Way back in the 80’s Germany had a band to rival Scorpions, Accept and Helloween – Victory, who produced a string of fine albums from 1985 on, including my favourite 1989’s ‘Culture Killed the Native’. After splits, line-up changes and reformations all of the band members remained in the industry and in 2011 the band released the come-back album ‘Don’t Talk Science’ which was touted by Herman Frank as the final word. Never say never though because this year – ten years on we see the release of the all new ‘Gods of Tomorrow’. Despite a a few technical issues we managed to catch Herman Frank to talk about it.
Herman: Hi Mark
Mark: Hey Herman
Herman: How are you?
Mark: I’m very good thank you, apologies in advance about any technical issues this end we’re suffering from a poor connection due to a damaged Wi-Fi tower! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us today. It’s ten years now since I thought I heard Victory’s last album.
Herman: Is it that long already? Oh my goodness! It seems like yesterday, no just kidding. Sadly Jioti (Parcharidis) got sick with his voice and doctor’s told him you better stop singing right now or you’re gonna lose your voice forever.
Mark: Devastating news.
Herman: It wasn’t an easy situation and then we were waiting for a few years and he kept visiting the doctors but they always told him the same thing. But we’re fine now.
Mark: That’s great to hear. Much as I loved ‘Don’t Talk Science’ the last record from what I’m hearing so far of ‘Gods of Tomorrow’ it could just be up there with my favourite Victory records so far!
Herman: Thank you so much. I appreciate that and I can tell you we’re really proud of the album. It came out the way we wanted it to and it took us a couple of months to get it together. It was nice and maybe it was even better because we ended up finishing it face to face in the studio with the whole band.
Mark: That certainly makes a difference, it feels like an album made by a band playing together.
Herman: It did to me, these days you can be modern and everybody just sends files to each other from continent to continent or town to town and that’s not the way I like to record an album. I think it’s called a band for a reason and if you make a record with a band then the band should be in the studio at the same time.
Mark: I’m with you 100% We’ve loved the singles so far – ‘Love & Hate’ everyone I know who has heard it loves that one – are there plans for any more singles from the album?
Herman: I mean we’ve released ‘Cut to the Bone’ and ‘Gods of Tomorrow’ and if you have YouTube down in Australia (laughs) there’s the ‘Love & Hate’ video.
Mark: I think I’ve heard of YouTube (laughs) The pandemic has sent us all into a spin but it seems to have made you rather productive, as well as the new Victory album you also had a rather wonderful solo album out earlier in the year!
Herman: Oh yeah, I’m used to working all the time and I took my chance to write more music, now I’m even starting to work on some new things. It’s just a matter of managing your time you know. And maybe it’s a matter of how many ideas come into your head. So as they come I release it!
Mark: And why not! Back in the day I thought Victory was right up there with Scorpions, I know you toured Europe extensively and made it to the US. I know you never got Downunder but did you ever get to the UK or Japan back in the day?
Herman: Sadly we just did two or three shows with Gary Moore in the UK, but in Japan we just got brought over to play acoustically to promote the album but we never got the chance to play real shows over there. But we played a lot of countries in Europe and made it to the US three times, which was great. Sadly we never made it to Australia – you live on the other side of the world, I’m so sorry about that! (laughs)
Mark: (laughs) That’s OK! The question is will you be on the road touring this one? I’d love to hear it live!
Herman: Bands always want to tour all over the world mostly and quite honestly it always comes down to success and budget, you know. Europe has no ocean in-between but if you go to America you have to fly and that takes funds, so as I say it comes down to budget and success. But honestly I’m not sure Rock and Roll is that big over there at the moment either.
Mark: I know what you mean, there’s an awful lot of rather forgettable music being churned out like sausages. Switching over to memorable music as someone who has played on a number of my favourite albums, ‘Culture Killed the Native’ I think is one of my favourite 80’s albums, but you were also on Accept’s biggest selling album ‘Balls to the Wall’, I’ve always wanted to ask you what made you pick up that guitar in the first place? Who were your influences? What keeps you going?
Herman: When you’ve been doing music for such a long time, and some people tell me I’ve been doing this now for nearly 40 years (laughs)
Mark: (laughs)
Herman: When you play for that time there are so many things that you get the opportunity to do and I’m really glad to have been part of all these great albums. It’s just a matter of talent and discipline and deciding never to give up. As for the guitar I honestly can’t really remember – I started really early in my childhood as a very young kid at what we call kindergarten here in Germany. I started playing flute as that was the kind of music you had at kindergarten (laughs) then at school I started playing violin and I played that for ten, maybe eleven years. But guitar, I guess my older brother played the guitar but only for one year and maybe that inspired me. I took the chance when I was thirteen I guess to pick up the guitar and I had a friend who played drums so it was simple – I played guitar and he played the drums. And it went from there. We should have paid more attention in school maybe?
Mark: (laughs) But it led to some wonderful music and continues to do so! ‘Gods of Tomorrow’ hasn’t been off my playlist since I got it – released on the 26th November – I think it’s really unfair that as you told me 40 years into a career you’re producing some of your best work! What’s the secret?
Herman: (laughs) I don’t know! If I could tell you any secrets I would! If I knew any secrets maybe I would produce Kiss or something! (laughs) Or Bon Jovi! Or The Beatles or whatever! (laughs) It’s just a matter of as I said never giving up and if a song doesn’t turn out the way you want don’t be afraid to throw it away or keep working on it! It’s also a way of living – if you want to do music you have to ‘live’ music. I don’t think someone could produce this amount of albums if he’s working in a bank you know for example. You have to decide whether to be a professional musician or a semi-professional. That’s the first step you have to do.
Mark: You’ve produced and engineered some wonderful bands as well over the years too.
Herman: Oh yes.
Mark: Bands like Saxon and Australia’s Rose Tattoo just for starters…
Herman: Yes. I was working in a studio in Hamburg and SPV the Record Company and Rainer Hänsel, who sadly died already, was taking care of Rose Tattoo and Saxon and was managing them, and as he was managing the studio at the time he told me they were planning a new album by Rose Tattoo and asked me to do it. It was a wonderful time – Rose Tattoo is a real Rock and Roll band! They’re one of those bands that from the first five seconds of the playing you know it’s Rose Tattoo!
Mark: Great band, and you also engineered Molly Hatchet!
Herman: Oh yeah, I did two or three – I can’t remember! It’s a honour to work with these kind of famous people you know, and these bands are on such a high level it’s easy to work with them.
Mark: And I’ll bet you have some great stories and wonderful memories to go with them.
Herman: Oh for sure.
Mark: And thank you for bearing with us through the poor connection, just a couple of quick questions to close if that’s OK?
Herman: For sure.
Mark: If you could have been a ‘fly on the wall’ for the creation of any great Rock album from any pint in history – what would you like to have been there for? Just to see how the magic happened?
Herman: Judas Priest – I would have loved to have been listening into the recording of Judas Priest.
Mark: Any particular album by Priest?
Herman: Each album! (laughs) I’m a big fan and also even though a very different kind of album I would love to have been there for Thriller by Michael Jackson!
Mark: That would have been very interesting. Quincey Jones a wonderful producer – it would be great to have seen how he works.
Herman: For sure!
Mark: And a final question – an easy one to close – what is the meaning of life?
Herman: The meaning of life? Just enjoy every day and look forward to the future. Leave the past out and forget about the past and don’t drink too much! (laughs)
Mark: That’s fantastic. I do apologise for the technical issues Herman, thank you so much for your time.
Herman: Hey it’s all good you’re living on the other side of the world!
Mark: Next time it will be better! I know there will be a next time!
Herman: Thank you so much for interviewing me Mark, and for your time, and say hello to everyone in Australia please. Thank you. And I’ll see you sometime somewhere on the planet!
Mark: Thank you, take care.
Herman: Bye, bye.
The new VICTORY album ‘Gods of Tomorrow’ is out now!