Interview Commander

Angstridden, the fourth album by COMMANDER, pushes death metal boundaries with brutal riffs and mature arrangements. The band delves into themes of excess and decency, offering a cohesive and dynamic musical experience.

1. "Angstridden" is your fourth full-length album and is described as having a rough and brute death metal framework. Can you elaborate on the themes and inspirations behind this new album?

The first 3 albums are death metal but mixed with a lot of thrash metal riffs melodies and drum patterns. The goal for Angstridden was to create an album with riffs rooted more in extreme metal/death metal. All in all, it was a natural process, especially because we worked on the songs in the rehearsal room, something we hadn't done in many years. Most songs got their title early in the writing process and our drummer Flo then wrote the lyrics.

2. The title-track "Angstridden" has been released as a lyric video. What made you choose this track as the first single and how does it represent the album as a whole?

It was the first track we wrote back in 2016 (2 years before we released our 3^rd album Fatalis (The Unbroken Circle) in 2018), when we started writing songs with our then new drummer Flo. It’s a fast catchy song with a huge chorus and represent the new Commander sound very well.

3. COMMANDER has been active since 1999. How has the band’s sound and approach to music evolved over the years, especially in this new album?

In my opinion the riffs are sounding very mature these days with a more “in your face” attitude. In the past our arrangements were a little bit “death metal 101” (4x Verse, 2x Pre-Chorus, 2x Chorus, Solo, Verse, end). We tried to break this mold and followed our instinct by jamming the songs as often as we could. This way we arranged more naturally, whatever the song needed.

4. Can you talk about the recording and production process for "Angstridden" at the Sick Of Sound Studio with Michael Kraxenberger? What was the experience like and how did it influence the final product?

Michael is like our fifth member. He has been with us since 2018 as a stand-in drummer for Flo (when he was not able to play shows) and nowadays as our producer. We started in February 2023 with drum recordings followed by guitars + bass during the spring/summer 2023 at Steffen’s home studio. I started recording vocals in September 2023 and the last song was finished before Christmas 2023. In January 2024 Michael finished the Mix & Master. We are very happy with the result!

5. "No Compulsion To Live" is highlighted as the climax of the album with a growl choir featuring 10 different growlers/screamers. How did this idea come about and what was the process like coordinating so many vocalists?

I’m a big fan of progressive rock/metal. And when I saw The Neal Morse Band live in 2018 or 2019 with all 5 members singing like a choir it inspired me: I thought it would be a cool idea to invite different singers for a death metal choir. That was the initial idea for the song “No Compulsion to Live”.  We recorded the choir in 2 quick sessions were everyone was really well- prepared. Only 1 singer (Lukas Haidinger, Endonomos, Distaste, Nervecell, Profanity) recorded his part in his own studio as he is the only one who’s not located close to Munich.

6. The album features a mix of furious blastbeat songs and groove-oriented elements. How do you balance these different styles within a cohesive album?

Hard to say. You always start with an idea and then work out the rest.

There are exactly 2 songs where we had a precise idea.

"Scorched Earth", where we kept the whole song at one groove-heavy tempo,

"Vanity is the Death of Decency", where it was clear from the start that this would be by far the fastest Commander song ever, with a big breakdown at the end.

7. With over two decades in the metal scene, how do you keep your music fresh and relevant while staying true to your roots?

Commander is and will always be a death metal band. We always try to create music where we push our boundaries (and sometime the genre’s boundaries as well). I mean, you can’t really create something new or different nowadays, but you can always try to write catchy good songs.

8. The track "Vanity Is The Death Of Decency" has a particularly evocative title. Can you delve into the lyrical themes of this song and its significance within the album?

We live in a time of excess. Many people have developed a certain arrogance fueled by boundless vanity, and in doing so they forget about decency. The political elite in the world in particular tend to fall into this trap.

9. How has the reception been to the pre-released title-track "Angstridden" so far, and what feedback have you received from your fans and the metal community?

Fine so far. I mean, the track was just released so we haven’t received that much feedback yet.

10. "Angstridden" will be available on CD, limited digipak, and vinyl. How important is it for you to offer physical formats in today's digital age, and what do you think it adds to the listener's experience?

This is the part of the business and as a band you’re in need of physical formats as well, especially vinyl. Music lovers always want to hold a CD or record in their hands or to collect band merch. You are always more connected to an album if you could feel it and read the lyrics and liner notes while listening to it.

11. As veterans of the death metal scene, what advice would you give to younger bands trying to make their mark in such a competitive genre?

The biggest concern I have at the moment is, that there are no young players showing up in the scene. I had a chat yesterday with the drummer of Fleshcrawl about this topic and to be honest, I’m pessimistic for the near future. I’m not sure what is the cause for it, maybe the pandemic. But the advice I always give to other bands is, go out and play shows. Shows will push you as musicians and as a band.

12. Finally, what are your plans for promoting "Angstridden" post-release? Can fans expect any tours, music videos, or special events in support of the new album?

We will play a lot of shows, festivals. There will also be more videos. Regarding touring, we’ll have to see what kind of offers are coming in and what is possible.

OFFICIAL COMMANDER - Death Metal Munich (commander-metal.eu)