Metal Monday

Im Sommer 1990 wurde in Hamburg eine musikalische Institution geschaffen. Das traditionsreiche KNUST machte sich zur Aufgabe den „toten Montag“ zum Leben zu erwecken – und welche Musik  würde da besser passen als Heavy Metal!?  Fünf Jahre lang rockten Montag für Montag regionale, nationale und internationale Metalbands wie zum Beispiel De la Cruz, 5th Avenue und King Köng -mit „Arzt“ Farin Urlaub-. das Haus.

Nach fast zwanzig Jahren Pause lassen die Veranstalter des Wacken Open Air in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Knust, Seaside Touring, All Access und Hamburg Konzerte den Metal Monday wieder aufleben. Unter dem Motto: „Immer drei Bands – immer kleiner Eintritt“ gibt es einmal im Monat Metalmusik live. „ Die Idee ist es, neben zwei regionalen Metalbands immer auch einen internationalen Newcomer nach Hamburg einzuladen. Es sollen gerade auch junge Nachwuchsbands eine Plattform bekommen“ Sagt WOA-Veranstalter Thomas Jensen.

In 2005 the bandname EMERGENCY GATE was heard for the first time.

Not long after that, the young band with high musical potential, produced their first professional album“NightlyRay”together with Spike Streefkerk (Mellissa Etheridge, Def Leppard, Phil Collins etc.). Metal Heart Magazine titled even the roughmix itself as „Album of the month“. That way no less label than TEC/Universal became attentive to EMERGENCY GATE, got in touch with them and took them under contract. At firstNightly Rayhas been released in the middle of 2006 in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux and the U.S.A. And it was possible for the five musicians to climb the top of the heavy-radio-charts in Benelux for one time!

Soon after that, EMERGENCY GATE went on tour with the Danish-Combo Mercenary and closed endorsement contracts among others with names like: Ernie Ball, SAD, Schecter Guitar Research, Ibanez etc. At the end of 2007, the band received a call from their label, in which they let them know, it won’t be possible for TEC to release with Universal anymore and therefore the band is free from their contract. Founding member, singer and guitarist Fabian „Cem“ Kießling also quit because of private matters. Now it was unclear, how the band should go on.

The remaining musicians broke their heads by thinking about a solution of this situation. It was obvious, every member was more than crazy about reaching new horizons and to create something new and different. Guitarist Vlad worked madly, day and night, on new material in agreement with Mario. Even without a singer and without knowing how everything will go on, the band booked time in Munich’s Dreamsound-Studios, to record and work on new material.

With the instrumental part of the album almost complete, Mario Lochert went as a FOH-Engineer of the supports for the Symphony X, Paradise Lost-Tour on the road. This way it happened on the second tour-day in Cologne: Mario met Matthias Kupka (ex Suidakra). Right in the first moment it was absolutely clear, the last missing piece needed to create something very magnificent, so important for the rising of the band, was found! The final recordings with Matthias started in the beginning of March 2008.

Not long after searching for a new label, the band chose a young upcoming one, Silverwolf Productions, to make their “Rewake” album public and released it on the 23rd January 2009. Their official videotrack for “Gold and Glass” was very well received by their fans and was also played on TV music channels worldwide. After a fantastic year, about 70 concerts in round 30 countries and a European Tour withKreator,Calibanand Eluveitiethey signed a new record deal with Twilight Zone Records (Endstille, Eluveitie etc.). They entered the Dreamscape Studios in Munich on the 22nd December 2009 to record their next powerful album „The Nemesis Construct“.

This album was the next logical step after the former works: Catchy melodies, progressive song structures, a bit similar to „Rewake“, mixed with brutal power and a complexly arranged, electronic soundscape. For the first time with the new line-up, EMERGENCY GATE could exhaust their full musical potential! The Coverartwork for „The Nemesis Construct“was done by Raf W. (Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Soulfly etc.) Also they found a magnificent voice with Tom Englund (Evergrey) as a guest vocalist on the song “Darkside of the Sun”. The Album “The Nemesis Construct” was released on the 30th April 2010 and several Magazines entiteled it “Suprise of the Year 2010”.

In the end of 2011 the band started to write songs for their upcoming album. During a break of the songwriting process in the Dreamsound Studios in Munich, Vlad suddently played an old, which never was released on a record. Mario jumped up and said something like: “You still remember this song? It was really great live and the people liked it a lot. We are here in the studio, why don’t we record an additional EP as a Christmas present for all our fans. Let’s rearrange the 6 best songs, that were never recorded. Are you ready for something crazy?” After a short discussion about the idea, all agreed – short talk during the night with the label and the studio, and the band started recording their EP with 6 powerful tracks from the past a few hours later. This EP “Remembrance – The Early Days” was released on the 9th December 2011 through Twilight Zone Records. After the songwriting of the 5th studio album was finished in early summer of 2012. After the Metalfest Tour and some additional Festivals, the band started with the recordings. In July they signed a new worldwide deal with the record company ZYX Music. The new record is expected to be released in the begging of 2013.

Be excited… and stay tuned!