MARK RUFFNECK - OZ

#interview

MARK RUFFNECK - OZ

💿 Hi, it’s a pleasure for us to have on Hardrockheavymetal MARK RUFFNECK, drummer and founding member of OZ! Welcome!!

Thank You. It’s really nice to do this Interview.

💿 Your new album FORCED COMMANDMENTS will be out on May 22nd, 2020 . Can you tell us somethin'about its composition process and style? How different was it working on this new album than previous?

The composition process and also the recording work were carried out in much the same way as with the album "Transition State". But there was a one big difference, quality before quantity. FORCED COMMANDMENT is the second album with this line-up and it has to be better than the previous album, "Transition State". I also talked to Lars Chriss about recording details. We liked to give him the best possible recording that he got a good mixing process to work with. Lars Chriss mixed the album "Transition State" and we liked that he would also mix FORCED COMMANDMENTS album. We also liked having Mike Lind from Masterplant for mastering, because we liked his masterering work on "Transition State" album. So during this time we planned more before the recording sessions and as I said earlier, the quality was before quantity. I am very pleased with the results. And I also want to say that all the people who worked for this album have done a good job.

💿 There's a great return of format such as vinyl and cassette. What's your thinking about these classic format..love for vintage or is it impossible a future for music outside digital?

Yes, both formats are back. We made FORCED COMMANDMENTS album the first place for the vinyl format, but also as a CD with 3 bonus tracks. So we had the vinyl record in our minds. I hope people who collect vinyls like OZ's new album. But I think digital music will be the most important part of the future and vinyls and cassettes are just items for collectors.

💿 FORCED COMMANDMENTS will be out via Massacre Records. Can you tell us somethin'about relationships with them?

This is the first album with Massacre Records and it works well with OZ and MASSACRE RECORDS. We had a great freedom to make our album as we liked and now we work together for PR and promotion. So we're really happy that we signed the Record Contract with them.

💿 Inside your songs what’s the role of lyrics in the composition process? Words follow music or vice versa?

Johnny writes all the lyrics and Johnny and Juzzy write all the music and together with the whole band we work out the final product. I think music comes first and the lyrics follow the music. Of course, some of the songs have an idea of ​​lyric in the beginning. I've talked to Johnny about what kind of lyrics he should write and with this album we talked about the style of being on the other side as well. So many texts have this idea, be alive or be dead or something between these two states. We are story tellers, so OZ texts are a good combination of reality and science fiction.

💿 How much is complicated to promote a new album at the time of a global pandemy? Are you scheduling some concerts for the second part of the year or is to too soon?

Of course, the Corona pandemic changed our lives as for the entire population of the world.

This is a horror movie with no end at all. We planned to do the live shows this spring and also the rest of the year, but now these plans are gone.

No, I think there's no idea to plan some live shows before the Corona crisis is over. And I can't think when it's over and what the world looks like then, so we just have to wait and see. We do advertising and marketing work as usual, but there are no scheduled live shows right now.

The most important thing is to stay alive and survive this Corona virus, as it is a really nasty killer. I hope You also stay safe.

💿 Amazing cover for FORCED COMMANDMENTS Can you tell us somethin'about?

I got the idea for the album name and after discussion with the rest of the band we designed FORCED COMMANDMENTS as the album name. Soon after, we began to think about different possibilities for the cover. We tested different ideas and finally we ended the idea for the cover as it is.

Andre from Blekkmark nevertheless got pretty free hands to make the cover and together with him we designed together the final cover. I am really pleased with his cover work and it was a pleasure to work with him. So I can only recommend him if you need graphic art or digital artwork.

💿 In your long career you’ve shared stage with many bands and artists.. One name, among others, that you remind..

We have played in different festivals with different bands, but when OZ toured in USA, 2013 we shared the Stage and Touring Bus with an American band October 31 and that band is still OZ-friends.

The tour was a really good experience because of October 31. Really good memories from that tour.

9. Thank you so much for your time! See you soon on Hardrockheavymetal!

You welcome, Rock On and Stay Safe.