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Interview with former Stormwitch guitarist Ronny Gleisberg on the occasion of the 40th anniversary ofWalpurgis Night.
Ronny, when did you start working on your debut album Walpurgis Night?
The songs were composed between 1981 and 1984 by Harald Spengler and Stefan Kaufmann and were finally arranged and refined by all five musicians in early 1984.
How did the songs come about?
Mostly on the acoustic guitar.
Did you write any material that wasn’t included on the record?
Yes, quite a few.
What about the recording sessions?
We recorded everything directly in the studio (like live in rehearsal!), except for the vocals and solo guitar.
Do you think there has been a significant jump thanks to the rise of German speed metal in the mid-80s?
Yes I think so.
Is it true that the title appears to have been derived from the eve of the Christian feast day of Saint Walpurga?
Yes
Do you think that you were all talented musicians already on your debut album, as you delivered impressive guitar solos and tight rhythms on all the album tracks?
No, we were all still complete beginners (laugh 
)
Have you demonstrated a high level of skill?
It was okay, but there have been some better ones….
Is the bass also clearly noticeable on this release, which only adds more depth to the already complex atmosphere?
I think so, because you have to feel music, it has to touch you deeply.
Iron Maiden’s instrumental Excalibur and Transylvania share a sort of medieval metallic approach…
Yes, exactly, they sound equally good.
How do you judge that Andy Mück also convinces with his intense singing?
Andy impresses with a unique, unmistakable and beautiful voice even up to the highest notes.
While his singing is unique and he is able to use a wide variety of vocal ranges, his high voice makes the difference, songs like Thunderland and Warlord are…
Yes, exactly.
A good example of this and shows his talent? Did this album also have a great catalog of catchy guitar riffs as the songs vary in structure?
Yes absolutely, every guitar riff is razor sharp.
Are the individual songs unique and very different?
Absolute, and yet always recognizable.
Priest of Evil is one of Stormwitch’s most popular compositions and, with its catchy chorus, also one of their catchiest songs…
I love this song, I was able to play it at KIT in April 2024 with Andy and Peter! It was fantastic.
Would you say that the sound later became known as German Metal or Teutonic Metal and evolved over time and split into Power Metal and Speed Metal?
Exactly.
In your opinion, all the early bands like Running Wild, Warlock, Grave Digger, Atlain etc. got the flow and influence of the NWOBHM, but adapted the British sound to the German peculiarities?
I think so.
Is it basically the sound of the NWOBHM bands, but with an interesting Germanic approach?
Absolutely 
Did bands like Running Wild, Grave Digger, Attack or Atlain do similar things in that particular year (1984) or were there big differences between them in terms of sound, songwriting, etc.?
I think we sounded different, simply unique.
By the way, was 1984 a great year for German metal in general? Many bands released their debut album that year, including “Running Wild” (Gates to Purgatory), Atlain (Living in the Dark), Brainfever (Capture the Night), Backwater (Revelation), Warlock (Burning the Witches), Grave Digger (Heavy Metal Breakdown), to name a few?
Yes, of course.
Did you basically add a touch of deathly cold to the sound?
No, more like deep melodic grooves.
Were Stormwitch a pretty dark sounding band?
No, rather melodically dark, just „the Masters of Black Romantic”!
What shows/tours were there to support the album?
Germany and Hungary tour plus numerous shows and festivals throughout Germany.
Ronny, thank you for the brief words, what are your final words?
It was a great, wonderful time with lots of sunshine in my heart and lots of lovely people…. and it’s not over yet 
Love rocking greetings.
