Following up from their 2020 debut album Infernal Comedy, death metal act Ad Vitam Infernal is back with another speedy bout of death metal. Le Ballet des Anges picks up in a familiar place for the vicious act, though it does also come with some new angles compared to their debut, such as a less thrashy base. In short though, if you are a fan of old school death metal that loves to keep the gas pedal down for most of the album, this is going to very much be your speed.
Much like their last album, Ad Vitam Infernal’s sound is going to be quite recognizably influenced by say, Morbid Angel and Hate Eternal. More the latter in the sense that they really enjoy hitting the blastbeats and ‘full speed ahead’ them as often as possible. If that sounds like a dig on it, it’s not, since death metal is about brutality above all, and this is nothing if not unrelenting. You are immediately jackhammered by blasts and whirlwinding guitar riffs as soon as the brief “Overture” intro ends and “And the Watchers Will Be Frightened” begins. An uncompromising two-minute blitzkrieg all but overwhelms the senses in the best way possible. “Shemihazah The Great” barely misses a step as well, but does temper the blasts a little at least but the riffs are just as jagged and relentless. It’s really not until “Enchain Them All” that you see much of a significant slowdown, but such dynamics are necessary as the runtime increases.
Slower, crushing grooves become more of a dominating force as “A Peaceful Place to Wait” and “Free Will Has Set Us Free,” but it doesn’t take away from the overall blast level of the album. They provide a nice break in the second half though. One thing that should be noted overall, is that with all these breakneck songs, the band has the courtesy to not stretch them out. They go for the kill with 2-3 minute barrages on the fastest songs, and get right now. Short, sweet, and to the deadly point. It’s something this scribe wishes more bands in this style would consider.
While the sonic familiarity might drag it down for some, there’s no denying the utter ferociousness that Le Ballet des Anges packs. Ad Vitam Infernal provide compact, visceral songs that showcase the crazed riffing and frantic drumming that one demands from the genre, and delivers it in it’s purest essence. It’s hard for really ask for much more than that in extreme metal.
Many are undoubtedly familiar with vocalist Alex Varkatzas due to his tenure with the band Atreyu for many years. After he and the band parted ways, he formed Dead Icarus as his musical outlet with intent to write the music that he wanted to hear. Zealot is the group’s first full-length album, and while it captures some of the early Atreyu sound, it branches off in different directions and is never held hostage by it. We spoke with Varkatzas about his approach to this new group, things he tried to avoid this time with Dead Icarus, how he challenged himself with vocals, the pros and cons of starting a new band, and more!
Dead Rhetoric: What was the biggest thing you wanted to get across with Dead Icarus, as a band?
Alex Varkatzas: I don’t know if it was something I wanted to get across, I think it was something I wanted to do more for myself. I wanted to make some music that was exactly, more or less, everything that I wanted to hear in a band, and maybe everything that I didn’t get a chance to do in the past – the past few Atreyu records, and how their career arc went. I just wanted to make music that I could sit and listen to over and over again and enjoy it, and be proud of it. I think that, in my opinion, for me, I accomplished that. No one can take that away from me. Other people might not like it, or like it, but I didn’t make it for those reasons. I didn’t want to leave the 20+ years I have making music and have it end with the last few Atreyu records. I feel like I had other stuff in my heart that I wanted to get out, and I didn’t want it to stop the way that it did.
If it stops now, at least I made this and got it out of my system. I validated myself to myself. A lot of times we look outwards for validation and when you look outwards, it can never lead anywhere. It’s a temporary thing. The words and nice things people say to you, that’s fine and it’s really cool, but that shouldn’t be where you derive your self-worth about feeling good about something. With this, I just wanted something I could jam a great workout too, or go for a walk and listen to it and enjoy, for 100% selfish reasons.
Dead Rhetoric: Doing whatever you want, does that energize you then?
Varkatzas: 100%, I think more or less I was mentally checked out of Atreyu for the last couple of records. When we came back from hiatus, we made a record that I was checked in and locked in for, but after that record cycle happened, we went back to working with our producer John Feldmann and the dynamic in the music veered a bit again and I never recovered from that. It changed for me.
Dead Rhetoric: Is this kind of what you mean with conviction, as I saw it a bit on the press release, since it’s something you are doing for yourself?
Varkatzas: Yeah, the title of the album and the title track is “Zealot,” and it’s kind of an underlying theme of the record. It’s someone with fanatical beliefs, whatever they may be, they are a fanatic for their beliefs. They truly believe in it and nothing can shake that belief, for better for or for worse. But I think that kind of feeling came back to me, and I haven’t had it in years. I would second guess myself about certain things in the past that [Atreyu] was doing. With Dead Icarus, I don’t. What we do feels natural and it feels right. That’s kinda the road we take.
Dead Rhetoric: So how do you feel about yourself and Dead Icarus at this point?
Varkatzas: I’m much happier and kind of a different person. A lot has changed in my life. In a way, after Atreyu and I parted ways, I kind of bottomed-out emotionally. I was pretty depressed and bummed about numerous things – related to and not related to that event. It was time to rebuild myself, mentally. Dead Icarus has given me the space to do that.
I wish I didn’t have to play music anymore, to be 100% honest with you. I have three kids. Life is different and it’s more expensive, and it requires more of my time. The band takes…Dead Icarus as a band is me putting out time and money. It’s not really me taking in any of those things. I’m happy to do it because I still have that belief. My belief has been renewed in what I am doing and that’s a great feeling. But I had to be destroyed and pick myself up to be able to do that.
Dead Rhetoric: On the hypothetical then, if you didn’t have to do music, ideally if you could do anything at this point: what would you do?
Varkatzas: Profession-wise, I would either just do art full time or I would work in the fire service. In southern California, there’s a ton of fires. I have a lot of friends who work for different fire departments, and I would probably do something with that.
Dead Rhetoric: Is there anything that you saw that didn’t work well for Atreyu that you tried to avoid with Dead Icarus?
Varkatzas: I think just not pandering and no compromise. When Atreyu first started, we were very young and unadulterated in a way. We did what we did and no one got in the way of that, because nobody cares at first. As the train gets going and builds up momentum, there’s other people who become financially invested in what you are doing, and all these people want to have a say and have input. I don’t like all that outside input. For better or for worse, I just don’t like it. Other people might function well, but I don’t want eight people to work on a song. I don’t want the label to tell me that we need a single. I don’t like any of that stuff. I never really have. So with Dead Icarus, we got to avoid all that.
When we made our EP, Ad Infernum, it was self-financed, but MNRK ended up putting it out. So there was no one having a say. No one told us what to do. There was no outside input. When we officially signed with them, and worked on the full-length, they just let us do what we do. Gabe [Mangold] writes all the music and I do all the vocals and lyrics. We are very happy with that, and not having too many cooks in the kitchen. For some people that dynamic is great, but for me, I want to get my ideas out with the least amount of other people’s ideas perverting or adulterating what I am trying to do. I think that’s what makes a lot of bands special. You listen to Hatebreed, because that is their sound and that’s what they do. They don’t have cowriters come in and say “you know what we should try, a DJ.” Fuck that. This is their honest interpretation of life and feelings and how they want to show it in the music.
A lot of bands do co-writes and ghost writes and that’s cool and one or two songs is fine. But I want to hear say, Anders [Friden] from In Flames, I want to hear his interpretation of life. I don’t want to hear his interpretation of life ran through five other people’s ideas. I don’t know how they do it but I’m just using those as examples. But that’s what makes an artist special. That’s what makes their crazy point of view on things. Bob Dylan…I’m sure there was someone at some point who was like, “your voice is weird, you should try doing something differently.” But he said he’d rather keep on keeping on, and that’s why you love that. Because they had the strength and courage to be themselves. I’m a big fan of that.
Dead Rhetoric: I imagine it was pretty freeing then to just work with the two of you for everything.
Varkatzas: It was great. Gabe, my partner, also plays in Enterprise Earth. We just did a tour together and I had a good time with them, so I feel like the sixth or seventh band member. He sends me a demo of a track and it’s basically a riff, a verse, and a chorus for a song. I listen to it and I’m like, “Ok, this is badass!” There has really been no case where I’m like, “this is shot dude.” I might think it’s too long or needs to be shorter, when I hear the full song, but it’s generally minimal input.
Gabe knows what he is doing, and he trusts that I know what I am doing. He gives me those bits and pieces and then he finishes writing the song. I finish writing a verse or a chorus, then he sends me the full song and I send him the verse/chorus that I can record here in my home studio, and I have the ability to fully record myself. I can hear my harmonies, I can do layer tracks…whatever I want to do. I sent him what I think the verse and chorus sounds like, and 90% of the time he will say it’s cool, then I will finish the song to what he has sent me. That’s basically the process. Every now and then he will add in if there’s an extra vocal or a different harmony, because he has a better grasp of actual music and I’m just making sounds that sound good together. It balances me out and has helped me improve in that area.
There’s no “where’s the single” or “this has too much screaming or singing.” I wanted to challenge myself with this Dead Icarus stuff. I didn’t want it to be one dynamic. I wanted to see how much stuff I could do at least ‘good.’ I’m happy with how I pushed myself and practiced in how I could grow, later in the game.
Dead Rhetoric: I think that there’s a pleasant diversity to the music. It wasn’t like you were just aiming towards the early Atreyu stuff. You have been aiming out and going in different directions.
Varkatzas: There was no point for me to relive anything with Atreyu. I’ve accomplished all I wanted to with that band. It was an amazing ride for almost all of it. Why go relive that. I think naturally, if people are familiar with my work and they listen to some of this, obviously it’s going to sound similar, because I’m the same human making these sounds. But I worked to not only develop different ways to use my voice in clean singing or dirty singing, but I also worked to improve the elements of my scream and things like that. To make different voices and make it more dynamic.
When I first did my pre-production for the EP songs, it was all screaming. I didn’t feel like I was taking any risks and it was very one-dimensional. There’s tons of bands that I like that are all screaming. But for me, I didn’t want to approach it that way. I don’t know how many more ‘at bats’ I have, and I want to make every swing the most interesting I can. Do I always hit it out of the park? I don’t know, but I feel good about my attempts and thats what I want to do. I want to feel good about trying to get what I hear in my head out into what I hear in the music.
Dead Rhetoric: As a listener, that’s more interesting to hear. Even if, like you said, not every swing is a home run. But there’s at least the attempt to do something different than do the same old song and dance every time.
Varkatzas: I think too, a lot of people mostly expected me as ‘the screamer from Atreyu’ to just go all-screaming. That’s cool, I mean I scream about 60% of the time. But then there’s also the dynamic element. I wanted to take risks. I wanted there to be peaks and valleys. I wanted the heavy parts to sound heavier because of the melodic parts, and the melodic parts to sound more interesting and catch your ear because of the heavier parts. It’s that juxtaposition that earlier Atreyu, at least in spirit, captured. That was something I wanted to recreate again.
Dead Rhetoric: What would you have wanted to rekindle from those early days of Atreyu? What do you recall from then?
Varkatzas: Just that spirit of unbridled not giving a fuck. No one was giving Atreyu insight on the first three full-lengths. We worked with guys as producers, but the guy we worked with for Suicide Notes & Butterfly Kisses, I think we just annoyed him. I’m sure he had a little input but I don’t remember it, and I don’t think the other guys do either. He was a cool dude, Eric Rachel, he did a bunch of bands of that era, but we weren’t even legal to drink. We were like 18 and 19. We were just going for it. He was telling us stuff and saying things like repeat the chorus…I don’t know what it was at the time.
Then with The Curse, we worked with this guy, GGGarth. I think I was one of the first dudes that screamed that he worked with. I remember I was upstairs in the studio room and screaming and he was like, “that was a good one!” He left the talking mic on and I heard him saying to Brandon, asking “is that how he’s supposed to sound?” And Brandon was like, yeah that was a good one. So he didn’t even know what to do with it. He know how to help us compose a sonically great sounding record and keep it rolling and I’m grateful to him for that, but he didn’t know what to do with me as a screamer. That was on us.
The third one, where we were completely unadulterated was A Death-Grip on Yesterday. We worked with this dude, who was a big name producer, and he was just never there. We were working with his engineer. I remember one time our manager called us and asked how the recording was going. We said it was going great and how we were working away, and he says, “I’m looking at your producer right now.” We were in LA and he was in New York. He told us he was going out for lunch! Literally, that day, sessions start later so we didn’t get there until 10-11am. By 11:30 he said he was going to lunch, and he went to NY. We never saw him. Respectfully, but he was never there. We had to create what we honestly wanted to make, and bounce ideas off of each other, and there was a tiny bit of input, and that was the record.
I like doing things that way. This whole interview I have said I don’t like outside input. That’s not what makes art to me. The art is the uniqueness of the one or two humans creating it, and it’s their fucked up, selfish vision and that’s what works for me. I’m supportive of other people’s creative process, but it’s not a process for me and I’m not for it. It doesn’t like me either.
Dead Rhetoric: You’ve had an identifiable voice in the genre for decades. What was your thought process in terms of keeping it so that long-time fans wouldn’t find the experimentation weird while still progressing?
Varkatzas: I tried not to let the first thing you said get in my head too much. There are going to be moments where I’m clean singing for like 30 seconds straight because it fits the mood of what we are trying to do. It fits the atmosphere of what we want. I tried to focus on that. I don’t want to say I tried to make the screaming more brutal, but by focusing on a couple different types of screams: low, middle, and high would be how I would refer to it. False chord and fry scream developed after my vocal ship had developed. I tried those things out, but I just kind of do what I do now. I wanted to pay tribute to those people and have a shitload of that – this record is mostly screaming, but there is a lot of melody and clean singing and throaty clean singing…I don’t know how to qualify it. I wanted to satisfy those people to an extent but I wanted to satisfy myself as well.
Dead Rhetoric: What are the pluses and minuses of starting over with a new band after being in a very established one?
Varkatzas: It’s emotionally gratifying to be working from the ground-up again. We just did a tour with Nekrogoblikon and Enterprise Earth and I helped drive every day. Everybody drives every day to some degree when you are out there in an RV. I pushed and unloaded gear and sold merch with the help of Travis, the singer from Enterprise Earth showing me the ropes of what I should be doing. I just pulled my weight. I was out at merch talking to people and having a good time. That aspect of it is great, especially coming out of the pandemic. It was difficult.
There was a lot of stuff that didn’t go right at the beginning. I almost wish I didn’t announce the band until later, because we got so bogged down with stuff behind the scenes that I choose not to get into because I don’t want to talk about anyone in a certain way. And just to be clear, the delays had nothing to do with Atreyu or any of its members. I know people’s minds like to go there for different things. In this particular instance, it was just other bullshit behind the scenes. Record industry, and it was terribly slow and weird throughout the pandemic, and it is still weird. It’s also this social media game. You have to be an influencer and a musician. I tried it for a little with Dead Icarus and then I deleted my videos off of Instagram. I support it for people who are good at it and know how to do it. I’m not hating on them at all. But you can tell. No matter what, it’s disingenuous to a degree, but it’s palatable for some people. But if you have not taste for it, like I don’t. “Of course, I’m in a band! My shoes smell! Here’s three records!” No! Shut up, nobody cares. It’s just a silly thing to me. I don’t want to do that.
If you like this band, you like it because you like the music and live show. That’s what we do. Not because you think I’m some sort of fun personality. I’m not. I have three kids, I work out five days a week, I try jujitsu three days a week, I eat healthy, I rarely drink at home, I love my wife, I coach my kids jujitsu and basketball teams, that’s not exciting internet stuff. But that’s what I do. I go to bed by 10 or 11 at the latest and I do not go out and socialize and drink for the most part, unless it’s with ‘my dad group.’ And then it’s because the kids are out and we are all watching UFC after a kids party or something. That’s my life and I love it. But it doesn’t look cool. I don’t know how to quantify my 30 minute conditioning workout to make it seem sexy and fun. It’s me gasping for air, sweating, and wearing short shorts.
Some people are really great! But I don’t want to sit there and edit or set up the camera and do different shots of it. Like, Matt [Heafy] from Trivium is excellent at all social media, Twitching and streaming and all that good stuff. Awesome for him, and financially I’m sure its super helpful too. That’s great! I think for people like that, it’s awesome! He’s providing good content and it’s great. He has the patience and mind to pull it off. I do not. I don’t know, I’m a little older at 42, and I’m not that old but old enough not to give a fuck. When I see people out at the gym with cameras, I’m of the age group that’s angry about it. Get that shit out of here. Nobody cares about you and your little trip. That’s a weird thing for me and it’s a big part of being in a band these days. I think we should get rid of it.
We should stop demeaning artists and making them jump through those fucking hoops. It’s so fucking stupid. You don’t see Matt from Avenged Sevenfold jumping through hoops for the camera. He doesn’t need to do that. He’s pushing himself to be better in real life and his band to be better. He’s there for his family. Why ask us to do that stuff? A lot of us should stop, because it sucks. It looks contrived. Other people see that and don’t like it. If you are good at it, you know I’m not talking about you, but if you are bad at it or you feel angry at me for saying that, then you probably shouldn’t. I’m a case in point, I tried to do it and deleted it.
Dead Rhetoric: What are your plans for the rest of this year and into 2025?
Varkatzas: Nothing that I can announce or talk about yet. Except the record coming out on Halloween. We are excited and we are focused on getting there. It feels like we should have a full-length out but we don’t. Just getting people to hear it and give it a shot, that is what I am about. We have tour stuff in the works, but until I get the green light, I can’t talk about it. Sometimes I have talked about stuff too soon and then it takes 8 months for it to happen, so I just keep my mouth shut now. But stuff is in the works, and I’m sure I’ll have stuff to blab about soon!
Exposure to a plethora of musicians outside of the domestic scene has been one of the fruitful aspects to metal journalism over the years. Especially acts like Grey Attack that develop a sound which straddles the bluesy hard rock and melodic heavy metal niches in a bit of a pointed, darker direction. Founded in 2013, they’ve developed three albums to date – inspiration running strong going into this fourth record, the ironically titled Back to Greysland. The overall atmosphere present in these twelve tracks showcases a four-piece that revel in this stark contrast of influences that can be hypnotizing one moment, yet reflective or highly infectious in the comfortable hook engagement.
Immediately noticeable in the first pass of the record is the mid-range croon of guitarist Grey Charlez. Aware of his magnetic melodies in lower ranges to subsequently rise in a bluesy edge not dissimilar to say The Moody Blues or others in more of an alternative/gothic-like timber, he positions himself brilliantly to carry key choruses and main verse points that keep “We Want It All” as well as the alluring “I Am – You Are” head turners, the latter containing a very simplified yet utterly effective lead break during the final measures. Extra sound effects such as military feet marching next to a syncopated drum/guitar attack allows “Soldiers” to be an early standout, while the band’s love of early Nazareth or The Scorpions comes into focus during the obvious swinging chord progressions and playful vocal / musical pushback for “I Love Rock ‘n Roll”. Even the ballads differ from one another – “The Fire” introspective in its clean guitar employment next to an explosive lead break from Wulff Maahn while “Story of You” has more of an epic power ballad feel, Grey using his vocal prowess to give off some interesting harmonization in the Zebra-like chorus. Most of the material has this in your face, raw quality that probably comes from a lively sound you’d expect from the band when hitting the stage – adding more to the throwback nature present.
As great as things appear on the surface, this could be a hit or miss effort in terms of long-range appeal – because Grey Attack rarely move beyond a specific mid-tempo climate or key melodic / hook terrain that could represent dynamic intrigue. Back to Greysland probably has more appeal to Generation X than Millennials, so be prepared before settling in.
Never a band to stay in the same stylistic place over time, Make Them Suffer’s discography is testament to their continued evolution as a band. One can look back to their more symphonic deathcore days with Neverbloom and see a distinct shift as they have moved forward. Their fourth album, 2020’s How to Survive a Funeral, saw a leap into much more modern waters while keeping one foot planted in their history. As a self-titled album four years later, and even greater attention looked at them following some high profile tours, Make Them Suffer sees them ready to make the leap into something even more modern.
This could certainly prove to be something divisive, but in listening to the album itself, it comes from a genuine place. The band has taken some sonic leaps for sure, and how you feel about them will ultimately determine how divisive the album is for you. As the guitars begin to rumble on “Weaponized” you can hear a difference in how down-tuned they sound. Alex Reade (ex-Drown this City) has joined on keys and vocals, and her contributions are rather noteworthy. She can add in screams as well as some singing, as said track will provide evidence for, and it makes it feel more dynamic. Not that Sean Harmanis didn’t have a diverse range, but this further ups the ante for the group in a great way as the two play off of each other.
The next song, “Oscillator” showcases bouncy, near-danceable synths and bass work that plays off of the groovy riffs in a distinctly modern way. It’s a fun track, made more potent by the dual vocal chorus approach. The first song debuted from Make Them Suffer, “Doomswitch” offered a nod that these changes were coming, with its crunchy grooves laced with electronic elements and soaring vocal work from Reade. Then there is “Mana God,” which is the heaviest offering but still stands out in it’s almost party feeling with grooves and upbeat synths leading the way. No doubt it’s throttling with heaviness, but it still feels fresh in a way. On the lighter side is something like “No Hard Feelings,” which features a lighter melodic tone than the tracks before it and offers a breath of fresh air for the album’s second half. “Venusian Blues” then capitalizes on that feeling, with an almost shoegaze-y vibe at points to contrast with more frantic, progressive riffing segments. “Tether” later mashes together djenty riffing with a more melodic, rock-ish chorus, further highlighting the shifts in dynamic in the songs themselves.
Truly, Make Them Suffer is the type of album you could discuss each track due to its differences. It showcases the strides that the band has made, and makes it quite evident why they chose a self-titled album name for this record. Some will be thrilled and others may not, but nonetheless it’s a album worth diving into for fans of the band or modern metal in general, to see if you can latch onto it. It’s an engrossing album that feels energetic in all the right ways, and is bound to capture many an ear with it’s contrasting melody and grooves.
The fighting idols of Neo Japonism are back with a brand new full-length with Egoist, the first in two years. What was striking about the group initially was their seeming affinity towards more heavy riffs, unlike many idol groups that maintain the line at pop. If Egoist is any indicator, they have swung even further into heavier directions, something that only helps to distinguish them from a large base of other idols that keep it more in traditional terms.
There’s a certain energy to Neo Japonism that instantly draws you in. If you hear a song like “Molecule,” it has upbeat vibe that seems to blur between more hard rock and pop elements in a way that’s both playful and energetic. On the heavier side, “Crazy Actor” kicks up some massive grooves that bounce against some hookier moments, which the follow-up track “Show Case” elevates further with a frantic build up to an addictive, soaring chorus. “Black & White” assures that no momentum is lost as the group propels forwards with often urgent sections, driven especially by Hinano Takazawa’s instantly recognizable vocals as she grabs your ear.
That said, there’s also a number of tracks that don’t swing in the heavier direction to offer some diversity from start to finish. Poppy and upbeat “Luv Duv” might be the most immediately catchy song in the mix, veering into vintage pop-punk territory, as does “Kizuite,” though it moves the needle even further into the pop direction. “All of Us” closes the album with an upbeat rock feel that has a soaring finale vibe that almost merges with anime OP territory. If there’s a track that seem to tether the two sides of the album together, it’s “Howl Out,” in which driving rock energy with a danceable underbelly to it that works tremendously.
Neo Japonism continue to sit as an idol group that can still appeal to the rock/metal community without going into a ‘darker’ direction. They have all the traditional appeal of Japanese idol music, but done with a heavier approach that proves to be an addictive and fun time. Egoist should take them a few steps forward, and with any luck, get them back over here in the US for another tour.
Sometimes, when you hear some extreme music, you just want to be blown away by the devastation. Crucifiction goes by the concept that intensity is something that fits the particular image of the music in its concept and execution. Old school deathcore at its most barbaric, we sat down with multi-instrumentalist Salem Vex to discuss their first album Will to Power, the idea of cohesion between all parts of the music and presentation, the importance of image in addition to music, and much more.
Dead Rhetoric: Based on what I’ve read/found, Will to Power is based on a revenge concept. Is it a true concept album from beginning to end?
Salem Vex: Not really, I would say it’s more of a loose concept.
Dead Rhetoric: So what do you feel is the concept that pulls it through?
Salem Vex: I would say it’s more loose because there’s not a beginning and end to the story yet. It could be continued, or it could be just left where it is right now. But I would say it’s a concept in the term of all of the songs revolving around that one concept, which is following a story. But I wouldn’t say that I wrapped the story up in the end. Like there’s not a complete stop to it. It’s almost more like a TV show and it’s the end of an episode.
Dead Rhetoric: Could you talk about the inspirations you took to bring the album together?
Salem Vex: I’m an avid movie watcher and I took a lot of inspiration from films like 8mm, American Pyscho, Nightcrawler, Audition, and I also started getting into reading more around 2020 with the pandemic. I started reading more books that people find to be more controversial, such as The 48 Laws of Power and stuff like that, and that’s how I came up with the concept of the record. Viewing someone, who feels right in their mind, with these concepts, or reading books, and taking things that are good and really internalizing them and then using them as a way of feeling justified in disgusting actions. That’s the concept that I came up with for the record. The main character of the story feels like everything he is doing is completely justified and it made sense to him, and I think that is pretty fucking terrifying in general.
Dead Rhetoric: Discuss how the album is directed towards that classic deathcore sound. Was it something that happened as you wrote it, or did you fall upon it naturally?
Salem Vex: I think it was a bit of both. I love old school deathcore. It was one of the first things that got me into metal. The state of deathcore, in my opinion, isn’t great now. I’m not really into the blackened, symphonic stuff. I wanted to make a record that was the heaviest thing I could do. I just leaned towards that old school deathcore stuff, because I feel like that raw sound – not really relying on the post-production sounds and synths – I thought it was more brutal to do it the way I did, and I’m happy with how it came out.
Dead Rhetoric: There is that rawness when you listen to it. It kind of hits like a sledgehammer. To your point, there’s more of a visceral edge than what you get these days, which gives it some more energy.
Salem Vex: I want it to have that chaotic feel. I also wanted to make the record feel like this non-stop assault. It doesn’t have all of these stops. It’s just as chaotic as what I feel like the character’s head feels like.
Dead Rhetoric: With the vision and cohesion of it, what do you lean towards? If you look at the videos of it, you can see how it aligns. But if you also look at the artwork and lyrics, how important is that overall sense of having everything cohesive, to you?
Salem Vex: It’s completely essential to me. I planned out everything very meticulously, and making sure it made sense with each other. The artwork being very dirty but clean at the same time, I took all of the pictures of the artwork and did the front cover. The lyric video having elements of the front cover, and the music videos having a very specific vibe to each other. Under the vision, the record and everything – from my outfits and make-up and physique – I started going to the gym as much as I could to pull off this character in my brain. So there was a lot of forward thinking in the process for it to make sense in my brain, and I’m happy with how it turned out.
Dead Rhetoric: That’s interesting, it’s almost akin to something you would think about with being a method actor.
Salem Vex: Yeah, and that’s something I feel like I’m inspired by in my own way. I feel like my favorite actors are pretty much method actors. I watch a lot of movies – it’s one of my favorite things to do in general. Maybe to a fault, maybe I watch too many movies. But I think that’s cool, just really going into a character or an idea and just completely divulging yourself. Revolving yourself around those elements. It was interesting too, because I wrote the record in a pretty dark time in general, and I feel like it definitely helped me get out of some mental issues, just really venting the dark side of my brain and putting it into the character as much as possible. It really helped me to become less of a negative person, in a sense.
Dead Rhetoric: With pulling your own inspirations into the music, how do you represent yourself through the music you are playing?
Salem Vex: I feel like everything I do has a very big side of me. I’m involved in a number of different projects, you can tell where my hat was put in. For this project, I think image, which I’m not trying to sound cocky or anything, but it’s different than anything else I have seen done before, with the make-up and very direct imagery. I feel like a lot of deathcore bands, they don’t care about that. You see a lot of t-shirts and bullshit like that. I feel like that was a big connection to me. I’m very big into the fashion stuff. To an extent, there are some parts of the record that maybe someone that wasn’t as versed as I am in different genres might not have come up with. But I think that’s where it lies.
Dead Rhetoric: To put it more broadly in general, there is certainly a ‘metal’ aesthetic. The t-shirt and jeans thing. It’s almost the standard. There’s not really a push for people to go above that standard. It’s fine, and it’s what’s acceptable, so that’s what everyone does.
Salem Vex: I understand too. Most people don’t feel creative/artistic about outward appearance. People aren’t about it, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But I feel like I have always gravitated towards very big figures. Growing up…Prince, David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, and Michael Jackson. People that had such an iconic look. Same thing with movies. If you look at the main character of movies like Hellraiser or Beetlejuice, they are in your head immediately. It doesn’t take more than a second. I feel like that is something I miss a lot within metal. The vocalist of a band, they look exactly like another band. It’s not like, “oh, it’s that guy!” I think I am pretty distinguishable for most people.
Dead Rhetoric: You mentioned the symphonic stuff before as not being too into it, so what do you enjoy about the deathcore genre?
Salem Vex: I would say the earlier stuff. The really raw, disgusting aspects of it. I like the lyrics of it too, I think a lot of people have gone from it – I always make a joke about people writing about the sky being blue and just random shit. I can’t connect to it. It can be graphic at times or misogynistic, but you can see…oh, okay this guy got broken up with by his girlfriend. I can’t relate to most of these new bands that are just talking about the sky, or vampires or something. So that was the first thing I gravitated to, that raw old school sound. It’s not filtered.
With Bloodbather, I added a bunch of synths, and I”m in another band called The Requiem, and there are orchestral elements and pianos. But for this, it didn’t feel right. I wanted it to feel animalistic. The main character of this doesn’t care about that. I want the point to get across, and that bare bones approach was what I took. The only post-production stuff I did was bass drums, there’s nothing else.
Dead Rhetoric: You mentioned your other bands, which obviously sound stylistically different. Is that important to you too, when you go into a band, that it does sound distinguishably different from other things you are involved in?
Salem Vex: Oh yeah, every band I have done, you could say that even though it’s within a certain realm. You might say that all of my bands could play on Warped Tour, or something similar. But they have very different sounds. I feel like music is just so diverse in general. I’m a diverse person when it comes to music. In my free time, I don’t listen to much metal right now. Sometimes, I don’t even listen to what my other bands make. Sometimes I just listen to trance music from the 90s. Or some industrial.
There are so many different genres that I can’t just choose one. I couldn’t make this band sound like Bloodbather, for example. I already did that. I’m bored. Second of all, what’s the point? Life is evolution and we are constantly changing. That’s what I want to do with my music. I don’t want to be too stagnant ever.
Dead Rhetoric: Do you write with the intent for a particular group, or do you write and then determine where it needs to go?
Salem Vex: I will just get into these grooves where I know I can write for one project. Some week, I might be really into Fall Out Boy. It’s all I can listen to. So I might channel The Requiem, because it’s what is in my head. Recently, I had The All-American Rejects in my head and it was all I could think about. So I wrote a rock song like that. Some weeks, all I can think about is metal. So I’m jamming and something off The Cleansing comes on and I’m like, “Fuck yeah” and it will go down the rabbit hole. So it comes to me at different times. I can channel it.
Obviously if I go to the studio, but even then. There was a time I was making two records at the same time, but I was in the studio for The Requiem and I’m making this rock/emo record, and that was when I was writing the lyrics to the song “The Gift” and to “The Collection.” I was in a dark place while I was there. All I could do was think about playing that. Putting that anger into the other project helped me finish off the other stuff. Writing lyrics or instrumentals for the other project, my brain took care of that and I could focus on what I needed to while I was there.
Dead Rhetoric: You do a lot – you do lyrics, you write music. Is there one that you like more or do you see them as two different extensions of writing in general?
Salem Vex: I’m a very self-deprecating person, and think what I do ‘sucks.’ So I sat on both records for a long time. Then something comes out and it revitalizes you. So I feel like whatever thing comes out at where I am in life, that’s usually my favorite. But looking at The Requiem stuff, I don’t think I’ve ever not liked it. I think it’s really good. That band is more collaborative than anything else I have been in. I didn’t have to write the full fucking record. Bloodbather and this band, I will doubt it, because my hand is so heavily involved, but now listening to it, I’m super proud of the Crucifiction record. I think it’s a staple for the genre it’s in, and it’s doing well, so I can only hope it does better.
Dead Rhetoric: More broadly, given your musical preferences, what do you hope for in music in general, in the future…be it heavy or not?
Salem Vex: I hate the Tik Tok shit, I need that to die. Making music to appeal to someone’s 20-second attention span is the worst thing ever to happen to music. I also have my view on the general, short-form Tik Tok ‘film yourself’ content in general, I think it’s shit. There’s no mystery or mystique anymore. It’s hard for me to do anything like that. The idols that I looked up to, it was a special event seeing them. They weren’t answering questions, they weren’t asking themselves questions, I just felt it was way cooler just having that mystery. I hope that mystique comes back but the attention span needs to be back to what it was. Listening to an entire album is very important.
The single route is cool, but I like to listen to the album front to back to hear the whole perspective. There are so many records, Mechanical Animals by Marilyn Manson, it’s such a big piece of work that i feel like i just couldn’t pick out one song and listen to it. I have to listen to the whole album. Or The Cleansing even. I can’t just listen to “The Price of Beauty.” I have to listen to the whole thing! You have to go through the emotions. Some people might not feel that way, but i feel like we fucked with something that didn’t need to be fucked with. But it makes sense with the world going as it is now. But I like long form content, and more paying attention to all of it – from the artwork to the booklet – everything. It should be more expansive, but I feel like things are becoming more dull and boring. It’s a product in the store, without depth.
Dead Rhetoric: With what you said about mystique, is that ‘larger than life’ idea appealing in terms of the aesthetic? Is that something you strive for yourself?
Salem Vex: I think I try to. It can feel corny or weird at times, because I feel like every human is equal. But I feel like you should apply it to yourself, to make yourself stand out. To be something different. A lot of people I look up to, they are unique. People gravitate towards uniqueness, more than an ‘everyday person.’ I’m not just saying that we can’t like someone that looks every day, if someone doesn’t look different on the outside, they could have eccentricies that they can get a cult fanbase. Someone like Shia La Beouf or someone. He looks normal, but he’s such a polarizing person.
Dead Rhetoric: What are your plans for 2025?
Salem Vex: Just planning out shows and live performances. I guess maybe more music video stuff. Honestly, taking a bit more of a break. I feel like that would be good for me. I have been running a bit too rampant. So focusing on the live shows and just enjoying the rest of the year. I’m excited.
Once musicians establish themselves in a specific style or niche, subsequent creative endeavors become more about appeasing personal instincts that hopefully translate to delightful output as they are released to the public. War Machine as the latest studio record for Impellitteri contains the ideal mix of heavy / power-oriented shred metal with the right elements of melodies, hooks, and solid songwriting mechanics that put this group on the map back in 1988 with their debut album Stand In Line and continually impressed many across the globe through efforts like Eye of a Hurricane in 1997, System X from 2002 and their last effort The Nature of the Beast back in 2018.
Chris’ balance between virtuoso riffs or lead break runs that reach the speed of sound along with tantalizing main rhythms that cause incessant headbanging continue throughout these eleven tracks. Highlights in that regard include the savage “What Lies Beneath” where you can feel his love of heavy, blues-based chords goes hand in hand with the neoclassical shred lead moments or the barnstorming energy throughout “Light It Up”. The drumming from former Slayer kit man Paul Bostaph represents a powerhouse clinic come to life – right away his fluid double kick and main mechanics put to the test through the opening bars of the title cut, never wavering through the final, exotic measures present on the finale “Just Another Day” (where the grandiose choir-like chorus booms as large as his thunderous fills). You also get some straightforward heavy cuts that reach back to 70s/80’s influences like Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Van Halen, or Loudness when “Out of Mind (Heavy Metal)” or “Gone Insane” run through, songs where the premiere, upper register voice of Rob Rock shine brightly as a beacon to match the uplifting musical foundation as one seamless force. Although self-produced by Chris, the mixing and mastering duties from Jacob Hansen properly position the sound of the record in a way to garner a wider array of listeners, not just the technically minded folks.
Properly serving up a full meal course of material while not overexerting the consumer as the record clocks in under 44 minutes, War Machine proves that Impellitteri are still at the top of their game when it comes virtuoso, melodic heavy metal. Throw the horns high to this one.
Behind the scenes it hasn’t been smooth sailing for Paragon in the five-year interim between studio records. Members left to the point that nearing the end of 2022, consideration of Metalation being the final studio record plus plans of a farewell tour were in the pipeline. Fortunately, the ship steered in calmer waters by Easter 2023, as Jason Wöbcke joined permanently on drums, Martin Christian reaffirmed his position on guitar and the necessary work put into this album came to fruition. When it comes to pure heavy metal that straddles aspects of old school European power, thrash, and speed dimensions, this quintet continually keeps the playing, songwriting, and additional accents firmly on the pulse of purity – regardless of what’s in vogue or fashion.
What’s always been impressive this deep into the band’s discography is the development of material that employs diversity when it comes to styles, tempos, and atmosphere shifts. One minute the band explores epic, doom-oriented riffs with this classical, semi-horror lead break texture for “Beyond the Horizon” that conjures classic Candlemass or Dio-era Black Sabbath to the forefront – only to shift into thunderous, heads down Teutonic speed metal madness on the follow-up “MarioNET” where the gang-like background vocals serve as call to action for Andreas ‘Buschi’ Babuschkin’s always reliable main raspy singing duties. The guitar work between Martin and fellow axe compatriot Jan Bertram aligns to the best metal duos of the 80s and 90s – able to rip out key rhythms, filling space with supplementary runs, as well as produce flourishes of heroic magnitude, as songs like “The Haunted House” and opener “Fighting the Fire” illustrate. The lyrics run the gamut between our affinity for metal as a sickness in the title track to battle warriors for “Battalions”, as well as social isolation, the trappings of burning money in modern civilization, and so much more – perfect symmetry to the engaging musical foundation displayed.
Producer Piet Sielck (along with co-production duties with bassist Jan Bünning) continues his tough as steel values behind the boards, picking up those key dynamic accents from acoustic guitars to high pitched melodies beyond those savage gang-oriented vocals and smaller keyboard parts that add deeper character to the songs. CD owners will get a re-recording of “Hellgore” as a bonus track, originally appearing in 2008 on the Screenslaves album and given a robust production boost, the energy pulsating through your speakers as the heavier riffs and double kick foundation assaults your speed metal soul. The artwork once again by Aldo ‘V’ Requena has the right warrior / color scheme elements to be poster board material – ideal for those vinyl maniacs who love to stare deeply into the visuals as the songs pour out of your speakers.
Through the trials and tribulations, Paragon comes out strong in the end through Metalation. Let’s hope that they have a few more irons in the fire for another record or two, as it would be a shame to not experience more anthems in this arsenal.
It’s a sunny evening in Brooklyn, NY outside of the Metal Injection Festival. The doors have long been open and it’s only about 2 hours away from the performance from one of the most unique bands on the day’s line-up, that of Japan’s Hanabie. Touring alongside Jinjer as direct support, this small festival is only the second performance for the band on this run, with a previous night in NJ at the Starland Ballroom.
As I enter Hanabie.’s tour bus, I’m greeted by the waving and smiling band members seated in the back of the bus, a sight that instantly jogs my memory from almost a year earlier in the downstairs of The Gramercy Theater (see interview HERE) as they were beginning the headlining portion of their first US tour. The group has had nothing less than a whirlwind year, with that particular run coming after one that sold out across Europe and then lead to more touring runs across the world, including Australia, their homeland of Japan, and an additional run through the US and Canada previously this past spring, with a subsequent summer festival tour of Europe. That’s not even to count the numerous singles that the band has released since, nor their upcoming EP due out in December.
All of this activity is not lost on the women of Hanabie., who seem to have quite the pulse on what they are doing. “We have been recording songs and rehearsing for shows, but we have also been having some breaks,” explains guitarist/vocalist Matsuri. “We have been watching a lot of TV shows, whether it’s Netflix or whatever. We have been watching season after season. When we are in Japan, we all go drinking together!”
Infiltrating the Anime Scene This elicits a laugh and a cheer from the group, and I mention that the EP isn’t the only thing the group has to look forward to in the near future. In January 2025, the anime Momentary Lily will begin airing and features a first: an opening song [OP] from Hanabie. themselves. The group has recorded a song called “Oishii Survivor,” and with it comes another checking off of a box from the group’s collective bucket list. “All of us, from a long time ago, it was a goal of ours. It’s been a long time dream to have an OP tie in with an anime. We have really been looking into the world of anime and it has been something that really fits in perfectly with Hanabie.,” notes Matsuri.
Unlike some anime where the seiyuu simply sing a song that was written for the show specifically and not by themselves, Hanabie. continues to take the DIY approach. They were approached to write a song for Momentary Lily, and they made sure they did their homework. Matsuri explains, “We watched the show, understood it, digested it, and then made the song based on that.” It’s something that they would love to do more of as well in the future, and they seem to have their sights set on one animation studio in particular: Shaft. “What they do is really great. We would like to make OPs for anything that they do.” Some smiles and laughs fill the bus as I politely wish for them to do something for the series Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
Considering their knowledge of both anime and the Japanese music scene, they also seemed a good choice to discuss the idea of anime mirroring the rise of ‘girl bands’ in real life Japan, with the success of franchises like Bandori [Bang Dream], Bocchi the Rock, and most recently with Girls Band Cry. Matsuri explains her thoughts, “It depends on the band anime. For example, Bocchi the Rock and Togenashi Togeari [Girls Band Cry], those two have bands as the main focus. I watched both of them. The whole story and base of the anime is very realistic. It’s a mirror of what is going on in Japan right now in reality. Bocchi the Rock is very popular. From there, girl bands have gotten more popular. So in a sense, it goes hand in hand and back and forth.”
Given the real-life bands that have risen from those particular shows, I can’t help but take it a step further and express my adoration of the recent Girls Band Cry and Togenashi Togeari, showing off my t-shirt and discussing the possibility of a joint show between Togenashi Togeari and Hanabie. Matsuri seems to share the same sentiment, “I would love to play with Togenashi Togeari!”
In keeping with the anime theme, which has encompassed a portion of their early 2024 single “OTAKU Lovely Densetsu,” there was just something about the stylization of the band members in their most recent video “Metamorphose,” that seemed to warrant an investigation. Hanabie. themselves do not appear in the video, which Matsuri says is something that was intentional, “we wanted something that wasn’t us in it and something that felt more anime-related.”
But in regards to the idea that their drawn eyes almost resemble something from a shoujo manga, with an almost sparkle to them, that was something more unintentional. Digital illustrator PONKO, who has done the art for Hanabie.’s singles and Reborn Superstar, amongst other projects, is responsible for the illustrations for the video, and the band’s request for a merger of 2D and CGI artwork, coupled with the anime inspiration, led to the look of the group in the video.
Hanabie.’s Character and Clothing Design Another point to reach back on was that of the theme of “OTAKU Lovely Densetsu,” in which the members expressed themes of not only Japanese culture such as anime and games, but that of personal authenticity. It’s a message that does reach further for the band than just in one particular song. “We always put our characters/ourselves into whatever it is. For example, in the lyrics or music, it’s what we like or things we find interesting. There’s always a good part of our character in there and what we like, wherever it fits the song,” explains vocalist Yukina.
Not only in the songs themselves, but one only has to look at the always impressive and unique stage outfits that bassist Hettsu crafts for them to see the link into the band’s ‘Harajuku-core’ fashion sense and appeal. It’s clearly a passion of hers, and one that she is happy to talk about in terms of the band’s evolution. “There are some friends of mine that went to the same school, they are the ones that kind of expand my ideas, so we kind of work together. It’s not just me.” She elaborates, “Last time [Spring 2024 tour], we had more of a suit kind of feel, after we signed with Sony and I feel like we had kind of grown up a bit. We had something that was cute and childish, but young, so we have moved up a little bit with age, with the suits in a way. It’s more formal but still it has the colors and the essence of Hanabie. Even though it’s more of a suit.”
She also has to think about how it affects the band’s movement on stage, as they are doing anything but sitting still. “We are playing shows so when you move, it has to look good. So the costume needs to move with your body. The four of us each have a different characteristic, so we always think about what works for that individual. So it might be the color or the design. So it has to be easy to move in. That’s what I look at. This time I went colorful and more of a sweatshirt/sport jacket kind of thing. It’s more casual and playful.”
Given Hettsu’s skill at design, it almost seems a waste to stop it at designing fashion for the solely the band members. Thankfully for all of us, she has some aspirations about taking Hanabie.’s fashion to the next level and starting up an entire brand in the future. “We have our Hanabie. merchandise but that’s different. We want something that people would wear on a day to day basis that isn’t just Hanabie. merch.” With growing world fervor for the band, it seems a golden opportunity. “We want to do that as soon as we possibly can. Everyone all over the world wearing Hanabie. clothing and coming to shows, showing up as a Hanabie family.”
Fans and Fugglers Speaking of family, with the band’s spring 2024 tour, they began doing meet & greets before shows in both USA and Europe. Something that has allowed them to get greater insights into their global fanbase rather than just being on-stage and hitting various cities. “There are entirely different generations of people at our shows. There’s say, a dad with a little kid, and you see it [fans] up front and close. You can communicate and talk with people, and that helps us go to the next step and gives us energy,” states Yukina.
It has also allowed for some more surprising and memorable fan interactions for the band. Yukina, for one, has a very specific fond memory. “I’ve realized that a number of people wear a strawberry hat [based on the video for “We Love Sweets”], and one time there were four people with the hat on. I really remember that!” Matsuri is impressed by the dedication that some have, even when on a different continent. “Every time we tour, there are repeaters. We see them at every show or every tour. We see them all the time.”
Meanwhile, drummer Chika is impressed by a different form of dedication, that of an overseas fan showing her their Hanabie. tattoo. Hettsu recalls, “There’s a person that came to almost every show in America that made a bracelet that had the name of the venue and the date of the show, and was giving them away as gifts, to fans too.” All four of them seem to come together over one memory in particular that Matsuri describes. “There was a really small kid, but I think it was the dad who came, and he gave us a letter and the kid had tried really hard to write in Japanese. The dad brought it and it almost made me cry.”
One gift that fans seem keen on bringing to the band at these meet & greets since their first tour of Australia is that of Fugglers. Small plushies that more or less resemble their name to varying degrees. Cute, but maybe not in a conventional way. If there was anything about Hanabie.’s music that relates to that of a Fuggler, Hettsu describes it as, “There’s a really colorful, rabbit kind of Fuggler. It’s gotta be colorful.” She then goes on to say, “We want to get a whole bunch of Fugglers and morph them into one!” Something that evokes a cavalcade of laughter from her bandmates, as well as some jests of ‘she’s crazy!’”
Given the band’s enjoyment of the particular critters, I suggest that perhaps they should try to get some sort of endorsement from the Fugglers brand. Hettsu is quick to state, “We are already on it. We would like to see an original Hanabie. Fuggler. That would be great!” She also notes the rising prevalence of the Fugglers, even in their homeland. “Fugglers are starting to be seen more and more in Japan as well.”
Travels and Touring
As the group has continued forward on an impressive global trek over the past year, it’s come with a greater understanding of the world around them. Yukina describes her takeaways as coming in several avenues. “We have taken in so many things. First it’s the music. You can go to these festivals and see all these different bands with different sounds. It’s very educational. You become very open to the way of thinking. Being more open to things…”
Matsuri is happy with some personal gains from her traveling experiences. “Japanese people are shy. When I come overseas, whether it’s in a restaurant or someone at a meet & greet, I like it, it’s very open. People overseas are very communicative. When I go back to Japan, I consider myself a shy person but when I go overseas, and someone starts talking to me, like an Uber or taxi driver, I can talk to them. Up until now, I couldn’t but now I can talk to them. I think in that sense, I have grown and developed in my communication.”
Chika then describes her thoughts as grounding, stating “Everytime I go overseas, I realize I don’t know as much as I think I do.” Something that draws some laughter from her bandmates as she continues, “I meet so many different people and I learn so much. I look forward to coming and learning.” Last up is Hettsu, who acknowledges her perceptions of the world have changed as she has gotten to see more of it. “Before I came over here, I had different views on things based on what I learned in Japan. I had certain assumptions about what different countries were like. I don’t want to be too dirty, but for example, bathrooms. Bathrooms in Japan, all of them were clean everywhere. If you go to nice hotels, all over the world, it’s always nice, but sometimes you go somewhere and it’s just a hole in the ground. I have seen everything!” Something that once again brings the bus into a state of laughter.
Such learnings are bound to continue and expand, even after their tour with Jinjer. Having saw the group the night before in New Jersey, it was the first time that they had been an opening act in the US since the beginnings of their fall 2023 run with Galactic Empire. The band had quickly won over the crowd in NJ in visible fashion, something that the band strives for and is very cognizant of. “I saw the crowd after the first song and compared it to the last song and the change in expression and their smiles, and their actions,” says Hettsu. “If there’s a person looking at their phone, I will stare at them to make sure they are engaged,” she goes on to say, eliciting another chuckle from the rest of the group.” In all seriousness though, she adds as her peers nod along, “it doesn’t matter if they are our fans or their fans, we just want everyone to have a good time.”
Certainly a facet of that comes from just how energetic the band is on stage while they are performing. Clued into the crowd, actively engaging and providing encouragement for all to have a good time. At the head of all of this unified band effort is their vocalist Yukina, who jumps, runs, and races her way across the stage in impressive fashion. How does she keep it up throughout an entire run? “Adrenaline! I have some lavender masks to wear to help me sleep better. Tour after tour, when I’m tired, my body knows I’m tired so I buy things that help me massage my body. I make sure to maintain my body to keep up my physical health. But the first thing that keeps me going is adrenaline.”
“As soon as I hear the crowd on stage, it automatically switches on. There’s nothing better than seeing a crowd having fun,” she concludes. Even behind the drumkit, Chika keeps that energy going alongside her bandmates, viscerally bashing the drums to the point where she’s accumulated quite a number of broken drumsticks, which she quickly and humorously states that, “I always play at 120%,” while bringing her hands down abruptly in drumming fashion, once more causing a burst of laughter to erupt in the bus.
The New EP and The Road Ahead As noted at the beginning of our chat, the band has a new EP set to release in December. While the group is elusive to give out too much information, those who have been following the singles do at least have some clues about what’s coming. But don’t expect the EP to include all of those recently released tracks from 2024. Matsuri says, “There are a few on it. Not all of them. The EP has a concept and the singles that we released after that which fit the concept are on it, but if they didn’t fit the concept we didn’t include them. I can’t say which ones are in and which ones are not.”
Probing for some more information as to if some of their writing has been influenced by their global touring, Matsuri spills a little more information about it. “There is a song that is about what I felt when I was touring in Europe and playing the festivals. It’s about how I was influenced and what happened during those festivals. It’s not in the lyrics, but in the sound of the song. Its the first time we were able to take something that we learned on tour, especially a festival tour in Europe and put it into a song. I think it might be something the fans will feel is very fresh. We are touring now, maybe there will be something that we can pick up and write about next year and move us forward in terms of what Hanabie. is. It’s something I’d like to do. I can’t tell you what’s really in the next EP, but I want everyone to look forward to it”
Given their intensive touring over the last year and the fact that this is far from the end of their journey, could EPs be the way forward, to keep them out and busy on the road? Not according to Matsuri, who explains, “Not at all, we aren’t just going to keep releasing EPs. We don’t have a set pattern for when we want to do an album. Right now, the EP works for what we are doing. There’s no way we won’t release another new album, but we can’t say when it will be.”
There’s also a big event in the band’s life coming up next year, and they are coy to release more of that in terms of specifics. “Next year is our anniversary, so we can’t tell you what we want to do but we have been planning and planning. We will be overseas, and we will play in Japan as well. Since it’s our 10th anniversary, isn’t it?” The band is all smiles as we conclude the conversation, confident and ready to go out for their performance at Metal Injection Festival. With more touring, music, and surprises in store for fans, there’s a lot to be excited about. One thing is for sure, Hanabie. is on the cusp of a major breakout with their 10th anniversary, and they are going to make sure they do everything they can to ensure it happens with passion and flair.
