Sebastian Kluth: “Hello and thank you a lot for taking some of your precious time for this interview occasion. Black Infinity is a modern metal band that came together in Saigon back in 2006. Please tell us more about the formation of your band. How did you come together and what were your goals when you started your band seven years ago?”

Nguyễn Tiến Hưng / Hung BlackhearteD: “We are a group of old high school friends plus my younger brother. First, we played music for fun every weekend and we made some demos that we put on Myspace. Later, people started to get to know our band and they called and invited us to play live on stage.” 

Sebastian Kluth: “Some people say that you play Gothic Metal, others talk about Melodic Death Metal or even Modern Metal with Folk influences. How would you categorize the style you are playing?”

Nguyễn Tiến Hưng / Hung BlackhearteD: “Actually, we don’t really know our genre. It’s all just about music. We have six members with different styles. We love all kinds of music like Rock but even Pop, Hip Hop and Classic music... So, we just decided to call our own style “666 Metal”. That’s also the name we gave to our debut album.” 

Sebastian Kluth: “Apart of being musicians, what are you doing for a living? How do you combine your personal jobs, your family lives and your career as a band?”

Nguyễn Tiến Hưng / Hung BlackhearteD: “I used to be an art director for a big agency in Viet Nam and made some good money for a living. But at the same time, I didn’t have much time for the band and we didn’t record and tour very much. Later on, I decided to quit my job and become a fulltime musician. At first, it was very hard. It’s really hard to make money and live from rock music in Viet Nam but you have to be the one who tries first and you need to give your very best to live your dream. Now, it’s finally getting better day by day.” 

Sebastian Kluth: “What are the main inspirations for your lyrics? Do you only write songs in English or also in Vietnamese or in other languages?”

Nguyễn Tiến Hưng / Hung BlackhearteD: “I use a lot of passages from the Bible to write the lyrics and I also adore poetry. I’m also into artists such as JIM MORRISON concerning the lyrics. All of my songs are written in English because I want everybody around the world to understand the meaning behind my songs.” 

Sebastian Kluth: “Can you tell us a little bit more about your inspirations? Are there any particular bands that you like and that might have a significant influence on your creative processes?”

Nguyễn Tiến Hưng / Hung BlackhearteD: “I'm in love with Heavy Metal of the eighties and nineties and artists such as BLACK SABBATH, GUNS ‘N ROSES, SKID ROW and TYPE 0 NEGATIVE. They are the ones that make me want to pick up my guitar and sing until now. I also adore Classical musicians like Bach and Chopin.” 

Sebastian Kluth: “Tell us international metal fans a little bit more about the metal scene in your home country.”

Nguyễn Tiến Hưng / Hung BlackhearteD: “Viet Nam is a quite new country for Metal and Rock music. So we're almost the leaders or pioneers here.” 

Sebastian Kluth: “In 2008, you released a cover of the JUDAS PRIEST classic “Painkiller” that started to spread your name across the internet. How did you come to cover this particular track and what were the reactions?”

Nguyễn Tiến Hưng / Hung BlackhearteD: “During the time when we were recording our debut album “666 METAL”, we did the song for fun and we were actually quite surprised when it turned out that a lot of people liked it.“ 

Sebastian Kluth: “Many people discovered your band because your song “The Secret” was featured on a sampler of the British Metal Hammer magazine. How did it come to this collaboration? Why did you choose this particular track?”

Nguyễn Tiến Hưng / Hung BlackhearteD: “I just don’t know how the British Metal Hammer magazine got to know my  band. My guess is that they had just checked out sites like Myspace. One day, we’ve received an e-mail from them and it was a big surprise and a dream coming true to participate on their compilation. We choose the song “The Secret” because of the traditional instrument and folk melodies combined with a Heavy Metal sound led by sharp guitar riffs. We’ve thought that this combination might make people from all around the world feel how Rock music sounds in Asia and especially in Viet Nam.”

Sebastian Kluth: “Your first record is simply called “666 Metal” and was released back in 2009. Tell us more about the song writing, the recording sessions and the promotional work back in the days.”

Nguyễn Tiến Hưng / Hung BlackhearteD: “Our debut album “666 METAL” was created when we all dropped our jobs to stay together for six months in order to write and record songs. We had the chance to do this in our own studio and it was a great time. We went to bed at six o’clock in the morning and got up at three o’clock in the afternoon to play music and get drunk every day. After all, “666 METAL” is just like a black version of the Bible. It tells similar stories and chapters from the second track “Heaven Downfall 666” up to the very last song entitled “Apocalyptic”.” 

Sebastian Kluth: “How would you analyze your first record today, four years later? What are your favourite or least favourite songs? What would you do if you had the chance to this record again?”

Nguyễn Tiến Hưng / Hung BlackhearteD: “Our record felt and still feels very dark and fresh. We still play “Heaven Downfall 666” as opening track in all our live shows. We would like to remix and remaster the album if we only had some time because we have learned a lot of great new things and got some more possibilities over the past years that we didn’t know back in the days.“

Sebastian Kluth: “In 2012, you released a DVD entitled “Rising From The Dark”. Tell us more about its content and the concert it includes. I’ve also watched a documentary of the same name. What is its content and is it included on your DVD as well?”

Nguyễn Tiến Hưng / Hung BlackhearteD: “The DVD "Rising From The Dark” tells the story of the band; for example how we’ve met each other and how we’ve developed from an underground band to a group that conquered the mainstream scene in Viet Nam.” 

Sebastian Kluth: “Let’s continue talking about concerts in and outside of your home country. Tell us about your greatest and your worst concert experiences in your career.”

Nguyễn Tiến Hưng / Hung BlackhearteD: “Our most exotic concerts were when we had been playing at the Asian MTV Awards in Malaysia and in a bar in the United States of America. These were really great moments. Personally, I don’t care about different crowds when I’m playing my music. All shows are a great pleasure to me. Our worst concert must have been the night when we became ambassadors for Jack Daniel’s in Viet Nam. I was so happy when we got this incredible opportunity that I had  a couple of drinks too much and became really drunk. I just don’t know how I managed to play on stage with my band and I still don’t remember anything that happened that night.” 

Sebastian Kluth: “How can fans outside of Vietnam purchase your music? Do you have plans to rerelease some of your records with the help of a bigger international label one day?”

Nguyễn Tiến Hưng / Hung BlackhearteD: “I think that international fans will probably find our music somewhere on the internet these days, haha. I'm still looking for people who could help us to release our records internationally. Could you help us please, haha?” 

Sebastian Kluth: “It would be my pleasure but I’m just a poor little journalist and Metal fan. Anyway, do you already have plans for a new record?” 

Nguyễn Tiến Hưng / Hung BlackhearteD: “Yes, we're working on our second album right now. It’s a really big project because it will be a double album! This means there is a lot of work to do and we have written a lot of songs, about twenty-two new tracks. And do you know what? We’re right now working with one of the greatest producers in the world to get this record done. It’s Tim Palmer who had already been working with BON JOVI, OZZY OSBOURNE and U2 among others. I tell you, it’s going to be a really big album and it’s coming soon!”

Sebastian Kluth: “Thank you a lot for this interview. The last words are yours. Feel free to tell us anything you want. What would you like to tell the international metal community?”

Nguyễn Tiến Hưng / Hung BlackhearteD: “Oh man, this was a very long interview! Sorry for getting back on your request so late. We were so busy with touring and just started our recordings for the new album. To all readers from around the world: Just enjoy the life and don't do drugs! Cheers!”

"Rush" is definitely one of the best movies of the year and has many strong points to offer - even to those who aren't into motor sports at all. First of all, the acting is simply incredible. Chris Hemsworth performs the slowly dying kind of charming and charismatic pop stars among athletes that doesn't exist anymore in modern motor sports. He portrays a self-confident daredevil, playboy and sex symbol who seems superficial and unsympathetic at first sight but who turns out to be courageous and have more values than one might think. Behind his arrogant appearance is a breakable young man destined to live in the fast lane and die young. Many real persons from that time and especially the real Niki Lauda said that Chris Hemsworth acts and speaks exactly as the real James Hunt did which proves his incredible acting job. His antagonist is portrayed by Daniel Brühl who incarnates a young and motivated man who seems to be an arrogant and bourgeois nouveau riche at first sight but who turns out to be as breakable, courageous and determined as his concurrent. The two main characters are very different from each other but at the same time they have enough things in common to be at eye level during the most exciting Formula One season in history. I think that Daniel Brühl's acting is even better. He had to incarnate a real person that is still alive which is always tough. As a German he had to learn an Austrian accent to speak German and English in a credible way, he had to have the same gestures and he had to incarnate the same temperaments the real Niki Lauda. Thanks to a lot of details and time put into this acting job and many meetings with the real Niki Lauda, Daniel Brühl perfectly succeeded and delivers without the glimpse of a doubt the best acting performance of his career. The thing that impressed me the most was that the real Niki Lauda said that he thought of people being cruel and superficial when they have watched him with disgust or scare after his accident but when he watched this movie he had the same terrified reaction and finally understood why I all people had reacted that way so many years ago. His reaction proves how intense and real this movie is even though a few historical facts are of course exaggerated to put additional tension into this film. Next to the incredibly gifted two main actors who almost have the same screening time and are equally treated in depth even though the story is told by the film character Niki Lauda, one should not forget about a whole bunch of great supporting actors in this movie. There is simply no bad actor or actress in this film.

Another strong point of this movie is the way it mixes the incredible true events by using many original settings from museums or archive footage with well integrated cinematographic elements such as an atmospheric soundtrack, intense dialogues and very well done special effects that are not overloaded with cheap effects but that feel as real as the rest of the movie. The camera work is quite perfect as it has a balanced mixture of cinematographic and documentary shots once again.

And then there is the story which is highly based on true events. You don't need to be a fan of motor sports to get into this film. The story is about the clash of two very unique and different characters who seem to be antagonists and the roughest kind of competitors at first sight but who turn out to be more similar to each other than they might think. This movie is about competition, sportsmanship and more than all the precious value of life. It's also about the ups and downs that come with success. It's a movie about family values, love and friendship but also about extreme loneliness and despair. Many people don't understand why motor sport athletes are risking their lives for this sport. This movie gives us the answer. This sport is a lifelong dream of both characters and they entirely owe the lives they are living to their successful career. At the end, the movie shows us two very different ways how to deal with the risks of this dangerous job and where to stop playing with fate. This opens an almost philosophical and quite profound perspective that makes this movie something more precious than a simple action film or drama. It inspires you to think of which path you would have chosen as anybody should be able to at least partially empathize with the characters. 

In the end, I recommend this film to any movie fan. No matter if you are a fan of action movies, biopics, dramas or suspenseful movies, this flick has it all and even more for you and the incredible acting plus the detailed settings are the cherries on the cake. The movie even includes a few humorous scenes, erotic moments but also philosophical elements. It's hard to create a more complete movie than this one but at the same time, this film always feels consistent and never loses track of its clear guiding line. Right now, this movie is worth nine out of ten and time will tell us if this might even be worth the perfect rate. I think this might be the case and hope that the movie will win a few Academy Awards along with the superb crime drama "Prisoners". These two movies are definitely the best of the year until now and the year is almost over. If you were hesitating whether to watch this film or not, you should by now have made your decision to go to the cinemas as long as this film is still there. Needless to say that the great camera work and the impressive sound effects work even better in cinema than at home.