printed Zine
The story so far...
My name is Logar, I´m a magician walking proudly the path of an elementarist. I want to tell you a tale which happened a long time ago, when I was young. T´skirrel and me were sailing the Serpent River when we found the elf Axandria, drifting helplessly on the waves. After rescueing her, she told us about a journey to the Bloodwoods to the elfin queen. A strange place where sorrow dwells. We were young and hungry for adventures so we decided to guard her on her way. It was a long and hard journey through the jungle and we were confronted with many evil things and animals living deep in the forrest. One day we found a Troll. Although he seemed dead, he wasn´t. Boiling panic let the murder rise. A ghost of a windling appeared. He told us that his name was Ti´an and that something real bad would happen. He was already dead, but we had to find his diary. Everything was written down by him and his fellows. Then he dissappeared. The silence was broken. A mighty ork came riding down the way. He was a friend of that dead Troll. We decided that he should bring the message to the elfin queen, and we would head on for Ti´an´s Diary.... and so we did.
We found it in a small kear guarded by a “horror” and many other creatures. It was dark and dusty and the taste of blood surrounded us. But finally we found it. The diary told us, that there was a mighty necromancer collaborating with the horrors. He wanted to bring them back in our world...
We decided to speak to the magistrate of Travar and finally to the dwarven king Valurus III in Throal. So we headed for Travar - the Golden City. I had a date with a troubador... he should bring me to the magistrate. And so he did.
The next goal was Throal, the dwarven kingdom. In the courtyard lies Barterstown - this city is a just a big market. Everything you want, you will find here. After the audience with the mighty king of Barsaive - May the passions guarding him all his life - we worked together with his secret service; and finally we found the man - he, who wanted to destroy everything on earth: Iostros - a famous trader in Barterstown.
It was a real hard fight - and at last he fled through an astral gate just in the moment we had him....
1. First of all an important question: your history please, till today...
Steven: Logar´s Diary was founded at the end of ´97. After many years of roleplaying and writing everything down, I decided to make music out of the diary of Logar - my main character. Christoph and me met in a hospital doing our civilian service. I asked Felix to join us, because I know him for ten years now... many years ago we played in a Thrash-Metal Band named Scoria, where he quitted and joined Dawn - Berlin, where he met Hagen. So I met him also...
Micha was also in the hospital with us and Stefan joined some months ago after listening to our CD...
2. Now we go really deep inside "Barsaive". What about your creation? Who is the father? Can you explain more about your fantasy world?
Steven: Earthdawn is a roleplaying game by FASA... like Shadowrun. So it isn´t our creation.This is the game I played for many years... Barsaive is a re-growing land. For 500 years “the plague” crawled over it... thousands of evil horrors, killing everything that lived... After they left, mankind began to rebuild the cities. Many heroes travelled through Barsaive to experience adventures.
3. Are you readers of fantasy books? What are the authors and books that you prefer? Who of them has inspired you?
Christoph: I read a lot. I love fantasy books like the Lord of the Rings (for sure) or such... I really love sequels, stories that take some books to develope and grow while going on and on. Such as Macabros (a brilliant Fantasy/Horror story with 125 novels) or the „Dark eye“- series (a famous German RPG-system). Also I love reading superhero-comics from the 80s...
Steven: I once read a lot...but unfortunately I ain´t got time for reading Books nowadays... that makes me feel very sad. But I have so much to do... but in my mind I´m always in these tales...
4. The first CD is the first Book; is it only the first step to other adventures experienced by Logar the Magician?
Steven: Yes... I wrote down the adventures Logar went through... as a novel. And the best stories we choose and make music out of them. You know Logar´s Diary isn´t a band who made a concept album, we are a concept-band. We are a RolePlay-Band. Beginning with the next album we will introduce traditional songs, which are written by the bards of Barsaive, as a roleplaying matter. Surely they are written by us. This is a concept in a concept, you understand. Not all albums will be one story but they´re all taking place in the age of Earthdawn... it´s always Logar and his fellows. Sure, maybe some stories will be continued, like Iostros, but every album will stand for itself.
Christoph: I think with this concept we have something very special that differs us from other bands and gives us a unique identity. In these days it is very important to have a unique look among the hundreds of other bands.
5. What can you tell us about the plot of the next step?
Steven:hehe... the story is already finished... That were some really hard nights... I don´t want to tell you too much. The next album takes place in Parlainth, the forgotten city. So the story takes place in one city, not like in Book I, which took place in whole Barsaive... Logar and T´skirrel will get through things like no one did before....
Christoph: Steven even keeps the story a secret from us, until he writes down the lyrics.
6 Do you have the idea to write one or more real books about the plot and the world you created?
Steven: So far Earthdawn books are available. You can buy them. The story of Iostros is written down by me. It´s not a whole book, but it has some pages. But I won´t publish it, because I´m not good enough in writing.
7. Are you fantasy role playing gamers? In what games? And what are your preferred characters (priest, mage, paladin, warrior, thief, etc.)?
Christoph: I have many characters. Mostly I play „the dark eye“. I love playing priests and thieves (at best in combination). I don´t like standard heros like warriors, magicians or such. I love to create very personal heros which have good and bad sides, which are not the strongest, which have a huge background story. And so I also lead the games, when I´m not a player. Very „down to earth“ and detailed. No big fights and much magic! I also love online RPGs. At the moment I play „Asherons Call“ cause it has such a nice world with so many good characters and everyone´s helping each other. And last but not least I´m a big fan of „real time RPGs“. So we meet with about 150 people in a castle or such place and play in real time with our costumes. That´s a great experience!
Steven: Sure I am! Hmmm, that´s difficult. In Earthdawn I always play characters like magicians and so on. In Shadowrun, the second game I play, I prefer Street Samurais, cyberkenetic warriors. Most time I play what I want. It always depends on the mood I´m in. I got many characters, but my main character is Logar.
8. Coming to the music… probably many have told you about the great influence by Blind Guardian. Have you the same idea?
Steven: You know, I know many people playing roleplaying games and listening to BG, myself included. I like them. They are very good musicians. Everyone in the band likes them. It´s not bad for me to be mentioned with BG in the same sentence. But they are not the only influence. We all hear nearly everthing what is Metal. You will find many different styles in our music. “Demon” e.g. is more the doom style, and so on. But most stuff is like Running Wild, BG, Gamma Ray - that´s correct. I think Logar´s Diary is not just a clone, we have our specific sound because of the members. Everyone has his own influence on our music.
Christoph: I take it always as a big compliment if someone compares us to Blind Guardian. They are a very good band with many brilliant songs. A band which developed over the years without betraying their roots. And: Do you know another underground band compared to Blind Guardian? I do not and so I think it is a great comparison for us. Maybe one day we can take over their heritage?
9. The sound of your CD is really good and every song has a great feeling, but: why did you use programmed drums?
Steven: We searched 3 years for a drummer, but nothing happened. Most of them didn´t live in Berlin, so it was really hard to have rehearsals together. So we decided to make the CD without a real drummer, because time was fading away. We had the stuff for three years, so it was time to release it. Stefan bought our CD and the seller told him that we are looking for a drummer. Stefan called us, and after just one rehearsal he was our drummer. He is very good. After one month he played everything. I am very glad that we found him, he is a good guy.
Christoph: I always had a bad feeling recording the CD with programmed drums, but we really had no other choice. So we decided to do it the best way possible. And I think that after some listens to our CD the drum computer won´t get on your nerves too much...
10. In the last marvellous song, "My love still exists", there's also a female vocalist. Will you repeat this experiment on the next CD?
Steven: I don´t know...! You know this song is between Logar and Axandria who fell in love with each other. So we chose a male and a female vocalist. Maybe we will do that again, but when - I don´t know.
11. In your songs there are also great passages of medival music. Do you like that style? Do you hear that music? What in particular?
Christoph: I don´t like medival music this much. It´s too boring for me. Don´t misunderstand me: I like the melodies, but not played without drums and guitars. I´m too much a Metal-fan than to listen to medival music at home. I prefer the latest Agent Steel or Domine instead ;-)
Steven: We like it, it is perfect to combine this style with Heavy Metal. My favourite is Loreena McKennit. I calm down very fast when I listen to her music...
12. Can you describe the scene painted on you CD cover? What does it represent? Are there some passages of the concept shown? Who is the author?
Christoph: We can´t describe the picture, cause it´s not a specific scene. The artist who did the artwork is a friend of us who took a listen to some songs and tried to capture the medival feeling in it. He also had the lyrics. Then he searched his huge database of fantasy pictures for some fitting pictures, listened to our advices (for example the boarder) and worked on the pictures to make them fit togehther. The whole picture is trying to represent a certain mood and also it had to be an „eye-catcher“. You know many fans only buy CDs, cause they have a great cover. That´s so important. If you want to contact the artist, write me, I can give you the address...
13. Are you in conctact with Italian bands and labels? Who in particular?
Christoph: Due to my work for the FAME OF METAL zine (
And also your labels are very kind. I am in contact with Underground Symphony, Northwind Records, Adrenaline Records and Elevate Records.
Most of them were also interested in our music and offered us a deal and support us now in all the best possible ways!
You have a great scene over there and I really love the music of most of these bands. Many of the Italian bands have this epic feeling in their songs
which I love so much. I wished we could play with every one of these bands live some day...
14. What kind of emotions do you want to transmit to your fans with your
music and lyrics?
Steven: It would be great if they feel like me when I listen to the music,
but they can´t. You know, I play xthe character of Logar for a very long time now. I
suffered with him and I loved with him, no one can feel this way. But I
hope we can reach some hearts with our music; I mean the song Ti´an e.g.
is very sad...!
Christoph: I hope the fans will have the same strong feelings which I have, when I listen to my favourite bands. You know, we play very honestly
our songs, we love what we do and I think the fans can hear that in our music. It´s „true Metal“ and it would be great if some of our songs would
someday mean everything to some people. But that will be a long way...!
15. Many of your songs, like "Ti'An", "Lonely on the Serpent River", "My
love still exists" and so on... gave me incredible and marvellous
feelings! For this I thank you in this interview... I think that
Logar's Diary are the best new band of Fantasy Metal in 2001. All Metal
Knight support will be spent for your band. Now HAIL TO METAL KNIGHT
READERS...
Steven: We thank you for this really interesting interview! It´s very
nice from you, that you spend so much time in us. I want to say hello to our
“Logarians” all over the world. We are very proud of you. Stay tuned! We
hope to release Book II in 2002. Visit us at
Christoph: A deep and honest thanx goes to you and all the Logar-Fans in Italy. It´s very touching for me to see that we could make your life
a little brighter with our songs! A metallic greeting to all Metal Knight readers and lovers of true hevy Metal. Don´t let the medias tell you what
to listen to, judge by yourself and support the underground! Hail and kill!
Interview by Leonardo
