The Guitar Player's Resource
Marc Kassel: I started at the age of 17-18 i don't remember exactly. But I do remember the reason why I started playing guitar. At that age the three Scandinavian bands: Children of Bodom, In Flames and Norther caught my attention. Their playing styles and sense for deep melodic riffing fascinated me so much that I bought myself a guitar - although I couldn't even play a simple power chord at that time.
Tobias Schmidt: I also started playing at the age of 18. To name some influences I would say, As I Lay Dying, Narziss, Unearth and In Flames.
Marc Kassel: Our latest EP "S.Y.N.C.E.D." is completely self recorded, mixed and mastered. It was our intention to do so from the very beginning.
Marc Kassel: Simple - Modern Metal, Electronic, Rap. Beyond that, we try to close the gap between lead guitars and lead synthezisers as good as we can. Same for the gap between rap and guttural vocals.
Marc Kassel: It was a collaborative approach on the whole. Although it was mostly like this: one member of the band would come up with an idea and then show it to everyone in the group. The rest of the band then jumped on on that workflow until the finished product was satisfactory.
Tobias Schmidt: We both use 6- and 7-string guitars with string gauges like 12-60 for 6-string and 11-80 for the 7-string guitars. We amplify our tone with a Kemper Profiler Unit, that most of the time runs a Randall Satan / Dual Rectifier Profile. We use Ibanez and Jackson guitars with EMG and Seymour Duncan Pickups.
Marc Kassel: Sometimes I boost my signal with a Tube Screamer and I add some delay and reverb.
Marc Kassel: That would definetly be our release show to promote our brand new EP "S.Y.N.C.E.D.". It took place at the Vortex in Siegen and was a memorable experience for me.
Tobias Schmidt: For me it was to finally finish the "S.Y.N.C.E.D." EP and get our songs on CD for the first time.
Marc Kassel: I would say streaming platforms are working best for us, such as Spotify or Deezer. But i feel like Twitter, for example, is not working at all because it's more of an American thing, you know?
Marc Kassel: I listen to instrumental music a lot in my life. For me, instrumental music does away with the requirement to always be delivering a message, no matter what. It just presents the art, emotions and maybe intention behind that music much more transparently, whereas traditional vocal-based music always wants to tell you a message, moral or sometimes just bullsh*t that you don't want to hear at all.
Tobias Schmidt: I think instrumental music has a completetely different way of transporting emotions than vocal music has. Therefore, there will always be people who tend to like instrumental music more.
Marc Kassel: I listen a lot to electronic music. I would say I listen to about 70% metal-based music and 30% electronic music.
Marc Kassel: Improve my guitar skills, specifically tapping and fast alternative picking. Also, I am constantly trying to find new ways to get Lead synths and lead guitars in better harmony. Please check out our video here.
Tobias Schmidt: Plans for the future? Play more gigs in front of larger audiences! Playing live is the greatest thing to do as a guitar player.
The German band In Dreams Of Reality has just released their first EP ("S.Y.N.C.E.D."). The songs are a modern representation of a group blending Metalcore, Electro and Rap that also features the twin guitars of Marc Kassel and Tobias Schmidt, giving the music that much more edge and attitude.
Dan McAvinchey recently reached out across the Atlantic Ocean to the guitarists in the band to discuss their gear and other musical topics.