To properly celebrate the release of the highly ambitious double album ‘Afterlifelines’ by the historic German metal band, we contacted guitar player Jean Bormann and asked him about music and ink.
Hi Jean, so far you have been in 5 bands (Angel Inc, Dirty D’Sire, Rage & Ruins, Doomcrusher and of course Rage), so you have a lot of metal experience. As far as tattoos are concerned, when exactly did you start getting interested in them?
I’ve always thought tattoos were cool. Especially because all the “big” musicians were somehow always tattooed, and I wanted to look just as cool. (laughs)
What do you remember about your first time ever in a tattoo shop?
The first time I was in a tattoo studio in Germany. It was about 10 or 11 years ago. I was a bit scared to be honest. The incessant and vibrant sound of the tattoo machines made me quite nervous at first! (laughs again)
I think I got my first tattoo at 19. The subject? A ship on my right calf and I still love it.
Are you exclusively tattooed on your arms and chest or do you also have other tattoos that are not visible in certain areas of your body?
I have my entire front (I mean stomach & chest) tattooed, as well as my left leg completely tattooed. On it I have Japanese style subjects, dragons, skulls, peonies, waves etc.
Most of your tattoos seem to be an explicit tribute to Japanese tattoo. What is it about that oriental style that inspires you so much? The aesthetics or the message?
To be completely honest, most of my tattoos don’t have any specific meanings. It’s more about the aesthetic behind them that fascinates me. I’ve always liked Japanese tattooing and I’ll definitely stick with this gorgeous style.
Do you have a tattoo that you are very fond of because it reminds you of a fundamental experience in your life?
I have a slice of pizza tattooed on my right leg. Yeah, I’m serious about it! It’s sort of like a “friendship tattoo” because two of my best friends have it too. It’s not in the Japanese style, but pizza is just delicious!
Have you ever thought about tattooing your full back or turning your body into a complete bodysuit?
That’s exactly the plan! Once my left leg is finished (hopefully this year), I’ll start on my back and basically, all that’s left is a bit of color on my right leg. Then I’ll just have my neck and face left free from tattoos and ink.
If tomorrow you had to rush to get a brand new tattoo, who would be your trusted tattoo artist that you would turn to with no doubt?
Marcel Kristensen (IG: @marcelkristensen). He has without exception tattooed all of my pieces, and I intend to continue going only to him. Yeah, Marcel Kristensen is the best tattoo artist in the world for me.
If one day you decided to tattoo on your skin a tribute to a guitarist who have strongly influenced you, who would you choose? For example, one could be Mark Tremonti, right?
Mark Tremonti (IG: @markttremonti) is definitely one of my absolute favorite guitar heroes! Moreover, I also love Zakk Wylde (IG: @zakkwyldebls)! Listen, I give you a tattoo idea of mine: Mark and Zakk could play guitar together, riding the same wave beside a giant dragon fighting a brutal tiger!
You joined Rage in 2020, 4 years ago. Have you ever seen a tattoo dedicated to your band that left you speechless? A big piece that made you exclaim: “Wait a minute, look what we have here!”
By now, I’ve seen quite a few Rage tattoos. Song titles, various band logos, Soundchaser (the group’s mascot. Ed), Rage spiders and many more. I’m still waiting for someone to get a portrait of me inked! I’m just kidding: please don’t!
Let’s talk about music now. The new Rage album called ‘Afterlifelines’ promises to be grandiose in all its forms: 2 CDs and 21 songs in total; the first CD (‘Afterlife’) played in trio with Peavy Wagner and Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos; the second (‘Lifelines’) with the addition of many classical arrangements, even a grand finale inspired by great Richard Wagner. Tell me the truth: is yours a strong response to today’s increasingly “easy” music affected by playlists, cheesy singles and distracted listening?
I would never say that music is “easy” but with the new album we really gave it our all.
The songwriting of ‘Afterlifelines’ took us two and a half years and we tried to make the songs as complex yet catchy as possible.
Do you have any hopes or wishes for this brand new album?
I hope that even the “old” Rage fans will appreciate my modern songwriting, and I won’t scare anyone away with my “modern” riffs! I’ve tried to stay as true as possible to the Rage style and combine the best of my experiences with Peavy’s songwriting history.
And your last famous words are… ?
That sounds like I’m already a rockstar and… that would be nice anyway! (laughs) Enjoy life to the fullest, have no regrets, and have a good time. Life is too short to doubt.
