Interview Marche Funèbre

In this interview, Marche Funèbre discusses the inspiration behind their album "After The Storm," the creative process, production quality, band dynamics, and their future plans.

1. Congratulations on the upcoming release of "After The Storm"! Can you share the inspiration behind the album's title and its overall theme?
Arne: Thanks! The general theme of the album is my break-up in 2021 actually. We were in the third lockdown I believe and it hit me really hard, spewing forth some very interesting lyrics I have to say. The break-up theme got even more intensified when Peter announced his departure after 15 years of loyal service. The title comes from the final song we wrote for the album. It was a song that wrote itself basically.

2. Your music often delves into deep emotional and existential themes. What personal or collective experiences influenced the writing and composition of this album?
A: Apart from the earlier mentioned break-up, I really wanted this album to have a personal touch in the lyrics, so all lyrics basically came from my heart, my experiences.

3. "In A Haze," the first single, has already captivated listeners with its powerful lyrics and sound. Can you tell us more about the creative process behind this track?
A: The basic idea for this song was the first new tune we got to work with after we restarted when restrictions on rehearsing were finally lifted, in 2021. It was only after many attempts to finish the song that we got the structure right. One could say it wasn’t the easiest song to write, but we’re really happy with the final result.

4. The production quality of "After The Storm" is exceptional, thanks to Martin Furia. How was it working with him, and what did he bring to the table that enhanced your sound?

A: It was absolutely great when we were in the same room with him. We know each other for many years and although he’s mostly known for his thrash metal roots, we knew he liked our take on doom death metal a lot. His enthusiasm was lifting us up and his little ideas to make things better usually worked out really well. He puts a lot of effort in little extra’s in the mixing and producing part of his job that make the album much more interesting, even after a few listening sessions. Personally I think working with him was my best experience in a studio to date.

5. Peter Egberghs played a significant role in this album before stepping down. How did his departure and Fré De Schepper’s arrival impact the band and the recording process?

A: We knew one week prior to the start of the recordings that Peter would step down. If gave us the extra motivation to finish this album as the pinnacle of our work with him. After all he’s our founding member and he was responsible not only for the basic ideas of most of our songs, but also in regards to artwork and lyrics he put us in a direction that we’re still following. After we finished the recordings (and his last gigs) we immediately went out looking for his replacement. We were lucky we had some really cool, skilled, and motivated candidates, of which Fré suited us best. On the final mixing day Fré was able to join us all to the studio, where a symbolic hand over happened, with Peter making the first band pic of our current line-up. Luckily we still get along very well. Dennis still plays with him in Witch Piss btw.

6. The album artwork by Brooke Shaden is stunning. How do you feel her visual interpretation complements the music and themes of "After The Storm"?

A: We are working with Brooke since our first album was released in 2011, and so far that gave us 5 really cool artworks for our full length albums. Since we decided on the album title after we wrote the album, we knew the artwork should somehow represent the general theme. This work of art was exactly what we were looking for, and the extra pair of hands gives it so much more depth. Also, the background is just stunning with those colors, won’t you agree?

7. Each track on the album has its unique essence, yet they all flow seamlessly together. How did you achieve this cohesion while still allowing each song to stand out?

A: A good, yet though question. For this album we decided, before we started to write, that we would concentrate on the dark and gloomy side of our writing skills, so no emphasis on black or death metal riffs, like on (some songs of) our previous album. And since most songs came from the same source: Peter’s distinguished writing style and melodies, we kinda came up with these tracks; and some more actually. Indeed, we wrote some more stuff that didn’t make the final cut. Some songs will be released next year, and some stuff will forever remain unfinished, since we were not 100% satisfied with those ideas. So we had the liberty of choosing which tunes would work out best as a full length album that fits on one vinyl. Since the songs are generally shorter than on our previous albums, we still think we made a rich album with a lot of ideas, hooks and memorable parts.

8. Tracks like "Stranded" and "Palace Of Broken Dreams" are particularly memorable. Do you have any personal favorites from the album, and why?

A: A question that might get another answer if you ask me in a year or so, but my favorites right now are ‘In a Haze’, for its catchiness and great lead guitars, and ‘Palace of Broken Dreams’, for some of the more interesting vocal lines I wrote, but I like all songs, definitely!

9. Doom and death metal have always been about pushing boundaries and expressing raw emotions. How do you see Marche Funèbre's evolution in these genres with this latest release?

A: I think this is our most pure ‘doom death metal’ album to date actually. No real death or black metal riffs, super-fast drumming, funeral-esque parts, … . Just 6 quality songs by a band that knows how to write a decent tune after all these years.

10. What was the most challenging part of creating "After The Storm," and how did you overcome it?

A: The recording process was pretty long and for our guitar and bass players, it was also a lot of work alone in their home-studio. It was a deliberate choice to spend more time at home for these recording sessions, but this part of the job felt almost like work for some I guess. Luckily we were well prepared, and some details were finished in the studio anyway.

11. With the album set for release on September 27th, what are your plans for promoting it? Can fans expect any tours or special events?

A: As with our previous albums we will release the new album on our very own Darken The Moon festival again (28/sep). It’s the 16th edition and we have Tiamat as headliners. In the same weekend we will do some shows with Officium Triste (who will release a new album too) and Woe Unto Me, in Germany (Oberhausen) and The Netherlands (Utrecht). Next to that, our label Ardua Music is doing a terrific job on getting the word out. There will be 5 different versions (3 vinyl, digipack cd and tape), as well as a re-release of our acclaimed 3rd album ‘Into the Arms of Darkness’. To top if off we have a video in the works for ‘After the Storm’ (the song).

12. Finally, what message do you hope listeners take away from "After The Storm," and how do you see the future of Marche Funèbre evolving from here?

A: The final message of the album is that there will always be a ray of hope to hold on to. This goes for anyone I guess, also for our band, after Peter’s departure. We already wrote a first new song that sounds pretty promising, so we are full of hope we won’t fall into some dark muse-less abyss. Also, there’s an EP lurking in the shadows for 2025 with the very last recordings of our old line-up and some more stuff to make it extra interesting. Next to that we have quite some cool gigs planned or in the making for next year. But first, onto the new record. We worked hard to make it as good as possible, hopefully it finds its way to many ears!

Thanks a lot for your interesting questions! 

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