Discover the post-apocalyptic depths of Malignancy's latest album, '…Discontinued,' as Danny Nelson delves into its themes, creative process, challenges, and upcoming promotion plans.
1. What
inspired the post-apocalyptic theme of "…Discontinued," and how did
you channel that into the album's sound and lyrics?
The post-apocalyptic theme started back in 2012 on the Eugenics album.
It is a continuation of sorts, the artwork for Discontinued is in the same
universe as Eugenics. Much like the music for both releases, it is the next
step in the evolution of the band. Most of the lyrics revolve around what I
believe will be the cause of an eventual apocalypse. Real world things
happening now with a Malignant twist to make it thought provoking. Musically we
always include heavy chord progressions mixed with a multiple array of notes
accented with intricate drumming.
2. Could you elaborate on the significance of the album title
"…Discontinued" and how it ties into the overall concept of the
record?
The title came to me as a result of buying certain products. Seems like
everything I like or I feel works eventually gets discontinued for one reason
or another. I used the ellipsis points before the title to see if any fans
would wonder what it means. To me the “…” is
the space where the word Humanity would fall in based on the cover art. The
mutoid evolution has made mankind obsolete.
3. How did working with Lasse Lammert contribute to shaping the final sound
of the album, especially considering his impressive track record with other
metal bands?
Lasse was always professional and patient, two aspects that made working
with him so easy. We tracked all over the place since we are all not in the
same area anymore. After Ron tracked his guitars, Lasse needed him to do it
again. Ron being Ron, forged ahead and rocked out the tracks for a second time.
He would do a pass on a song, let us know it was up, we would review and give
input. Not a typical studio setting where we all sit there and mix it together.
Cannot even recall when we did that last. All in all an amazing experience that
shows in the quality of the mix and master. Thanks Lasse!
4. "Purity of Purpose" is highlighted as "Approved for
Airplay." What aspects of this track do you think make it particularly
accessible or stand out?
First time I am hearing that Purity is “Approved for Airplay”! That’s great!
Jason at Willowtip and the band agreed it was a good first single to release.
Shows the dynamics of the recording, arrangements and intensity. Also has a
part resembling a chorus, I usually do not write chorus parts. No profanity
either, I almost never use them anyway, that helps with approval of airplay.
\m/ Plus the heavy ending, in my mind, makes fans want to hear more!
5. Can you walk us through the creative process behind tracks like
"Existential Dread" or "Irradiated Miscreation"? How did
these songs evolve from initial ideas to final recordings?
Irradiated Miscreation was conceived in our drummer Mike’s basement when he
still lived in NY. Jam sessions with Ron and Mike would eventually yield fruit!
Bouncing ideas back and forth about the direction of the song. Mike would play
a beat to Ron’s riff then record and listen. An advantage to being able to
record and move pieces around to play with the arrangements. This was our
template for writing new material for a long time. Lyrics have always been
last, so they are writing based on their day to day emotions. I rarely give
them a direction as far as what the song will be about. I don’t even know until
I sit down and start writing. I had this one in my mind for quite some time.
The premise is slowly being poisoned by radiation from your device. Phones are
in your pocket right near your unmentionables. Bye, bye procreation.
6. What challenges did you face during the recording and production of
"…Discontinued," and how did you overcome them?
Lots of variables can plague a production, Discontinued didn’t have too many.
The most challenging part was getting everyone together to record. Mike being
on tour a lot with Fear Factory and Raven posed timing issues. Time always
seems to be against us as it ticks away. Once Mike had the time he tracked
first and did a killer job. Mike worked closely with Jacob on the bass as well.
Ron did his tracks and also did a killer job. I was last and took the longest,
had some writer’s block. Sucks being the one that holds up the album’s
completion. I had to work through and push myself and I am happy with the end
result.
7. Jacob Schmidt of Defeated Sanity handled bass duties on the album. How did his contribution influence the overall dynamics and heaviness of the record?
Jacob handled the bass duties with precision and passion! We love what he came up with to push the dynamics and brutality. He is a great musician all around and we were all confident he would crush! He did! Jacob’s placement and the decisions made for certain parts are what the tunes needed. Having an outside perspective helped, things we may never have considered, Jacob did. We had him sign an NDA before he played the parts, he had to keep his participation on Discontinued under wraps. Just kidding, I am amazed it didn’t get out.
8. The album cover and artwork by Tony Cosgrove are visually striking. How did the visual concept align with the music's themes, and what was the collaborative process like between the band and the artist?
Concept and music lend themselves to that post-apocalyptic theme we spoke about earlier. Originally we planned to work with Stephen Somers for this one, he created the cover art for Malignant Future and named the release as well. Ultimately he could not commit, too many other projects and not enough time. We’ve had the pleasure of working with Tony on a lot of Malignancy projects. I was psyched when he confirmed he was available and interested in creating the art for Discontinued. We did run into a few snags, my original vision for the cover didn’t really work. I had to rethink it multiple times and talk to Tony on what he thought would work. After some trial and error Tony sent an almost complete piece because he got in the groove and was excited. Happy we got to work together again, love that dude!
9. In terms of musical evolution, how do you see "…Discontinued"
fitting into Malignancy's discography? Are there any new elements or
experiments that you explored on this album?
Discontinued fits in right where it should in our ever evolving style. Our
approach on this one was a little different than usual. The songs flowed the
way they were supposed to, we didn’t overthink it. The only concessions we
wanted was to be more on the groovy side. I also made a conscious effort to
enunciate more than I had in the past. All things considered I believe we
succeeded in creating what Discontinued is supposed to be.
10. What role does lyrical content play in Malignancy's music, particularly on this album? How do you approach writing lyrics that complement the intensity of the music?
I am serious about the lyrical content for all Malignancy releases, especially for this one. I had some different concepts in mind that I wanted to tackle. The intensity of the material does help in the way I write. Usually happens when we have raw versions of the tunes so I can flesh out the concepts. My method of writing the lyrics for Discontinued is the same formula used on other releases. I listen to the rough tracks and match up the concepts to see what fits better together.
11. With the album set to release on various formats, including vinyl, how do you think the physical medium contributes to the listener's experience of the music?
I am an avid vinyl fan/collector. It is necessary for fans to have the full experience of any release. So many amazing memories for me growing with headphones on cranking a new record in my parent’s living room. Staring at the cover art, the band members and of course, the lyrics. Reading along in my head to this newly discovered treasure, nothing like it. I hope that fans today will go all in for the experience and jam this one on the turntable and follow along.
12. Looking ahead, what are your plans for promoting "…Discontinued," especially considering the current landscape of live shows and touring?
We plan to push this one as much as possible with interviews, festival appearances, a CD release party, etc. There are a few live shows booked already as well as fests. We plan to do as much as we can this year!
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