A Decade of Serious Black

Ten years of Serious Black and a decade of power metal for fans all over the world! Since their founding in 2014, the band has presented five studio albums as well as concerts and festival appearances around the globe.  And now Serious Black has unleashed the Rise of Akhenaton – their 6th full length album – available worldwide via AFM Records.  Highwire Daze recently interviewed bassist and founding member Mario Lochert to find out more about the amazing Rise of Akhenaton, their upcoming European tour with Firewind and Sonata Arctica, his previous membership within the ranks of Emergency Gate and Visions of Atlantis, and more…

We’re here with Mario from Serious Black. First of all, Mario, let’s talk about the new album. Is there any overall story or concept behind the album title and song Rise of Akhenaton?
We are celebrating our 10 years anniversary this year, right? So we founded the band 2014 in August actually on the 23rd of August we founded the band in Spain and of course we wanted to release a 10-year anniversary record and on the first record 2015 “As Daylight Breaks” the first track of the first album was Akhenaton. So of course, we mentioned this and we take this as first song because it was also the intro on over 250 concerts worldwide, the Akhenaton song. So we said it’s a great idea to make an album and call it the Rise of Akhenaton. So after 10 years we are doing this what we want and we have highs and lows, but now it’s going straight up. Yeah, for us, it was a very good title because also Akhenaton was rising. He said also, as soon as the sand will fall through the sand glass, everybody will know the name Akhenaton and that’s the story or the message what we bring to the people as well.

I’m going to just talk about the singles and give me the inspiration behind it. Silent Angel, tell me about that one and the inspiration behind that song.
The Silent Angel song, it’s actually out of a true story. A very good friend, it’s a kind of his story. That’s why I pulled it into a song. Well, it’s actually hard, when you are alone as a child, you’re left alone without love. This is a hard life to grow up, to go on the false way. That was the reason I wrote this song.

Metalized, tell me about that amazing song.
Metalized is very easy to explain. It’s about metal fans. These are all our stories, what we saw in over 250 concerts right now worldwide. That the people want to celebrate a party. They are sad when they have to go home after the festival. But next week the party goes on, right? We are all crazy in the mosh pit. We try to survive. This is really a story about the metal fans, how they are celebrating the music, their energy, their passion and the rock and roll, of course.

You have a new vocalist, Nikola Mijić. How did Nicola become involved with Serious Black and what is Nicola’s background?
Our former singer was Urban Breed. Actually, I like Urban. During the production process of the Vengeance is Mine, he disappeared. He disappeared also on Suite 226 for weeks and weeks that the record company went crazy because the tour was scheduled. And then we did the next album, Vengeance is Mine, so he didn’t jump in the production process and stuff like this. Suddenly, he was writing us in an email in an old Facebook chat. He was excusing himself about his behavior and it’s getting all better and he doesn’t want to be an asshole anymore and stuff like this and whatever. We didn’t reply, straight away. So, we talked because it was really strange. This Urban was never doing this, he was sitting on the table and talking with us, so it was strange. Two days after, suddenly the phones were ringing. Magazines were asking us, Urban left the band. Because he did a post and told the people the story in another way around, that we fucked up everything. This was actually not the truth. So we did the statement with the band and then we jumped in the complete production process again.

We needed to search for a singer, because we were already working on the new record. So, AFM, shot us in contact with some singers worldwide, sent their introduction to us. They were very good singers under them. But, when they did the demo, it was nothing that you say, wow! You know what I mean? That you have to that you are speechless or breathless or something like this. So, I called Nicola because I knew that Eden’s Curse was not playing anymore this much. And then I was talking with him, I think one hour or something like this. He said, yes, send me over one song. So, I sent him this over straight away. And then it was emptiness and quietness in two weeks or three weeks. So I was getting worried and of course we were still searching. Suddenly at two o’clock in the morning I get the call from Nicola, “Hey, sorry I was busy like hell, but here you have it, I just recorded a little bit of a chorus, a little bit of a bridge and a little bit of the verse.” But I was not 100% in it. It was a demo. So, I was listening to it. And then I called him at three o’clock in the morning, I pulled him out of the bed and I said, “Hey, that’s amazing. You’ll join the band.” One and a half weeks later, he was in the studio in Germany and we recorded the album. Now from song to song, from show to show, he’s growing more into the band.

What are you looking forward to the most about your upcoming tour with Sonata Arctica and Firewind?
For sex, drugs, rock’n’roll, prostitutes and cocaine.  (Much laughter)  No. Don’t worry. We are standing at the bottom. We are straight. We are not taking drugs. We are not drinking much alcohol. Because when we are going on tour, of course, we want to celebrate with very good music and a good show and party with the people.  And of course, to support with Sonata Arctica and Firewind, it’s a very strong package. And of course, we have to give our best, to say, so it’s a little bit of war. So I know Gus since a long time, and the Sonata guys since a long time. But, of course, on stage it’s a little bit of war. Because you want to stick in the metalheads brain. You know what I mean? So we have to focus on a very good show, we have to bring our show. So going early to bed and of course this is a new chance to present other fans, Nicola’s voice. This is the first support to have Nicola in Serious Black. We will bring 100% to get so many fans as possible from other crowds.

Has Serious Black ever played out here in the States or is that something you would like to do in support of this new album?
We played already the ProgPower in Atlanta. I hope we are coming back because to play in the States, it was awesome. I did a sound technician and stuff like this, a few tours with Kamelot and with Leaves’ Eyes and Masterplan and so on. So, on meets like this, I like the States actually.  It’s very expensive to play in the States. We have to check out what’s possible and what’s not. But we are thinking about it. Of course, we will not do a two-month tour like Kamelot or whatever. But a few shows, it would be nice. So. five or six on the East Coast, five or six on the West Coast, flying home, playing one or two festivals. That’s actually the planning.

I want to go back a little bit in your career. What was it like working with Visions of Atlantis on the album Delta? And do you still keep up with them?
Well, this was also a crazy story. First, I did the mix of Visions of Atlantis. I was their sound engineer. So suddenly, Thomas Caser called me. He was asking me if I can play bass because the original bass player jumped out of the band, and they had a few festivals. So, I said, okay, when it’s the festival. He said in three days. So I started to rehearsal with the bass, the stuff because I was playing in Emergency Gate. So more or less, I did it in a very good way. I was in the band and I produced the album Delta with them in the studio, because I have my own studio. We played a few festivals and stuff like this. A tragical thing was happening with my car, I don’t know the English word for it. This animal went into the car and destroyed the cable. We had to play the Masters of Rock Festival in the Czech Republic. Well, I went to go out to start the car and the car was broken, so it can’t move. So I checked out the trains. The trains were underway. It was too late to make it on the festival. So I said, I can’t play. And of course then they kicked me out. That was actually the reason.

I was wondering why you only did one album with them.
Well, I did one album. I did many times a mix, the front of house mix live for them. So, I produced one album. So, for me it’s fine. I founded Serious Black and everything is cool.

You mentioned Emergency Gate. That’s my next question. When you look back on your time spent with Emergency Gate, what do you think of it now in retrospect?
Emergency Gate, it was crazy. Worldwide, we did tours with Caliban, with Kreator, we toured with Mercenary, we played good festivals and stuff like this, but in Europe and the States, the band was nearly unknown. When we were playing, it was 100 people there. But in Asia, we were superstars. So, in China, for example, we played in front of 80,000 people.  In Asia, we were exploding. So, we played in big festival stages great LED walls with pyro shows, with laser shows and stuff like this. We had signing sessions of four hours, so that the security has to stand beside us. And then you’re coming back to Europe and you play in front of 100, 150 people. So, this was a little bit of a disappointment somehow. But we did very good shows in Europe and it was fun.

Are you currently involved with any other bands or projects outside of Serious Black?
Well, no, for me, it’s all Serious Black. I want to concentrate and focus completely on this. Also, I became a daddy nine years ago, so also on the front of house mixing and stuff like this, I went back a little bit, I’m mixing from time to time, some bands, some festivals and stuff like this, but I’m not in the mood anymore, to tour 280 days a year. So, for me, the most important thing is Serious Black.  I spoke of working as booking agent and stuff like this, as a manager. That’s actually the way I survived. Well, nobody can pay me the money anymore to go with 280 days on the road.

Do you have any messages for Serious Black fans out here in the States?
I want to tell every Serious Black fan or power metal fan in the States, watch out for the new album “Rise of Akhenaton. Listen to it and rock with us. We are trying our best to come to the States. Take care and see you on the road.

SERIOUS BLACK is:
Nikola Mijic (Vocals)
Dominik Sebastian (Guitar)
Bob Katsionis (Guitar)
Mario Lochert (Bass)
Rami Ali (Drums)

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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