There are some great bands coming out of Germany and one of them that serves up the metal hot is Steel messiah! We caught up with the band to learn more about them and to find out what is happening in their camp!

TheNwothm: Greetings! First up can you introduce our readers to the band?

S.M: Hi Rob! First of all we’d like to thank TheNWOTHM for giving us the opportunity for this interview. 

We are Steel Messiah from Germany and we play Heavy Metal. We are big fans of classic bands like Judas Priest or Mercyful Fate but our band members all listen to various styles of metal and other music genres.

TheNwothm: And how did the band form back in 2013?

S.M: Our singer Marius found a note on a music shop’s message board from Kai’s former band that were looking for a singer. So they met up and started jamming and playing some cover songs. But soon the drummer and the other guitarist decided to stop playing music actively. So Marius brought in our first guitarist Marcus with whom he had played in the band Laser before and our first drummer Daniel. In this constellation, soon the first songs were finished and we released our first EP “Of Laser and Lightning”. 

TheNwothm: How did you come up with the band name?

S.M: It was quite hard for us to find a name. We wanted a cliché Heavy Metal band name, for the fun of it, however while brainstorming we soon realised, that all our ideas were taken. Just try to google any Heavy Metal band names that come to your mind. It’s insane, like every name is taken by a band or an underground label. We don’t really know, who came up with Steel Messiah anymore, but we found the idea of a bit satire towards religion appealing so we decided for it. 

TheNwothm: For people listening to the band for the very first time, what can listeners expect?

S.M: Our first EP “Of Laser and Lightning” solely focuses on classic 80s Heavy Metal, straight forward songs with melody and some high pitch vocals. Our new release “Dead and Gone” is a bit more diverse, as we wanted to get more variety in our songs, however still rooted in classic Heavy Metal. 

TheNwothm: Growing up who would you say your biggest influences were? Who did you listen to and did they influence the bands sound?

S.M: Our singers biggest influences are definitely Rob Halford, Eric Adams, King Diamond and Tim Ripper Owens. He always loved high vocals which is why we use them a lot in our songs. Kai grew up with the big American Thrash bands like Metallica and Anthrax. Nowadays he listens to a wide spectrum in- and outside of metal music. Our drummer Marc is listening to almost all metal genres with no specific preference. Bassist Kilian is big Iron Maiden and Candlemass fan and generally listens to a lot of heavy and doom and our new lead guitarist Elijah listens to a lot of instrumental modern metal and some death core bands. 

TheNwothm: You guys are from Ulm, Baden-Württemberg in Germany! Can you tell us more about the area and what the metal scene is like there?

S.M: Ulm is a medium big city with a small scene. There are two clubs that regularly organise metal gigs with about 100 attendees. Around the 2010s there were a lot of small bands around Ulm but nowadays we sadly don’t have that much to offer anymore. Since COVID, one of our clubs rarely organises anything and the other club mostly invites extreme metal which is a bit unfortunate for us.

TheNwothm: And when thinking about the current metal climate, where do you think heavy metal is the most popular?

S.M: Currently, it feels like extreme Metal, especially Black and Black Thrash are very popular. The Heavy Metal boom we had, when the Canadian scene with Skull Fist, Cauldron etc and Swedish bands like Enforcer and RAM came out is a bit over. However we have some newer great festivals in Germany focusing on NWOTHM, like the Trveheim, Bavarian Metalheadz and the Ironfest.

S.M: As we never toured big we can’t really say much about the scene outside of South Germany.

TheNwothm: Let us talk about your first release “Of Laser and Lightning” which was put out in 2016! How did the EP come about and what went on in the few years leading up to its release?

S.M: The EP consists of two songs Marcus and Marius wrote in Laser and three songs the past members wrote together in the rehearsal room. This is why the EP is called of Laser and Lightning, as Struck by Lightning was the first song we wrote together. It was recorded in the home studio of Robin, a friend from back then. Nowadays he plays guitar in the Death Metal band Typhonian where Marius also plays bass. 

TheNwothm: Can you tell us more about the artwork for the EP?

S.M: The artwork was handcrafted by Marius mother. The idea was to go for an oldschool Fantasy vibe like on old Magic: The Gathering cards or artworks for Dungeons & Dragons. It’s a bit quirky, however we still like it. 

TheNwothm: Putting music aside for a moment what do you all like to do when your not making music?

S.M: If not either working or studying, music is our main hobby. Our drummer Marc has his own studio, the Attic ‘n’ Cave studio which takes a lot of his free time and a dog. Kilian likes to read fantasy and sci-fi. Kai collects vinyl and plays video games. Marius also reads fantasy and horror and plays video games. Besides playing guitar, Elijah’s hobby is archery. 

TheNwothm: Who is the one band member that spends more time grooming themselves then making music?

S.M: Actually, we don’t have a narcissist, so everybody cares about the music. Hard to believe, we know.

TheNwothm: And who is the one guy that gets the most attention at shows?

S.M: Definitely our singer, since he has almost no gear to set up, so right after our shows he directly goes to the merch table to talk to the audience.

TheNwothm:  Moving to the present day you have unleashed the EP “Dead or Alive.” What can you tell us about the EP and the writing process behind it?

S.M: “Dead or Alive” is actually a compilation of songs that were written after “Of Laser and Lightning” in quite big time intervals with different bandmembers involved, as we had trouble keeping together a steady line up. Originally the idea was to make an album themed around a bounty hunter. The songs Dead or Alive and Dead and Gone were meant to be the first and last song of the album. But nothing went as planned, as guitarist Marcus and Drummer Moritz left the band, Marius and Kai joined Demons Dream, first temporarily, later as full members.

However because of different creative ideas, Marius and Kai wanted to pursue Steel Messiah again with new members. The pandemic made it difficult to find a new lead guitarist and Marius wanted to hand over bass duties to focus solely on vocals.

When we finally had our members together, we decided to release the ‚old‘ material as an EP to be able to have a new start with the new guys.

TheNwothm: What gigging plans do you have for 2024 and will we see an album?

S.M: Currently we are still looking for gig opportunities for 2024, so if you know anything in our reach or want us to come you town, just send us an e-mail!

And yes, we are currently working on our first album, however we are not sure if we will be able to put it out in 2024, but you never know, so stay tuned :). 

TheNwothm:  Where can fans buy your music and merch?

S.M: Check out our bandcamp! There you can get our new EP.

https://steelmessiah.bandcamp.com/album/dead-or-alive

TheNwothm: Anything else you would like to mention?

S.M: Stay heavy and support the underground!