VANDEN PLAS Guitarist Interviewed By METAL ASSAULT

On June 13, Aniruddh "Andrew" Bansal of Metal Assault conducted an interview with guitarist Stephan Lill of German progressive metallers VANDEN PLAS. You can now listen to the chat in two parts below.

Lill will guest on the "Heavy Metal Mayhem" radio show with Mike "The Big Cheese". The interview will take place during the Sunday, July 4 broadcast from 6 to 8 p.m. EST.

For information, go to this location.

VANDEN PLAS released its new concept album, "The Seraphic Clockwork", on June 22 in the U.S. via Frontiers Records.

Highly anticipated by fans and critics alike, "The Seraphic Clockwork" is a fascinating concept album, which not only shows the quintet's exceptional technical skills, but also highlights their impressive development as songwriters. The new album sounds more multi-layered, progressive and metal-oriented than any previous VANDEN PLAS release. "I think that my penchant for music of the tougher persuasion shines through more than ever before on this album," comments guitarist Stephan Lill, who — along with keyboardist Günter Werno and vocalist Andy Kuntz — makes up the group's creative triumvirate. He adds: "Hard riffs, elaborate keyboard and orchestral arrangements plus catchy hooklines come together in a perfect symbiosis which marks VANDEN PLAS' own style. I feel that we were much more adventurous on with 'The Seraphic Clockwork' than ever before."

A perfect example which substantiates this statement, is the 13-minute track "On My Way To Jerusalem", a little masterpiece within a homogeneous, self-contained album. The song takes the listener on a haunting, adventurous journey which comes full circle musically towards its end. From soaring piano sounds through hard riffs and versatile arrangements to atmospheric parts, the whole range of expressive forms which the progressive metal genre has to offer are present. On the other hand, "Heal The World" with its melodic intro, subsequent heavy riff and catchy chorus, reveals the band's affinity to theatre music and all its complexity, and is classic VANDEN PLAS.

The band's fascination with classical history has left its mark on "The Seraphic Clockwork", particularly in terms of lyrics: the dramatic science fiction story of the concept album was penned by vocalist Andy Kuntz and chronicles a journey in place and time from 16th century Rome to Jerusalem in the year 33 A.D. The protagonist, after an apocalyptic vision, has come under the spell of an Old Testament prophecy and must travel back through the centuries to face his God-given destiny. "It's about being unable to escape fate," explains Kuntz, a master at making complex subject matter both fascinating and accessible to contemporary audiences. "Working for the theatre has definitely influenced the story's depth. When you realize or reproduce your own projects on a stage, you learn a lot about dramaturgy."

"The Seraphic Clockwork" track listing:

01. Frequency
02. Holes In The Sky
03. Scar of an Angel
04. Sound of Blood
05. The Final Murder
06. Quicksilver
07. Rush of Silence
08. On My Way to Jerusalem

Interview Part 1:

Interview Part 2: