Fresh Act: Fool The Masses
Breaking free from well-trodden paths has been the goal of the North Rhine-Westphalian band FOOL THE MASSES formed in 2020 to create and spread their sound beyond genre boundaries. In 2021, their first single “Victim”, along with the accompanying music video, cracked the 100.000 mark on YouTube within a very short time. The debut EP “Supervision” and the debut album “Welcome To The Big Seven”, bot self-released in 2022, caused an enthusiastic reaction in the scene. Now their first album released via Dr. Music Records “It’s All Lost” is out and vocalist / 2nd guitarist Raphael Moujou tells us more:
Hello Raphael. Could you please introduce yourselves and tell us when and how did you form this band?
Hi, and thanks for having us. We are the industrial metalcore band FOOL THE MASSES from Germany, North-Rhine Westphalia. We formed in late 2020 and self-released our first EP in 2021.
You have an interesting sound, strong and sometimes quite brutal vocals, a powerful guitar sound, and a DJ with a drum machine. How did you come up with this particular combination?
It bothered us that most bands nowadays sound so alike, especially in the metalcore scene. So we needed to spice that up a bit. That’s why we decided not to have a drummer in the band but our beloved DJ Vornax, who gave us the rhythm and many electronic elements. This is something different. DJ Vornax gives us a big part of our unique sound.
How did you come up with the band name – is there a particular story behind it?
Yes, of course. The band name should denounce the current media situation. Everybody just believes what he or she sees on TV.
You are a pretty young band. Have you played in other bands before, or for some of you, this is the first band? Do you all still have other side projects, or do you put a total focus on this band?
We hear that a lot. We put all our efforts into FOOL THE MASSES. Of course, we have created music before and have been involved in other projects, but now we all just focus on FOOL THE MASSES to push this band as far as possible.
How do you write your music and lyrics? Is it teamwork?
We always write our songs together. We have the luxury of having our own professional music studio, so we can write and record 24/7. Mostly, just one of us (it could be anybody) comes up with an idea for a melody, a riff, a beat or a theme, and then we write the whole song around that idea.
What are you doing ‘in real life’ when you are not making music? Or is music your main occupation?
Some of us work exclusively in the music business. For example, Lucas owns Blackhole Music & Productions Studios. We spend most of our time in the band and consider it our main gig.
You are from Germany. What is it like in your country to be a metal band (playing the particular style you are playing)?
Germany, and especially North-Rhine Westphalia, has a blooming metal scene. Being a metal band here is a blessing because many people like this kind of music. For some people, it’s a welcomed diversion.
Is there a particular philosophy behind your works, or where do you get your inspiration from? What was the main inspiration for your album “It’s All Lost”?
On the one hand, we include lots of personal experiences in our songs; for example, our track “Dream Talker” was born from Niklas’s nightmare and reflects on the blurred lines between dreams and reality. On the other hand, we process actual happenings around the world, like war, destruction of the planet or human evil. “Black Soul” is about a soul plagued by guilt, unable to escape the consequences of its actions. The song is a reminder of how important it is to make decisions you can be proud of and to live with a clear conscience.
What are your live shows like? What’s the perfect venue/show for you? Have you played at any big festivals yet?
Our live shows are always sweaty and neck-breaking. The people in front of the stage seem to get our energy and understand our music. The perfect venue is one, where people can stand directly in front of the stage, without any crowd barriers. We love to interact as much as possible with the audience. Of course, we also play festivals. So far, only in Germany, but in midterm, we also plan to play a bit more outside of the country.
If you could freely choose a band to tour with, who would it be, and why?
There are so many great bands and artists in the metal scene that it would be impossible to name just one or two.
Your album artwork looks fantastic. It could totally be the cover for a postapocalyptic movie. Who got this idea for the album cover, and who made it?
Oh yes, we are so happy with the artwork. We have one specific artist we have worked with since the beginning regarding our artwork: Kamil Wilde, Heart Taped Designs (e.g. Maelfoy, Alexis In Texas, Never Back Down).
You just released your new album “It’s All Lost”. What are your plans in the (near) future, for example a tour to support the album?
” It’s All Lost” was released with our label, Dr. Music Records, in June. So far, we have gotten awesome feedback from our fans and also from people who don’t know us yet. We noticed that the media is grabbing more and more attention, which we, of course, appreciate. We also just finished our second Germany tour and even had some shows in the Netherlands. For now, we just enjoy our time in the studio and gather some ideas for the future. You should definitely stay tuned, as we just started this journey, and there is much more to come.
Thank you very much for the interview, and good luck for the future!
Line-Up:
Niklas Ratsch: Vocals
Raphael Moujou: 2nd Guitar, Vocals
Lea Karla: Lead Guitar
Lucas Grünke: Bass
DJ Vornax: Beats, Synth
photos: Fool The Masses
Text: Starla Larsson
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