Markus Jüllich of Crematory Interview

21st April 2020 1 By John Deaux

Crematory were formed in Germany, January of 1991 and are a band that I have only recently discovered and started listening to (late to the party as ever right?). But I managed to get hold of their drummer Markus for a quick chat.

I was sent a copy of Oblivion last year and fell in love with it immediately. I subsequently purchased 5 more albums (Transmigration, Just Dreaming, Illusions, Crematory and Awake)

Thanks a lot for interest and support in CREMATORY and buying our early releases.

What struck me is the difference between every album and the drastic difference to Oblivion which was much more Gothic Metal.
You went back to the early days of the band. “Illusions“ was our break through in Europe, and the following tours established the band and we created our own sound. The first albums surely have some different styles which make some people compare it more to death or doom metal. So I understand that you call it a drastic difference to “Oblivion“.

How did the writing of this album differ to Oblivion?
When we started 29 years ago, everything was different. We rehearsed and wrote the songs in the rehearsal place. We spent more time in that place, than at home back then. We used old tape recorders to record our ideas. Today we send files, or use a cloud to put down our ideas, so everybody in the band can listen to it. I arrange the parts, and put the ideas together before we all come together and work on it. After the arrangement is done, Felix and Connie work on their vocal parts. The final work takes place in the studio.

Was it a conscious decision to make new Crematory sound like old Crematory ?
Not really. Our albums usually differ from each other, cause we capture the music that we feel at this time. We don’t ́t use leftover stuff from earlier years. That is the reason why every album has its own style, but still sounds like CREMATORY

Unbroken is certainly a bit of a curve ball album. Did having a new record company have any bearing on this?
No.

We wrote about 20 songs and then decides as a band which ones make it on the album. After we had the first songs ready we sent them to Napalm Records to give them an impression on what we are working. Of course they gave us a feedback, but we had the same opinion on which songs would be good for a video.

How much involvement has Napalm Records had with the band?
Napalm has a great distribution and also a great marketing department. They gave us a lot good ideas for Unbroken. That is a reason why we decided to sign there. Even we are in the business for such a long time, you always have to be open minded for new ideas, musically or business wise.

Who has final say on the formats released?
That’s me!

Do you record separately or together?

We lay down the basics together. After that we work on the details. That is often done separately, but usually there are 2 or 3 of us in the studio at the same time, so we can get feedbacks and maybe also new ideas, before the final version is done.

Do you think technology now controls the recording process (cut and paste etc) or do you think the musician is still fully in control?
Technology helps to work fast. We use that when we record ideas or a rough demo version of a song. Recording the final product is still the band and not a machine.

What’s the one home cooked meal you miss when touring?
When you spend time on the road it can happen often, that the food you get doesn’t ́t differ that much. The local promoters try to have food for the bands that is common, so you can end up having schnitzel and fries almost every day.

Do you have any rituals before going on stage?
No we are professional.

If you weren’t a professional musician, what would you be doing instead?
I would be a professional Soccer player.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?

To hold our first Record in or hands and to reach the first Chartentree!

What’s next for Crematory?
The Tour for the Unbroken Album which we switched in the beginning of 2021

Is there anything you’d like to say to your fan base?