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
When the Sun Goes Down
Axxis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a house ablaze
Bald - headed drunken guys are starring at a strangers face
A sea of flames is spreding
The night is glowning bright
The shadows of the past are back with their scary pride
When the sun goes down, the new nightmares will arise
And the night will burn while we are sleeping
When the sun goes down - It's to late to realize
Idolaters take shape in this world...
The sun goes down
A gathering of loosers
so mighty in a crowd
shouting out stupid slogans - unthinking - no doubts
Misguided cowards
Let's put them all in chains
Following their leaders without using their brains
Yes, the sun goes down...
When the sun goes down, the new nightmares will arise
And the night will burn while we are sleeping
When the sun goes down - It's to late to realize...
Don't let them be stronger
Wake up right away
The root of all evil encriaches...
...day by day
When the sun goes down, the new nightmares will arise
And the night will burn while we are sleeping
When the sun goes down - It's to late to realize
Idolaters take shape in this world...
...the sun goes down
In Axxis's song "When the Sun Goes Down," the lyrics paint a vivid picture of chaos and danger in the night. The song starts with the sound of sirens indicating a house is on fire, while bald-headed drunken men stare at a stranger's face. The scene is unsettling as a sea of flames spreads, and the shadows of the past return with their scary pride.
The main message of the song revolves around the idea that when the sun goes down, new nightmares arise. The night becomes dangerous and unpredictable, and those who are misguided and follow leaders without using their brains can become a significant threat. The lyrics suggest that there is a gathering of losers who shout out stupid slogans, and they are cowards who need to be put in chains.
The final verse of the song is a call to action. The lyrics urge listeners not to let these misguided individuals be stronger and to wake up right away. The root of all evil is encroaching day by day, and it's essential to take a stand against it.
Overall, "When the Sun Goes Down" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that highlights the dangers of the night and the importance of standing up against evil.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you hear the sirens
Asking if one can hear the warning signals of imminent danger
There's a house ablaze
Describing a situation where a house is on fire
Bald - headed drunken guys are starring at a strangers face
Depicting a group of intoxicated men staring at an unfamiliar person with hostility
A sea of flames is spreding
Describing a rapidly growing fire with a visual metaphor
The night is glowning bright
Noting that the darkness of the night is being illuminated by the fire
The shadows of the past are back with their scary pride
Suggesting that past traumas or fears are resurfacing and causing anxiety
Now the sun goes down...
Transitioning to the overall theme of the song, which is the dangerous and unpredictable nature of the nighttime
When the sun goes down, the new nightmares will arise
Asserting that nighttime brings new fears and dangers
And the night will burn while we are sleeping
Indicating that danger and destruction may occur even when we are unaware and vulnerable
It's to late to realize
Stating that once the danger has present itself, it may be too late to take preventative measures
Idolaters take shape in this world...
Implying that extremist or harmful groups may emerge in the darkness of the night
A gathering of loosers
Labeling a group of people as losers, referencing their misguided or negative actions
so mighty in a crowd
Observing that a group may feel empowered even if they are acting harmfully when in a crowd
shouting out stupid slogans - unthinking - no doubts
Criticizing the mindless mob mentality of those acting dangerously
Misguided cowards
Further labeling those acting harmfully as cowardly and deluded
Let's put them all in chains
Suggesting a desire to prevent or stop harmful actions by physically restraining those carrying them out
Following their leaders without using their brains
Commenting on the submissive and unthinking behavior of those following negative influencers
Don't let them be stronger
Encouraging a proactive approach to counteracting or stopping harmful behavior and individuals
Wake up right away
Advocating for immediate action and awareness to prevent danger or harm
The root of all evil encriaches...
Implying that a greater problem or source of danger may be steadily growing
...day by day
Clarifying that this problem or danger is slowly increasing over time
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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