Flashback Interview: LARS RATZ (METALIUM) (1999): “We Did Not Invent The Wheel For The Second Time. All We Do Is Playing Heavy Metal As Much As We Wanted And As Good As We Feel It”

In 1999, backstage at the legendary Wacken Open Air festival, an emerging force in German heavy metal was about to make its mark. Metalium, a unique collaboration of German and American musicians, had just released their debut album Millennium Metal – Chapter One. In this candid conversation, band founder Lars Ratz (RIP) reveals the story behind the band’s formation, including how a chance encounter during the American Rock Life tour brought together talents like Chris Caffery (Savatage) and the powerful vocalist Henning Basse. The interview offers exclusive insights into the band’s bold decision to cover Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water,” dramatic lineup changes including the unexpected departure of drummer Mike Terrana, and the distinctive German-American sound that set Metalium apart from their contemporaries. Join us for this revealing backstage conversation that captures a pivotal moment in heavy metal history.

Author

  • Stig G. Nordahl

    Stig is the founder and the president of Metal Express Radio, based out of Oslo, Norway. He has been around doing Metal radio since the mid-eighties. In fact, running Metal Express Radio takes almost all of his time. Is it worth it...? "Most times, yes," Stig says. "My philosophy is to try to give all Metal releases a fair chance to get promoted in one way or another. As you can imagine, it can be an arduous task to listen through about 20 albums every week! Still, I know we have the best METAL dedicated radio on this planet, and that is a reward in and of itself. I hope one day the whole Metal community can and will make listening to Metal Express Radio part of their daily rituals! Yeah, right..."

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