In the April issue of Germany's Rock Hard magazine (#227 - Christina Scabbia cover shot), editor-in-chief and admitted die-hard MANOWAR fan Götz Kühnemund interviews bassist/founder Joey DeMaio, taking him to task for the band's controversial "performance" at last year's Earthshaker Festival. Kühnemund confronts DeMaio on a number of issues, including Manowar's mid-set soundcheck and using a playback orchestra for part of the show. Following are a series of excerpts from the interview, translated from German:

Götz: After the Earthshaker Festival we received a lot of mail from fans saying they don't believe a word you guys say anymore. The thing with the orchestra...

Joey. "What about the orchestra? I don't understand."

Götz: The fans feel betrayed.

Joey: "Really? That's the biggest production we've ever done!"

Götz: With a playback orchestra. Everybody knows it.

Joey: "Really? I brought in 200 musicians from the Czech Republic for a playback show? Are people really dumb enough to believe that?"

Götz: That's what people believe.

Joey: 'Then I'm sorry, I find that silly. Ask my mother: I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but I'm not so stupid as to bring in 200 orchestra musicians from another country to sit on their asses and pretend to play. That's ridiculous."

Götz: There are technicians that worked at the Earthshaker Festival that say it was all fake.

Joey: "I don't care what people say. The important thing is that the orchestra played. That's the truth. It makes no difference if people believe something else."

Götz: It's silly when you do a ten minute drum soudcheck in the middle of your set, like at the Earthshaker.

Joey: "I know, but when our fans pay good money..."

Götz: ...to hear songs, not a soundcheck!

Joey: "...and I can't hear what I'm playing on stage and give the fans the best possible performance, I owe it to them to fix the problem. I'm a professional."

Götz: But the sound wasn't any better afterwards! You wasted valuable time.

Joey: "No, I didn't. I did my best to solve the problem. Okay?"

Götz: I believe you wanted to show that you had absolute control over everything.

Joey: "No, I wanted to show the fans that they're more important to me than my own life. And if I have to do a soundcheck to prove it, that's what I'll do. I don't play with instruments that are out of tune, I don't play with bad equipment and I don't play with bad sound. I did soundcheck on stage for two hours just so we could play one song perfectly. If people don't like it that's not my fucking problem."

"I believe in the fans, I believe in metal more than anybody you've ever met. And you've known me a long time. I've never pissed on you even though you constantly do it to me. And I don't stab the fan in the back. And another thing, Götz: I'm prepared to die for metal. Are you?"

Götz: Well...

Joey: "Are you prepared to die for metal? Have you ever thought about that? Are you prepared to die for metal?"

Götz: No. I prefer living.

Joey: "But I'm ready! I'm ready to die!"

Götz: Great.

Joey: "Do you want me to prove it?"

Götz: And how would you do that?

Joey: "Do you want to come on stage in Dortmund and shoot me?"

Götz: I wouldn't go that far.

Joey: "Why not?"

Götz: Because I'd prefer it of you'd just play good music.

Joey. "I make good music. I write the best music that I can write and I play the best music I can play. Okay?"

Götz: Okay.

Joey: "I'm preprared to die, remember that. And when you're ready let me know. Write that! Write that I'm ready to die for metal and you're not!"