Interview to FLEISCHSCHIRM (Austria)

1. Hello guys, pleasure to have you on Rotten Pages ´zine. How are you doing today? Let us set the scene first. Where do we find you right now? Please describe your surroundings.

Hey! Thanks for having us. Right now, you find us in Tank’s basement drinking beer. Picture a dimly lit room with cables everywhere, a fridge full of questionable beer, and a corner where the Drummachine broods menacingly. Mence is assembling his drum arsenal while Simon argues with Werner about whether it’s time to drink more or work. 

2. Being from Vorarlberg, how has your geographical location influenced your music and overall artistic direction as a band?

Vorarlberg is like an epic blend of beauty and isolation. You’ve got the serene mountains, but also long winters that feel like they last forever. This contrast seeps into our music—melodic brutality with a touch of madness. Plus, our dark humor? That’s probably from too many nights stuck indoors arguing about riffs.

3. “Relentless Death Metal with a dash of dark humor.” How do you decide to include this hilarious aspect in your music?

Dark humor is in our DNA. If you’re writing about grim stuff like suffering, death, and destruction, why not throw in a sarcastic punchline? It’s like sprinkling chili on raw meat—it burns, but it’s delicious. Humor keeps things real, even when the riffs crush your soul.

4. Fleischschirm draws influences from various extreme metal genres. How do you approach blending death metal with thrash and black dynamics to create your unique sound?

We think of it like a stew—death metal is the meat, thrash is the spice, and black metal is the mysterious black goo you can’t identify but can’t live without. We take what feels right in the moment and let it rip. If it gives us goosebumps or makes us laugh maniacally, it stays.

5. Your debut EP Schirmherrschaft features 8 tracks. Are there any particular themes or influences that you're exploring in the songs?

Yes, Schirmherrschaft dives into themes like the last beer of the day (Blutgruppe B), historical horrors (Kaifeck), and the absurdity of life and love after death (LeidenSchaft). There’s pain, there’s chaos, and there’s humor and fun —like laughing in the face of a guillotine decapitation. Influences? Everything from existential philosophy to that many times we drank too much beer.

6. Can you give us a glimpse into the creative process behind your music? How do you typically approach songwriting and arranging?

It’s a mix of meticulous planning and total chaos. Tank will show up with a riff that sounds like the apocalypse, Simon adds a bassline that makes it sound worse (in the best way), and Werner programs screams until it all clicks. The Drummachine gets programmed to precision for the recordings, and then Mence comes in and turns everything up in his live stage performance.

7. With eight distinctive tracks on the album, how do you ensure that each song stands out individually while also contributing to the overall flow and cohesiveness of the record?

We treat each song like its own monster. Each has a distinct personality, whether it’s the brooding gloom of Kaifeck or the relentless punch of Schafott. But they all share the same DNA: raw energy, brutal riffs, and just enough absurdity to remind you it’s Fleischschirm.

8. When you release a record, how much attention do you pay to things like track order, layout, and artwork? How planned is everything?

Track order? It’s like building a death metal rollercoaster—you need the tension, the drops, and the insane finish (Nukular). The artwork? For now its simple and an extension of the music and our bandlogo. It felt absolutely right for our debut album.

9. How has the reception been for your music so far?

Overwhelmingly positive. People seem to enjoy being sonically pulverized while laughing at the absurdity of it all. We’ve had feedback ranging from "this is incredible" to "what the hell is wrong with you?"—and honestly, we’re happy with both.

10. When you work in the studio, what kind of process do you go through? Do you come in all prepared, or do you improvise?

It’s a mix. The Drummachine is always prepared because, well, it’s a machine. The rest of us try to be organized, but inspiration hits in weird ways—like when Werner wants a harder wall you gonna crash into and Tank rewrites an entire riff on the spot to fuck up your ears. Improvised chaos is our secret weapon.

11. What are some techniques you haven’t used on your current album that you would love to experiment with in future releases?

More fun, more brutality, harder riffs, violent effects. Theres a lot we are open for. Oh, and more weird time signatures. Why settle for 4/4 when you can terrify people with 17/8?

12. As a metal band, do you feel that you’re a part of a greater worldwide community of metalheads?

Absolutely. Metal is a universal language of chaos, catharsis and a lot of fun. Whether you’re moshing in Austria or Mexiko, there’s always a connection. And the worldwide metal community? It’s like a dysfunctional family—but one that we’re proud to be a part of.

13. How do you feel the metal scene has evolved in Germany over recent years, particularly in your own genre?

It’s thriving. The underground is alive and kicking, and there’s more diversity than ever. Bands aren’t afraid to experiment anymore, and that’s inspired us to push boundaries too. The scene is proof that brutal music never goes out of style.

14. You seem pretty mature and experienced musicians, so what changes—good and bad—have you witnessed or experienced as a unit in the local and underground scene?

The good? There’s more and more support and camaraderie in the scene now. The bad? There is not much that comes to mind. We like to party and love to have fun. Wo we are not taking part in any bad vibes going on in the music scene.

15. What ways have been the best for you to promote the band? What do you do to reach as many interested people as possible?

Playing live is our biggest weapon. There’s nothing like melting faces on stage. Online, we mix brutal riffs with humor—people seem to enjoy a not so mean and serious approach to metal music from time to time.

16. How do you feel about different musical formats (vinyl, cassette, digital, etc.) both for appreciating other music as well as how you want your music to be appreciated?

Vinyl feels like the holy grail for metal—it’s tactile, raw, and real. Maybe we will tap into this part of distribution one day. Cassettes? Nostalgic and cool in the right hands. Digital? It’s convenient and theres a lot going on. Its optimal for bands to reach a wide range of fans. We also got CDs, which is kind of a nostalgic joke, but they are really selling well. Ideally, we’d want people to experience Schirmherrschaft live with us while headbanging in a dimly lit room, surrounded by other metalheads and drinking beer.

17. We have come to the end of the interview. Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions, and we wish you the best in all your upcoming endeavors!

Thank YOU for letting us ramble about riffs, chaos, and drinking beer! Stay brutal, stay absurd, and don’t forget to check us out on our profiles and live shows. Cheers!

https://www.facebook.com/FleischSchirm