Basti:   First of all let me tell you, that I pretty much enjoyed "Conspiritualized". It's a great hard rock/metal-album, which really sends some positive and cool vibes. It's a welcome CD on any party and also people who are not just and not so deep into hard rock/metal could definitely enjoy this.

Are you satisfied with "Conspiritualized"?

Mike:   Our overall opinion is that were happy with it for the time and budget allotted. As you well know it's our debut and the record company would not allow a huge budget for the first album. Also there are always production things that you think of after the final shit's been done. But yeah were pretty happy with it.

Basti:   Is this what you had imagined for your debut album?

Mut:   I never imagined a debut album, I just Imagined AMARA!

Steve:   I didn't see myself being part of anyone's debut album ever.

DJ:   Well what can you imagine from a debut album? Who knows what's going to happen?

Mike:   I was always confident that our sound and our songs were right. I'm just glad that someone else (Dragon) has the same faith in AMARA as we do. Its also good to hear positive feedback like your own, and it lets me know that our music is doing what its supposed to. As I said, a bigger budget would have been great but...

Basti:   Whose idea was this pretty strange album title?

Mut:   DJ and I came up with the idea. We bounced several ideas off each other about the world's spiritual state of affairs. We personally think that the organised religions of the world are behind a huge conspiracy to control the masses and their money.

Mike:   Yep its just one big Spiritual Conspiracy!

Basti:   Which song do you like best or worst, if any?

Mut:   My favourite song is "War is my name" cos its close to my heart.

Steve:   Mine has got to be "Forbidden Fruit" because it's totally slamming!

Mike:   Out of all the tracks on the album, and of the tracks we perform live, "Kali" is the one that makes all the hairs on arms and neck stand to attention. It's a simple song with a simple message about material greed, and gives a warning that taking a short cut in life is not always the best way to health, wealth and happiness! That comes through hard work and determination! I don't think there's any song on the album I dislike. Those tracks that we weren't happy with just didn't make it onto the release version of "Conspiritualized"!

DJ:   I don't have A favourite song but the two I really like are "Beautiful Song" and "War is my name". "War" directs my anger against oppressive people, and "Beautiful" because it's beautiful!

Basti:   I somehow do dislike "As our mother slowly dies". It does not fit into the overall positive vibrations of this album. It also seems too experimental for a pure rock album. What is it about this song? How did it make its way on the album?

Mut:   We all wanted to try something a bit different musically and we feel strongly ["concerned" ? - annotation by editor] about the way the human race is negatively treating our earthly mother.

Basti:   The English Magazine "The Crack" says, your music is a "well advice" for "fans of stuff such as Guns & Roses etc". I feel like this is not all by far. I see some real metal roots also. What would you say? Which bands had the greatest influence on you?

Mike:   Yes, we feel this is slightly unfair also. One of the reasons we get compared to the great Guns'n'Roses is because of DJ's voice. We actually think he sounds like Gene Pitney on Acid! Seriously though it�'s still a great compliment. Our metal roots stretch back further than G'n'R. We're influenced by Black Sabbath, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, The Cult, Pantera, Type O Negative, Anthrax, Slash's Snakepit etc. I think this shows through in our music!

Basti:   What bands and music do you listen to privately?

Mut:   I am solely metal! If it's not metal it doesn't go through my ears! I like Van Halen, Metallica, and the Cult, Type O Negative, Rammstien, Pantera, Sabbath, Kreator and many other metal bands.

DJ:   I listen to Ozzy, Metallica (especially the Black Album), Disturbed, S.O.A.D, Marilyn Manson, Papa Roach and Tenacious D!

Steve:   Guns'n'Roses, Metallica, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Pantera, Soundgarden, R.H.C.P, Ozzy, Bon Jovi, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd.

Mike:   I think out of all of us, I have the most varied range of musical taste's (Steve runs a close second)! Like the boys I listen to Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Testament, Slayer, Flotsam and Jetsam, Disturbed, Linkin Park, Stain'd, Drowning Pool (It makes me sad when I think about their loss!), Foo Fighters, P. Roach, Live. I also enjoy Eminem, Alanis Morrisette, Level 42 (English Funk/Jazz/pop band) and many others. I'll hold my hands up and admit to liking some pop music too! Hey, what can I say, I'm a freak!

Basti:   Who writes the music and who the lyrics?

Mut:   AMARA write all the music and lyrics together. All four of us make up the entity of AMARA - it's kinda like the "Four kings of Hell" thing!

Basti:   On your website, there is a big question mark above the "keyboard"-position. Does this mean you are searching for a keyboard player? If so, have there already been rehearsals?

DJ:   Yes we are currently searching for a keyboard player. There have been several auditions but unfortunately it takes more than just talent to fit into AMARA.

Mut:   It takes energy, drive, passion, dedication, a few too many wheat beers, and commitment!

Mike:   However we are open to offers - and not just from keyboard players! (laughs)

Basti:   How long did the recording for "Conspiritualized" take?

DJ:   In total 3 weeks, working day and night, on average 12 to 16 hours per day.

Steve:   It would have taken a lot less time if Mike did not keep running out and jumping into the river outside of the studio!

Basti:   I saw, that as part of the MUT-FEST 2002, you would also be touring in Germany, from November 6th. Have you ever been here before?

Mut:   Yeah, in 2000 we did a few shows in support of Slash's Snakepit's "Ain't life grand" tour. We have also recently been to Hamburg as we were honoured to be asked to play the closing night of the Marquee club along side the great German Hardcore Punk band, V-PUNK.

Mike:   The German leg of the "Blood, Sweat and Beers" is as follows:

06.11.02 Hamburg / Headbangers Ballroom,
07.11.02 Hamburg / Scandia Bar,
08.11.02 Hannover / Faust
09.11.02 Erlangen / Scheune,
10.11.02 Kiel / Bam,
12.11.02 Düsseldorf / TBA,
13.11.02 Berlin / Wild At Heart,
14.22.02 Potsdam / Archiv,
15.11.02 Winsen-Luhe / JUZ Egon's

Basti:   Are you looking forward to be on tour?

Steve:   Hell Yeah! Germany has got to be one of our favourite countries to tour. We love the people, the beer, and the general atmosphere!

Mut:   The only down side is that I'm a vegetarian and all I can find to eat is cheese or pizza. But that's only because we haven't learned the language well enough to order anything else yet!

Basti:   What can we expect from Amara in 2003?

Mike:   Hopefully, larger tours of Germany maybe play Wacken and a few other festivals if it can be arranged. We've already started writing songs for our next album, but we will continue to promote "Conspiritualized" in other countries. However we are going to stick a few of the new songs in the set for the German Tour. We hope to see you there, and that this tour is as successful as our last visits. We also intend to make Jagermiester the new Jack Daniel's of Rock'n'Roll.
For more information on AMARA, check out www.amara-online.co.uk
See you in Hell! PROST!