Sarkasm has journeyed from ‘90s demos to a powerful rebirth in 2019. With their latest album Carnival of Atrocities, the band explores chaos, technicality, and raw energy, pushing boundaries in death/thrash metal.
1. It’s
been a long journey for Sarkasm, with your early demos in the ‘90s and your
recent rebirth in 2019. How has your approach to songwriting and the band’s
sound evolved over the years?
Our
approach is a bit different as we are now more experienced and know a bit more
what we want and what we don't want to hear in our music. We are also
more open to each other's inputs as we try to create a music universe where we
all feel a sense of belonging. As for our sound, it is very similar today
to what it was back in the 90s, save the fact we now have much better gear so
we can have more control and can dig a little deeper in the details. But
we have tried to retain that rawness and aggressivity which we liked back then,
and still do now!
2. Your
2023 album As Empires Decay set the stage for your return to
the metal scene. What does Carnival Of Atrocities bring to the
table that builds upon that foundation?
Musically
and lyrically it is more or less a continuation of our first album, as we
explore further into our themes of inner and outer chaos, of societies losing
their values and falling into decadence, how all this surrounding turmoil
affects our path through life and how we adapt to survive. We also
tried to get more of the riffs we really liked from the first album, and then
add some that we like even more. Aggressive guitars and drumming,
supported by an inspired bass line, and topped with the superb roaring voice of
Bruno! Can't go wrong with that, right!
3. The title Carnival Of
Atrocities is striking and paints a vivid image of a dystopian world.
Can you talk about the concept behind the album and the themes you’re exploring
with these songs?
As
mentioned in my previous answer, in this album we are digging deeper into the
human psyche and the struggle to survive in a world that devours everything,
leaving only chaos and destruction behind. It is not really a concept
album, but all titles are linked with our outlook on the evolution (or
devolution) of society, as we try to expose the absolute senselessness of
it all.
4. With tracks like "I Am
Chaos" and "Murmurs From The Void," there’s an undeniable
technicality in your sound. How do you balance complex songwriting with the
need to create memorable, impactful hooks?
The
technicality has to serve the song; if we listen to a riff and it makes us want
to throw our guts to the wall then that's what we're looking for. We are
not trying to create intricate riffs that no one can decipher as it would be
futile and boring - these riffs usually end up being tossed away. We are
trying to tell a story - The music must be supporting the story and should
create an urge to headbang for the listener. You can feel this when you
get out of rehearsal and a riff can't leave your head. Then you know
you've hit something. To me, the technical part is more about trying to
surprise the listener with something unexpected like a sudden change in tempo,
a dissonant note, an out of place chord, etc. But sometimes the
complexity of an odd time signature beat, mixed with intricate riffing is what
you need to project the type of energy the song needs.
5. Bruno, you’re also known for
fronting Obliveon. How do you juggle both bands and maintain the energy and
focus needed to deliver powerful performances in each?
For sure it
isn't always obvious, but this last year was more about focusing on the two
bands' album projects, so it is about learning one song at a time then moving
on to the next one, sometimes alternating between the two projects. As
for shows, Obliveon hasn't done any since the announcement of our return to the
scene, so right now things aren't too complicated. However in 2025
the machine will restart, and then just like for the albums there will be
a lot of individual rehearsing for me once the setlists are established, so
that when we rehearse together I feel in full control. And as far as
energy goes, I try to stay fit and healthy as best as I can!
6. Your music has been compared to
bands like Gorguts, Pestilence, and Believer. What’s your perspective on these
comparisons, and how do you define your unique sound in the death/thrash metal
scene?
We have
many diverse influences, mostly from the thrash and death metal styles.
We don't really like comparisons, and although the ones mentioned are of course
flattering, we try to compose our own stuff using our creativity and write our
songs so that they fit within the Sarkasm vibe. But it's almost
impossible not to let any of our big influences affect our writing, most times
at a subconscious level. If we listen to our music and find that some
influences are piercing through, we just accept that it is part of who we
are. We never tried to copy anyone else and wouldn't want to, but if we
find that a part of a song sounds a little bit like what another band we like
has recorded - it can happen and we live well with it!
7. Maxime Lacroix captured the
production for Carnival Of Atrocities, with mastering by Dan Swanö.
What was it like working with such a talented production team, and how did they
help bring your vision for this album to life?
Max was
really easy to work with in the studio. He's a great guy and puts
absolutely no pressure on you, except the one to make things sound like they
should. He'll let you re-record a take as many times as needed to get it
to sound exactly like you want it. And he'll be as relaxed the 10th time
you record it than he was the 1st time. He understood well what we wanted
- which was to record an album that carries the energy of a live
performance. We didn't want something too aesthetically perfect,
too polished, too "robotic". On the album you'll hear some
slight timing variations, a little noise here, a muffed note there - All things
that make the vibe feel natural, grounded, human. We recorded everything
with the highest intensity and strongest possible intention.
And what
can we say about Dan, except that he'll take anything you give him and turn it
into gold. His mastering skills are out of this world. It's like he
knows viscerally how our music should sound, even without any guidance from
us. And what a great guy! Really down to earth, he could have a big
ego with all he's done already in his career, but not at all... Talking
to him is like talking to a friend. Definitely deserves a lot
of credit!
8. Each track on Carnival
Of Atrocities has its own distinctive energy, from the bludgeoning
power of "Deadweight" to the melodic depth of "Cold Empty
Rooms." Are there any particular songs on the album that stand out to you
as personal favorites or moments of growth for the band?
It's very
hard to single out any song, as each song brings us to a place where we totally
wanted to be. There are no "filler" songs. We worked
each of the songs until we 100% believed in it. The fact they have
different energies reflects the fact that we have all these different feelings
or vibes inhabiting us at different times and different levels. From
being sad to being overexcited, from feeling a sense of void to feeling
overwhelmed, from wanting to fight to take control to wanting to give
up. It's all in there, it's all real. The way we put this album
together, in my opinion, is our great moment of growth.
9. In the context of the album’s
concept, the world you depict seems to be on the brink of destruction. Do you
think these themes resonate more strongly now than ever, given the current
state of the world?
The events
which we have witnessed in recent years are certainly interesting
manifestations, or symptoms, of underlying problems that have started to shape
the world already a while ago. We sometimes feel the need in a sense to
describe what we see is happening, to put words on the multiple calamities
which are unfolding and on the resulting chaos and destruction that
result. But at the same time, all that we see in that giant scale is
often a reflection of things we go through in our everyday lives. That
world too, can face hardships that bring chaos and destruction. Life is
fucking tough, and it'll rip you apart if you let it.
10. You’ve described your sound as a
mix of technicality and heaviness, but how important is it to you to keep
things raw and unfiltered in terms of emotion and energy?
It's really
all that matters. The technicality and the heaviness are just the
language in which these things are expressed in our music. Without
emotion and energy, our music would fall flat. People wouldn't connect
with us the way we want them to. As musicians, we are all after this
connection with our public, and sometimes we want to make them feel what we
feel, and at other times to show them we know how they feel. The way we
do that is first by making sure the songs mean something to us, that they make
us feel something. And because we are metalheads just like them, if it
can do that to us, then there's a good chance they will experience it
too. We wouldn't record a song that sounds "bland" to us.
11. Looking ahead, what do you
hope Carnival Of Atrocities will achieve for Sarkasm in terms
of reaching new fans and building upon the legacy you’ve started with your
early demos?
We want our
music to reach out to more people from all across the globe and make new
friends in the process. We hope people will like our new album, and that
it will get played a lot, whether it's on CD players, turntables,
cassette players, on radio shows (internet radio or other), or any of the
streaming platforms! Ideally, we'd like to make our label Xtreem Music
rich in the process! Haha! Hopefully, in 150 years from now,
someone digs into their grandpa's music collection, pulls out a Sarkasm album,
plays it and starts headbanging to it! That would be really cool!
12.Finally,
after releasing Carnival Of Atrocities in February 2025,
what’s next for Sarkasm? Are you planning to take this album on the road, and
what can fans expect from your live shows?
We are
trying to reach as many locations as we can, and play in as many metal
festivals as possible. We want to meet people face to face, enjoy
other bands' performances, take a lot of family pictures with the show
attendees, and share our on-scene energy with them. Expect to
see announcements from here to the album release in February! We will be
on fire with this new album, and hope to set the stage on fire in an area near
you!
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