FEBRUARY 28th, 2021
ON ATLAS' SHOULDERS EXCLUSIVE
MetalTitans had the opportunity to talk with Marius Bönisch (vocals) and Ben Chadwick (guitar) from Heavy Metal band, ON ATLAS' SHOULDERS. Forming in 2018 out of Frankfurt, Germany, the name originates from the saying "standing on the shoulders of giants", which in science and philosophy, this theme implies that all progress made is building upon previous discoveries. If themes like this interests you, and you want to discover more about this band, please check out our interview below:
Interview By: Metal Mom
ON ATLAS' SHOULDERS IS:
Marius Bönisch - Vocals
Ben Chadwick - Guitar & Backing Vocals
Björn Anders - Guitar & Backing Vocals
Leonard Pick - Drums
MT: You formed back in 2018, so still a fairly new band on the scene, what was the deciding factor in forming the band?
Ben: First off, thanks for having us! The band was founded in late 2018 in Frankfurt, Germany, by Marius (vocals) and myself (guitar). We had both been in bands previously and love making rock and metal music, it’s just a huge passion. But we didn’t actually know each other previously.
Marius: Ben was looking to start a metal project from scratch, while I was actually looking to join an existing band, but was having trouble finding one that matched my musical taste and overall ambitions.
Ben: I stumbled across Marius in a local online musician’s forum and read that he was interested in similar music, Dream Theater for example. So I decided to reach out to him.
Marius: Yeah, and we met for a jam session at Ben’s apartment and immediately felt an awesome musical connection. It just worked instantly. So after spending the day making music and the night having a good time in the Cave, a metal club in Frankfurt, we decided to form the band then and there.
MT: What made you call the band "On Atlas' Shoulders"?
Marius: Finding a name was a lengthy process. We wanted to have something unique, recognizable, and most importantly with a meaning or message behind it. Basically, the name On Atlas’ Shoulders originates from the saying “standing on the shoulders of giants”, a scientific or philosophical theme that implies that all progress is made by building upon previous discoveries. Musicians and bands are influenced by their preceding musical giants, build upon their work and transform the music into something new. It’s sort of a legacy concept.
MT: Tell us how each of your band members came to be in the band . . .
Ben: As mentioned, Marius and I formed the band in late 2018. Interestingly, we originally hadn’t planned on becoming a two-guitar-band. Björn read our online search for a drummer and bassist and basically decided to reach out as a guitarist. A long shot, seeing as we were looking for a drums and bass haha, but Marius and I thought it absolutely made sense musically. So, we met at Björn’s apartment, had a small jam session, and it was great. As a guitarist, I think our styles really complement each other. We have similar techniques which is great for rhythm, but differ in our approaches to writing melodies, which is great for songwriting and having complementing solos, as we both also play lead. He is more traditional and shreddy, I am more on the heavier and melodic side.
Marius: As for Leo, we actually auditioned multiple drummers. We really wanted someone not only with the talent and ability to play the type of metal we write, which can get a bit proggy, but also someone who was on the same page in terms of work ethic and so on. When we jammed with Leo, it just clicked, and I believe we asked him to join a day later or so.
MT: What or who was your influence on picking Heavy Metal as your choice for the band?
Marius: In terms of On Atlas’ Shoulders’ style, it is a blend of all our musical influences. We are all into metal, but actually slightly different subgenres. Bands that come to mind range from Dream Theater, Breaking Benjamin, Judas Priest, Enforcer, Trivium, Unleash the Archers, Ne Obliviscaris, and many many more.
Ben: We are all huge metal fans ourselves, and as you see our tastes range from traditional metal to power and prog all the way to death metal. And taking all that together, what comes out is actually quite heavily tilted in traditional metal, but you will find elements of more extreme metal or classical influences sprinkled throughout, which in our view is what makes our sound unique.
MT: You have a new album, your second one, that should be released in the summer of this year called "Hyperion", tell us what we can expect from this release.
Marius: 10 tracks of epic heavy metal that take you on a musical journey! The themes, although diverse, are all very powerful and all-encompassing. Every song is supposed to have some sort of message in it.
Ben: We built upon all the elements that made our debut record unique and pushed them to a whole other level, in our opinion. Heavy riffs, melodic harmonies, guitar solos, backing vocals, you name it.
MT: How did you come up with the name Hyperion? If you google the name this is what comes up . . . "Hyperion was one of the Titans, son of Uranus and Gaia. He represented light, wisdom and watchfulness. He was the father of the sun, the moon, and the dawn. " So does this have any influence on the name of your next release?
Ben: We have this greek titan theme that is a recurring motif throughout our music. And simultaneously we wanted to have a specific colour and vibe on each record. Our debut album Invictus had a blue theme, Hyperion has a red, fire theme. And as such we were looking for a suitable album name that kind of combined those elements.
Marius: We were reading up on various titans from greek mythology and tried to find one that worked with all the elements and also sounded metal. Leo, our drummer, actually came up with Hyperion, and it was perfect: He represents the sun, fire, and also has a ring to it that is instantly catchy and heavy.
MT: Who writes the lyrics for the songs, and where does the inspiration come from?
Ben: I have written some lyrics, but Marius writes the majority. That’s his turf.
Marius: Inspiration for lyrics often comes from things I have experienced personally and that I try to put into words, usually metaphorically. It is a very natural process and something I can’t push, but instead have to let flow. That being said, I was always the type of guy, who believes in blood, sweat and scars. Those things make shit real and true. The words I choose for my lyrics are supposed to reflect that and aim at communicating a sense of strength and ferociousness.
MT: Seems like you have a purpose to those lyrics, explain to those that don't know.
Marius: The general purpose to our lyrics is to convey courage and a fighting spirit. The themes reach from epic tales, to difficult emotions and internal conflicts, that are described visually, to motivating lyrics aimed at evoking feelings of strength. Our songs always have a meaning, that is really important to us. I see myself not only as a singer, but sometimes as an actor like in a theater, to be honest. It’s not just singing nice sounding tones for me but also telling a story and getting a message out embedded into a certain ambience.
MT: Do each of the members come up with their own music? Drummer for example his own drum blasts, guitarist their own riffs?
Ben: Yes, each member writes their own parts. Often, a track will start with riff ideas that Björn and I come up with. Then Marius thinks of vocal melodies and lyrical themes that work with the vibe, and Leo writes suitable drum parts. But we basically have no set rules or boundaries and let inspiration flow in every direction. For example, Leo and Marius have also written guitar melodies, I have written lyrics, Björn has come up with drum ideas and so on. In the end, we use whatever works best for that particular song, and it is a joint effort.
MT: When did you first realize that you wanted to be in a band?
Ben: My parents are both classical musicians and I grew up playing piano. And during high school, after about 10 years of classical piano lessons, I wanted to go into a different musical direction - and rock was my drug of choice. I knew then that I really wanted to join a band, after having played a solo instrument for so long. So I picked up the bass guitar and literally within two weeks after having started was asked to join a local rock band in my hometown. That’s what set everything off for me, playing classic rock tunes, Guns n’ Roses, Stones, some blues and surf rock tunes and so on. Awesome, timeless stuff.
Marius: It actually wasn’t my idea back then, haha. I fell in love with Green Day’s “American Idiot” album back in 2004. During that time, I learned every song by heart and sang the songs non-stop up and down. I always had a certain “control” over my voice. I could do animal sounds and imitate people’s voices for entertainment and so on. However, I never dared thinking that I actually had a real singing talent. However, on a school field trip, my student friends heard me sing American Idiot the whole time and apparently were very excited by it. They told me that I could sing very well and they wanted to hear it over and over again. My first audience so to speak, haha. Eventually, my best friend at that time (he played guitar) approached me because of that and asked if we wanted to form a school band. I was 12 or so back then. I said yes and that got the entire ball rolling. I haven’t stopped singing ever since and was in multiple bands from that point on. It’s actually a nice little story that shows how things fall into place if you just show your natural self. If others see who you naturally are, the good things will happen in life, haha.
MT: Tell us which band had some influence on that decision?
Ben: In the early years with my high school band, my main inspirations were classic rock bands such as Guns n’ Roses, Zeppelin, Beatles, the Stones and so on. At the same time I was also into bands such as Linkin Park, Queens of the Stone Age and Rush. Over time I became more and more interested in heavier, more complex music and naturally ended up in the metal rabbit hole.
Marius: As I said, the American Idiot album by Green Day was a major contributor for me to actually enter the musical realm. Other artists that I listened to back then were Nirvana, Papa Roach and Switchfoot. My taste for metal actually developed a bit later when I was around 15.
MT: With covid happening this past year and still, how will you manage to promote your new album?
Ben: Covid has of course had a major impact on everyone, all around the globe. In the microcosm of our band, specifically in terms of album promotion, we have to focus much more on social media and online marketing, as spreading the word by playing live shows will be relatively limited in the near future.
MT: Do you have restrictions in Germany right now because of covid?
Marius: Absolutely, right now we are in a hard lockdown and can’t even rehearse all together, let alone play live shows. We just hope we’ll all get through this mess soon. Until then we just need to stay strong, take care of each other and focus on what lies ahead.
MT: What is the one thing you really want to do after this is all over and it is safe to do things again?
Ben: Play live shows!
Marius: Definitely. We can’t wait to get out there!
MT: Is there anything you would like to add to this interview that I might have missed asking but you want people to know?
Ben: Thanks for all the great questions. I would just use this opportunity to shamelessly plug our upcoming album Hyperion, which will be out early this summer. We are releasing multiple singles and music videos before the album drops. We hope you enjoy it!
Marius: And one last thing, to everyone out there: Stay strong and rock on!
Thank you (Danke) for taking the time to do this interview with us here at Metaltitans, and we wish you great success in your new release "Hyperion".
On Atlas' Shoulders
Website: www.onatlasshoulders.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onatlasshoulders
Instagram: @onatlasshoulders
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgkT7lf1wZrLN673_KCxTMw
**The words, views and opinions expressed in answers are those of the authors and do not reflect necessarily the official position, attitude or position of đ đđ§đđđ đđŚđŚđđđ ᴳᴸᴟᴎᴏᴸ.