Scorpio: Was there a specific moment when you decided to turn Metal Message into a promo agency?
Markus: Yes — countless bands and musicians complained to me, again and again, about the sometimes severe difficulties they had getting their music distributed and marketed adequately and authentically. That inevitably called me into action!
Do you remember a particular band or conversation, around 2001, that made you decide to start the agency?
My frustration had been growing steadily, particularly from the mid-1990s onwards, at the frequent lack of understanding shown by a certain section of the established, commercial music press. It showed in some of the articles, and even reviews, that were written about "my" favourite bands. I wanted to help on an individual basis, with my own PR copy and promotion — and that is exactly what happened. When metal eventually emerged from the underground, it was suddenly exposed to the masses, which made having control over information all the more important.
Markus, you used to write for the legendary German magazine Legacy. When I was in high school in Ukraine, around 2000 or 2001, a friend of mine got hold of an issue. What were your years at Legacy like?
I wrote and wrote and wrote back then! At times it amounted to 15–25 reviews per issue, plus around 7–10 interviews and countless more features. I was working with boundless ambition.
Over 25 years, what were the biggest turning points for the metal business: the early internet, streaming, recording at home, social media?
The growing popularity of the internet in the late 1990s was what really spurred passionate people like me to branch out with our media and promotional contributions to music. CDs were at the height of their popularity as a format, they were relatively easy and cheap to send out for reviews, and metal websites were springing up like mushrooms! When you could then burn CDs yourself at home, the whole thing became even more excessive — but that's also when the misery of total oversaturation and rampant file-sharing began.
Then, as the MP3 format gradually took hold, things became even more diffuse and superficial, and consequently it got even harder for bands to secure a label deal, or to market and sell their recordings fairly and effectively.
In a way, MySpace was the forerunner of social media. For a few years it was a brilliant site for artists and fans to connect with one another — a great way to network. Then, from the mid-2000s, Facebook emerged, and — "surprisingly" — the new version of MySpace, with its changes for the worse, was so user-unfriendly that almost everyone migrated to Facebook. The rest is history. Today, bands without Facebook, Instagram and the like find it extremely difficult to make any impact online at all.
Is it easier or harder to promote new music today than when you started Metal Message?
Thanks to the expanded network, the wealth of experience, the improved skills and the many new opportunities available today, it has become much easier to promote bands. In the early days, the main sources of information were print magazines — and email, which I used to make all sorts of new contacts and then maintain those relationships. The volume of information online was only just beginning to grow. In the early 2000s, the Metal Archives as we know it today was nothing more than a pipe dream.
Have you received AI-generated music from bands, and would you promote it?
I haven't done that yet, and I never would. If the need ever arises, I'll carry out thorough research and checks, as I did in the case of the British classic hard rockers CRUSADER. I got in touch with an experienced studio owner, who checked and assured me that the band was genuine.
With so much new music coming out, you must say no to a lot of bands. How do you decide?
First and foremost, I prefer independent, passionately made music — that's what counts for me. I don't demand perfection, or perfect ingratiation to a particular trend, at all. But I do demand honesty and sincerity!
The range of Metal Message Global reaches from (hard) rock and heavy metal through gothic metal to melodic death metal, black metal and metalcore — and, as you know, a lot of styles exist in between. I offer my promo and PR services exclusively for music, bands, content, attitudes and images that inspire and excite me personally. In my view, that's the only way to create real enthusiasm and achieve productive results. And under no circumstances do I work or cooperate with extremists of any kind.
Can you give an example of a band you turned down, and what made it a no? No names needed.
That has happened two or three times in total over the years, mainly during the first decade of my career. In each case there was a serious lack of respect and appreciation on the part of the artist. These days I'm much more experienced, and much more careful about selecting my clients in this regard.
Which well-known band did you work with from the very beginning and watch grow?
HEL / ASH OF ASHES from Germany. I began working with frontman Skaldir in the mid-2000s, for HEL, and he is currently releasing ASH OF ASHES' third album, which is exquisite — fantastic music, epic storytelling metal.
SCARLET ANGER from Luxembourg definitely deserve a mention here too. I began working with them back in 2012, on their album at the time. Over the years they've become increasingly well-known and successful, partly thanks to their consistently ambitious live performances, and in January 2027 they're releasing their new, very strong album on the established German label Metalville Records. Congrats!
Have you worked with Ukrainian bands, and how do you see the Ukrainian scene today?
No, that hasn't been the case so far. I can't say anything of note about the current metal scene in Ukraine, as I simply lack the insight. It seems there's relatively little coming out of there, although the situation certainly makes it difficult for bands and artists in general to be active and, above all, productive. Best wishes to all the sensible and loving artistic souls there!
Was there a low point when you came close to shutting Metal Message down?
Not for a single second!
You never thought of quitting, but what was the hardest stretch for Metal Message?
The toughest time, of course, was the Covid pandemic. The challenges of those dreadful few years have been well documented across the music world; they are well known and will never be forgotten. After that, things were never the same again. But even then, giving up was never an option for me, under any circumstances. I fought my way through with even greater determination and energy.
What are your top 5 albums of 2026 so far?
- OLD RUINS — Mount Arreat
- SCRAPER — Infinite Journey
- ASH OF ASHES — All Must Wither
- ELYSION — Identity
- PRONG — Prong
Thanks, and cheers!
Metal Message Global on the web: Website · Bandcamp · Instagram · Facebook · YouTube
Thanks to Markus Eck of Metal Message Global for his time and the photos.
Photos courtesy of Markus Eck / Metal Message Global.