Heaven Shall Burn is a melodic death metal band from Saalfeld in Thuringia, founded in 1996. Since then she has ensured an inexhaustible live presence and a lot of energy on stage. With numerous appearances around the globe, Heaven Shall Burn can confidently call themselves pioneers of their genre.

Heaven Shall Burn achieved their greatest record success in March 2020, number 1 in the "Official German Charts" with their new double album "Of Truth & Sacrifice".

 

 

Christian, you are very socially committed to aid organizations such as the Hardcore Help Foundation and Sea Shepherd. How important is it for you to decide to help people in need and our environment?

 

The question should be asked the other way around. How can it be of no importance for someone to deal with people in need and environmental protection. These are two fundamental things that every person should be aware of in some way. Nowadays you often feel like you have been transported back to a time when you actually discussed whether there are differences in the value of human life. And as long as these trains of thought still exist, you can be sure that you have a lot to do if you have some empathy. I don't want to project a claim to perfectionism onto myself.

 

You have been a volunteer reading ambassador for the Reading Foundation for a few years now. What tips can you give young people in particular to become more interested in books?

 

I don't necessarily want to refer young readers to books, but to texts of any kind that fit their field of interest. This can also be magazines, blogs, interviews or the like. The main thing is that the children educate themselves in one way or another. Education is an important step in a self-determined life and should not be denied to anyone. And if you are not aware of this competence yourself, I would like to convey something to you.

 

You are a product developer for a school supplier and a drummer at Heaven Shall Burn. Is there still room for free time?

 

My everyday life actually consists of many tasks, most of which I enjoy and are not so negatively affected. In addition to work, I try to do sports several times a week and play drums at home for at least 30 minutes almost every day. In fact, I started to meditate and take more care of myself. And don't worry, it's not meant as esoterically as it might read.

 

On January 9th, 2020 two songs from the new double album "Of Truth & Sacrifice" were released on Spotify and iTunes, which will be released this year. How does it feel to be back in the studio after a two-year break?

 

With the number of songs, it felt like a mammoth difficult task to master. But by recording in Alex Studio, we could take our time and record the songs bit by bit after they were finished. After a while to get used to it, it felt great to hear the first results. That of course motivates for further recordings.

 

Do you have a tour following your festival appearances?

 

There are a lot of things being talked about right now and of course there are tours too. I hope that we can announce the first tours soon. There are a few nice tidbits included. But, let's start with the festival summer.

 

How did it come about that you became a supporter of the Rock Musikfest?

 

I particularly like the enthusiasm in the implementation. How much passion the organization puts into it is really fantastic. In addition, it is a topic that has hardly been given a stage in this context with “rock” music, but is very important for society as a whole. (www.rockmusikfest.de)

 

I like to take part in the "ROCKEN HILFT" campaign because ...

 

I would like to make people around me aware of the organization and the topic, so that young people with a mental illness can be heard about their problems and needs.

 

The interview was conducted by Sabrina Riepe