Intervista Poltergeist (V.O. Pulver)

Hi guys, welcome to TrueMetal.it and welcome back to the scene! It took more than 20 years, but finally we can listen to previously unreleased material again! How do you feel about it?

We feel very excited! It was indeed a long wait to finally release a new album. but when we reformed in 2013 it was clear from the beginning that we’re gonna make some new music.
 
You have three new bandmates; would you like to introduce them?

On the drums we have Sven Vormann who used to play in Destruction. Actually it was his effort to bring the band back together. when the first rumors came up about a reunion, he managed to bring us all into the rehearsal room and jam together for the first time in 20 years.
The second guitar is handled by Chasper Wanner. I know him since a few years and we always wanted to play together in a band. Back in the old days we were always looking for a second guitarist, but we couldn’t find someone who can play fast, thrash riffs and also shred like hell. now after all these years we finally found the right guy.
On bass we have Ralf Winzer Garcia who replaced Marek Felis. Marek left Poltergeist some months ago, he had a burnout from his work and didn’t want to play Metal anymore. 
We know Ralf since the 80ies, when he used to play in a band called Curare. Nowadays he also plays in Wolf Counsel and Requiem. He’s such a nice guy and a really great bass player!
 
You’ve also changed your classic four-piece line-up becoming a quintet, why?

See above, we always wanted to have the double axe attack to play harmonies and to make the sound fatter on stage.
 

Exactly when did you realize there’s still a place for Poltergeist in the actual music business?

To be honest: I don’t think there is place for any small Metal band in this fucked up business….
we reunited purely for the love of music and enjoying ourselves when we play together. In these times it is kind of impossible to have a career with a band like Poltergeist. You don’t make a lot of money and it’s not quite the right music to sell a lot of records… We just felt it’s the right time to get together again and play the shows which are offered to us.
 
What can you tell me about coming back playing live? Where did you play your first date of the new course? What about your feelings?

It’s always great fun! the first show was on board of the 70’000 tons of metal cruise and it felt unreal to play the first gig on the pool deck in bright sunshine! The whole cruise experience was a blast and we met a lot of cool people there. It was actually also the first time Poltergeist played outside of europe. we enjoyed every minute of it! Also the shows at the Metal Assault and Headbangers Open air in Germany were a great experience!
 
How will you promote the new record? Is there the possibility to see you playing live here in Italy?

We try to play as much as possible. unfortunately, so far we have no offer to play in Italy. Hopefully there will be possibility to make a tour and come to bella Italia!

Let’s start talking about “Back to Haunt”. What’s behind this title and what are the main themes?

The title is a hint to our situation. We were long gone and now we are back to haunt! After all these years not many people thought of a comeback of the Poltergeist, but here we are!
other songs deal with different subjects. Patterns in the Sky deals with the Chemtrails and asks if these are real or just a product of some conspiracy theories…well, nobody knows for sure..
The Pillars Of Creation is a Song about the Horse Head Nebula in Space. A place where stars are born…Shell Beach is influenced from the Movie Dark City. Gone And Forgotten is dedicated to all the people who think they can take their money and power which they collect during their lifetime into their grave. a shroud has no pockets and after a while nobody will remember them! Beyond The Realms Of Time is about a Time Traveler who get’s lost in time.
you see, there is not a ‚main theme‘ in the lyrics. I just get inspiration from everything; life, movies, news, science, fiction, everything which stimulates me to think.
 
It sounds very powerful with no exaggerations like we’re used to listen in modern metal. Who was the producer and where it has been recorded?

Thanks. I did the production myself in my own Little Creek Studio here in Switzerland. Since this is my main occupation and I also already did albums for Destruction, Pro-Pain, Fear My Thoughts, Panzer, gurD, etc.. it was clear that I would do a new Poltergeist album as well.
 
Just for splitting hair’s sake, maybe bass lines could be a little more evident in my opinion…

Really? I heard from several people the bass is almost too loud.. 😉 you must be a bass player then.. hahaha
 
What is your favorite song and why? I like very much the first three songs, but maybe my favorite one is “Shell Beach”. What is this song about?

I think it’s Back To Haunt. It summarizes the sound of old and new Poltergeist and contains all the trademarks we always had. Shell Beach is like I said before a Song about the Movie Dark City. It is a very weird and dark Science Fiction movie about an alien race seeking help from the human race. you’ll have to check it out!
 
Your comeback reminds me a lot Artillery’s return with “B.A.C.K.” (1999). Do you agree?

I don’t know this album really well. I am more into the old Artillery stuff like By Inheritance or Fear Of Tomorrow, but I will check out B.A.C.K. immediately !

 
Now a little jump back to the past. What are the main reasons why the band disbanded?

We split up after the last tour with Coroner in 1993. This tour was not very successful and half of the shows dind’t even take place. we noticed that this kind of music was like dead and everybody wanted to hear grunge or death metal…. after the tour the Bassist and the Drummer told me they wanted to leave the band and start something new, more groove oriented kind of Metal.they asked me to join them and that was how my other band gurD was born..
 
You recorded three great albums and you have to be very proud of them. The band have always had a strong personality and the music is surely original (also your latest record!), but what are the bands that inspired your compositions?

I think the biggest Influence were bands like Exodus, Testament, Slayer, Metallica and Annihilator back then. but also the Classics like Kiss, Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest had their way into our ears, I mean we all grew up with that stuff. 
 

My friends and I are used to say that there are/were not many Swiss bands, but they are all both good and particular. What’s in the air? If you think about Celtic Frost, Coroner, Messiah, Gotthard and so on there’s a lot to dig…

Maybe it’s the cheese? or the chocolate? I have no idea, but it’s true that despite our small size, we have a lot of good bands from here. 
 
What do you think about Coroner’s reunion? Would you like to hear a new record or in your opinion their career is perfect the way it is?

I think it’s great that they are back together. Of course they should do a new album. I think it’s vital for a band to put out new material and not only play  the old stuff over and over!
 
Do you have news about Messiah? You played with them in the past, didn’t you?

No news… My fellow gurD-Drummer Steve Karrer (he played in Messiah for a long time) said there are no plans for a Reunion. I used to help them out in the 80ies as a live guitarist when Brögi left them. I was never a permanent member of Messiah. But this was before Steve’s time in the band.. 😉
 

Maybe most of the metalheads ignore that you had a part in the growing of European thrash metal scene. I’m talking about the Carrion-era and “Evil Is There!” (1986) recordings. What do you remember about that period?

Well, thats quite a long time ago… I was barely 16 when this record came out, but we were really proud having finally our first Album in our hands. Great times! there were several re-releases in the past years. In Mexico the CD was released as a double CD with Demo and live tracks. High Roller from Germany put out a new vinyl run and last year a small Greek label released the Carrion-Demo on vinyl in a limited run of 250 pieces… crazy that after all these years people still listen to this stuff!

 
We’re about to finish. Is there anything else that you would like to tell to our readers?

I hope we make it to play in Italy! check out Back To Haunt and thanx for your support!
POLTER TIL DEATH
 
Thank you very much, hope to see you soon on the road!

Thank you too!

Orso Comellini