Sanity interview 11/05/2024

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MM: Can you tell us about your Band and whos your biggest influences
Sanity was formed in 1994 in Berlin, Germany, by me, Philipp, and my twin brother Florian, initially
as a grunge rock band with only one guitar, a bass and drums. Over the first years, the band’s musical
focus shifted to death and then to black metal. Sanity released three full-length albums and two EPs
between 1998 and 2024: Sinister Reflections, Nocturnal Poems, Schattensymphonie, and then the
EPs Revelation and The Beast. The band went on hiatus in 2002 and re-formed in 2014, all the while
the brothers Weishaupt continued to compose songs for the next album. The band re-formed in
2014 to rehearse and finalize the material that would become Revelation and The Beast.
Listening to the five tracks on our EP you will find influences from nineties black metal bands
like Emperor, Ancient and Bloodthorn, but also death metal bands like Orphanage, Gorefest,
and Death. Even Metallica plays a role. Gothic metal bands like Cemetary or dark wave
artists like Eros Necropsique and Elend were also a resource of inspiration. The way we
composed the orchestra parts was definitely formed by us listening to music from Ludwig van
Beethoven, Arcangelo Corelli, Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Friedrich Händel. I’d say, if
you’re into bands like Epica, Dimmu Borgir, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Symphony X or Rhapsody
of Fire, you know what to appreciate when combining orchestra and metal arrangements.

 

MM: Where do you draw your inspirations and ideas from
The Beast is based on the biblical Book of Revelation that lays out the apocalypse.
It’s about the end of the world! And not by any random or man-made natural disaster,
no, it is about God judging the world. This judgment is carried out by mighty angels
and at the end of it all, a third of mankind is dead. This is grim business. By setting the
book of revelation to music I believe we are doing something that has never been
attempted before, that is truly unique. By 2025 we will have released all three EPs
that will make up the complete Revelation music project. And then you will be able to
experience the events of the coming apocalypse by simply listening to the fourteen
intensely dramatic songs that we created.
What probably sets us apart from other artists is that we actually use the original
verses from the bible, so there is no interpretation in our lyrics, no re-telling of the
events in our own words. Just plain scripture. And the message is brutal,
excruciating, devastating, and scary, but also mighty, breathtaking, awe-inspiring and
incredible. And so is our music (smiling). So, given all that, the music of the
Revelation project could become a precious heritage to future generations. In the
end, when the last days truly begin our music may help people to understand the
events that are happening around them. It may allow people to hear about what
Gods word reveals about the future and how this God provides a way out.

 

MM: What would you say is your Bands favourite song ?
The song “Schattenverse” from our first album “Sinister Reflections” is probably the most
authentic song and truly intense in music and lyrics. I wrote it at a very early age. “Cryonic
Zombie”, also from our first album stands out since it’s a 15 minutes through-composed
song with barely any repeating riffs, this is as avantgarde as it gets.
My personal go-to-songs for kicking ass are “Highland Epos” and “The Linear Scaffold” from
our third Album “Schattensymphonie”.
‘Throne, the first song on Revelation is probably the pinnacle of our creative work of the
past 30 years. You will be greeted by a majestic choir, depicting the scores of angels singing
in the antechamber of God’s throne room. Then the train hits you in full swing, massive
guitars set in and a pounding, unrelenting drum rhythm framed by a cold choir and growling
vocals. This is head bang material, man! I know that our fans will love the melodic solo
passages in the song, the neck breaking rhythmic passages and the somber bridge that
culminates in a splendor of power metal madness. I could even imagine fans pulling out their
lighters and singing along during a concert, if you know what I mean. Please watch the
official video of “Throne” on YouTube to immerse yourself in the emotional message of the
song. Throne is a great opening song for "Revelation" due to its multi-faceted
arrangement.

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MM: Plans tour and festival wise for 2023
We have already recorded the songs for third EP to complete the Revelation" project and plan to
release it in 2025. This trilogy will then have a total of 14 songs. The record release concert for the
second EP "The Beast" was on 2 March 2024. There will be concerts in summer and autumn for sure,
but we are still in the planning phase, nothing concrete, yet.
 

At the same time my brother and I are working on a rerelease of our second album "Nocturnal
Poems" from 1999. Florian is actually composing completely new rhythm and lead guitars and I will
be recording new drums for it.
 

Additionally, we are currently preparing the video shoot for our next official music video, the song
“Babylon” from our EP The Beast. We are working with Underpaid Mantis Studio
(www.underpaidmantis.com) and are currently developing the story line for the video.
Our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Sanity.berlin already has a good amount of
content and I would like to add more. The official videos for “Seals” and “Throne” were just released.
 

Check them out on YouTube.
Sanity - Throne (Official Music Video)
https://youtu.be/5x4RdpaD9Ho?si=Ef-AdqBEUSLkL9R6

Sanity - Seals (Official Music Video)
https://youtu.be/9adVATPq-yA?si=hpVCQPAv_dBcGvUr
 

You see, we got our hands full with exciting subjects for many years to come.