Hailing from Bremen President Evil like nothing better than to play it hard, heavy and loud.  With the release of their new album 'Hell In A Box' earlier this year we catch up with guitarist James Lars to get the low down on the band.

MM - Please introduce the band members to us.
James - President Evil are Johnny Holze (vox), Ace (git), James Lars (git), Godspeed Topf (bass) and Diamond Dennis (drums).

MM - Do you collaborate on any songs as a band, or are the songs mostly prewritten and presented to the band to add in their ideas and opinions?
James - We always writing songs together. We got no band dictator and don't need one. Most times we're jamming, someone gets an idea and the others will come up with some adds. If the idea rocks us the next time too, the song is ours.

MM - When writing a new song do you usually start with a lyric, a riff, what works creatively for you?
James - The lyrics are always the last part of a song because Johnny is the slowest guy in the band. Most of the time he's shouting something and builds up the lyrics step by step. The start is always an idea, it depends on who has the best day. Could be an drumbeat, a riff or sometimes we make just noise and some feeling comes up together. It depends to on which state our mind are at that moment.

MM - What influenced you to make a band, and more to the point, what influenced you to play the music you do?
James - Our socialisation and configuration of President Evil. We are all friends since a long time and played music in different bands. We've all got different music tastes but we all want to rock together.  Because we write songs together all these tastes are added together into big one monster.   No plan theory even grips on our music style. We can manipulate that. Our music is what comes out if we 5 guys make music together.

MM - What is the biggest challenge you have faced along your musical way?
James - To play the London Forum in front of 2000 die hard Ministry fans. No sleep, eat or anything humans do naturally as a fucking no name band from Germany.   Go out and rock or die!

MM - What songs in particular stand out for you on the new album ‘Hell In A Box’ and why those particular songs?
James - The title track 'Hell In A Box' I guess, 'King Asshole', 'White Fire', 'Return Of The Speed Cowboys', 'Jesus Factor Negative' and 'One Brain Army'. These songs build the bridge between our debut cd and the second because 'Jesus Factor Negative' and 'Speed Cowboys' were written short time after recording the debut trash n' roll asshole show. In the middle period we made 'King Asshole' and the last period was 'Hell In A Box'.  More rock n' roll style influence came in the music because of the feeling we got.

MM - What do you feel ‘Hell In A Box’ says about where you are as artists and also what does it say about the music world of today?
James - We're right in. Sometimes the world's hell and sometimes life is too. It's not an permanent feeling but always present. I guess we reflect what we experienced personally and as a band and put it out in our rock n' roll style.

MM - With all of the new technologies available the music world stands to have a great future with streaming audio and video but also faces a serious problem with file sharing. What are your feelings about this double-sided sword called the internet?
James - As I said, it's got two sides. Best method of promo to distribute your music but a lot of it sucks. I like quality. If I see most videos it's lowest quality. So one example if people got dvd players cause the picture quality is much higher than video. What's the first thing they do? They download copies from films in the worst quality I've ever seen, just to say ... I got it earlier than you!  So I think quality costs me some nickel, that's ok.

If I like a band I want the cd with cover. If I want that they make another one I buy one cause they need money to produce it. The worst thing about the new media is the attitudes of the people change. I respect everyone who presents his art, music whatever. It's long way to do it. I like it this way and will keep it.

MM - Along the road of life there are many people who influence us, who do you give credit as being your inspiration both musically and personally?
James - I like to read biographies. Impressing to me were the old guys like BB King and Johnny Cash. BB King always said he'd do anything to be an musician. I mean at that time it meant a lot more than it does today. Another example is Tom Waits, he always made his style of music without becoming so commercial. He stopped drinking and smoking but this didn't stop him being an creative musician. Musically I grew up with the metal heads Metallica, Motörhead, Slayer, Pantera, Sacred Reich and so many more.

MM - If you were asked to choose what would you pick between recording and creating in the studio or playing live in front of the fans?
James - No question, live.

MM - How do you feel you have come on musically since President Evil started out?
James - I've been making music since 19 years and took lessons. So President Evil is President Evil. When we play together there's a chemistry I can't describe. That's what makes it feel so different between other bands I've played in. In my opinion it isn't important to be the best player, it's important to find the right guys. The rest will follow.