, we're rushing through our life
The sense of time slipping away quickly
Like the click, of the clock, moving, through our time
The continuous movement of time
A vision will revive, see the signs - the time has arrived!
A renewed hope for a better future
I close my eyes, here in Utopia
Visualizing a perfect society
I realize, it's not afar...
Realizing that creating a perfect society is not impossible
To turn, around, this way, way of life!
The need to change the current way of life
Contributed by Annabelle V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.