This statement by guitarist and band leader Fabian Zimmermann is symptomatic. The current (and original) BLIND line-up got together in 2002 and have consistently followed their vision. In this, the band from Koblenz on the Rhine/Moselle confluence have not always opted for the easiest, but always for their own way!

There had never been any doubt: everything had to be just right on their first album, regardless of the consequences. After all, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

BLIND kept refusing recording contracts, changing producers several times even during the demo stage because most of them lacked commitment and enthusiasm. "We have an almost athletic ambition," Fabian laughs. "Why should we be satisfied with only ninety per cent? Higher, faster, wider!"

The time factor was secondary. Instead of rushing their debut, the quartet consciously took enough time to develop their own identity and hone their material.

Their patience has paid off: over the years, a diverse and independent style at the interface of power pop, alternative rock and modern metal has been allowed to develop naturally. And every little detail matters. "We are obsessed sound tinkerers," comments front man Steve. "We try everything, experiment with the craziest instrumental combinations, rip everything apart, only to put it together again in different ways. This process takes time, a lot of elements fall by the wayside, but what we get is one hundred per cent. It’s a little like a car manufacturer testing a new prototype: several years of hard work are condensed into a few days. The surviving material is fit to go out on the road."

"Test runs" of their material have taken the band all over Germany in recent years. "Wherever there was an electric socket, we put up our gear and tried to get people with our songs. If the reactions were positive, we kept it. The rest was discarded, and we started all over again." Along the way, BLIND have grown into a mega tight live act on their tours of Germany’s club land. The explosive ambition that they have displayed writing their music has a tendency to detonate live in a most spectacular way.