Frank, how and when did you get in touch with metal music? Which bands/artists were your faves, did have an effect on you, respectively?
I got in touch with Metal 1978 My sister came with AC/DC – If you want blood you’ve got It. My next album was Kiss – Love Gun and than it started. Scorpions, UFO, Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Iron Maiden, Priest … But my all time favorite Benz bands are Siren and Explorer.
Did your parents support your goals, your hobby? Was listening to metal music a kind of hobby (joy) for you?
My parents drove me to my first concert: Kiss with support Iron Maiden 1980. What I have to say my parents accepted my musical passion, but always thought that you can’t be successful if you’re listening to that music.
If I’m correct, you run a heavy metal fanclub in Kiel, could you tell us more about it?
Together with my friend Phillip Wolter from Cat Breath and Vladimir Harkonnen we founded the Fanclub in Kiel (South Cross Union). We organized transport to concerts, made club meetings, made Metal Quiz, organized local shows, took part in a radio show etc.
Before you established FHM Records, did you have any experiences as far as the music industry, money, financial things etc.?
I didn’t have experience how to drive a Record Label, but I have experience in Retail: Marketing, Purchasing, Suppy Chain, Financing etc.. Before I started the Label I was a Board member of One of the largest Retail Companies of the world.
How did the label come into being as a whole? Did you establish it along with Holger Geinitz?
Holger Geinitz and I talked about the Siren-Back from the Dead issue and on the vinyl release three Songs were missing, I’m as a fan wanted to have these songs on vinyl and nobody wanted to publish these. Holger and I discussed about a release. And the rest is history.
What is the standard contract that you are offering to the bands?
The contracts are nearly the same. I don’t wanted small bands to have disadvantages per copy. The difference is the amount of pressings.
How did/do you pick those bands you wanted to sign? What is the criteria exactly?
My criteria to sign a band is that one: If I don’t wanna be in the front row at a concert it’s not the right one. I’m doing it’s to support a band to spread their music to as many people as possible and not to earn fast money. I have different goals than most other labels.
How many albums did you release altogether? Could you speak detailed about them? Could you sum up the releases of the label?
We have now nearly 40 releases (catalog numbers). Siren – Back from the Dead Great comeback album Siren – Lost Tracks from the Dead plus One The 3 missing vinyl tracks & live Arrow – The EPs 84 85 Reissue German 80-ies underground Pyracanda – Two Sides of a Coin Speed Metal with strong melodies. Reissue remastered by Patrick W. Engel Pyracanda – Thorns More technical progressive Reissue remastered by Patrick W. Engel Killers – Fils de la haine French classic Reissue remastered by Patrick W. Engel Killers Resistances French Masterpiece Reissue remastered by Patrick W. Engel Siren – Financial Suicide & live Great 80-ies US Power Metal. one of the most underrated albums. Plus 2 Unreleased songs and bonus live concert from 88 Reissueremastered by Achim Koehler Exxplorer – Symphoniesof Steel The best album ever, including 7 bonus tracks, all remastered by Achim Koehler Atomic Opera – Time Warp Fifteen First album of this 80-ies Florida Legend, 3 Siren members Feeling B – grün und blau (2 Rammstein members) Reissue remastered by Patrick W. Engel Feeling B – Hea Hea Hoa Hea Hea Hoa Reissue remastered by Patrick W. Engel Siren – A Mercenary’s Fate Superb album, most magazines 9/10 Mixed at Morrisound The Slum Lordz – Sold on Sin 2 Exxplorer members, Tour de Force, Ross the Bosd Oblivion – The Executioner One of the best traditional US Metal albums of the last years, old school 80-irs Band from Florida Assalant – the damage is done With Jason Mc Master (Watchtower), Mike Soliz (Militia) Reissue remastered by Achim Koehler Lost Circus – Lost Circus From Nashville. Catchy melodies Nasty Savage – Jeopardy Room After 40 years the Wage of mayhem is back Recorded and mixed at Morrisound Pyracanda – Losing Faith and Their comeback after 40 years, great melodies the next ones are Feeling B (pre Rammstein) – Wir kriegen euch alle Feeling B – Die Maske des roten Todes Distant Thunder – Welcome the End With James Rivera, Helstar Reissue remastered by Achim Koehler Power Surge – Shadows Warning Siren – Live in Offenbach 88 2 LP, full show Black Mask/ Hyena, Split 7 inch.
How is your connection with the bands? Do you get on well with them?
We are working intense with the Bands together, e.g. Pyracanda played the first riffs, came to my house to let me listen to the first rehearsals etc.. This was long before we made a contract for the album. As a friend and fan I wanna hear everything.
Are they colleagues or friends? Are you in touch with them on a regular basis?
The connection to all of our bands is that they are really good friends. Most of our bands are also friends with each other and are like a big family and help each other.
Do you pay the studio costs as the bands enter the studio to record their material?
The Payment is different, depending what the band wants, always before the release. We advertise when it is senseful to do. We always measure it with the sales in our shop.
Are your releases distributed in Europe and worldwide by several labels or do you organize the distribution alone?
We are working together with a lot of great labels, they sell our records in their shops too.
Do you always pay royalties to the bands? Could the bands earn some money as far as the selling, merchandise etc.?
Normally the merchandise is done by the band not by us.
Which was/is the most successful record so far/to this date?
The most successful record so far is Nasty Savage Jeopardy Room, but other releases are already sold out: Pyracanda – Two Sides Of A Coin Sold, Killers – Fils de la Haine, Resistances, Feeling B – Grün und blau
Do the fans, the media like your releases?
We are very glad how the fans like FHM Records. We have gotten very good commits about our releases. We always look for good sound and pressing quality. And most of the critics were amazing. In average I would say we received about 8,5/10.
Do you consider FHM Records an underground label? What does underground mean to you, to be underground respectively?
Our Record Label is definitely an Underground Label because we are not a Major Label. But what is Underground? We are here for the Fans and that is important. Does this mean underground? The Quality of the Record is very important. We try to get always innersleeves with antistatic plastic inside, lyrics, 12 page Cd booklet, extras if possible, signed records, limited editions like the blood red vinyl from Nasty Savage.
What kind of relationship do you have with the other labels?
Compared to the earlier days, I mean, from the ’70s to the late ’90s, would you say that it’s easier to promote the bands/releases nowadays for a label with the new tools, such as internet, or is it just a totally different world and nothing can’t be compared?
Nowadays it’s much more difficult to do the things like in the 80-ies, because in the 80-ies, it was easier: you only had a few magazines -> now you have a lot; so you could concentrate your money and invest in a few magazines to cover the whole scene and you also had very large pressing quantities. Therefore it was easier to finance it for a label.
As far as the internet, what do you think about downloading of music? Do you support it or are you against it?
If you are downloading music it is depending what you’re doing. It is the same with streaming. If you are streaming and downloading songs to know about new bands or to check if you like the album it is great. But afterwards you should buy the record you really like. A lot of records we published would not exist without a deal about a physical pressing. You need CDs and Vinyls to keep the scene alive.
In your opinion, do the physical formats lose their importance?
In the 80-ies we recorded the vinyls on tape too. But we bought the great stuff as soon as we could afford these. But nowadays the mentality of the society changes.
Why do the labels send their promotional packages online, as mp3 or wav files?
It is impossible for small labels to send physical copies for promotion, because nowadays are existing so many online magazines and small magazines that I could send more promotional copies than we are selling.
What do you think about the present music scene compared to the past one? What did change, how much did it change, wherein did it change?
Bands can easy record nowadays music, but that is the problem of the scene too. We have to many average Bands which publish anything. There are too many labels who publish a lot of average material, you to make quick money.
In your opinion is it easier to get a deal nowadays than 15-20 years before?
The Music Scene now is a dream: you can see now so many concerts, you can see the old Bands and you can see great new bands too. But it’s not easy too. What should you listen too? So many great records! But the fans now don‘t listen to an album 20 times, the way of consuming music changed.
Frank, thanks a lot for your answers, any closing words to the interview?
Support the underground, I am so proud on the great releases we have done. A dream for me came true to have my favorite bands on the label. Exxplorer – Symphonies of steel is my favorite album ever made. This is the perfect Metal album. Oblivion FL – The Executioner a US Metal gem Siren – Financial Suicide one of the most underrated US Metal albums and the new Pyracanda and Nasty Savage so Great Comeback albums.
