After 14 years, Swiss thrash metallers from Messiah reunited and are soon ready to present us a new album. The reasons Messiah split up, guitarist Brogi explained all these, aswell he mentioned how Therion’s mastermind Christofer Johnsson joined the band as the vocalist during Underground album and why the band split up after this release, signing a new record deal and others You can read all below.
Cheers Brogi, nice talking with you, how’re things going?
Thanks for being interviewed here for the wordwide metalheads, is great! Things are going very well, busy times with the reunion, but we’re having fun!
We let everyone know that Messiah have reunited!
That’s great, thanks again for your support. I`m very proud to know that Messiah is still known worldwide.
I suppose, as you reunited, we expect a new album after 24 years…
That’s right, we announced a new album with the reunion. We will take our time and in advance we will play some shows for the loyal fans. We are very pleased to meet our fans for a thrashing madness in the front of the stage!
You remained the same line-up too.
Yes, the line-up of the Noise records era albums. On a base of friendship we start the third Messiah chapter.
Let’s get back in the past: Andy Kaina left the band in 1994 and joined on board Christofer Johnsson (Therion) as the vocalist, same year you’ve released Underground. How did you met Christofer and what made you decide he would fit in as Messiah’s vocalist
That’s a more dark chapter. Andy left soon after Patrick was kicked out. This was a big mistake. We tried some Swiss vocalists for rehearsals cause the new album was asked by Noise records. Without success, I met Christofer first in Poland as we shared the stage on a festival there. Shortly after, I organised a Therion show in my hometown in Switzerland. On this occasion I asked Christofer if he would be able to sing for Messiah`s new album. He agreed, but brought an idiosyncraticst style to sing with hardcore influences that had nothing to do with Messiah We had also a new bass player and the result of Underground was not really successful. In my opinion, this album is not a real Messiah album, so the band split up because of this situation.
Same year, you have released also the EP The Ballad of Jesus, then the band split up until 2003, why?
This was a takeout of the album with experiments and techno influences. A sad chapter for Messiah.
You have reunited back in 2003 where you had the live show at Abart, right? As in 2010 in was released as a live album Reanimation 2003-Live at Abart.
This was not an official reunion, we did only two shows for the fans. With the same line-up as we’re doing the reunion now. Both shows were filmed to release a DVD(With Full Force-Germany and also the show at Abart Zurich, Switzerland). As we got the sound recordings, Massacre records released this live-album toghether with our Noise albums. The DVD 20 Years Of Infernal Thrashing was released 2004.
Massacre records have release a few of your albums (compilation), aswell the live one, 1991 to 1994 you were signed to Noise records. Would you like to continue working with Massacre records?
No, we started working with High Roller records from Germany. I got to know these guys in the contex of sublicenses for Messiah’s rereleases on vinyl. They do their job with a lot of love with details and authenticity, so we decided to work with them for our new reunion album.
Most known bands from Switzerland that made history in the metal scene, to name a few: Celtic Frost and Hellhammer, Coroner, I’m also a fan of Excruciation, but same time, even thought you didn’t put yourself in the first places to say this way, you are ”the true’’ Messiah, I wasn’t even born the days you released the first albums, not even Underground one, hehe, why did you prefer to remain more in the underground scene?
Messiah never made music with any expections, we always played with our feeling. As a result of that, we`ve gotten more and more fans of the underground scene. We didn`t prefer to remain more in the underground scene. That has turned out so and is alright like this. And Messiah was never forgotten all the years of silence because of the very loyal fans. They are the really heart of Messiah and we are really proud of them! I only can say thanks to everyone who kept Messiah alive over more than 34 years!
Were you guys active with other bands all this time Messiah was on split?
Only Steve and Patrick. Andy never sang again and I saw my guitar more on the wall as I played it. But during the years, I used the contact to the record companies and some guys in the oldscool scene.
Tell me more about the present plans, besides the new album, any touring plans aswell?
Touring would not be possible this year, but we will play some single shows/festivals which are already confirmed. We will start this summer in Italy, Belgium and Germany. The official reunion show will be in our hometown Zug, on September 29th.
Maybe will catch to see you live someday!
Yes – would be great to visit your country,who knows….
Thx a lot for your time Brogi, it was my pleasure havng this interview with you. Thrash on!
Infernal Thrashing madness to you all, metal maniacs!
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