It was still quite early in 2021 – or right at the beginning of the second pandemic year, you could say – when THE DISASTER AREA put out their third long-player 'Glasshearts'. The moment had just come to make the situation in which the band and their fans had been stuck, more bearable. The plan worked out: The songs and the buzz around the release inspired both sides that the album hasn't only gained almost four million streams to the day, it also spectacularly entered the Top 100 of the official German album charts (#80) – a sensational success for young German metalcore band.
And so THE DISASTER AREA singer Alex Maidl is still raving about an exciting time: “I think, the greatest thing that happened was that we got such an overwhelming amount of messages from people that just wanted to thank us for giving them 'a place to go' during the pandemic. With the release and everything connected to it, we finally were able to feel close to our fans again, a thing that we were terribly missing since the beginning of 2020.” Drummer Chris Zillinger as well is identifying the real success in the relationship with the fans – the so-called Glasshearts: “It was so beautiful to see all the support we got in the first week after the release. When the Glasshearts found out that we had a chance on entering the charts, they literally mobilized EVERYTHING they could. “The fact that we achieved this as a community makes it worth so much more.” Strengthened by this success, THE DISASTER AREA are looking into the future stronger and bursting with energy, like guitarist Franz Apfelbeck reports: “More than ever before we're motivated to start something new, be creative, try something else and just have fun with what we’re doing.”
“I want to be free of this gravity”
“'Gravity' is about feeling paralyzed,” guitarist Alex Kisslinger explains. “I think, everyone who had to go through hard times knows that feeling. Some invisible power is pulling you down. “It’s some kind of gravity you can’t fight against, that’s holding on to you and completely taking over.” It's a universal topic indeed, while the pandemic didn't just pull the rug from under bands. However, THE DISASTER AREA don't pick up the topic to collectively lament about the situation. Instead of doing that, they once again stress the power of the community. Franz Apfelbeck summarizes the message: “You are not alone. You are not weak. Sometimes this feeling, this gravity, is so strong that no one alone stands a chance. We're all in this together. You may ask yourself if this feeling is normal or if it's somehow your 'fault'. We want to take that away from you: It’s absolutely normal.”
Musically 'Gravity' is continuing the musical concept of 'Glasshearts'. “Although we even tried more to listen to what the song really needs,” Alex Maidl explains. “The music and its story obviously needed a heavier implementation and so we followed these instructions.” Alex Kisslinger opens up about another, more surprising approach: “We were actually taking ourselves as a role model when wrote the song, as funny as it might sound. We once again listened to 'Glasshearts' closely and thought about what really defines the sound of THE DISASTER AREA. Becoming clear about that was essential for us.” Like 'Glasshearts', also 'Gravity' was produced by Noah Sebastian of BAD OMENS. THE DISASTER AREA work closely with him when it comes to the song-writing as well. The mix was done by Henrik Udd this time, who is also working with ARCHITECTS, BRING ME THE HORIZON and IMMINENCE among others.
What else is there to expect from THE DISASTER AREA in 2022, beyond the first milestone 'Gravity'? If it is up to Chris Zillinger, there's especially one thing: “Finally get back out there again and do what we're living for. It sounds cheesy but after two years without a real tour we kind of relearned what's really defining our personalities. We live to play shows, meet you all out there and learn about your stories and just follow our passion.” But there definitely will be a lot of new stuff to listen to outside from live venues as well, Alex Maidl assures: “Once again, we will show the fans another side of THE DISASTER AREA, move forward and strengthen the connection with the Glasshearts. Streaming numbers, video plays and such things are cool but it's the interpersonal connection and the community that really defines the music and this band.