Grigoris Chronis from www.metal-temple.com recently conducted an interview with Ferdy Doernberg from the reactivated German hard rockers ROUGH SILK. Some interesting excerpts can be found below.

Metal Temple: It may sound rather typical but – truth is – what should we expect from A New Beginning in terms of music? As pre-said, it’s been six years now since your last album. Are the ’trademark’ Rough Silk melodies and structures here again?

Ferdy Doernberg: "Yes, of course. I already answered this before as well, I guess. It’s still typical Rough Silk. Rough Silk have definitely created an own style. The name says it all: Rough stands for the real heavy (sometimes even thrash and hardcore) metal influences and Silk for the unusual singer/songwriter elements and piano parts. I think that this album is way more Rough Silk than the last album with the old members. And it’s definitely a metal album again!!! That was the main reason why the old members left. They were not into metal anymore and Rough Silk had always been a metal band."

Metal Temple: 2009 marks the band’s 20th anniversary of the band; another sign of a new beginning. Would it be cruel enough to ask if this is a ’solid’ saying, since you only are the only original member? Or you feel a ’band’ is the songs and not the band members?

Ferdy Doernberg: "Exactly - as I said before: The name says it all; "Rough" stands for the real Heavy (sometimes even Thrash and Hardcore) Metal influences and "Silk" for the unusual singer/songwriter elements and piano parts. It’s a really unique style. And bands like MOTÖRHEAD, RUNNING WILD, SODOM, SAVATAGE, THERION and many others also work for years with only one original member. We originally wanted to give the band a different name but after we had written the first tunes everybody who heard them said that they would sound a lot like Rough Silk , so I asked the other guys what they would think and so we decided to continue as Rough Silk. I have the right to use the name anyway and the other original guys stopped playing and live in a different world now as teachers, lawyers and family fathers – so why should we give it a different one?"

Metal Temple: Rough Silk had many line-up changes through the years anyway and I’m the only remaining guy but actually it was always more about the band’s style - the name already says it: Rough Silk!!!

Ferdy Doernberg: "Yes, of course I know about the situation in the music business - I never left it! It will not be easy, I’m pretty sure, but we didn’t make this album for money; we made it because we love this music. That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to have a band with young and idealistic musicians and not some old mercenaries who play for money only. So if it doesn’t sell that good we won’t be too happy but we will still love the music and the songs."

Metal Temple: You feel you have forgiven all your wrong moves (if any) in the past, regarding Rough Silk? I speak ’bout former members, co-operations, contracts? How wise are you 20 years later now?

Ferdy Doernberg: "Oh yes, I’m very wise indeed - NOT!!! Of course I would do many things differently - but only if I knew what I know now. In the same situations and with the same knowledge I would probably do all the mistakes again. Of course we got ripped off, trusted the wrong people (even some band members...) and made many wrong moves - but that’s life!!!"

The entire interview is available here.

A New Beginning will be released March 23rd by Dockyard 1. The tracklist is as follows: 'Temple Of Evil', 'Home Is Where The Pain Is', 'Reborn To Wait', 'The Roll Of The Dice', 'When The Circus Is Coming To Town', 'Sierra Madre', 'A New Beginning', 'Warpaint', 'Black Leather', 'We've Got A File On You (featuring SUBCULTURE SQUAD), 'Deadline', 'We All Need Something To Hold On To In This Life', 'A Song For Hilmer'.