NEW YORK (Metropolis Records) - The band recently released their new record "Scheissmessiah" and has been on the road with Ministry and Thrill Kill Cult since
September 21. Thrill Kill Cult finished their dates on November 3 and now Opiate For The Masses is the opening act.
"After two days of gigs, we were offered to do the whole tour with Ministry instead of just the first leg," said vocalist/guitarist Vas Kallas. "Plus gaining the middle slot as direct support is a dream come true. The Ministry crowd loves us. We're getting lots of compliments from all the newbies and they are buying our CDs like crazy."
"Scheissmessiah" is Hanzel Und Gretyl's fourth album and is their first recording with drummer Jon Osterman and bassist Anna K. The new material is an audio exploration of Heaven and Hell, inspired by Dante Alighieri's 'Inferno' (part of his epic poem, "The Divine Comedy," describing the descent through the nine layers of Hell) and George Frideric Handel's 'Messiah' (his famous oratorio about Christ's birth, death, and resurrection).
"We wanted a Roman/Germanic Heaven and Hell vibe with a Renaissance kind of setting for our first Christmas CD," said guitarist/composer Loopy. "What two better works to cross-reference and basically destroy! Dante's 'Inferno' was always one of my favorites and I think Handel's 'Messiah' is pretty much the definitive Christmas jam worldwide."
The 11 tracks on "Scheissmessiah" incorporate more of a metal influence than their last record "Uber Alles." Loopy and Val's vicious hooks and sampling, as well as Vas' venomous Deutsch/English vocals are still prominent on the record. The incorporation of live bass and drums only enhances the ferocity of the band.
"We want to evolve away from the techno sound machine and blend in a more live, brutal vibe," said Kallas. "There are some older fans who don't understand why we are still not a techno band. We are ever-evolving and we will always evolve no matter what."
"We expect to get faster and heavier," said Loopy. "The Ministry crew has been awesome! This is the first time we've been out with a headliner that lets us be as loud as we want. That is unheard of!"
"Scheissmessiah" was released on October 12 and is Hanzel Und Gretyl's second recording for Metropolis Records.
"Now that the CD is out, we see people singing along to the new songs that we play," said Kallas.
Tour dates are as follows:
11/15/04 Mon. Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC, CANADA
11/16/04 Tue. The Jungle, Eugene, OR
11/18/04 Thu. The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA
11/20/04 Sat. Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO
11/21/04 Sun. Granada Theatre, Lawrence, KS
11/22/04 Mon. House Of Blues, Chicago, IL
11/23/04 Tue. House Of Blues, Cleveland, OH
11/24/04 Wed. Orbit Room, Grand Rapids, MI
11/26/04 Fri. Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, NY
11/27/04 Sat. Saratoga Winners, Latham, NY
11/28/04 Sun. The Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA
11/30/04 Tue. Crazy Donkey, Farmingdale, NY
12/02/04 Thu. Club Denim, Guelph, ON, CANADA
12/03/04 Fri. Capital Music Hall, Ottawa, ON, CANADA
12/04/04 Sat. Toad's Place, New Haven, CT
12/05/04 Sun. Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
12/07/04 Tue. Crocodile Rock Cafe, Allentown, PA
12/08/04 Wed. Newport Music Hall, Columbus, OH
12/09/04 Thu. Jillian's, Louisville, KY
12/10/04 Fri. State Theater, Detroit, MI
