INTERVIEW: Jürgen Breforth, Mad Max.

Hello Jurgen Breforth, how are you doing? 

Great … thanks so much for supporting MAD MAX in the Netherlands. We have so many wonderful fans and friends in the Netherlands, so it’s my pleasure to do this interview.  

The new album: “Stormchild Rising” will be released on the same day the Vicious Rumors album will be released: on 21 August 2020 via Steamhammer/SPV. Please write us about the studio where you recorded the album and the writing process before hitting the studio? 

We were lucky to record the album in Michael Voss studio, the KIDROOM studio. The drums were recorded in the studio of CREMATORY guitar player Rolf Munkes, the EMPIRE STUDIOS.All the songs were written and recorded before COVID changed the world. But when writing the songs for the album we already had the feeling that there was a change in the world in the air. That’s the reason we came up with songs like “Hurricaned” or especially “Ladies and Gentlemen”. Guess it was like when Klaus Meine of the SCORPIONS wrote “Wind Of Change”. He had this feeling the world would change but could not be sure how fast this would really happen with the fall of the Berlin Wall. And in our case it was Covid that changed the world.  

The cover/lay-out was created by Kai Brockschmidt. He did a really good job. He is known for his work with; Royal Hunt, Bonfire, Pretty Maids and Pink Cream 69 etc. How you found him or why you choose him to do the lay-out for the new album? 

Kai is a longtime friend of MAD MAX and always the first choice when it comes to designing the artwork. The artwork for STORMCHILD RISING is very special and emotional because it’s bringing back the STORMCHILD character after 35 years when we released the STORMCHILD album in 1985.STORMCHILD is a warrior who is fighting for the Good. But he is not fighting with guns or violence. He is fighting with rock songs. And Kai did his magic to create a 2020 version of this STORMCHILD character. 

 How was it to work with Ronnie Romero, vocalist for VanDenBerg, 2020. on the first single: Hurricaned? 

We first met Ronnie Romero when we toured for a couple of weeks with CORELEONI (the band of GOTTHARD guitar player Leo Leoni) in the fall of 2018.In 2019 when Michael Voss was working with MICHAEL SCHENKER on the MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST album finally Ronnie Romero was featured as the lead vocalist on one song of this album. So finally it was Michael Voss idea to bring Ronnie in for “Hurricaned” and it worked perfectly.  

Please tell us something about the lyrics of the song: Hurricaned?

 “Hurricaned” is one of the songs on the album that was written before Covid but at least is kind of prophetic. The lyriccs are dealing with the fact that we’re all living in a kind of media hurricane and it’s almost impossible to escape. When Covid came the situation even got worse and we all were even “Hurricaned” more by so called “BREAKING NEWS”.  

On the album we will find 2 other guests who contribute on this album . Paul Shortino and Ozz Fox from Stryper. Please tell us the story why you guys choose these great musicians to be a part of your new album? 

In 1987 we toured with STRYPER in Germany and since then we always have been in contact with the STRYPER guys. We are very honored that Oz did the guitar solo for “The Blues Ain’t No Stranger”. For MAD MAX this is a very unique song and shows our admiration for the heavier side of Blues like the very early WHITESNAKE for the very first time on an MAD MAX album.Paul Shortino is a good friend of ours for years and when we got the chance to do our version of the old ROUGH CUTT classic “Take Her” together with Paul we couldn’t resist to record this song for the album.  

How was Ozz Fox doing (Illness/Brain Tumor) at the time when he did the solo on: The Blues Ain’t No Stranger?  

Oz really fell in love with the song and really loved to show his bluesier side of guitar playing that is quite different from the guitar´work he’s doing in STRYPER. We were not really talking much about his illness. Just the fact that he was doing the solo showed that he was in a very positive mood and wanted to create a powerful, melodic and emotional solo part for the song.  

Another song you guys did with children song star; Detlev Jocker. How was it working with him and the students of a German Music School? 

Detlev Jöcker is the most successful writer for kids music in Germany with over 17 million albums sold. It was an honor to work together with him. He wrote the german lyrics for the song “LADIES and GENTLEMEN” and found and coached the kids for the quoir. This is another song that is written before Covid. The key message of the song is that only all generations together – young and old – can solve the problems of planet earth. Now with Covid this message is more relevant than ever before.  

Mad Max always stayed or sticked to hardrock and heavy metal, like the fans wanted to be. was there in your rich and long history a idea to try to be the next Scorpions. Maybe to try to do it a bit more commercial? 

To be very honest when it comes to writing songs I can only follow my heart. Guess that’s exactly what the fans love about MAD MAX. With “LADIES and GENTLEMEN” a lot of new doors are opening for us but not because we were aiming for a SCORPIONS kind of sound. The song came naturally and found his way to the fans and finally to lots of radio stations all over the world.  

What are some of your own favorite bands/artists? 

When I founded MAD MAX in 1982 my heroes were the bands of the “New Wave Of British Heavy Metal” like IRON MAIDEN with Paul Di Anno and the very early SAXON or JUDAS PRIEST.Later the “Under Lock & Key” album from DOKKEN blew me away and influenced me a lot.But I’m also a huge Blues fan since I heard RORY GALLAGHER for the very first time.  

Probably it’s really hard to not know like all bands and artists what the near future will bring? being on the road again..Especially after a release of a new album? Is there any news when you can tour again…? 

We already have a large tour scheduled for september/october 2021 where we will be the “Special Guest” on the AXEL RUDI PELL Tour. We will add a lot more shows and festivals as soon as it will be possible again.  

Do you have a last word to the readers of Bonavox The Netherlands? 

Thanks so much to all the readers of Bonavox and all our fans and friends in the Netherlands for supporting MAD MAX for so many years. Stay safe and keep on rocking!