Slaughtersun formed in 2023, blending diverse influences into their unique death metal sound. Their music tackles dark themes, promising intense live performances and groundbreaking compositions.
1. How
did Slaughtersun come together as a band, and what inspired the name and
concept behind your music?
I’ve had
the idea to form for Slaughtersun for a few years; but lacked the time to
really dedicate to forming the full band. I spent free time writing demos and
sketching things out but it wasn’t i til 2023 that I decided to make the push
and really go for it. The lineup came together pretty naturally; Cody and I are
bandmates in Thank You Scientist and he was into the idea of helping out in a
death metal band which is a new genre for him. I met Jason and Justin through
the studio I used to work for called Frightbox Recording and I produced
releases by their bands Tombstoner and Cranial Damage, respectively. I felt
that each of these musicians did something outstanding with their instrument
and they’re all down to play and improve upon the music I put in front of them.
The name “Slaughtersun” pays homage to the 1998 album by the Swedish band Dawn.
It is also simply a sick sounding band name.
2. Your
music is described as "groundbreaking death metal." Could you
elaborate on what makes your sound unique within the genre?
The music
is groundbreaking because I can’t think of anything else that sounds like it.
The music is metal, and death metal is the primary sub-genre I draw influence
from for this band, but it isn’t limited to that. Calling it death metal
provides a box for us to step out of artistically.
3. Can
you walk us through your songwriting process? How do you approach crafting such
intense and intricate compositions?
The
songwriting starts with me producing a somewhat complete song with a recorded
demo. Jason and I then jam together to tweak my demo and really knock out the
final form of the song. He has a great ear and feel for how a composition
should flow so his input is instrumental to the final composition. I write out
bass parts for Cody and chart it out to make sure that everything works
harmonically and he will take my parts and improve them as he sees fit. Justin
comes in with lyrics, more like a completed poem for the song and the two of us
collaborate on the rhythm and phrasing of the vocal delivery. All of us in the
band have very limited free time and I aim to be as organized as possible
giving everyone stems and practice materials to compose parts on their own time
to be fully prepared for our coveted rehearsals.
4. What
themes or messages do you explore in your lyrics, and how do they resonate with
the current state of the world?
The songs
we’ve released so far have all been standalone themes. We generally keep the
mood centered around darker subject matter. The lyrics for “Fall of the
Firmament” are an exploration into the downward trajectory of modern day
society where humanity as a whole becomes hopelessly addicted to and reliant on
technology. “Ready Cell Awaits” is more introspective and is one of my
favorites. This song takes the listener on the journey of a prisoner, locked
away, counting down the hours before his death sentence and desperately
clinging to any shred of religion or spirituality in an attempt to relieve the
mental anguish of impending execution.
5. How
has the New Jersey metal scene influenced Slaughtersun's music and growth as a
band?
I grew up
in the NJ metal scene and it’s part of who I am. I’m 34 years old now and it’s
a great thing to see that live music on the local level is still strong. Many
of the spots I used to go to back in high school and college to are no longer
around like the Clash Bar, Bloomfield Ave Cafe and 10th Street live but there
are a few survivors like the Meatlocker in Montclair. It’s an odd but good
feeling going to shows and seeing the younger generation there and realizing
that I’m now the 30 year old guy that’s just hanging out. I have to shout out
my buddy Zakk Mild (Oxalate and Come Mierda) who's been promoting and booking
shows throughout the state and in Brooklyn, he's doing a big part in keeping
the local metal scene strong around here.
6. Your
singles received critical acclaim. What was the recording and production
process like, and what challenges did you face during that time?
The
recording and mixing is all handled by me so full creative control stays within
the band; plus it's nice to do everything in house and take our time and not
have to worry about a budget. The songs are all demoed out thoroughly before
going in to track anything so the tempos are locked in. I'm all about being
organized and efficient in the studio whether it's my band or with clients.
This way you have more mental bandwidth for creativity. The vocal tracking
usually has a lot of impromptu moments where Justin and I will come up with
weird production ideas like panning a vocal or adding doubles with a Morbid
Angel type filter effect on key parts to accentuate words. I like to commit as
much sonically at the tracking phase as possible to reduce the number of
decisions I have to make during mixing.
7. Slaughtersun
is known for its intense live performances. How do you prepare for shows, and
what can audiences expect from your live sets?
Our debut
performance is on June 29th at Lucky 13 in Brooklyn, NY. We are working towards
a streamlined set and coming up with ways to bridge the time between songs to
make the entire set a performance as opposed to several songs with breaks.
8. Are
there any plans for future releases or projects that you can share with us?
At this
time we have another single planned to release in the first week of July. In
the summer we are planning a physical EP release containing all of our current
singles and we've also done some live recordings with video which will be
coming soon. While all this is happening, the first album is being written.
9. Finally,
what do you hope listeners take away from Slaughtersun's music, and what are
your aspirations for the band's future?
I hope this
music makes listeners feel something strong. Whether it's a love for the music,
a feeling of empowerment and vigor, or disgust and hatred of it- that's fine
too. Any emotion real emotion is what I hope listeners take from this music.
slaughtersunnj | Facebook | Linktree
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire