The Moshville Times - Interview: Markus “Makka” Freiwald of Bonded

Bonded are currently gearing up to release their debut album Rest In Violence via Century Media records. Made up of ex-Sodom Makka and Bernemann and other legends of the thrash metal scene, the band are raring to go and bring their music to the masses. Legendary skin-smasher Makka recently took the time to answer a few questions we sent his way regarding both the new album, his current drum setup and the band’s plans going forward.

Bonded are gearing up to release their debut album Rest In Violence. How do you feel the response has been to the music released so far?

So far the response is even bigger than we could have expected. The release of our self-produced video on “God Given” was a great success for us already and encouraged us to continue. “God Given” was actually the reason why we got offers from record labels and booking agents. The response on our first single track “Je Suis Charlie“, which has been released by Century Media Records, was massive and we couldn’t stop of being happy about that. We still are smiling by the way…

The album features both Bobby from Overkill and ‘Speesy’ formerly of Kreator. How did their involvement with the album come about?

Bernemann and I have known Speesy and Bobby for a long time. Speesy and I played together in Kreator for about two years and Bernemann and Speesy are also good friends and even thought about forming a band together in the past. Our bassist Marc used to be the guitar technician for Kreator so he knows him very well too, so there was no doubt that he would help us and play bass on one of our songs.

Bobby became a friend in all the years when we met regularly at shows worldwide. We like each other and never went apart without talking some shit and having some beers together. Bernemann visited Bobby on an Overkill show in April 2019 and told him that we got a contract and going to record a song with Speesy on bass. He liked the idea and at the same moment he offered to sing on that song. We all were so happy and honoured and of course we agreed to his offer. Later he not only recorded the vocals for “Rest in Violence”, he also helped with the lyrics and the vocal arrangement. We were happy and so excited like little kids when he sent the files, believe me. For us, he still is one of the big characters in the scene and we feel like kings that he did that for us.

In comparison to other projects you’ve been involved in, how similar/different was the writing and recording process?

Actually there was no difference to other projects apart from the time we had in which songs were written and the album has been recorded. Bernemann and I were in the comfortable position to write as many songs as possible while we could not go on tour. The rehearsals were just for writing new material and getting used to it. Of course, some of my records has been recorded in completely different processes, but that’s normal because all bands work in different ways, so you have to get used to it every time you change a band or record as a session musician. At the end of the writing process, we were able to select the 12 best songs out of a pool of 43 songs and put them on the album.

What were the main inspirations/influences that led to the creation of the music for this album?

All band are metal fans and everybody is listening to a certain kind of bands and styles. I think you will get unconsciously influenced by all kind of music or bands you are listening to. We write our songs intuitively and try to sound as authentic as possible without losing the spirit of thrash metal music. Rest In Violence is a good mixture between slow mid and high tempo songs.

What equipment (Instruments etc) do you typically use when playing live/recording?

I am using the following gear and I am really proud to be endorsed by the companies which will be mentioned in the listing.

Studio drumkit:

Tama Star Walnut Satin Charcoal Japanese Sen
2 x 22×18 kick drums
10×8, 12×9 tom toms
14×14, 16×16 floor toms
14×6 Starphonic stainless steel snare drum

Live drum set:

Tama Starclassic Performer B/B piano white
2 x 22×18 kick drums
10×8,12×9 tom toms
14×4, 16×16 floor toms
14×6 Starphonic stainless steel snare drum or
14×5.5 Starphonic maple snare drum

Hardware:

Tama Rack system with Road Pro cymbal boom arms
Tama Iron Cobra pedals
Tama Iron Cobra hi-hat stand

Cymbals:

2 x 16 Meinl Byzance medium thin crash
2 x 18 Meinl Byzance medium thin crash
1 x 20 Meinl Byzance heavy china
1 x 15″ Byzance extra dry hi-hat
1 x 14″ Byzance Dark Spectrum hi-hat
1 x 10 Byzance splash

Drumsticks:

Meinl Standard Long 5A

Microphones:

Audix and Audio Technica

Mixing console:

Allen & Heath QU 16

In-ear system:

Ultimate Ears UE5 pro
Fischer Amp Headphone Amplifier

I also have a daily routine and I try to practice at least 2 hours a day. Mostly I start to warm up with some rudiments on a practice pad and right after I switch to the drum set and play along with songs or try to improve my bass drum and groove skills. There are so many things I could practice, but time is running fast, so I am not able to do what I should have to do. I also have lessons once a week by my friend and teacher Hendrik Lensing, who is one of my favourite drummers. He knows how to kick my ass….

Having been involved in the music scene for a number of years now, what would you say are 3 of the common mistakes you see new bands making and how can they avoid making them?

I would say that they have to make these mistakes, otherwise they won’t learn to avoid making them. A band is not able to grow and bond without making mistakes. Music is an art and there can’t be a winner in the game. There is always someone who is more successful than you. So, carry on and try to get as far as you can. My motto is “Giving up is no option….”

Anyways, I don’t think that new bands would like to get any advice from some old geezers like us. (laughs)

What do you think of the music scene now compared to when you were just starting out?

I think there is not a big difference between the past and now. We’re still doing the things we loved to do, making music, we only got older and maybe wiser. The quality of new bands is not comparable to the past anymore, they are so amazingly good on their instruments and in the process of writing songs. The progression of technology has no doubt helped them a lot too.

Aside from releasing this album, what are the bands plans for the next 6 to 12 months?

We definitely want to play as many live shows as possible. We already have some offers and we are planning to be on the road as soon as we can. We miss playing live and we also miss the metal heads all over the world. We always have a lot of fun and we also found many friends on tour, so it would be a pleasure for us to meet them again soon. We are also thinking about recording some more videos and new songs of course. The band’s biggest wish is to play some nice gigs and festivals in 2020.

What is a band from this past decade that you think is really cool and people should check out?

Death Angel. The Very End. Exumer

Following on from that, what three albums that came out this past decade have not been able to stop listening to?