
Hi friends, Victor here

It's a great honor for me, working at a large contract, a compilation CD for the 20. anniversary of Nuclear Blast. It will be an album with 10 songs off various metalbands of Nuclear Blast history, inclusive a new RAGE song, for which I composed, produced and recorded all guitars, keyboards and bass. I got support by Andre Hilgers (Drums) and Peavy Wagner (Lyrics). Except some vocalparts, all songs were recorded at VPS studio in Hamm, where Charly Czajkovski again did a great job.

During composing I tried, making all songs stylistic, and concerning the pitch of the voice, much comfortable for the singer. (e.g. that Schmier (Destruction) sounds real "schmierig") I didn't figured out, that, beside hearing out the different styles of the bands, the composing and arranging, I had lots of stress while doing clerical work as mailing and phoning. Thanks a lot to all singers for good cooperation. I think, this compilation CD is a real special and important project for Nuclear Blast. Special thanks also to Andy Siry, Jaap Wagemaker and Achim Köhler for support.

Peavy

Songtitle: Terrified

Especially recording a new RAGE song together with Peavy was great fun. Again, I tuned down my guitar to "C", as I did for "Straight To Hell". There are a lot of fast doublebass parts, as well as many groovy and melodic vocal lines. Furthermore this track is the first song with the new line-up.

The lyrics are describing an inner relief, which means changing some causes to free yourself.

Schmier - Destruction

Songtitle: Bloodsucker

A real trashy and tricky piece with a 200bpm double bass - Schmier really kicks ass!

The song deals with the current crisis in Irak war and their causes (failed US politic)

Andy Deris - Helloween

Songtitle: A perfect day

This is a melodic-metal song that might fit perfect into a Helloween-Liveset, having a catchy chorus for everyone to sing along. Andy developed his vocals within the tune, beginning in a quiet way, then leading to a very rough kind of singing.

The song deals with the incalculability of life and the associated fact, that our end can overtake us any time.

Tony Kakko - Sonata Arctica

Songtitle: Ruling the world

Here we have straight metal riffing with a way-out crazy keyboard-solo. Tony did a cool job with harmonizing his lead vocals on this track.

The song is about the arrogant power politics of the western Great Powers.

Oddleif Stensland - Communic

Songtitle: Eternally

Heavy and modern slow ballad, which I especially made for Oddleif, because I always liked the way of his dragging kind of singing heavy ballads for Communic.

The Lyrics deals with the subject suicide of young people, who often aren’t aware of the consequences of their doing.

Tarja Turunen

Songtitle: In the picture

This last middle-tempo song of the Cd developes itself from the ballad-like beginning to a catchy chorus, which is a good example for how harmonic a powerful metal song can fit to Tarja’s classical voice.

The lyrics deal with the subject, if there were any other existences, and even if we faced directly with the facts, would we believe our eyes?

Hansi Kürsch - Blind Guardian

Songtitle: Slaves of the desert

A long, both groovy and also progressive metal tune, with an interesting structure in the song itself, as well as in harmonics, containing many catchy metal-riffs and some arrangement parts for big choir, like Hansi is famous for the several voices work with Blind Guardian.

The song is in a sense about the question, if there is an alien-like exsistence or even something like a strange population somewhere out there.

Tobias Sammet - Edguy

Songtitle: Dirty Wings

The opener – one of my favourite songs - is a catchy tune with a real nice melodic chorus, which fits perfect to Tobi’s emotional voice.

The song lyrics are about a person, who comes back to do it better after he fell, in spite of the mistakes he did.

Mats Leven - Therion

Songtitle: Death is alive

This is a bombastic dragging song, which contains a lot of dynamic and interesting voice arrangements. (Mats Leven’s all-round voice makes you almost feel, like the death in person is singing to you – being a great contrast to the female angel-backings)

A fictional story about immortallity, similar to the “Highlander” theme.

Marco Hietala - Nightwish/Tarot

Songtitle: Inner Sanctuary

Here we have an almost up-tempo piece, beginning first with a guitar-riff, followed by a celtic-like keyboardline, developing later on into a metal song with the mix of powerful orchestration, and calm keyboard arrangements, which often is used by Nightwish.

The lyrics of the song deal with the fact, that life is causing deep wounds sometimes, so it's good, when you have an inner refuge to reflect, an inner sanctuary, where you can regenerate.

Jen Majura

Backgroundvocals at: Death is alive

Jen Majuras "angel-backings" are a great contrast to Mats Levens all-round voice.

Mario Le Mole

Backgroundvocals at: Slaves of the desert

Mario Le Mole (Mind Odyssey) is supporting Hansi Kürsch at some of his the several voices arrangement parts at the song "Slaves of the desert".

Mind Odyssey

Thanks also to my ex band members from Mind Odyssey (Volker Schultz, Andreas Dirksmeier, Jan Keller) for recording "Slaves of the desert" and "In the picture".

Andre Hilgers

Andre Hilgers played the drumparts at 8 songs. During works on the Nuclear Blast Anniversary album I was very surprised, how perfectly Andres style matched to our new song "Terrified". So it was obvious, that we jammed through the RAGE classics, and the sparks flew immediately.