Interview:	SAVAGE GRACE
Title:	Unchanged

Back in the 1980s, mainman Christian ‚Chris‘ Logue was already considered a controversial figure, but the early releases of his US band still enjoy cult status in conspiratorial old-school circles.

The maverick has talent and skills in abundance. Now the indomitable guitarist really wants to try again with a new line-up and so Savage Grace are actually releasing their third full album called „Sign Of The Cross“. Chris was happy to be interviewed by me about his new work.

Congrats to the new album from an old fan soul … bought all your stuff in the 80s and early 90s and I am fuckin’ surprised. After seeing the questionable artwork, some weeks ago, I expected nothing much after all these years band pause - but the songs are awesome. I'm a giga-fan(atic) of the old songs, so I'm very, very happy now!

How do you rate the new material in general?

„Thank you Markus. It is good to hear from a long time supporter. The songs on the new album are the best I have ever written. They are tight, concentrated, straight to the point with no fat and no filler. I have chosen very relevant and important themes with threads of continuity through the entire album. I have chosen these themes to awaken people at this critical time for the people of the world, especially for the people of Europe. The music, lyrics, vocals and instrumentation all tie in with the artwork, which everyone is having a laugh about now, but they won’t be laughing when they finally figure out the meaning of the cover and back cover. All of the elements on the cover and back cover are symbolic and they speak to the unconscious mind. Ref. Edward Bernays, Walter Lippman, Tavistock Institute. This cover and back cover will become the most controversial we have ever done. My songs will also become extremely controversial once they are truly understood.“

Do you feel something like an eternal 80s spirit - the first peak of the genre - in your soul?

„The 80s were a time of celebration and I celebrated intensely along with many others. Today we are entering Satay Yuga from Kali Yuga and the Age of Aquarius from the Age of Pisces. The veil of ignorance is being lifted and the truth is being exposed like never before in history. We will lose several billion people during this transition and upheaval. Now is the time for deep soul searching as wheat is sorted from tare. And then dramatic action must be taken. My music is part of this dramatic mass awakening and it will be recognized as such.“



What on earth led to the reactivation of Savage Grave in 2009?

„In 2009 the Keep It True promoters contacted me and asked if I would like to play KIT in 2010. I told them I would like to but I did not have a band. So they offered to get me a band. They recruited the guys from Roxxcalibur, who are of course my biggest fans as you can tell by their last few albums as Masters Of Disguise.“ 


Who of you guys out of the band did the lion's share of the new song material?

„I wrote all music and lyrics for ‚Sign Of The Cross‘. I had already written ‚Helsinki Nights‘, ‚Barbarians At The Gate‘ and ‚Sign Of The Cross‘ in 2010 and I was going to record an album then but the record company turned out to be a scam so I had to shelve that project. I wrote the rest of the songs in 2020 while hunkering down in Mexico waiting for the Lockstep Operation to end.“ 


How did your collaboration for the new work go in these rather difficult times?

„I collaborated with no one. When I had all the songs ready to record we started making arrangements to travel to Capo Verde to record the bed tracks on vintage equipment, including Neve console with GML automation, Studer two inch machine, Neumann U47 mics, L1 limiters, Fairchild, etc. It turned out to be a major undertaking because of the illegal travel restrictions in place. Some of us had to go there by boat and Marcus and Fabio by Brazilian Air Force C130. Then we had major problems there, which I can not elaborate on at this time per the request of our attorney Robert Margolis.“



How was the selection of songs for it done - was it very difficult for you, with the geographical line-up circumstances?

„Since I had already written three songs in 2010 I just had to concentrate on writing seven more songs. It took me about four months to write the other seven. ‚Land Beyond The Walls‘ was first, then ‚Rendezvous‘, then ‚Branded‘ and the rest.“



How did it come about and how did the collaboration with - absolute well chosen, kudos! - singer Gabriel Colón, which joined the band last year? When I read, that he sings/sung also for Culprit, Lynch Mob and Gothic Knights, I get even more curiously …

„In December 2019 I had just finished writing my book after seven years of work on it and I put up my website savagegracemetal.com and I began sending out press releases and selling my book. Then my agent friend Matt Ferrara called and told me I should put out a new album to follow the book. I told him I would not record a new album unless we could find a great singer. He said he knew a great singer. I thought about doing a new album for a couple months then in March 2020 I saw Trump on TV with Fauci. At that moment I knew Trump was on board with Lockstep and I knew they would activate the complete Lockstep Program immediately. I immediately packed all my necessities and bought a ticket for Mexico, where I knew the program would not function smoothly. After I arrived in Mexico I knew that I had a limited amount of time to act. I estimated the coercion program would last about one year before mass resistance would stop it. This was my opportunity to get all the musicians I needed because they would not be able to tour or play even small gigs. So I called Matt Ferrara and I told him we would start work on production immediately. Gabriel Colon was the first member of the band I recruited. In November 2022, Gabriel was broke, he lost his job, his house and his girlfriend so I offered to bring him to Mexico and take care of him until we go on tour. He told me he was too proud to take charity and he wanted to work for his money. So George Lynch offered him a couple gigs with Lynch Mob. Then Lynch asked him to record their new album in December 2022. Gabe called me and Matt Ferrara and asked me if he should record with Lynch. I told him absolutely yes because he would get enormous publicity from ‚Sign Of The Cross‘ and then a double whammy when the Lynch Mob album comes out in the Fall. I told him he would be the hottest singer in Metal by the time Savage Grace is ready to tour.“ 


Which are the lyrics with the most meaning for you on the new album?

„All of my songs are like my children. They are all special. ‚Rendezvous‘ is beautiful and romantic and hopeful. It is optimism in the face of adversity so I have a special attachment to those lyrics. ‚Land Beyond The Walls‘ is an awakening like being hit with a Zen Master’s staff. It is iconoclastic as so many of my songs are. ‚Sign Of The Cross‘ is high drama, poignant and powerful. ‚Star Crossed Lovers‘ is very metaphysical, karmic. The cycle of Samsarra and the roles of fate and destiny in our lives. ‚Automoton‘ is the song of today and hopefully not the future.“

How did the cooperation with producer Roland Grapow from Helloween work out?

„I originally hired Bill Metoyer, who did our ‚Dominatress‘ EP, to mix but he took weeks to mix one song. So I fired him. Then I hired a man from Brazil but he rubbed me the wrong way so I fired him. Then I called Max Norman because I loved Malice’s ‚License To Kill‘ album. Max wanted a lot of Money. I knew Max had a very strong personality I would have probably fired him or he would have quit within days so I did not use him. Our bass player Fabio Carito recommended Roland. I sent Roland ‚Rendezvous‘. He mixed it in four days and when I heard it I knew he was our man. Roland is from the 80s, he is a guitarist, he likes a very hot guitar mix. His production ideas are very similar to my own. He is also very fast. It was very easy for me to work with him.“



Nearly everything has changed since the lousy Grunge boom, the return of Heavy Metal in the mid/late 90s, multiple created sub-styles, Covid etc. etc. - the world, the music business, the societies - how much have you changed, how much have your views on true art changed over the years til now?

„I have changed remarkably little. I am still an iconoclast. I am still defiant. I am still a rebel. I will be resisting to the end.“



Anything you would like to add ?

„I would like to thank all our fans for their support over the decades and I want to welcome all our new fans. We hope to see all of you on tour soon in South America, Europe the USA and elsewhere.“


© Markus Eck, 20.04.2023

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