Nuclear Warfare is a crushing 2-piece thrash metal band who just released a great new album on MDD Records and here is an interview with band member Fritz.

How did the band form and I know 2 of the members are original members from 2001? Now the 2 original members, did you come from any others bands at the time?
Hi my name is Fritz, Me and Listl we are founding members of Nuclear Warfare and we start to play with the band so there was no bands before.

What were the early practices like? Did you fool around with any cover tunes and what were the main influences of the band early on?
We didn’t cover a lot in the beginning just Reincarnation from Sodom, People of the Lie from Kreator and Thor from Manowar. We start straight to compose our own shit. The main Influences was old school thrash like Destruction, Sodom also Megadeth, Slayer the heavy metal like Judas Priest, Manowar and  punk rock like The Ramones.

Did you guys early on want the band to be a serious band or want it more going to be a part time type of band?
Really in the beginning the target was drink a lot (huhahhahaha) and meet friends in the rehearsal room. Beer and Metal.

How long was the band around before you released a demo called “First Strike”? What was it like going into the studio for the 1st time? Were the songs pretty much ready to go and you just needed to record them?
We was really quick, after 6 months we record the First Strike demo. But we wasn’t in a studio, we recorded with one microphone in the rehearsal room. The sound is like that sorry.

What are your thoughts on this demo these days? Can you even listen to it these days?
We was prepared to destroy everything and we didn’t know what we are doing, and with a lot of beer in our heads the craziness finds no end. I’m sometimes sad because I can’t listen anymore because I didn’t find my copy of this fucking demo.

In 2004 you released a full length called “War is Unleashed”. Who put this out and is it still for sale? Did you pretty much have the songs ready for this to go and how was it going into the studio to do a full length and not a demo?
Was our first time in a studio and Mark the producer had a lot of work with us, we did shit all the time. Make BBQ and drink, destroy stuffs. The studio was in an old factory, out of the recording rooms there was a lot of old shit to destroy. But in the end we had an album, and we was so fucking proud of it. It is since some time sold out.

How were the sales for this release? How was the response to this release and were you at the time able to play many live shows?
It was 500 copies. We get a lot of good reviews and yes of course this album open doors for us. We played a lot in Germany but also in whole Europe: Netherlands, Belgium, France, Poland, Switzerland and Austria.

How did you come up with the name Nuclear Warfare and were any other names thrown around and who came up with the cool logo you guys have?
In the beginning the name was Death Squad but there was too much bands with this name. So one day we was sitting in the rehearsal room and drink some beer and listen to Nuclear Assault and whoever had the idea mix Nuclear Assault with Chemical Warfare and boooom Nuclear Warfare. The logo was a creation of our old drummer Thomas Bernhard he plays now at Godskill.

An Ep followed in 2005 called “Dosenpfand Muss Weg! Who put this out and what are your thoughts on it?
In this time there was a new rule in Germany deposit on cans and we hate it because the beer is then more expansive. So we did this cool Punkrocka hahaha.

How does the writing of a song come together and who does the lyrics?
We compose the songs now a days together. Everybody is part in the process so everybody is part of the song. Most of the lyrics I wrote. At the last album just Mata com faca was from Alex.

In Germany is there a healthy metal scene where your based out of and have you got to play many places from 2002 till the present, which is late 2017?
Oh sorry I really don’t know anymore where we played. I think it was more than 300 shows.

You just rolled along and in 2006 another full length was released called “We Come in Peace”. Why was this the title and who released this and what are your thoughts on this these days? Is it still for sale or is it out of print?
It was in the time of the second iraq war. Our old singer Andreas Schram was very interested in the theme so he wrote these lyrics. We come in peace. Listel wrote a great song to it. We like it a lot so we say is a good name for the album. It is still for sale .The album was self produced.

In 2007 another Ep came out called “Royal Fortune”. Now who put this out and at the time was it easy to go and gather tunes and just have them released every year?
Oh yes it was our own 5 Birthday Present. It was limited to 250 copies and a special golden edition 66 copies. We produced our self and build a little studio. Our old singer was very interested in this recording shit.

Is the Ep still or sale or is it sold out?
It is sold out.

At what time do you think you found the Nuclear Warfare sound? Do you think you’re an original band?
This is a really good question. Maybe we will never find. I don’t know. Maybe we find it in the first moment.

In 2008 a compilation came out called “Killing Combat”. What stuff is on this and who put it out and is it still for sale?
It was a best of for our first Russia tour. There are songs from the first 2 records and the dosenpfand 7". It is sold out.

In 2009 you had a big change within the band as singer Andreas "Nucleator" Schramm left the band and original and current bass player, Fritz took over on vocals. Now did the band at any time consider getting another singer or was Fritz just a natural choice for the job?
The only reason that I’m singing is we was thinking in the beginning he will come back, and then it is very easy to come back. Then I will play just bass and he sings like nothing was happen. Ok it is now 8 years ago, we think he will not come back.

How quick did you pick up playing bass and singing at the same time? Did it feel weird at all not having just a singer up onstage?
The first shows it was really strange, but with the time it was working better and better. It is really a hard job to play an instrument and singing, but after 3 records there is no way back.

In 2010 you released your first full length with your singing called “God of Aggression”. How was it going into the studio this time and did you do anything different this time around as opposed to the past times when you went into the studio?
It was again a new producer Tommy Strand. We used our and his equipment together. The way to the recording was more difficult. With this changing on the microphone. We had a new guitarist; Pit was joining the band closed before recordings. To integrate all this before recording was hard. For me was also special because was the first time that I’m singing the main vocals on a record.

What are your thoughts on “God of Aggression” these days? Is it still for sale and who put it out?
Was our first label release, it’s out on MDD. It is still for sale. We composed more epic but why I don’t know.

Did you do any type of touring behind this release? Do you think you’re a great live band and are there many live clips on sites like You Tube?
I don’t know, maybe we are a great live band .Come and join a show, after we drink a beer and you tell us if you like it. You are invited.

There was a 4 year break in between releases. Why was that? Had at any time the band broke up?
No it was because we played a lot of shows, and need more time for songwriting that’s it.

In 2014 the band released “Just Fuckin Thrash”. I love that title. Now how did the songs for this release start to come together? How easy was it for you guys to come together and start to write songs for this release?
We take all the time we need, we had a lot of party in this time. So we did songs about it, Just Fucking Thrash, Ich mag Bier, Place of Slaughter, Circle of Thirst.

Who put this release out and how long were you in the studio for this time around? Do you prefer being a three piece band?
It was also released on MDD. I think we was 2 weeks in the studio, we rehearsal before a lot. Difficult to say, in the moment it is better to be 3 motherfuckers.

What are some great concerts you personally have seen over the years?
Too much good bands, can’t say one special.

Now we fast forward to 2017 and you have just released a fantastic new album called “Empowered By Hate” on MDD Records. How did you end up working with MDD Records?
You like it that’s cool. That makes me happy. I didn’t know how we end up working with MDD, till now we work with them really well. We are happy to be part of them.

How did the songs for this new release come together? How about the lyrics?
We wrote all the songs together. Everybody is part, of every song. Every time when someone has an idea, we talk about it and work on it together. The lyrics are different. About Hate. Violence, lies, War, Pollution and the most important thing Thrash Metal.

Where did you go to record this new record and how long were you in the studio this time around?
We was in Papiris Studio in Sao Paulo. It was produced by Caio Monfort. We were 12 days in the studio but with breaks so the recording time was from August 2016 till January 2017.

What are your plans for this release? Now how do you plan on promoting it as well as how does MDD plan on promoting it?
Our main plan is to play a lot of shows this year till now was working very good for us .We played in Brazil, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Poland, Germany and our first time in Czech Republic and Portugal. It was really awesome.

Is there any special meaning behind the title “Empowered by Hate”?
Yeah it is the guy on the front cover he is on a thorn because of His endless hate. He is a killer, a mutilator.

How serious of a band is the band?
Very serious :-)

In any given week how much time is spent doing band related stuff?
I really don’t know when we are on tour it is more, or before the studio and when we are in the studio. So it is impossible to say.

How long do you see the band going on for?
We exist since 15 Years, so I hope 15 more years will be cool.

For someone who has never heard the band what would you say you sound like?
We sound like you motherfucker take one liter of fuel , pour it over your balls and set it on fire,  hahahahahahahaha. Ok it’s a joke :-) When you are in thrash metal you are right.

Please plug any websites you have.
Check us on http://www.nuclearwarfare.de/ or better https://www.facebook.com/ThrashMetalTank/

Any last words, horns up for doing this interview?
If you are thirsty, go and join a beer. Thank you for this nice interview, a pleasure.

Interview by Chris Forbes

September 2017