ROSS THE BOSS - Carsten Kettering

Metalzone: First of all what’s the story behind the whole concept of, the "Keep It True" jam with Ross ending in an album??
\r\nCarsten Kettering: Ouw…the real story. That’s easy to say. After the “KIT” Festival the whole RTB Band was so happy and glad about that awesome concert that we decided to form a real band. The concept was fun on stage, metal in our blood and our soul and the will to play live. After a while we saw that we are able to play our own songs and Ross came up with “We Will Kill” and “I Got The Right”. We recorded these songs and Oliver Weinsheimer (the boss of the KIT) gave the demo to AFM Records. And then we had a record label deal with AFM.
\r\nBut all of that wouldn’t happen if we where no friends. From the first minute we met us there was a feeling, same as a band is playing since 20 years together. And that’s the important thing. We are friends and we are a band!
\r\n
\r\nMetalzone: Taking into consideration that Ross is an US citizen, which is the writing/composing procedure you’ve followed. Was it difficult to cooperate? Have you all participated in this process?
\r\nCarsten Kettering: We worked as a real band on every song. Everybody gave his spirit to the song, and to the arrangement. Nobody tells the other what he have to play on his instrument. That’s the secret. Let the musicians play what they want to play and then you’ll here a true song! There was nothing difficult to cooperate. As long all of us want to play Rock and Metal, there will be nothing difficult.
\r\n
\r\nMetalzone: Who is responsible for the lyrics and what are the main thematologies influences?
\r\nCarsten Kettering: Patrick wrote all the lyrics, exept Constantines Sword and Plaque Of Lies. We had some “stories” in our mind like a “God of Dying” or say “Fuck off” to certain people like “Blood Of Knives” or give tribute to the son of Ross in “Immortal Son”.
\r\n
\r\nMetalzone: What is the feedback "New Metal Leader" has received,until now,both in your country and abroad?
\r\nCarsten Kettering: Well, we had a very good feedback. OK, some people expect another Manowar CD. In  my eyes our Album is absolutely not comparable to ones of Manowar. And this was not the goal of the Band to have a similar album like Manowar. OK, Ross was the guitarist of them some years ago, and if you find some similar guitar riffs or rhythms in our songs I say, ok, that’s the stile of Ross The Boss. Some other journalists also wrote something like “I’m disappointed” about the CD, Ross couldn’t get the spirit in his solos like in one of his old CDs and all that blablabla. I tell you one thing…those people will write on our next CD things like “Oh, where are the great solos he made on New Metal Leader?” Or, “so stupid, the singer still do not sound like Eric Adams”. What I will say is: You can not please everybody. Opinions and opinions. Always. In our time there are so many bands, every month some thousand new Albums on the market. What is good and what is bad? I can tell you that. If RTB Band is produceing a CD, the whole Band like each song. And if the fans like the song we are happy too, and if one fan don’t like a song, well then he don’t like the song. Its like good food and bad food, beautifull people and ugly people – everything is a personal taste.
\r\n
\r\n
\r\nMetalzone: How was the promotion of the album concerning the live performances?Do you still perform Manowar songs live and how is the  fans-reaction to them,comparing to your own stuff?Do people compare you at all,or they treat you as a brand new band,as you
\r\nare?
\r\nCarsten Kettering: Yes we still perform some Manowar songs, but not that much. We are an own band and we have to promote our songs when we play live. The people who come to our concert can expect some Manowar songs, but they should never go to our concert these days to hear only Manowar songs. Our songs are great and they have to be performed on stage.
\r\n
\r\nMetalzone: I have noticed that the production of "New Metal Leader", seems to raise from the ashes of the past,while most of new productions are pretty much the same, between each other.Is that the sound you wanted from the beggining or it was a matter of your producer?Are you satisfied from the result?
\r\nCarsten Kettering: Oh yes. We really like our sound. Ross have his own real guitar sound without any bullshit effects. Just pure Guitar Power.We wanted something like a mix of real traditional metal sound with influences of a modern sound. We are really happy with our CD, the sound and the power of the album.
\r\n
\r\nMetalzone: How could you describe the German metal scene?Is there any new groups that are worth the attention of the public?What about
\r\nthe "old" ones (Gamma Ray,Helloween etc.),do they have still fans in your country?
\r\nCarsten Kettering: Oh, sure we have a great scene. And I can tell you. There are many underground bands who are good as some of the “old” bands. But the market is really full of that kind of bands. And as a music consumer it will get more difficult to listen to all the bands, and maybe on one point you are getting bored.
\r\n
\r\nMetalzone: You also participate in Ivory Night, could you give us a presentation of them,too?
\r\nCarsten Kettering:  IVORY NIGHT. The third CD of that band will come in September/October and will bring you a totally different point of view on the german metal scene ;-) We are a metal band and we want to be totally different in everything we are doing. You have to see us live, then you know what I’m talking about. But you can visit our homepage www.ivorynight.de, our myspace www.myspace.com/ivorynight or our youtube channel /officialivorynight.
\r\n
\r\nMetalzone: How has affected the cooperation with such a Heavy Metal legend your life,your playing and your other projects?Do you
\r\nbelieve that participating,in such a group,has been beneficial for you and your bandmates?
\r\nCarsten Kettering:  It really changed nothing. I am the same musician like before I met Ross. Cause he is also to ¼ responsible that I play an instrument  Sure you come more around in the scene, know more important people and have a bigger stage experience, but that’s the way it is
\r\n
\r\nMetalzone: What are your personal influences as a bass player and what music do you listen at your free time?
\r\nCarsten Kettering:  Ok, maybe its boring to say, but I started to play bass, because of Manowar. And for that Joey DeMaio was my influence in the age of 15 – 18. Now I’m 31 and I have to say I really do not have any influence the last 13 years. I like Alice Cooper, Devin Townsend, Bruce Dickinson (Solo) and Marilyn Manson. And of course the music I play. That’s all. Now I’m my own influence 
\r\n
\r\nMetalzone: Do you think that new technology has good or bad effects at the music industry in general (meaning from the recording of
\r\nan album,till hitting the stores)
\r\nCarsten Kettering:  Technology is always good. Everything is getting better, better productions better sounds. You can do a lot these days with technology in music…but then you should not be disappointed when a band is on CD brilliant and sucks live ;-)
\r\n
\r\nMetalzone: What are you doing at the moment and what should fans expect in the future for "Ross The Boss" band?Will it continue as a
\r\n"band" or as a "project"?
\r\nCarsten Kettering: At the moment I do pre-production for the new IVORY NIGHT CD and work on some new song ideas for ROSS THE BOSS. RTB will never be a project, cause we are a real band. We are hungry musicians and our next CD will be another step to the Top 
\r\n
\r\nMetalzone: As a conclusion,please feel free to add to this mini interview, anything you’d like to share with us and haven’t been
\r\nasked already.
\r\nCarsten Kettering: Allright, I will say „Thanks a lot“ to waste your time to read that interview ;-) Thanks to all the great people in greece who support the Band ROSS THE BOSS. We had a great time some years ago in Athens and Thessaloniki as we played there. I really love your country and I hope to be back soon to play some more shows and have a great party with all those awesome metalheads from Greece. A special hello to Voula 
\r\n
\r\nInterview by John “L.O.V.E. Machine” Litinakis
\r\n