Mela: Please don't blame me for the following short version, but if you need more details, please take a look at our homepage. There you can find all the details and all the boring facts. MEGACE was founded back in 1988. Since that we recorded two Albums and 3 demotapes and we had the chance to gave titles to, let me guess, about 5 or 6 compilations! We have not been on tour 'til now, that's really a pity.

2) Do you still have the same members as when you first started off as a band?

Jörg: No, Mela and me are the last remaining original members, but I think this is nothing special. After the release of "Human Errors" we had to split from Dirty (guitar), who was for a bout 5 years in the band, and Carsten (drums) and then we were searching for the right direction where we wanted to go. Christian is with us for 9 years now, so he is more original than his predecessor Michael. Andreas is for 5 years in the Band and Stefan for 7 years, so for me this is the Original Line-Up, because it is so constant. I hope that we never have to change again, because we are a very good team now!

3) Your first CD "Human Errors" was already released back in '91. How come it took you this long to come up with its successor ("Inner War", released in '99) and what's the difference between both albums? (approach, music style, etc.etc.)

Jörg: During our years of absence - after the release of "Human Errors" - we worked all the time on new material and released the "Pseudo Identity" Tape. We had problems with some former members, because they wanted to play a different style of music. It was really hard to find the right people who have the ability and the will to play our style of music and are also nice people. It costed us about 2 years, to get out of the contract with our former record label, this was a very hard time for us. Then we started with the recordings for Inner War already in 1996!

Mela: For me the most difference is inbetween the band. We had a lot more bandfeeling during the recordings to INNER WARã compared to the Human Errors times. We have developed our music style, but I am not very good in giving this a concrete name! Maybe we are more intense?! Personally I prefer Inner War, I think it expresses more variety for me that is what distinguishes our music.

4) You appeared with a rough mix of your song "Cry" on the "Unbroken Metal" sampler ('98) alongside with bands such as SACRED STEEL, JAG PANZER, HAMMERFALL, SKEW SISKIN, ICED EARTH, etc.etc. How did you get involved on this?

Jörg: I was involved in the UNBROKEN METAL Film Team for a long time, and later on we integrated Stefan for better Live Recordings. We broadcasted many Live Shows on a local TV Station, only available in Hamburg. There was everything from Underground Acts to bigger Metal Bands. We had Bands like Solitude Aeturnus, Annihilator, Therion, Overkill and I don't what else. Now it is done by a slightly different Team and there are about 50 Shows broadcasted until now. The former Leader Rüdiger Abend, who is also doing the UNBROKEN METAL MAG now, wanted to release this Compilation, and as he knew about our new recordings he asked us to take part. On this CD are also some 4 Track Live Recordings, that have been recorded by Stefan Speidel and me.

5) How did you hook-up with Angular records, who released your new album?

Jörg: We collected all the adresses from Magazines or CD's and Angular was one of them. They answered within a few days and we came to one point very fast, so we signed for this release.

6) How did you get in touch with Uwe Göller, the man behind the PINK FLOYD/artrock magazine "Eclipsed" and the "Sysyphus" samplers? You appeared with "Synchronicity 1" (cover by THE POLICE) on their "Sysyphus Vol. 5" sampler.

Jörg: : This connection was made by Stefan Kost from Angular Records. As Stefan is deep into the Progressive Rock and Metal Scene, he knew Uwe before and they asked us to contribute on this CD. Right now we are working on Pink Floyd Coverversion for PF-Tribute, which is scheduled to be released in Winter. We are going to record "The dogs of war" from "A momentary lapse of reason". The only problem is, that this of course costs money, that we don't have at the moment.

Mela: At the moment? I hope this state isn't forever! ;-)

7) Why did you decide to record this cover? (which is on your new CD "Inner War").

Jörg: We are all big Police Fans since centuries, at least me. As we talked about doing a new Covertune, I came with the idea to record Synchronicity 1, because I thought it would fit us very good. In the beginnig we had some problems with the arrangement of the instruments, because the original Version depends mostly on Keyboards, but after a while we felt that it would be a nice try to put it on the CD. So we recorded it and it became much better than we expected.

8) And are you planning to do record any more covers in the near future?

Jörg: We already rehearsed "Riot", a song by the Dead Kennedys. I think we will record this for the next album, because this song definitely rules.

Mela: I have some doubts ö not because of the song, because of my vocals. Jello Biafra is a fantastic singer because of his expression I don«t like the idea to try measuring with him.....

9) Tell us a little about the music contained on the "Inner War" CD.

Mela: I would say it has a lot of variety ö you can listen to songs with pure aggression like Affengesicht or Instinct... but you can also feel the sadness in Rain. I think the album is a classical sit-down-and really-listen-to-it stuff. This is nothing to consume while doing studies!

10) Dirk Schlächter of GAMMA RAY co-produced the CD. How did you get together with him?

Jörg: We are good friends with Gamma Ray for about 9 years now and I also work for them as a guitar-technician since 8 years. Also they have their Studio right next to our rehearsalroom, so we meet them all the time. It is a very important connection for us, because they helped us more than we ever expected. Kai also produced our second Demo THIS IS THE NEWS. That was when they left their Project-Character and started to play as a real Band. They started in our practiseroom!

Mela: ... mostly with our beer...

11)Will your collaboration with Dirk Schlächter continue in the future?

Jörg: I think so and I hope so. He likes our music and is of course a very good musician, so he is able to give us a lot of help during everything we need help for.

12) Why did you decide to name the band MEGACE and what does it mean?

Jörg: The name came from our first Bassplayer and we took it, because we thought in sounds good. A long time we didn't know the exact meaning, but it is the short name for MEGESTROL ACETATE, which is a medicament used for the easing of pain for AIDS and Cancer patients. One of it's side effects is, that it makes your body shake, what I hope is also a side effect of the Band MEGACE...

13) Who would you say are some of the bands influences?

Mela: Our private taste of music is extemly different. But there are also some bands you could name as bandfavourites. This is for example VOIVOD or PRIMUS or DEAD KENNEDYS but also stuff like DREAM THEATRE.

14) What bands are you currently listening to these days?

Jörg: I like a lot of Metal Bands, too many to be mentioned here. I like Pat Metheny, but I also like the old NWOBHM Stuff. Take a look at our Website at www.megace.de , where I listed a lot of my personal faves.

Mela:Yes, at our homepage you can also see some of my personal favourites, there are DJ's like Yves D.

15) What are your touring plans?

Mela: If you ask me ö let«s take a bus and go! We have only simple dates in the nearer future ö but if you know somebody who is crazy enough to want us guys on HIS stage tell us!

16) Are there any bands out there that you would like to support on tour?

Jörg: Voivod!

Mela: Oh, YES!

17) What can fans expect when they come see you live?

Mela: I think they can see that we like the stuff we play. We are just ourselves on stage. Unfortunately I could't convince the boys to take off their trousers.......

18) Lyrically, the band takes on a number of different subjects. What inspires you when you're writing lyrics?

Mela: I am faszinated by human behavior and philosophical topics. Sometimes I take a theme from my direct surrounding or I take it out situations I ran through.

19) Are you working on any new material? If so, in what direction do you see the music of MEGACE headed in the future?

Jörg: We are in a very creative mood these days, at least Chriddle is throwing out songs like a maniac. The new stuff seems to be less thrashy and more atmospheric. Of course it still sounds like Megace, but maybe it is not that technical anymore. But we always think, that the new stuff is more commercial and we are mostly wrong . This is the problem to be that deep into the music as we are. What we think is very straight is not straight at all to the ordinary Metal Fan. We will never sound like an usual Metal Band, we are open to all kinds of music, running from Jazz to Black Metal, and these are the influences that we bring into our music. We also have a new Song with german Lyrics that is a real Punk Song, another classical Song is in work, too. You'll see, it's our typical mix of everything, captured in our our technical abilities.

20) How has the press reaction of "Inner War" been?

Jörg: The reactions are very good! Every review sounds very enthusiastic and up til now, noone compared us to any other Band, which makes us very proud.

21) Are you satisfied with "Inner War" and is there anything you would have done differently?

Jörg: I would change the production of the Guitar Sound, but as we did a lot by ourselves we had to make this compomise during the mixing session. I still like it a lot and sometimes I am surprised how good it is! This album contains very much of our heartblood, and although some of the songs are little older for us, I feel very much listening to INNER WAR!

Mela: I would change nothing very big, only some phrase of my vocals here and there.

22) There are two songs on the album with lyrics written in German. Is that something you will continue to do on future albums?

Mela: Yes, I think so. Although it is my mother tongue it is really a challenge to do german vocals!

23) What is the English translation for the two German song titles? (Schweissnaht & Affengesicht).

Mela: Schweissnaht means wealding seam and Affengesicht means Ape face.

24) Please explain your rather strange CD cover (a snail with a clock behind bars). What's it about? It's designed by the same guy (Jacek Yerka) who's resposible for all the beautiful LANA LANE covers, right?

Jörg: Well, the snail is that slow that it is already stabed and killed by the growing mushrooms. This is a symbol for what could happen to you, when you feel like paralysed because you fight your Inner War and don't know what to do. Be faster and decide what you really want! We had two different ideas for the Cover, but Angular didn't like them, so they came up with this cover. We all liked it and so we took it. It is very well done and fits to our rather uncommercial style of music. Right, it is strange, and so is our music. If you see the CD, you might get a slight idea of what you could expect from the Music. It also looks like a Metal cover, maybe it's a bit too much Fantasy-Style, but there are so many bad covers, that I think we had pretty much luck with it. Jacek Yerka also did the LANA LANE covers, but we didn't knew him before.

25) What part of Germany do you come from?

Jörg: We are all from Hamburg, except Stefan who comes "only" from the Hamburg Area. This is in the north of Germany and one of the biggest cities in Germany. As far as I know, Hamburg has the biggest port in Europe!

Mela: And it has St.Pauli, the Reeperbahn which is very famous, I think!

*Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions. In closing, is there anything you'd like to add to this interview or say to the readers of Metal Maidens?

Mela: Thank you for your interest in MEGACE and women in rock in general!!

questions by: Tony Cannella and Rita van Poorten/MM