German NDH band Megaherz are probably most well known by North American fans for their album "Kopfschuss " and for the vocal talents of band founder, Alexander "Alexx" Wesselsky. But ever since his departure in 2003 to/ for Eisbrecher, the band has gone through a bit of a rough patch with their replacement singer, Mathais Elsholz leaving the band after only 1 album and causing quite a bit of distress in the process.

Skip ahead to 2008 and Megaherz have a new lead singer, Alexander "Lex" Wohnhaas, and a new album "Heuchler", which debuted higher than any Megaherz album previously. They are back touring and doing large festivals such as the Wave Gotik Treffen, and even rumours of a US tour have surfaced online. Megaherz are back and stronger than ever, and I took this chance to catch up with new lead singer Lex and get this thoughts about the band, the future of Megaherz and even about his new novel. -Radio Nietzsche 8/09

Lex: I grew up in many cities. My mother moved around a lot at the time. But my childhood was carefree. No big problems. I grew up without a father so I enjoyed a lot of freedom. Many friends. Always a new location. It was a good time.

Radio Nietzsche: When did you first take an interest in music, and when was your first band?

Lex: My first interest started with 14 when I realized that I can get a lot of attention to girls when I play a guitar and sing some songs they like. I entered my first band with 16. We were full of dreams to become famous rock stars (maybe like every teenager dream about who just learned to hold a guitar) and our idols were Van Halen, Aerosmith, Iron Maiden and all that 80s hard rock stuff. Very innocent time but nevertheless with a lot of energy and enthusiam.

Radio Nietzsche: Did you always sing or did you play any instruments?

Lex: Well, I started with the guitar but I realized very quickly that I like singing much more. So I learned guitar playing only to sing a song. Now my guitar knowledge is very random. Just good enough to play some songs at the camp fire.

Radio Nietzsche: Prior to joining Megaherz, you were lead singer for Seelenbrand. I honestly don't know much about this band, it seems to be hard to find info on them! Tell us about the project and the story behind it.

Lex: Seelenbrand was only one project of many. There are also no demos from it on the net or on CD. I played in many bands before that, none of which, mind you, were as well known as Megaherz. Additionally I sung the title song on the well known German TV series, "Big Brother" and some soundtracks for anime cartoons and other TV series before I came to Megaherz.

Radio Nietzsche: Your first time playing with Megaherz was a show in Russia just after Matthias left the band. How did this come about, and did you know any members of the band previously?

Lex: Well, that was a crazy thing. My producer were informed by the manager of Megaherz. They needed a singer for one show in Moscow. X-ti saw me in the TV with the title Song of "Big Brother" and wanted me to do this job. He just phoned me up and asked me if I want to play with Megaherz in Moscow in just two weeks. What else could I say than yes?

Radio Nietzsche: Did you have some sort of try out for the position of new front man of Megaherz, and if so, who were some of the other competitors for the spot?

Lex: You mean a casting? No, there was nothing like that with me. Certainly before me the guys had tried out a couple other singers but I did nothing like that. After the show in Moscow a tight friendship developed between me and the guys. The chemistry was right and at some time we simply said: "Let's give it a shot!"

Radio Nietzsche: I remember listening to an interview with Megaherz awhile back on Radio Goethe and hearing that one of the deal breakers for you becoming the new singer was how quickly you learned all the lyrics to the songs. I think it was in a single session you learned a great deal of them? (if I remember correctly), if so, is this a natural talent of yours to pick things up rather quickly?

Lex: Actually I had 3 practice sessions for that. Was hard enough. Megaherz isn't exactly known for short lyrics. I had been a little afraid that, at the show, there would be some lyrical hangups but, thank god, I knew many of the Megaherz lyrics previously and, on stage, it was so much fun that all my misgivings were forgotten.

Radio Nietzsche: How was it for you coming into a band as big as Megaherz? Did you feel pressure that the fans expected a lot of you?

Lex: Thatīs a question I hear a lot. But I never felt that pressure and donīt feel it today or will feel it in the future. Such sorrows or thoughts donīt bother me. Before I make a decision I ask myself if I can manage that or not. And when I feel that this is the right decision than I do it without any sorrows or fears. Thatīs all. Just believe in yourself and no critics will harm you.

Radio Nietzsche: And how have the fans responded to you thus far? Have you had good communication with them both online and at shows?

Lex: At live shows I only had good response. The audience is happy that the band came back and they show me that they are very satisfied with my kind of singing and my performance on stage. Of course, in the beginning there were some concerns from a few fans because of the circumstance that Iīm the third singer of the band and they couldnīt imagine that this will work. But I think we prove that this band is still alive with every live show we make.

Radio Nietzsche: "Heuchler" reached #31 in the German Album Charts, the highest chart entry of any Megaherz release to date. How big of a deal was that for the entire band after all the problems with the line up, and not releasing a new album for nearly 5 years?

Lex: Well, it was really a big success and a great prove of confidence by the fans for us all. Of course it was a relief for us that the new album had such great response by the fans but I think that was no surprise for us. We knew that we made a good job with the new album because it was very important for us to make clear that Megaherz is back again after this long time of absence. And we pushed a lot of energy in the new songs.

Radio Nietzsche: You wrote the lyrics for the "Heuchler" album, and many of them ("Heuchler", "Ebenbild", "Man von Welt") seem to be quite personal, as if you are writing about someone in particular. Do you write from personal experience, observances or a bit of both?

Lex: Both. I canīt know all things that I describe in my songs only by personal experiences but I observe other people, analyse their problems and be honest to myself. Itīs a mixture of experiences and observances. What I feel inside and what I see and hear around me.

Radio Nietzsche: Megaherz is touring all summer including performing at the Wave Gothic Treffen in Leipzig. Is this your first time at the WGT and how are you enjoying the current tour?

Lex: Every Megaherz concert is a roller coaster of feelings. The mixture of music and messages which our lyrics convey sweeps each audience away and, at the same time, reflects a wave of energy back at us. I completely wipe myself out at every concert and, at the same time, afterwards, I feel stronger than before. An unbelievable exchange of energy which is quickly addictive.

Radio Nietzsche: Many bands say that touring can be very stressful on the individual. Do you find it to be stressful, and if so, is there anything you do on the road to relax?

Lex: Naturally it is stressful to sit on a bus everyday, travelling from one city to the next but the evenings with the audience make everything worthwhile.Then you forget the heavy head, the lack of sleep and the stress itself. That is the most direct proof that you are doing your job well. On tour you only see everything that concerns you with your music. Mind you, if you have several weeks on your plate, you are also happy to again sleep a couple nights in your own bed.

Radio Nietzsche: You had a pretty busy schedule this summer, but now you have some time off until October, and then again until December. What will you do in your spare time?

Lex: Actually we are working on building our own studio for the next album. That takes up a lot of time and nerves. But it is important because we want - as with the "Heuchler" album - to do everything ourselves and to not leave anything to a strange producer. I hope then that by the autumn or winter we can finally dedicate ourselves once again to songwriting and feel our way around the new studio album. Everyone in the band is burning with a thirst for action because we want, with the next album, to surpass the success of "Heuchler".

Radio Nietzsche: Megaherz has a strong fan base in America, and is one of the better known German bands here. Have you ever seriously considered an American tour or is it simply not possible at this time?

Lex: We know that we have a mass of fans in America and are very proud about it. A US tour is, I believe, the greatest dream in the band and I am someone who makes it his business to fulfill his dreams. I know that the day will come when we make the leap across the pond. At the moment we are still bound by our business here in Germany. But we will see what happens after the release of the next Megaherz album. I am looking forward very optimistically.

Radio Nietzsche: I read you are already working on the new album for 2010. Is this true, and have you already started writing lyrics?

Lex: Unfortunately, at the moment, we have not been able to write any new songs as our new studio is not yet finished. X-ti would like to do everything correctly this time and have a more perfect sound than on the "Heuchler" album. I already have many ideas for new lyrics but first we need to write the songs then I will make the lyrics to those. We don't exactly know yet when in 2010 the new album will come out but that it will come out next year is as good as certain.

Radio Nietzsche: If so, what direction do you hope to take it in? Will it be dark and heavy like "Heuchler" or is it too early to tell?

Lex: It is probably still too early to risk a foretelling. For my part, I would like it to remain at least as hard as the "Heuchler" album. Only with more electronic parts. But what matters, in the end, is what sort of ideas develop in the studio. Also with the "Heuchler" album we let ourselves simply be guided by our spontaneous ideas and that was very successful.

Radio Nietzsche: I just learned you are writing a novel called "Kiss Lounge". This is rather unusual for a lead singer of a metal band to be writing novels! Tell us about the book.

Lex: I have always written, besides music, stories as well. This is my first published novel, which I'm very proud about. It is a sexy, sometimes funny, but also very bloody horror story. Dark fantasy fans will enjoy it. But more than that I don't want to reveal. It appears on my MySpace profile at www.myspace.com/kiss_lounge. There one can read a few excerpts from the book as well as listen because I speak the story just like an audio book. Mind you everything is in German. The book will also, for the time being, only come out in Germany, Austria and Switzerland but there is also the possibility for ordering the book from abroad. Simply look under www.periplaneta.com. That is my book's publishing company.

Radio Nietzsche: Do you have any sort of educational background in writing?

Lex: I am no doubt something like a crossover beginner. I studied something completely different. But I love good stories and have been writing since I was 15. I have a mass of fantasies and also believe that I have a good feeling for gripping stories.
Most important is just that one is self critical enough, always ready to work on one's own and to always bring out the best in one's self. Like everything in life. This book is just the beginning. I am already working on my second novel.

Radio Nietzsche: On the topics of books, do you like to read a lot? And do you find literature is an influence on your lyrics or music?

Lex: Writing as well as reading expands language proficiency and is, therefore, a crucial craft in writing lyrics for songs. Nevertheless, there exists a tremendous difference between song lyrics and a novel. Song lyrics have to carry a specific feeling or a memorable message in a few parts, whereas books need patience. There one must slowly build tension in order to fill characters with life.
I enjoy both immensely.

Radio Nietzsche: If you could tour America and Canada with 1 other German band, a 'dream' tour, is there any one band you would pick above all others to play with?

Lex: Naturally everyone expects the name Rammstein. And indeed Rammstein is a favorite which would at least speak well for a successful tour and I believe there are a ton of fans who would like to at one time experience such a concert. But we are working together, at the moment, with many other bands for a remix CD that we are planning for the beginning of next year. Amongst others also with Die Krupps. I think that would be an exciting line-up for a US tour that hopefully won't remain a dream.

Radio Nietzsche: Is there anything you wish to say to the American and Canadian Megaherz fans?

Lex: Thank you for the big popularity that we have experienced from you. It is great to know that Megaherz is heard all over the world and we will do everything in our power to be able to play in the US and Canada one of these days.

Thank you so much for your time, Lex. Hopefully we will see you over here soon! More at:

• Official
• Megaherz on MySpace