It began all in 2001. Stolle, Froesi and Willy were playing in the Potsdam based grind/punk band CRUDE B.E. for quite a while when their drummer Loffi started off on a bike trip through Africa. As his return remained unclear and Stolle and Froesi didn`t want to stay inactive, they asked Flo of the befriended band ALTENBURG 76 if he would like to join them in a new band: intended musical direction: fast hardcore punk without fear of occasional hidden melodies. Flo agreed to join, but it wasn`t until the beginning of 2002 when we three met in a rehearsal room located on the desolate campus of the University of Potsdam in the small village of Golm, outside the city, to exchange the first ideas for songs. The depressing place would influence us on some of our song lyrics like -Letzte Ausfahrt -(last exit Golm) or -Dorf Nazis must die- (-Village Nazis...-). After a few weeks, CRUDE B.E. singer Willy also joined us to complete the line-up: Willy/vocals, Stolle/guitar and vocals, Froesi/bass and Flo/drums. Some further weeks later we decided to give ourselves the super-cliché moniker CHAINBREAKER, always to be announced with an ironic eye-wink.
In July 2002, we had our debut gig at our Potsdam home club, the -Black Fleck-, together with CONTRAVENE from Minneapolis/U.S.A. During the summer we continued to practise, experimenting with a second guitarist and several stylistic directions. In autumn, we cleared out to remain a four-piece line-up, with short and fast rocking hardcore punk songs, this decision lasting until now. In November 2002 we made a first attempt to record ourselves on tape in the practise room. The result was a complete failure sounding so shitty that we couldn`t dare playing it to anyone. Therefore we had to try to earn us a reputation as CHAINBREAKER in 2003 through gigs only. In the meantime, Loffi had returned from his Africa experience and reanimated CRUDE B.E. whom we share members and a new practise room quite in the middle of Potsdam with since then.
In March 2004 we again tried to record our songs, this time under a much more professional studio-like conditions on a weekend in Leipzig, under guidance of Albrecht. In May, our 30-minute-long 19-song tape “Try to live an interesting life - stay at home forever” was ready. Until now, more than 150 copies have been distributed even gained some positive responses, occasionally. For the rest of the year, we played shows with bands like ALLEE DER KOSMONAUTEN, SKRÄCK, HUMAN WASTE or PERTH EXPRESS and started to do new songs.
As there was enough new material at the beginning of this year, we went into the idyllic studio site of Nicolaus in Potsdam-Rehbrücke to record 9. 6 of them appeared shortly after on our first 7” EP on the label of our friend and supporter Stefan Klose, Vendetta Records. Looking at it from now, we are especially and extremely happy with the outstanding and great cover artwork, designed by the artists Kasia and Damian and printed heavily professional by Olli. The reactions on our first record were mainly positive, some criticized the sound of it and lacking power and once it was said that “it looks nicer than it does actually sound”, but still we`re waiting for a total tear-down. Well, we ourselves still like it.
In autumn 2005, the 15-years-jubilee-compilation “Deutschland in Decline” by the label Heartfirst was released, to which we contributed the new recorded demo song “Dorf Nazis must die” on special invitation by label boss Flo. Apart from us, the 7” sampler features well-sounding acts like THE NOW-DENIAL, BURIAL, SOLID DECLINE, BOMBENALARM, DOOMTOWN and AMEN 81 – all German bands loosely dealing with the topic of new arising stupid national pride throughout whole Germany.
In November 2005, we went on tour for the first time, travelling a week through Germany. The audiences varied from 20 to 200 people, but everyone we met was nice to us and we had great fun on the road and on each of the 8 gigs that we played (also see the tour diary!).
2006 saw CHAINBREAKER play, us usual, here and there, not too often, not too much to become boring. In summer, our split 7" with the Berlin fellows MÖNSTER saw the light of day on our home label Vendetta Records, with its exquisite punk rock cover and two songs by each band, the CHAINBREAKER stuff dating from the 2005 session. Take a look at the provoking cover in our photo section here.
In March 2007 we hit the studio for a 12", released on Vendetta Records again during the summer. To bring a super cliché phrase out of every Rock Hard interview: "Hands down, this is the best record we ever made!" We have spent some time on the songs and gratefully received help from our friends Kaska, Torf, Olli and Holg to get an eyecatching record cover which makes us proud to read our name on it. Seriously - this record is what CHAINBREAKER should have been about in our minds since the beginning.
In autumn we hit the road for some shows and even did a little tour with our Potsdam friends from DIE ANGST (see the tour report in the blog section). Most of the shows were great, but by the end of the year we painfully had to realize that keeping this band on the run ate more and more of our time and power. As some personal situations have changed since a while (we have jobs or do some university stuff, some of us have children...) it came out more and more that we will not be able to play in this band as we used to - though we have never been workaholics in our rehearsal room and on the booker phone...
So, this week, after a very nice evening at a bar in Potsdam we decided to call it quits in a friendly and relaxed manner. No hard feelings, only a little bit of sadness and disappointment, but also pride and satisfaction at sight of almost 6 great years together.
But we won't simply fade away without a sound - there will be a final farewell show at the start of our "career", the Black Fleck in Potsdam, on April 25th 2008. So far, THE NOW-DENIAL have confirmed being with us on our last show ever, another great band will be confirmed soon and you all can expect an outstanding evening full of thrashing hardcore punk and lots of beer!
Cheers to you all who helped us out during the last year and to all who somehow appreciated what we were doing - you all made the whole thing worth it!
Flobreaker, in December2007
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