1.) Please introduce the band and the members.

Steven: We are Logar´s Diary from Berlin. We play Power Metal in the way of Blind Guardian. That means hard riffings, choirs, melodies and we´re handling fantasy concept throughout the album. That´s Christoph on lead guitars, Felix on bass guitars, Hagen on vocals, Micha on keys and me on rhythm guitar. 2.) Tell us more about the history of the band.

Steven: The band was founded in spring 1998. The idea was to put a fantasy story written by myself into a musical form. We spent 1 1/2 years of song writing and the same time we needed again to record the stuff. Now we are looking for a drummer.

Micha: I first met Chris and Steven at a hospital where we had done our civilian service. One day Steven asked me, if I would like to play keys in a Metalband and after hearing the first (midi)songs I agreed. Felix and Hagen are friends of Steven.

3.) What musical background do you have?

Steven: I´ve played in some bands which I don´t mention cause it was nothing special. I made Thrash Metal like old Testament and Overkill.... But nothing serious that should be explained here. Most of the time we were drunk or played in basements. In black holes with a very bad sound....

Christoph: We are very proud to say that we are all die hard Metal fans. My personal musical background are the 90´s epic melodic speed Metal bands like Rhapsody, Blind Guardian and Domine for example.

4.) How would you describe your style?

Steven: As I told before, we´re playing Power Metal with symphonic parts and choirs and stuff like that, all embedded in a fantasy concept and filled with medieval feelings!

Micha: I would say we are playing melodic fantasy-powermetal with powerful guitars, a melodic voice, choirs and many keys most playing strings, organ and horns. The story deals with a RPG-character of Steven called Logar. He has written down his adventures and so our music is a musical diary.

5.) Who are your musical influences?

Steven: Everyone of us has different influences. Christoph is pure Power Metal. My Influences are the old Metallica stuff and things like thrash Metal. Felix has his own style.... combine those styles and you have Logar´s Diary. I think this is the only way how Logar should sound. If one of us writes all the songs Logar´s Diary would sound different as it sounds now.

6.) What are your 5 all-time favourite albums?

Steven: Metallica - Kill ém all

Ressurection - embaled existence

Blind Guardian - Tales from the twilight world

Slayer - South of Heaven

Megadeth - Rust in Peace

Micha: My all-time faves are “Metropolis part II” and “Images and words” by Dream Theater, “Carved in stone” by Shadow Gallery and “Throwing copper” (live)

Christoph: Freternia - Warchants and fairytales

Crystal Eyes - In silence they march

Hammerfall - Glory to the brave

Rage - Black in mind

Domine - Dragonlord

7.) What are your 5 current favourites?

Steven: Annihilator - Carnival diablos

Volcano - Violence

Iced Earth - Horror Show

Nevermore - Sound of Silence (Track)

Black Label Society - Live Brew

Micha: Currently I like Nightwish “Oceanborn” and Labyrinth.

Christoph: Excelsis - Tales of Tell

Wizard - Head of the deceiver

Dragonhammer - same

Elvenking - Heathenreel

Steel Lord - Headbanger Force

8.) Tell us more about the songwriting and the recordings of your current CD.

Steven: The songwriting was done by Felix, Christoph and me. We wrote 1 1/2 years on it. Not for the main riffs but for the details. We wrote everything, choirs, arrangements, drums.... And then we recorded it at Goblins ´n Gnomes...that means in Felix living room. We did everything with the computer. Felix had to learn the whole fuckin´ program, but finally he did it. Then we mixed the stuff a couple of months... and that´s it.

9.) What are your lyrics dealing with?

Steven: The lyrics are the concept around Logar, a roleplaying character who lives in Barsaive, a fantasy Land a long time ago. Logar and his friend S´kirrel were involved in a masterplan to destroy the good. The have a hard job to do.... The lyrics telling one story... from station to station. Above the lyrics (in the booklet) you find the story, written in little chapters. When you read all you have the whole story.

Christoph: We tried very hard to capture the feelings and emotions from the story in the songs so that the listener is able to understand what we are singing about.

10.) How did you finance the recordings?

Steven: This album was totally self-financed. Christoph´s father lent us some money. We thought that we never could pay it back but we did after 3 months. The sales were very good.

11.) Where and how do you distribute the CD?

Steven: Most of them were sold by mailorder companies such as Hellion (Greetz to you guys ) and companies like that. Many are also sold directly by us by internet. Some record shops are well with us... It´s not too much till now. But I hope with a company in the back this will change, too.

Christoph: There´s defnitely a market for our music. We pressed nearly 1100 CDs and have now about 350 left. We got many good reviews in magazines, fanzines and webzines and the fans order the CD after reading them. Especially the review in the Heavy oder Was (10/12 poits) gave us about 60 orders…

12.) Are you in contact with record labels?

Steven: So far, that we talk to them. By now, there´s nothing official. Everything that happens around Logar will be posted on www.logar.org.

13.) Do you have more finished songs? Do you already have plans for the next CD?

Steven: Yeah. At this time I started to prepare the story for the next album. We lightly started songwriting for the next record. At the moment we record a cover song. It might be a bonus track for a possible South America release. But I´m quiet sure that you will hear it, too. I think we will put it on our homepage for downloading.

14.) Do you regularly play live? Tell us more about your gigs.

Steven: We ´re looking for a drummer right now. I hope we will find someone soon. Unfortunately we had no gigs till now. But I´m pretty sure that this will change.

15.) What has been your biggest musical achievement / success so far?

Steven: I make music for a couple of years now. But not so professional. You know... everyone started in a garage and played some gigs. But my biggest success is Logar´s Diary at the moment. And I hope that Logar´s Diary will be my last musical success.

Christoph: My biggest success was to release my own music on CD and getting so much nice response from all over the world. I´m a Metal-collector and it´s a great feeling to discover a new review from us somewhere, to see that someone else likes your ideas and appreciates what you are doing! The next achievement will be to hear the audience during a gig singing our songs.

16.) How can you be reached in the internet?

Steven: You will find the official homepage at http://www.logar.org. You can find everything about Logar there. You can write e-mails to the members and you can download some stuff. You can get the lyrics and so on. And you can visit our guestbook and write some nice words to us. We are very happy about everything people tell and told us.

17.) Is there anything else you want to mention?

Christoph: Please, fans, don´t buy just names!!! The music counts and small bands can be even as good as well-known bands, I promise you! Give young bands more chances and visit their gigs! Don´t spend your 90.- DM to AC/DC, but visit instead 4 or 5 underground concerts. The young bands need your support more!!!

And another important thing: Beware of the right-winged pack that tries to overrun our scene! Show them that they are not welcome among us Metalheads!!! Don´t let the fools sow their seed in the Metal scene!!!

18.) What are your plans for the near future?

Steven: Priority one: To find a fuckin´ Drummer

Priority two: Get on stage with that stuff

Priority three: Get on work for the next album....

Christoph: Thanx a lot for your work and for supporting us! Metal forever!!!

Interview by Ralph

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