Finnish modern black metal band Sargassus unleashes their heaviest track yet, Spirit of Gravity, blending chaos, groove, and philosophy. We discuss their debut album Vitruvian Rays and the band's evolving sound.
1. First of all, congrats on the release of
‘Spirit of Gravity’! How does it feel to have your first single from the debut
album out in the world?
It feels
awesome of course! We have worked hard to make the new album and we have
eagerly waited for the moment we can actually share new music for the world, so
releasing the first single is of course a great moment!
2. 'Spirit of Gravity' is described as the
heaviest song you’ve made so far. Was there a specific moment or influence
that drove you to create such a relentlessly intense track?
There was
not any particular influence we could pinpoint, the creation of the track
happened in the spur of the moment, and we really liked the brutality of the
song. The new album is overall heavier and darker compared to our previous
releases, so the heaviness of the first single fits well in the theme.
3. The track has a very chaotic and powerful
energy. Could you share more about how the songwriting process unfolded, and
how you approached capturing that intensity?
The writing
of the song began at our rehearsal house when our drummer Matias Rokio played
the peculiar blast beat from the intro of the song and Teemu joined in
immediately with the intro riff. We liked the unsettling feeling it created and
decided to make a full song of it. We made a demo recording and the song
started to take its form. Our singer Matias Stenman wrote the lyrics and
arranged the vocal parts. Later, in the recording phase, our good friend Kimmo
Jankkari also shared his great ideas for the vocal parts as a vocal producer
for the album. Mertta arranged the bass parts adding also bass melodies to the
song and the end result is the heavy single.
4. Thematically, 'Spirit of Gravity' is based
around ideas of rebirth, Nietzschean philosophy, and conformity. How do these
themes relate to your personal philosophies or the band's collective mindset?
The lyrics
are usually our singer’s (Stenman) own philosophical ponderings. Over the years
the band’s attention has shifted from psychedelic themes towards philosophy
simply because of Stenman’s love for allegory, metaphors and symbolisism.
5. You’ve mentioned that the song's lyrics
reflect a kind of occult ritual. What inspired you to structure the song this
way, and what message do you hope listeners take from the experience?
Stenman
rarely writes straightforward lyrics. Broad philosophical themes usually get
covered up with stories and concepts that loosely relate to religion, violence
and human nature. For example, in ‘Spirit of Gravity’, it takes form of an
occult ritual, not too unlike a Christian communion, because it is easy to
liken to Nietzschean ideas about rebirth. The song is a reminder that nobody
will live a full life unless they break free from rules that chain them.
6. Sargassus is known for blending modern black
metal with groovier elements. Can you talk about how you strike that balance in
the songwriting, especially with the bass parts being added last?
It comes
quite naturally actually. We love to make black metal influenced parts, but
Rokio has a very groovy style in his drumming, so the groovier parts also form
naturally around the black metal sections.
7. How has the addition of Mertta Halonen as
the new bass player influenced the band's sound and dynamics during the
creation of this track?
Mertta is a
great bass player and her melodic bass parts contribute well to the sound of
the band. We are really excited to have Mertta in the band as she fits
perfectly in terms of musical style but also as a person who fits perfectly in
the band’s chemistry.
8. In the press release, you describe the
‘Spirit of Gravity’ as reflecting chaos and philosophical ponderings on eternal
recurrence. How do you see these ideas evolving through the upcoming album?
One of the
album’s core themes is humanity’s urge to form order from chaos. On ‘Vitruvian
Rays’ the songs urge the listener to consider when too strict order will lead
to suffering and self-cannibalisation. Power and paranoia usually go hand in
hand, and with absolut power no one can safely live their life to the fullest.
This is a vicious cycle that tends to repeat over and over again in history.
‘Vitruvian Rays’ urges people to be better than that, and to accept a little
chaos into all forms of order, be it religious, political or philosophical.
9. With the upcoming debut album ‘Vitruvian
Rays’ coming out in June, can you give us a sneak peek into what we can expect
from the rest of the record in terms of style and themes?
The songs
are overall heavy, dark and dynamic. The style can definitely be recognized as
familiar Sargassus but we feel we have really taken a step forward making this
the most ambitious release in the band’s history.
10. Do you have any standout tracks on the
album that you’re particularly excited for fans to hear, or any that were
especially challenging to create?
We are
really excited for the whole album! We feel every track from the album deserves
to be heard! There were not any particularly challenging songs to create. The
creation of the album flowed quite naturally, and we believe you can hear it in
the end result.
11. You’ve been able to incorporate both blast
beats and groovier passages into your music. Do you see this duality as a key
feature of Sargassus’ identity, or is it something you’ll be exploring further
on the album?
The dynamic
between blast beats, groovier parts and melodic parts is definitely something
that is a theme in the album and can be thought as a distinct feature in
Sargassus’ style overall.
12. Finally, as a modern black metal band, what
do you think sets Sargassus apart from other bands in the scene, and what do
you want listeners to take away from your music?
We believe that the music we have made is unique and it is difficult to pinpoint a genre for it! Overall, we think that the unique style of the band is really an asset, and we hope people will find their way to our music!
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