Interview with Christian Mertens, Dark Millennium

- Hello, Christian! The band was formed in the late 80s, but what actually brought you into metal music? When did your passion to extreme music start?
- We began listening to acts like AC/DC, Motörhead, Iron Maiden, Accept; then, after a while, a band called Slayer blew our minds, and our passion to more extreme music became stronger. The idea came up to create music ourselves, and we thought it would be cool to take our influences and mix them with dark and extreme ones.
 
- It wasn't that easy to get metal records as it is now. How did you get the new metal releases and what was the first Death Metal record that you got?
- We had a record store in our town, and they had metal records there; we bought a lot of them, and when we had no more money, we stole them, haha. First DM record? "Scream Bloody Gore" by Death. I had never heard kind of music like that. I had stolen it just because of the cover art, but the music I heard was so unbelievable... I wanted a band that sounded like that stuff.

- So, how did you eventually come up with creating a band? How did you meet the rest of the guys? And who came up with the band's name?
- Christoph, the drummer, and I were old friends that came in touch with metal together. Then we met Hilton, our guitar player, and first we three covered old Motörhead songs. Then we decided to found a band with our own songs, we searched a bass player and found Markus. The first band name was Mortal Freight, but as the music we created became more dark and death metal oriented, we looked for a name that sounded better to the musical style. It was Christoph's idea.
 
- In 1991 you released your first Demo, "The Apocryphal Wisdom". How and where did the recording sessions go? How many copies did you have and how did you distribute the record?
- The first demo was recorded in Hilchenbach, a small town in the near of our hometown. I think the recording sessions were done in 2 or 3 days, and we sent the tapes to record companies and sold them ourselves. It was the time of tape trading. Andy Siry became later the manager of the band.
 
- Already next year you released your debut full-length, "Ashore the Celestial Burden". Where did you record it? How long did it take you? Could you recall any stories related to those sessions?
- We recorded "Ashore" at Commusication Studios with producer Gerhard Magin. It took about 2 weeks to record it, and then some days for mixing. It was such a great atmosphere in the studio, Gerhard was a very cool guy and we had - beside working - a lot of fun. While we were recording, Alex Freund wrote the cover art in the studio while listening to the music, so all came together in a creative process.

- This CD was was released by Massacre Records. How did you get the contract? Were you satisfied with those guys' support and cooperation with you?
- Massacre Records signed us after the second demo, "Of Sceptre Their Ashes May Be"; I think we were one of the first Death Metal bands of the company, and they did a good work to promote the record. The response was very good, and we went on tour with Unleashed, Tiamat and Samael, and played many more concerts.
 
- In 1993 you released your last master-piece, "Diana Read Peace". First of all, how could you comment on the title? Who is that Diana?
- Well... Diana is a picture for something beautiful, and she gets in touch with the dark side of life. I always liked the idea to play with opposites. The word peace is written false, so it means war.
 
- Regarding the music, there was a huge play-style development within the band. What can you say about it? Besides the music itself, you also changed the vocals parts significantly.
- On the second record we had the idea to create music that plays with any kind of mood you can get in. We gave ourselves no limits, let all ideas flow and come together. We wanted to do something new, played - like the title said - with all opposites and extremes. We didn't thought if it was death metal, doom metal, progressive metal... everything was possible. And like the music, I thought it would be cool to play with different vocal styles, I thought it would be boring to sound always the same.

- What were your main influences while writing this music? How did it actually happen that you decided to be more experimental and defiant in your music?
- We listened to bands like Rush, Alice in Chains, Peter Gabriel... and also Entombed, Autopsy... everything flew together, as said before, we gave ourselves no limits. It was not a kind of plan to do that, it just happened.
 
- Along with the music, did you change anyhow the content and the meaning of your lyrics? Can you say what was the main message of "Diana Read Peace"?
- The lyrics became more personal and psychological. On the first record I told a story about a traveller in time, and on "Diana" it was more about the meeting of beauty and darkness. The main message... well... is maybe, that we live in a world of opposites, of different moods, in the centre between maybe a god and maybe a devil, who knows. In the end, everything is possible.
 
- I can't help mentioning the artwork. That's actually the case when the music is as much mind-blowing as the album's cover. Who was the artist? Did you work with him together on the concept?
- The cover artist was our long time friend Alex Freund; we talked a lot about the lyrics, and I think he did a great job expressing them in his paintings. We always wanted cover artworks that looked cool and also made sense in context with the lyrics.

- So why did this album become the last one for you? What was the main reason to split-up?
- After "Diana" we had the feeling that - at that time - everything was said; this album was so experimental, that we had not really an idea what to do next. And just record something without a good idea behind it - no, that was no option. And the musical influences and ideas and plans between the members were now very different, and we had no common direction. Looking back, we maybe just had to make a break, and then go on with Dark Millennium. Who knows what had happened then...
 
- Recently Century Media released "Out of The Past" CD, which includes both of your Demos. Tell us, how did it happen that Century Media got interested in that release and what kind of edition is it?
- Century Media came up with the idea to release the old stuff again, because they are still into our demos and albums; we thought about it as a very cool idea to breathe new life into the past, so we came together again and signed a deal. "Out of the past" contains the two remastered demo tapes with artwork by Alex Freund to every song on it, and also the albums will be released again, remastered and with new liner notes. On the "Diana" - record are two bonus tracks we never released, the title track and a song called "Into the raven domiciles", both kind of thrash metal - songs we again had recorded with producer Gerhard Magin.

- That would be the last question. Have you guys considered to reform Dark Millenium? Is there at least any chance to see you playing live?
- Well, I can't answer that question at this moment; fact is, the chemistry between us is still good, and maybe the time to raise the millennium again will come, haha - now we're just happy with the response on the re-releases, that is really good, and then we'll see what the future will bring.
 
- Thank you for this interview, Christian! Would you like to add anything in the end?
- It was a pleasure! And thanks a lot to everybody who supported and still supports the band - last words: stay tuned!  ​​​