Seventh, the dynamic metal force, gears up for the release of 'Lord of the Horde.' In this interview, they unravel the cosmic inspirations, evolving sound, and thematic depth behind their upcoming album 'Collapsar.'
1.
Congratulations on theupcoming release of "Lord of the Horde"! Canyou
share the inspiration behind the title and the thematic elementsexplored in the
song?
Hello and
thanks for your time by the way! We started looking for a theme once we had 2
demo songs completed. We started joking around about doing a concept album and
we had to find a theme for it. Our singer randomly picked the idea about the
death of the Sun based on stuff he was reading at that time. At first, it was
more of a “tongue in cheek” concept, but after talking about it with the guys,
we got a deeper discussion around the subject. Thinking about the consequences
all together, we told ourselves: “Man, if this happens for real, the end of the
Sun, this is gonna be freakin’ terrifying.” So basically we kept the concept
from there, built the music around that and completed the record.
About the
single “Lord of The Horde”, we like to just let our own synopsis speak for
itself: Imagine what death of the Sun would bring: fear, chaos, and final
embrace. While this is the worst moment for all humanity, here comes the Lord
of the Horde, embracing billions of souls suddenly within his grasp.
2.
"Lord of the Horde" is described as an atmospheric black-core track. How
would you define your unique and energetic sound, and how has it evolved since
your earlier records like "Limbes" and "Vacarme"?
The song
came naturally pretty fast. We knew we wanted a longer song, with catchier,
heavier riffs. While recording the demo, we told ourselves: “Yeah, this really
is a Seventh song.” It encapsulates every aspect of our sound; Brutal riffs,
atmospheric instrumental parts, and a more melodic and fierce finale. But we
feel like the brutal side of the song has a new feeling of aggression that is
more present in this record. Our guitarist, Owen, who wrote the majority of the
guitar parts, is very core-inclined, so it shows in the songwriting!
3. The
song delves into themes of the death of the Sun and the chaos it brings. How
did you approach translating such complex concepts into your music, both
lyrically and instrumentally?
We wanted
to replicate in the music the emotions felt facing the consequences. Lyrics
were born through this idea afterwards. Something new that we tried is adding a
lot of sound design to translate the agony of the concept. In fact, one of our
designed sound is made from an actual public access recording of the
surroundings of a black hole.
4.
Producing your own music is a significant aspect of Seventh's identity. How
does the band's hands-on approach contribute to the overall creative process,
and what challenges or benefits do you find in self-production?
One of the
challenges we had, especially in this record, was having everyone contributing
to the sound design. We wanted everyone to have fun with it, but it was also
important that every original creation was coherent in the greater theme of the
album and between themselves. So having total freedom on production does bring
its own challenges.
5. The
upcoming single comes with a visualizer by Aimed & Framed. How did the
collaboration with Aimed & Framed come about, and how does the visual
component enhance the overall experience of "Lord of the Horde"?
We’ve
already worked with Aimed & Framed with the single “The Gift of Death” from
our previous record “Vacarme”, and we found their work absolutely awesome for
our sound. We wanted another visualizer showcasing the progression of the
terror surrounding the death of the Sun and its impact on species, religions,
life etc. They definitely did a great job.
6. With
three studio records already under your belt, including the upcoming
"Collapsar," how do you perceive the evolution of Seventh's musical
style and thematic explorations throughout your discography?
Good
question, time will tell! We started recently to share together what were our
top favorites albums ever, all genres combined. We might want to mix more
elements we like individually and try to put something together. We’ll see!
7. The
Québec metal scene is gaining attention, and your new song is expected to
contribute to its potential. How do you see Seventh fitting into the broader
metal landscape, especially within the Québec scene?
A lot of
fans during shows consider us more and more like a black-core band. We think
it’s flattering in a way that if we can manage to pull off and create a new
strange genre, why not?
The metal
scene in Québec is pretty strong regarding Black and Death sub-genres, but a
lot of metalcore fans come to our show as well. We try to mix it all up.
8.
"Lord of the Horde" is set to be released on all major streaming platforms.
How do you think the digital landscape has influenced the way listeners
discover and engage with your music, and what are your thoughts on the role of
streaming platforms in today's music industry?
For sure,
like other independent artists, we experience the difficult process of
promoting stuff throughout the mass. It is hard, but it is what it is. At the
same time, though, access to music streaming is easier than ever with so many
services nowadays. We feel like it opens the door for people to discover more
artists through playlists and social media.
9.
Seventh has been active since 2017. Can you highlight some key moments or
milestones that have shaped the band's journey and contributed to its growth
over the years?
We think
that each independently released album of ours has been a big achievement. Also
getting our own merch for the first time after the “Limbes” record, that was a
great feeling of achievement. For the live gigs aspect, we played with many
local bands, so we met new people and made new friends. We were lucky so far to
play with bigger bands like Ghost Bath, Falls of Rauros, even Abigail Williams.
Hope more of this will come someday.
10. The
band's lineup consists of Vocals, Drums, Guitar, and Bass. How does each
member's individual style and musical background contribute to the overall
cohesion of Seventh's sound?
It’s
different with each album. For Limbes, many riffs, song parts, even lyrics came
from previous projects that never saw the light of day. With Vacarme, the
lineup was different than the one on Collapsar, so we had more of a “let's jam
stuff together and pinpoint what makes the cut for everyone”. With Collapsar, a
lot of material and demos were shaped and modified with the addition of
extended parts to follow our typical Seventh-structures. We also did a song
with French lyrics, which is a first. We’re pretty excited with the end result
for the whole album.
11.
Aside from the upcoming single, "Collapsar" is set for release in
April. What can fans expect from this new album, and how does it build upon the
themes explored in your previous works?
Limbes was
based on the 14th century poem Divine Comedy. First level of the nine circles
of hell was Limbo. Vacarme explored dark themes around sacrifices to fuel
religious incarnations and the benefits of committing immoral acts to escape
reality. Collapsar is a concept album about the death of the Sun. It’s
consuming everything slowly and progressively: The people, their thoughts,
their religions, their acceptance, and their denial. Towards the end of the
album, people may try to accept their fate. Music-wise, as mentioned
previously, listeners can expect even more aggression and brutality from this
record!
12. For
those new to Seventh, where can they follow you on social media, and how can
they best support the band, especially with the upcoming release of "Lord
of the Horde" and the anticipation for "Collapsar"
Sure! Head
to our bandcamp https://seventhcanada.bandcamp.com/merch and pre-order
Collapsar! We also have official band merch (cd’s, vinyls, t-shirts, even beer
bottle openers, that’s rare ah ah). Our complete music catalogue is available
on every major streaming platforms. Follow us @ facebook.com/seventhcanada.
Thanks for your time!
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