Posted by Macbeth Lives Again – The Rebirth of German Heavy Metal, One Soliloquy at a Time
Interview date: 27 March 2002, Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen By Nicky N. Meyer & C Erhard
I met up with the men of Rebellion just before the release of their debut album—a full-on Shakespearean concept record about Macbeth. You’d think that’s a bold move for a first album. Turns out, it was. But also, it was personal, deliberate, and surprisingly educational—something between a metal show and a Gothic literature seminar, with riffs instead of red pens.
✦ Starting Big—Or: Why Not Just Begin With a Bloody Crown?
It wasn’t even the band’s idea. “The label asked us to go for something like Tunes of War again—just as ambitious, just as coherent,” they told me. “And then it sort of snowballed into more than we planned. But we let it grow, and we’re proud of it.”
Unlike Tunes of War, though, this one leans heavily into theatrical storytelling. Spoken parts, full characters, an actual reader tying scenes together like a narrator in a dark musical. It’s more than just metal—it’s a whole performance.
They emphasized: “We didn’t go for gimmicks. We asked ourselves if each passage did the original justice—and when the material didn’t translate into songs, we spoke it instead.”
✦ Education, Pisa Studies, and Band Chemistry
There was a lot of laughter as we discussed whether this album unintentionally doubles as a Shakespearean crash course. “At the presentation, I basically turned into a teacher again,” one of them admitted, grinning.
But that’s Rebellion for you—equal parts musician, philosopher, and educator. “PISA got one thing wrong,” they argued, “it’s not about more rigid teaching—it’s about letting students work with joy, freedom, and consequences. That’s how it should be with music, too.”
And while education is noble, it’s also personal. Most members juggle careers and music. “Right now, I’ve got two jobs—it’s chaos, but it works.”
✦ Birth of a Band: From Side Projects to Shakespeare’s Soldiers
The album was recorded in their own studio—an inheritance from Grave Digger days. “We spent a year on it,” they said, and the lineup came together in true metalhead fashion: rehearsal rooms, accidental collaborations, and the occasional fanboy moment.
“Randy? I saw him on Annihilator’s King of the Kill tour back in ’95 and knew—this is the drummer I want.” He later moved to Berlin and joined. Just like that.
They’re aware of how surreal it looks. “One magazine had Annihilator on the left page and Rebellion on the right—with Randy in both photos.”
And while it started as a project, it became something more. “Everyone contributed. It turned into a real band.”
✦ Live Shows and Literary Metal
They went on tour before the album dropped—a risky move. “We had to win the audience over night after night. They didn’t know the songs yet, but by the end of the set, they were partying with us.”
And yes, some fans came just for Rebellion. “One guy told us, ‘I’ve seen Running Wild already—I came for you.’ That’s surreal.”
✦ Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks—And Playing Guitar Again
One of the surprises was seeing Uwe back on guitar after years as just a vocalist. “It was too much before—guitar, headbanging, solos, singing. I had given it up. But when Uwe asked me to join and play guitar again, I couldn’t say no. The chemistry was right.”
And despite touring with a recovering bandmate just out of hospital, they powered through. “Eighteen-hour days, three hours sleep, even feeling guilty for going to the toilet instead of working,” they laughed.
✦ Record Deals and Painted Covers
They didn’t want a contract at first—but they ended up with one anyway. Not without a fight. “We got a ridiculous first offer—laughed it off—and brought in a musicologist friend to help negotiate. Eventually, the label realized this wasn’t just a flash-in-the-pan project.”
Even the album art became a passion project. They enlisted a painter named James, who ended up co-creating the visual concept alongside the band. “He worked out of a corner of our studio and painted these massive 1×1 meter canvases. The label thought we were insane for digitizing real oil paintings, but it worked.”
The booklet stretched from 12 pages to 24. “It grew as naturally as the music itself.”
✦ Final Words
Rebellion isn’t trying to be the next big thing. They’re not even aiming for rock stardom. They’re here because they love the music, the storytelling, and each other. And honestly? That might be exactly why this works. A band of “five old dudes,” as they call themselves, who found joy in Shakespeare, power chords, and spoken-word bridges—and decided to burn bright anyway.