Austria’s FAR BEYOND INNOCENCE was founded in late 1990 by guitar player Johann “Godfather” Bogl and singer “Vermes”, playing frequently on the stages around their hometown of Wels. Far Beyond Innocence is that rare breed of heavy metal band that truly understands how to deliver brutality in music. Mosh pits, blast beats, catchy hooks and aggressive shouts from “Vermes” and “Firefucker” get their audience going crazy.
The act has opened for many great bands such as Meshuggah, Biohazard, Sodom, Downset, Böhse Onkelz, Metal Church, Emil Bulls and many others. As all these bands are very different, and one can see that Far Beyond Innocence can play with almost every metal band. FBI’s outfit and live appearance are unique and impressive. They are ready to take over heavy music with their debut full-length record entitled “Torture Circus”, which is self-released and clearly one of the finest gems you will discover in the metal underground of today.
The Metal Den’s Randy “Rocket” Cody recently conducted an interview with Godfather of FAR BEYOND INNOCENCE for his loyal army of Den Headz worldwide.
Rocket: Where were you born and raised?
Godfather: I was born in Austria, Linz is the name of the City. It´s called the Steel City. The reason is, it’s the biggest iron and steel industry in Austria.
Rocket: Do you come from a big family?
Godfather: I have 3 sisters, all are younger than I.
Rocket: What first drew you to playing music?
Godfather: All guitar players look so cool, and I started with some friends jumping up and down on their bed with a tennis racket, simulating playing guitar. At the other side of the room there was a wardrobe with mirrors on the doors, so we can see ourselves acting. In our belief, we were really guitar players. First it was not the music, it was only being cool with our tennis rackets. Hahaha.
Rocket: When did you first start playing the guitar?
Godfather: I think I was 14. My grandpa bought me an electric guitar from a warehouse. It was really a lousy instrument. It looks like the 335 Gibson with crappy pickups and tuners, the string spacing… oh my god, I remember it well. The string spacing was so big that I couldn´t play one note, not to mention to play any chords. So I decided to make only noises with this instrument. I grab this “thing”… I strike all strings at once and swing it like the bells in a church. This was a really nice sound… hahaha!
Rocket: Who are a few of your biggest playing influences?
Godfather: First of all, the guy from my neighborhood, I can´t remember his name, he showed me my first pickings and chords… oh, I forgot, he also showed me how to tune the guitar… hahaha! My all time guitar hero is Jimmy Page. Richie Blackmore, John Scofield follows. And now Emil Werstler from DAATH and all the modern shredders.
Rocket: Did you ever take any formal guitar playing lessons?
Godfather: Yes, 2 hours of trial lessons, at the best known guitar teacher in my area. I went in to take some lessons. I grabbed my guitar and shredded as best as I could and then I asked the teacher: “Can you show me something new?” He smiled at me and gave me some sheets with patterns and said: “Okay, next week we will see”… hahaha. At home I tried hard, to do all these lessons he gave me… but no chance, I can´t manage it. In my younger days, I thought I am the best guitar player in the world, so I decide that I don’t need lessons… a dumb jackass I was… hahaha!
Rocket: What kinds of guitars are you playing live and in the studio?
Godfather: I always was and will be the “Les Paul” guy. My Paula is the cheaper model, the studio type. But I and my guitar tech changed everything, only the wood is original. EMG pickups and locking tuners and very thick strings is a must. I use D´Addario strings Xl 157 Baritone 14-68…they are really heavy for the Les Paul measure, they are made of pure nickel and sounds great… many overtones. But I have a funny story about my Paula. When we recorded our first demo I bought an ESP SG model, a cheaper one with a bolt on neck. I recorded all the guitar tracks of the demo with the cheap one. All the musicians in my area knows that I only play my Les Paul and so they reviewed the sound of my guitar as: It´s a Les Paul, yes, only a Les Paul sounds like a Les Paul… and then I told all the “professionals” that I recorded all guitar tracks with the cheap ESP… hahaha!
Rocket: What kind of amp rigs?
Godfather: LINE6 HD 147 with 2 cabs. The main cab is my Marshall 1960,the second is an old 4×10 Kitty Hawk cap. That´s all!
Rocket: Briefly, how did Far Beyond Innocence band form together?
Godfather: Me and Vermes, the singer of Far beyond Innocence, have been together since the early 90’s. Sadly, we have many lineup changes, but the last 2 years we only kicked out our bassplayer. Now with Raynar5, an absolute serious and professional drummer and Phlogos, an amazing guy and bassplayer and the one and only “Firefucker” we are ready to take off!
Rocket: Your band’s latest album is “Torture Circus”. How has the reaction been so far?
Godfather: All the reviews are more better than positive. All our fans freak out with our new CD. Many record Labels, A&R people ask us for cooperation, but I wait for the right company.
Rocket: Where can fans pickup a copy?
Godfather: We have our own online shop (www.fbimusic.cc/shop/shop.html ) so everybody can buy the cd, merch, etc… Also at the Kaliber Tattoo Studio, the owner of the studio is our second singer “Firefucker”, you can buy a copy of “Torture Circus”.
Rocket: You released a video “Devil In Your Fairyland” off that album. Who directed it and is making videos something you like to do?
Godfather: Yes, we have the great fortune to work with an absolutely amazing guy. Kid Cut is his artist name, his real name is Peter Lenkeit ( www.myspace.com/noborderline ) He works with many well known artists from the Hip Hop scene. He is a school day friend of “Firefucker” our singer and they are both from the ex DDR. Peter found Firefucker on Myspace and told him that he would like to make a video about his Tattoo Studio, but Firefucker prefers to make a video of the band. So we went to Stuttgart for 3 days. He was the producer, cutter, director of the whole thing… he did an amazing job. For us he is normally not affordable, but he makes an exception because of the old friendship between him and Firefucker.
No, I don’t like to make Videos, as long as there is no storyboard in the video. Only playing “Airguitar” banging with some flames around the band, in an old shabby factory… I don’t like that for us and from other bands, it´s boring to act like that. But with a story to tell, like we do in our video, I like to work with all involved guys to get as good as possible video out. To work in a video more than a musician, more like an actor, that’s what I like to do. When we do the video with KidCut we had dirty weather, so it was not so fun… but there is no harm if the result is like our video.
Rocket: Which is really great. I love it! How does this band write music? Does it start with a riff at band practice or does it begin with lyrics?
Godfather: Okay, that’s where I got the name “Godfather”, because I do all the work, except the lyrics. I write all the riffs, melodies, I recorded it directly to my laptop, so after a little while I sort good from bad ideas and go further to make songs from the ideas. Then I begin programming about 70% of the drums, to show it to Raynar5. Then Vermes comes into play, we work together on the lyrics, mostly not about the words or the content, more on the arrangement side. We try different things, as long as we are happy with the vocals. Normally we practice the songs, so everybody knows how to play them. Then I start do make a preproduction in our studio, mostly I change some arrangements at this point, and we practice the songs once more. And finally we make a record in our own studio. That is the way it works best for us!
Rocket: When can fans expect a new album from Far Beyond Innocence?
Godfather: I don’t know, Rocket…hahaha, now it´s time to promote the album ”Torture Circus”. I have no new song ideas yet, I don´t even play guitar since the last gig. I only practice one hour before the show… that´s all. Now all my energy goes into the promotion of our new CD. The whole day I try to get the right connections to labels, zines, booking agencies. It took me and the band one and a half years to get the record done so now it’s the time to take the credits for our work.
Rocket: What heavy metal record labels impress you the most out there today?
Godfather: Here in Europe I think it´s Nuclear Blast. In Austria we also have a good Label called Napalm Records, in the states I have no idea..maybe Nuclear Blast America… hahaha.
Rocket: If you could share the stage with any metal band, who would it be and why?
Godfather: I have done this so far, I shared the stage with the best metal band ever: Meshuggah. Why they are the best? Because they go to the next step, they go their own way, they established a new style. So many bands out there. their riffing sounds “meshuggahish” that becomes a part of modern riffing. In the past only Pantera had such a great influence to guitar players. But in the future it would be great to share the stage with Devildriver, Machine Head, Testament, Lamb of God, Arch Enemy… because I think that all the people who are fans of these bands, could be our fans too.
Rocket: I notice you wear a partial face mask when you perform. It looks cool. Who designed it?
Godfather: That was Firefuckers idea. We always try to give more than music, we try to make our gigs to an “event” so the visual aspect is also important for us. When we play in our area we have a great light show and also the acting on stage is different from other metal acts. We have big sidewalls with logos etc.. The face masks are design by Firefucker, he is a great artist in many ways. The masks becomes a part of his and my identity on stage…it was funny, after some show I went to our merch crew to ask how many CD´s merch etc. we sell today. Two younger Far beyond Innocence fans are waiting there to get all autographs from the band members on our signing card. Our merch guy asked them: do you have all the autographs you are looking for? They answered: “We only need the autograph from Godfather and then we have all…” Our merch guy looked at the girls, looked at me and says: here is Godfather you can ask him right now for signing..they looked at me, from my shoes to my face…turned to the merch guy and said: “No THAT´S not Godfather… you make some jokes” …hahaha they laughed. So for me it is handy to wear my mask… hahaha!
Rocket: It’s been another great year for heavy metal in 2009. What are some of the new album releases this year that have impressed you the most?
Godfather: The Red Chord: Prey for Eyes
Devildriver: Pray for Villains
Daath: The Concealers
Chimaira: The Infection
Blood Red Throne: Souls of Damnation
And the best of all:
The modern Age Slavery: Damned to Blindness
Rocket: I like to have fun with this next one. What is the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you while performing on stage?
Godfather: We played a show at a big Tattoo Event and the floor was covered with flyers from other events that comes next. Also on stage I saw flyers on the floor. I flipped one flyer during the gig with my foot to read it, but I can´t read it clearly so my concentration went away, I missed some notes and as I notice that, listened for what part of the song is next, I missed half the song…hahaha! I really have no stage fright, before or during a show, I have done so many shows in my life, it feels like to be in my living room..hahaha!
Rocket: Brother, just keep playing that monster metal as you did on this record. It rocks my head so hard I cannot contain my excitement! Who are some of the other local “un-signed” metal acts on your scene that you think are worth mentioning right now?
Godfather: Dead Dreams.
Rocket: What are some of the upcoming shows for Far Beyond Innocence?
Godfather: July 25th a the unique Rockbar, Gahlen mosht to be announced!
Rocket: Thanks for the interview, Godfather. I for once cannot wait to see Far Beyond Innocence perform live in America!
Godfather: Thanks Rocket and The Metal Den!
http://www.myspace.com/fbiaustria
Watch the video for “Devil In Your Fairyland” HERE.
Far Beyond Innocence is one of the best unsigned metal bands I’ve heard!! Godfather’s interview is an interesting read and I really enjoyed it!!!
Keep up the GREAT work Rocket!!