We didn’t set out to write an album. It happened so organically and naturally that before we knew it we had 70% of an album written and recorded, so by that point it just felt like the right thing to do.
What were you aiming for with the record
Honestly, just putting out the best album we possibly could. We wanted it to be diverse and take the listener on an emotional journey, and give a positive experience to as many people as possible. We felt and still feel the album can genuinely help people. It’s pretty universal in its themes – love, loss, grief, emotional pain, anxiety. These are all emotions everyone can relate to – so we’re not shy about saying that if people feel that and can take something from the album, even if they’re not big metalheads – that’s absolutely cool by us. The door is open to everyone.
Was it difficult to write, or easy and what artists were you listening to and trying to emulate, if any
We’re very fortunate to have all the elements needed to record an album, self-contained within our band. I have a recording booth and means to record, Paddy has a home studio and can literally play every instrument. Dave has a about three albums worth of riffs and songs in his locker, so can just pull one out as and when it’s needed. As hard as we’ve worked, we can’t say it’s been difficult. It’s been fun and super rewarding more than anything.
In terms of influences, we’ve all been listening to Deftones for over twenty years, but more recently we’ve really enjoyed the atmospherics of bands like Bad Omens, Fit for a King, The Devil Wears Prada, and obviously Bring Me, who deserve all the credit in the world for what they’ve done for the UK’s metal scene.
What were the major difficulties with the record
Certainly not money – it was free to record, like I said we have everything in house. I think the only real difficulty was hitting the deadline we set ourselves. And what I mean by that is we had more song ideas, we could have explored. In hindsight we may have rushed it, but I think that urgency and intensity cuts through on the album. It’s rage in a bottle, and maybe if we took our time it would have a slower vibe.
Anything that was going on in the world (or your world) was a factor at the time.
There’s always something to be angry about.
Track By Track
Six 100
This is about the desire for oblivion and need to forget, when life feels like it’s too much. Six 100 is actually a term my little boy used to use for anything big and fast. So I used that to describe the need for a quick fix and a head change. The lyrics ‘I don’t remember the nightmares, my only memories are dead because of you,’ translate to the notion of alcohol and drugs making you forget the trauma, but also destroying what’s left of you memories full stop.
Dead Seeds
This is about the fear and anxieties associated with losing someone close to you. It’s from the POV of the anxious loved one fearing the worst. Though it mainly explores fears about losing a child, and the paranoia that creeps in in your darkest moments – dead seeds I sew, being those very intrusive thoughts.
VIVID
This is about then dangers of social media worship – and not even just celebrities or influencers, but those we know who appear to have the greatest lives. It’s almost impossible not to compare our lives to others who post on Instagram. Of course what we’re only seeing is the good stuff. Comparison is the thief of joy. The lyrics ‘Bury the truth, they won’t find us,’ relate to this. And the ending scream ‘Kill all your heroes,’ means not to kill your friends, but to kill the idea of their social media personality. Appreciate the real life version.
Triplicate Space
The album’s most mellow track is about depression and the guilt resulting from the mere idea of being happy (happiness like a dead weight crushes me.) The triplicate space is that dark space in your head that seems impossible to escape when in certain mood. And the verse lyrics ‘Let the plague take her, with an empty gun,’ are about fleeting suicidal thoughts that serve no purpose other than to perpetuate the cycle of depression. Ultimately negative thoughts are at once dangerous and disposable.
All Together All Alone
This is about feeling lonely in company. Even with seemingly the best support network and family in the world, if you’re not settled in your own head, you can be crushed by loneliness. There’s also the associated paranoia and anxiety that results from this isolation, the feeling that everyone hates you, especially after drinking. That fear is so strong and more often than not completely without evidence.
Fade In
This is an ethereal precursor to Permanent Ghost
Permanent Ghost
This was about the awful experience of watching my father in law die. In the weeks leading up to his death he would tell me all the regrets he had in life. The lyrics ‘I’ve let down the world,’ reflect those regrets, whereas the verses are from the POV of the aggressive cancer that was attacking his body ‘fade out of comfort, fade out of peace, fade out of life, cease to exist.’ So really it’s about him verses the illness. The lyrics state ‘time is a permanent ghost,’ which is about time in the lead up to his death felt like it was preparing him for whatever comes next.
Faceless
A punch to the face of bullies, from the point of view of the victim’s parent. The lyrics ‘Blind leading the blind’ relate to the gang mentality of bullies, and the chorus ‘I’ll wrap you up real tight…’ relate to the desperate hopelessness of a parent who is powerless to stop their child’s suffering.
Redeemer
This is about the pressure we put on ourselves for validation from our, and the psychology around ambition in general. ‘Sacrifice your god,’ relates to the importance of doing everything in life, not in fear of going to heaven or hell, but for yourself. The importance of self-actualization, but also the difficulty associated with that and the fear of failure. Losing dreams can be very tough on your mental health. But resilience is the way
ATAC
This is about people in power having the best interest of their people at heart. The inherent greed displayed by the powers that be and their lack of understanding about real life, and how real people struggle. There are children starving, victims of abuse and neglect – I’ve seen it with my own eyes, but it’s brushed under the carpet, forgotten about for the sake of earning a pretty penny.
Godless Moon
Was always going to be our album closer, it’s heavy and thoughtful. It’s really about being stuck in your own body and head and that desperation to escape no matter how impossible it is to do so. The idea that our soul is trapped, it can’t be changed. We are who we are with our personalities, abilities. It can drive you crazy if you think about it – our limitations. But ultimately our world is godless and we have to take care of ourselves and each other. So it’s vital to make the best of it whilst we are still here.
Check out the track Permanent Ghost, below:
Find out more via the band’s Facebook
Read our interview with the band here
Purchase the album here
