Soulemission Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Sure! Right now we’re getting everything ready for the release of our album on October 31. That means doing promotion and setting stuff up to make sure the album will also be available through us. After that we will be getting busy with booking shows.

2.You have an album coming out on Halloween, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
We’ll a couple of words that come to mind are dark, mean, aggressive, spontaneous, ferocious, fast and varied. I think it has that cold, wintery atmosphere and it just sounds evil. There’s a lot going on on the album, fast stuff, slow stuff, dark melodies, occasional acoustic guitars and synths for atmosphere without it becoming slick. The production is pretty raw, you can here some beeps and scratches but we left it like that because we didn’t want a super polished sound. Also we didn’t have a lot of means for the recording because we were unsigned and didn’t have a budget. But I think we got the maximum result out of those minimal means. Benny (other guitar player) did a great job with recording and mixing everything.

3.Your lyrics cover some Occult and Luciferian topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?
I personally don’t study the dark arts or believe in anything but there are aspects of Satanism and the Occult that I’m drawn to. Things like personal freedom, not being a slave of an institution, enjoying silence and solitude and following my own path to become truly self-reliant and free of too many inhibitions. I’ve always been a proponent of individuality and hated the standard format that society wants to put you in because that’s what’s expected. Further I’ve always been interested in darkness in movies, books, drawings and music. I don’t really have an explanation for that. It’s just a cool atmosphere.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Soulemission'?
Michel (our singer) came up with that name. You can interpret it as the soul leaving the body when you die, what a lot of people believe. For me it also stands for how we write the music and what we put into it. It’s just real dark and strong emotions (the soul) put into music.

5.On the new album you have the drummer of Nightbringer and the singer of Shining does quest appearances, can you tell us a little bit more about their performances on the recording?
Yes, the drums were entirely done by Menthor (Enthroned, Nightbringer). Benny knows him well because he did sound for Enthroned on many shows. So Benny asked if he would be interested in laying down the drums for this album and fortunately he did. He recorded his drums at home and just sent the tracks to us. We were blown away with how fast and aggressive he played. Benny also does sound for Shining and just asked if Niklas was interested in doing vocals for the track Seas of Emptiness. Luckily he said yes and we sent the track to him and he recorded the vocals in a studio in Sweden. He absolutely nailed it with his performance. It sounds really sick and disturbing haha. Check it out people!

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We only did 2 shows so far and especially the first one was killer. It was as a support band for Dutch black metal band Carach Angren and the venue was packed. So it couldn’t have begun better. I think our stage show revolves a lot around our singer Michel. He really gives all and demands the attention he deserves from the crowd. I was blown away by his performance. We don’t have any stage props yet but maybe in the future. We stand on stage with a lot of confidence and the drive to prove ourselves.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Nothing planned yet but we are signed to a management (Doomstar bookings) so there will certainly be more gigs.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme metal?
I’ve only seen a few reviews so far because the promo’s have just been sent out recently. But so far the reviews are outstanding. We felt that we made a good debut album but it’s always the question if it comes across well. I’m not really familiar with what people listen to these days or what is popular and I don’t care about that. We just play the music we like ourselves. But if people pick it up that’s amazing.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I don’t know yet. I’ve written some stuff for new songs but it’s in real early stages. I don’t think we are going to change a lot but we’ll throw in some new elements.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Bands that had an influence are old Metallica, Mercyful Fate, Marduk, Dissection, Emperor, Death, Bathory to name a few. I just like bands that create a dark atmosphere, use dynamics and crossover a few styles and most importantly write good songs.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Beer tasting, watching 80’s horror movies, reading H.P. Lovecraft, walking in forests where there are no other people.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I want to thank you for your interest in our band and getting us the exposure! Check out our new album Tales of Inevitable Death, out on 31 october through Black Lion Records.

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