QAALM is set to release Grave Impressions Of An Unbroken Arc on November 1st, blending doom, melodic black metal, and progressive rock into an intense, introspective journey.
1. Your
new album, Grave Impressions Of An Unbroken Arc, is set to release on
November 1st. How does this album differ from your previous work in terms of
musical and thematic direction?
It’s on
another level completely in terms of musicianship, lyrical direction and vocal
composition. It’s more musical overall and includes more influences than the
first album. Of course, you can hear that from the different time signatures,
chord changes and vocal arrangements.
2. “Hangman’s
Lament” serves as the album’s first single and is a powerful introduction. Can
you elaborate on the lyrical themes behind the song and how they connect to the
larger narrative of the album?
It deals
with alter egos, fake people and/or human nature in general. I’ve encountered
many people within the entertainment industry that desperately need validation.
They are insecure with themselves, therefore they are incomplete people. Hiding
behind social media or whatever facade suits them. There’s a lot of personal
stuff in there as well. But, we all have baggage from past experiences and it’s
difficult not to carry the load.
3. The
fusion of doom, melodic black metal, post-metal, and progressive rock is a
unique blend that defines QAALM’s sound. How do you approach balancing these
genres to create such immersive and intense music?
It’s
important to understand that a lot of bands that we like have evolved, much in
the same way. Also, we collectively enjoy different styles of music. That makes
it all the more exciting I think when it comes to writing. I wrote these songs
in a whirlwind and not unlike the first album, the riffs came rather easily and
quickly. It’s when you get in the room with the band that I start refining the
parts. Our drummer Dave has been invaluable in that regard. He and I crafted
all of the songs in the way we wanted to hear them first.
4. Henry,
in your comments about “Hangman’s Lament,” you mention the concept of wearing
many faces and the roles we adopt. How did these personal reflections shape the
overall lyrical content of the album?
I chose to
take a different route for this album. Compared to the first album, Pete: the
first QAALM vocalist, approached the songs from a totally different standpoint.
While I am all for misanthropy & misery, I wanted to have more substance to
the songs than suicide and depression, etc. I’m still embracing the darker
themes of humanity, just on a much deeper, broader scale I think.
5. QAALM’s
influences range from Dark Tranquillity and Dissection to King Crimson and
Sisters of Mercy. How do these diverse inspirations inform your songwriting
process, particularly on Grave Impressions Of An Unbroken Arc?
Hopefully
one can listen to the album and make their own assessment. Of course, these are
simply names of other bands and don’t represent our music on a grand scale. I
think we have an original sound and it’s really hard to define what we sound
like as a whole. Of course, I think those influences work to some degree. But,
songwriting is a mysterious, wonderful magic trick. I don’t think about this
kind of stuff when I’m composing a song, lyric or whatever.
6. You
worked with Paul Fig on engineering and Zeuss on mixing/mastering. How did
their expertise contribute to shaping the sound of the album, and what was it
like working with such seasoned professionals?
Zeus was a
no-brainer because I’ve worked with him before and we respect each other’s
work. I think that’s always a good sign. He has a thing that no one else has
really. He’s multi-dimensional and isn’t afraid to confront the challenging
aspects of mixing, etc. He works his ass off and he’s a real dude. I appreciate
that on so many levels. With Fig, that’s the first time I’ve worked with him. I
generally like working with new people sometimes. It was a leap of faith with
him for sure.
7. The
album seems to explore deeply introspective and personal themes. Could you
share some of the emotional or mental space you were in during the writing and
recording process?
There’s no
shortage of emotions when it comes to writing for me. I am a fairly sensitive
person and I think the music reflects that a bit. On one level, it’s good to
tap into those feelings, but on the other hand, it hurts to listen to some of
this stuff. It’s heavy lyrically in a way the first album was not. Musically,
the narrative had to support the journey of each song.
8. Vladislav
Cadaversky created the cover art for Grave Impressions Of An Unbroken Arc.
How does the artwork complement the themes of the album, and what message or
imagery were you hoping to convey through it?
He’s a
superb artist and person. I got to know him a little bit, just talking to him
about different pieces he did. He creates based upon his mood and instinct,
which is rare these days I feel. He wasn’t afraid to tell me what he thought
about my ideas. He’s fearless in that way and I respect him for that. The
artwork for our album is bleak and the landscape reminds me of this vast
afterword. One that is just as beautiful as it is horrific. It’s not all
hopeless.
9. Progressive
music often features intricate compositions and evolving song structures. How
did you approach the arrangements on this album, and was there a particular
track that was especially challenging to complete?
Dave and I
really worked it all out. He and I had all of the songs written when Minsu came
in and did his thing. Of course, Minsu had a lot of valuable input to refine
the parts when it came time to do pre-production. The tricky prog-bits were fun
to rehearse and essential for some of the transitions. With “Hangman’s Lament”
we went back and re-wrote the verse, because it originally sounded to
conventional. The material has to be compelling, otherwise what the fuck are
you doing and why?!
10. With
the mix of personal lyrics and heavy, atmospheric music, how do you want
listeners to feel or reflect when experiencing this album in its entirety?
I want
listeners to listen and form their own opinions & feelings. I think people
hear and feel things differently. Art is like that. It’s always endearing and
interesting to hear people’s take on our music. There’s no right or wrong
answer and I am not the jury here.
11. As a
band based in Los Angeles, how do you feel your environment and the city’s
music scene have influenced your sound or creative approach?
LA doesn’t
influence our music at all. If anything, it’s an escape from the concrete
jungle. I will say that it’s cool to be surrounded by so many talented bands.
There’s a lot of cool sounds coming out of our rehearsal building all the
time.
12. What
can fans expect from your live performances when you take Grave Impressions
Of An Unbroken Arc on the road, and do you have any specific plans for
tours or shows following the album release?
We are
currently trying to figure that out. We want to do something in May, a small 2
week tour with another cool band would be ideal. Some shows on the East coast
and Canada would be even better. We don’t know just yet. Stay
tuned.
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