Asgaia - hard, harder, Asgaia

Story and photos by Chris Koppers

Asgaia, formerly known as Damnation, are currently producing numerous new songs for their fans. The facebook page can reveal more.

Asgaia is known for brutal pounding guitar riffs, for speedy double bass, and for growl-vocals.

A chunk of energy and a full scoop of melodic-death metal will give you the opportunity to learn more about Asgaia's recent LP Trinegra.

Specht Ruprecht - Stones and patellas

Story and photo by Chris Koppers

In case this is a video game, Specht Ruprecht can be Angry Birds along with the premium package. Immense, raw, and it is not recommendable for tender ears.

They produce kitschy-eerie sounds with decent clamor in German. A classic ear-puncher (penetrating your eardrums for real) for the adult audience.






Special coverage will appear soon.

Modern Earl - Inlaws and outlaws - out now.

Story, interview, and photos by Chris Koppers

Christopher "Earl" Hudson comes along with his buddies Ethan Schaffner, Ben Hunt and Markus Christ and they create the current album "Inlaws and outlaws." My rating matrix would grant a smooth 18 (rating is 1 - 10, and 10 is excellent).  

Modern Earl's mission? Seducing you with the finest Country/Southern Rock melodies obtainable.
Seasoned with good humor and a critical view of life, Modern Earl provides a unique performance.
Moreover, the band tours throughout the US and Europe - relentlessly.

Winterstorm - Storming the Metal-Valhalla

Story and photos by Chris Koppers

 
I located this group on youtube and I thought: Hit them up.
Some members of Circle of Grief left for new musical waves and came up with Winterstorm (founded in 2008). Special note: There is another female fronted metal band named Winter Storm from the West Midlands, United Kingdom.

Michi, Seeb, Alex, Armin, and Peter formed Winterstorm. They especially take care of folk melodies with a cool breeze of powermetal.

Their latest release "A coming storm" is contemplated as an insider tip.  

Editor's note:

Images taken by my Rolleiflex 3.5F3 with Kodak TMAX 400, pushed to a smooth ISO 3200.

Crossplane - full throttle for you

Story, interview, and photos by Chris Koppers

Punk 'n' Roll at the highest level. Celli, Alex, Dirk, and Don are Crossplane. These guys launched their first release "High Speed Operation" and there is just one requirement for listening: Play it LOUD.  Dirk and Celli are known affiliated veterans of Onkel Tom (Celli) and Ramonstars (Dirk).

I used my 3.5F3 with Kodak TMAX 400 (soaked in TMAX developer). I opted for ISO 3200, because the illumination was very capricious.  F3.5 with a cozy speed of 1/125 or 1/60.

The gifted band Crossplane is idling on stage just seconds before the gig kicks in. Celli's face says he means business. Starving for the moment to play. Another second passes away. The stage starts to tremble. I catch a glimpse of Celli and I know somewhat BIG is coming this way. The tunes of high speed operations begin. Blasting the audience without any remorse.

Sara Lorenz – Hone your ears for her subtle voice

Story and photo by Chris Koppers

Sara can be contemplated as the leading practitioner of emotional music. Her voice carries an exemplary form of music that dears your heart.  She released her new solo album that combines her craft with an appeal of a must-have.

Thanks Sara for allowing me to get an intimate view of your passionate labor.

I mainly used the Automat for this event. Ilford HP 5 plus, which was pushed to ISO 800.

Juergen Kerth – The Blues legend from East Germany

Story and photo by Chris Koppers

I had the honor to take some photographs of Juergen Kerth. He started playing in the early 1960’s. Historical moments like the abridgement of the German Democratic Republic paved his way to his new audience in the United States.  Juergen provides Blues at its best.  I would name his art as “a distinctive vibe of a guitar hero”.

I loaded my Flex with an Ilford Delta 3200.   

Brink Man Ship, Switzerland.

Story and photos by Chris Koppers

I contacted Jan Galega for a visual accompaniment for his 6^th album release “Instant Replay”.  I also met the other guys of Brink Man Ship, René, Emanuel, and Christoph. I commenced taking photographs for our gregarious jam session. It was fun galore.

Again, I ‘misused’ the Ilford HP 5 Plus and pushed it to ISO 1600. Shutter speeds were around 1/60 to 1/15 - all hand-held.  

It was a thrilling experience with splendid tunes. I would like to shoot them again.

Delta Moon

Story and photo by Chris Koppers

Tom Gray and his buddy Mark Johnson launched a show that exceeded the expectations of their devoted fans around the world. They took us hostage to center of the American South. This soaked in blues-infused earthy vibe penetrated our ears within seconds.  Black Cat Oil is the seventh album of Delta Moon.

Photo gear – get down to the nitty gritty for music-related shots

I normally use a Rolleiflex 3.5F type 3 with various films such as Ilford HP5 plus, some Deltas (400 & 3200), and Kodak T-Max 400.  For special occasions, I prefer to shoot with two Rolleiflex’s – 3.5F and Automat type 3 with the distinctive ‘flare factor’. Moreover, there is a designated camera for heavy studio labor: a Mamiya RB 67 Pro SD with numerous lenses (65, 75, 150 SF, 180, and 100-200mm lens).  I am not a BIG 35mm fan, but there is a Leica M4 with a 135mm f2.8 and a 35mm f3.5 ready for somewhat that a Rolleiflex might not be able to catch. Let’s say I am not able to shoot within my favorable shooting distance (2-4ft), the Leica is the tool to cover this distance.

                                       

Why analog cameras? A few reasons...

-          A purchase for a lifetime.
-          Easy handling, sturdy and dependable.
-          No attraction to thieves.
-          Nobody takes care of what you do.
-          Got no ‘professional’ appearance
-          No batteries needed.
-          Never-ending fun.