1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Well, we are a trio, all deriving from the outskirts of Denmark, and we've known each other since we were teenagers. The idea behind forming this band started when Kim (vocals) and Thor (guitar) way back in 2006 wanted to form a black metal band. That never happened, but in 2012, after playing in other constellations, they decided to form Innsmouth. They asked me (Martin, bass) and a few other guys, if we wanted to join. I've always had a tremendous amount of respect for the musical talent of these guys, so I said yes, and I've stuck with them ever since. Kim (vocals) is living and breathing metal, and even though i don't like the word, he is the most "true" metal fan i know. Thor (guitar) is a technical genius, definitely the best guitar player I have ever seen, and he is extremely dedicated to both the band, but also to constantly developing his guitar skills. I myself have been playing a lot of different styles of music, including groovejazz and jazz fusion, but I've always returned to metal, because I deeply value the virtuosity that is at play. Which especially is the case when you listen to a band like Innsmouth.
2.You have a new album coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
We'd describe our music as technical death metal with heavy amounts of shredding. Our music is for everyone who likes brutal metal, but also value virtuosity. I feel like we have a good mix between the guttural, brutal stuff and the more melodic side of things. If you are planning on buying the CD, be prepared : There is tons of stuff going on. I swear, sometimes there are 2 lead guitar tracks on top of bass, drums, vocals and rhythm guitar. I won't go as far as to say, that we are a "more is more" kind of band, but you better be able to hold your breath for a long time, because there isn't immense amounts of breathing room. The sound is definitely influenced by the mastermind behind the CD Thor (guitar). He, and in fact we all, like it when there's some flashy stuff going on.
3.The lyrics and band name both come from the writings of H.P Lovecraft, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this author?
Well, I must admit, that it is mostly Thor that have read the H.P Lovecraft stuff. But what I can tell you, is that the lyrics are horror-filled, and some of the lyrics are downright sickening. But I feel like we stand out, because we don't have gore-filled lyrics for the sake of being gore-filled. In contrast, they derive from something, there is a story being told, and I know that Thor has chosen this lyrical theme out of great respect for the author. Even though this sounds very serious, I must admit, that I found some of the lyrics to a song such as "Vomiting a Hole In The Soul" quite amusing.
4.Recently there has been plenty of technical death metal bands popping out on the scene, do you feel you stand out from other bands of this genre?
Well, I feel like we stand out on the grounds that we aren't purely death metal based. We have the prodigy Thor, who is deeply influenced by the 80's shred scene. This have given an approach to the music where the guitar is more in front than in other bands. By this, I mean the lead guitar. In spite of the guttural, brutal vocals and often dark rhythm section, there is more often than not some higher pitched lead guitar going on at the same time. I can imagine this would be confusing to some. But I really feel it is a strong element in Innsmouth, because this makes the songs easily distinguishable. Sometimes when I hear technical death metal bands, especially the very brutal ones, I find it hard to hear the difference between the songs if I don't concentrate extremely much. I think our approach gives a uniqueness to each song, and I think that fans will appreciate that.
5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Well, this constellation, as for know, is a studio-based project only. This means, that we focus our energy on writing, recording and releasing music. So we haven't played any concerts. But with other bands we've played a lot of concerts. The concert I remember the best was with a band at the local band battle. We'd made it to the finals ONLY because the judges loved us. The audience, on the other hand, couldn't stand us. At the show people were climbing on the stage and stage diving. People in formal shirts were headbanging and screaming as well. It was the first time I'd experienced that, and I remember thinking to myself: "These people don't like metal. But damn, they love the energy!". It was as if we'd lulled people into some sort of trance, except they were going crazy. Alas, we lost the finals to another band, but never mind that, it was a great experience. Funny enough, that band was with Thor as well.
6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
No, we are sorry to disappoint our fans. Everyone keeps asking us when we are going to play live. But there are no plans for touring at the moment. For the time being, we will focus on creating our next album.
7.The new album is coming out on Crime Records. Can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
First off, I want to say, that it has been a fantastic experience working with Crime Records. They have supported us and believed in us from the moment we send them our material. Crime Records is a Norwegian based record label, that focuses on metal. Their slogan is "Keeping Metal Alive", and we've definitely found that they are true to their word. They've helped us with a lot of stuff regarding the release of the album, and have really done a lot of work for us, that we in no way could have managed ourselves.
8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of technical death metal?
At the moment, there has only been released 1 track from the album for promotion, but the feedback has been really, really good. We've gotten a lot of new fans since the release of the track.
9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
The plan is to continue writing, recording and releasing music. We are currently working on the 2nd album. We've always been unwilling to compromise our musical values, which means, that we will play the music that we like, regardless of what is trending at any given moment. But of course, the 2nd album is going to be the same style of music. Thor (guitar) is also working on a solo record.
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?
What we all can agree on is Necrophagist, Death and Obscura. Kim (vocals) is into death and black metal. Thor and I listen to a lot of different styles in the metal genre, and we've both heard a lot of Dream Theater. I personally really dig the album "The Aura" by Canadian group "Beyond Creation" at the moment. I'm also in to Death core, and nothing makes me more hyped right now, than the album "Eyes Of The Archetype" by french group "In Arkadia". Some elements in the song "Reanimator" on our upcoming album is inspired by that genre. Needless to say, Thor is greatly inspired by the giants of shred, including Marty Friedman, Jason Becker, Yngwie Malmsteen and the likes.
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Kim is into growing plants, especially chili. He has his own little green house in his apartment. Thor and Kim both have girlfriends to care for. We also like to drink beer, and I especially tend to hit up downtown every weekend. At the moment though, I'm taking a break from drinking to focus on a detox diet. Thor and I are also both students, so a lot of time is spent on doing homework and attending classes.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We'd of course like to thank everyone who supported us. Also everyone who plans on buying the album, and everyone who buys music instead of downloading it illegally.
