Former Obscura Guitarist Tom Geldschläger Has Choice Words About Frontman Steffen Kummerer
After the recording Obscura’s massive new album Akroasis, guitarist Tom Geldschläger was booted from the band. Now, he’s vented his displeasure with frontman Steffen Kummerer in a recent interview with London Metal Monthly.
Geldschläger said the following:
“I wouldn’t want to view my time in the band as an all-negative experience, even though there was tension between me and Steffen. My departure, however, and everything that followed were (and are), a complete disgrace to everyone who worked so hard on the album and to the fans who support them.
“I never thought I’d see my name dragged through the mud like that, or have somebody publicly try to plagiarize my work. That´s not a great place to be in for sure, but at the end of the day, it doesn´t hurt me as much as it hurts the band itself.”
It’s funny how German Geldschläger is being about this. While he obviously can’t stand Kummerer, he’s not name-calling or shit-talking. He describes his firing as “a complete disgrace.” The formality’s a little weird, but it makes him sound incredibly professional while he basically calls his former bandmate a dickhead.
Anyway, there’s more:
“But let me say the following: everyone who played on the last three Obscura albums collaborated and continues to collaborate with each other in some other project, always with the exception of Steffen. Why do you think that is?
…“After I was vocal about that behavior being a problem, he fired me over the phone on the last day of mixing the album (which was not even legal, since the company’s contract directly requires a full company meeting and proof that a member is doing harm to the company in order for such decisions to be made). [This was] AFTER I found out that he had hired a session guitarist for the “Summer Slaughter Tour” (again, with no prior discussion), which was about to start a couple of days later.
“He then went on to have all my Obscura videos blocked on YouTube and dictate that the final mixes of the album be kept from me.”
Man, it sucks to hear that a band so good made an album so good with this kind of drama behind it. Chuck and Godless recently talked to Steffen on the podcast, and he seemed like a good enough dude. Then again, I also wouldn’t be at all surprised to discover he was a total control freak.
It just seems a shame for them to air their dirty laundry at London Metal Monthly… when we’d be so happy to air it here at MetalSucks!
Anyway, read the full interview and let us know what you think.
[via Metal Hammer]
