1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
Well, for the most part of the last months we've been busy preparing stuff for the album's release. Putting together artwork, layout, planning promotion and talking to promoters as well. There's a saying 'third time is a charm', which I believe is true in our case. 'The Grim Muse' is our third record and it really defines what this band is about and who we are as artists.
2.In September, you have a new album coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
'The Grim Muse' is by far the most intense offering we as In Twilight's Embrace have done in our whole lifespan. Having said that, I need to clear out that this intensity works on different levels. It's intense in terms of brutality. It's intense in terms of diversity. Although it might bear some occasional kinship to the previous one, I do think it's rather a departure from the way we used to sound on 'Slaves to Martyrdom', mainly because we have the new drummer on this record and Marcin - our bass player and recording engineer – was involved in the writing for it. Musically, we're still very much into death metal with a strong presence of melody, but this time around the overall feel of the songs is much darker and wild. Apart from such straightforward tunes as 'Dystopian' there are also a couple of more intricate ones which, I hope, will make the listener feel lost in a way.
3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
There's also a serious shift in that respect. While the lyrics on the previous two albums were a kind of social commentary, on the new one I would rather withdraw from such statements. I no longer feel interested in voicing my opinion about where this world is going. Honestly, it's on the contrary. The older I get, my lyrics are more and more heading inwards. 'The Grim Muse' is for sure the most introspective album, fuelled by personal and rather unpleasant experiences – be it disappointment with ideologies, disillusion with people, the overall urge to rise above the mediocrity. With time comes that conclusion that life's not necessarily black and white and we all are bound to taste both sooner or later.
4. Originally the band was called 'Over The Edge', what was the decision behind the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'In Twilight's Embrace'?
Some of us started Over The Edge with the intent of playing metallic hardcore punk. At the teenage stage of our lives, we've all been involved in the local hardcore punk community in Poznan, Poland. In fact, we're still friends with many people being a part of it. In Twilight's Embrace, which we switched into in a result of our music taking more and more metal direction, is a critical reflection upon the state of mankind. Slowly we witness our twilight.
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?
There's been quite a few landmarks in our touring history. As a relatively young and unknown band from Poland, we toured Russia in summer 2006. I still remember the Tabula Rasa Club in Moscow packed to the fullest, with people jumping off the mezzanine. Our short Baltic States tour in 2007 was also a blast, especially the shows in Riga where the crowd went completely crazy and the city of Liepaja, which stroke me so much, that I've titled a song on 'The Grim Muse' after that memory. Fast forward into more contemporary gigs, we had a blast sharing with stage with At the Gates earlier this year in Warsaw, Poland. What I like the most about our stage performance is that with each gig it gets more and more intuitional. I like the mixture of solemn atmosphere, danger and spontaneity while on stage. That's what I think a good rock'n'roll show is about – breaking free and letting go.
6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Well, three days after the record is released, we're gonna play at 21th anniversary of Rozbrat, a legendary squat in our hometown and one of the oldest such places in Poland. In December, we'll play in Wroclaw along Dead Congregation and Shirenc Plays Pungent Stench inter alia. We're also thinking about playing a tour at the beginning of 2016, but it's too early to reveal any details now.
7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of melodic death metal?
Honestly, I have no clue. We've got some coverage by major titles as RockHard, MetalSucks and Metal Hammer with our previous record, but it's hard to say if media have any impact on people's musical interests these days or are rather following these interests. We're lucky to have a diverse fanbase – part of it are metalheads, part of it hardcore punk people. Seeing our stuff appeal to different groups is very rewarding.
8.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
Marcin also plays bass in black/thrash metal commando Bloodthirst from Poznan. Leszek played with them too as a session live guitarist. Some of us also had a certain side project, which is now on hold, but who knows what the future holds?
9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
As I said by the way of discussing our live performance, it all gets constantly more and more intuitional. I'd also like to apply that to the writing process for the next album – more improvisation, more urgency and more madness would make up for a perfect creative rot. I think we will still hold true to the death metal realm, however we're up for challenge more than ever now.
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?
I was raised on the classic hard rock/heavy metal of the 70's – Sabbath, Purple, Led Zeppelin – though Maiden are my number one band of all time. As a band, we however draw inspiration from a huge variety of groups: Asphyx, Dissection, At the Gates, Entombed, Sentenced, Dismember, even Paradise Lost to give you a few examples. Apart from them, the band that's always been a huge inspiration for me is Armia, a pioneering hardcore punk group from Poland. Their landmark album, 'Legenda' (1991), is darker than the majority of Black Metal ever released. Among my current favorites are the new albums from Chelsea Wolfe, King Dude, Tribulation, Myrkur and Publicist UK.
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
I like to read in my spare time. Back in the day it was mostly fiction like Swedish crime stories, but now I'm more into literary reportage. Besides, I'm a film guy with a taste in variety of genres: I like thrillers by Denis Villeneuve, although I was also blown away by Inarritu's 'Birdman' and the murderous silence of Zvyagintsev's 'Leviathan'. Not so much a series guy, but the first season of 'True Detective' was a masterpiece. As for the other guys, our guitarist Leszek is one of these new-born runners, Piotr likes photography, Marcin runs his own Left Hand Sound recording studio and Dawid plays basketball.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for your interest in the band. Let the grand breach expand.
Well, for the most part of the last months we've been busy preparing stuff for the album's release. Putting together artwork, layout, planning promotion and talking to promoters as well. There's a saying 'third time is a charm', which I believe is true in our case. 'The Grim Muse' is our third record and it really defines what this band is about and who we are as artists.
2.In September, you have a new album coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
'The Grim Muse' is by far the most intense offering we as In Twilight's Embrace have done in our whole lifespan. Having said that, I need to clear out that this intensity works on different levels. It's intense in terms of brutality. It's intense in terms of diversity. Although it might bear some occasional kinship to the previous one, I do think it's rather a departure from the way we used to sound on 'Slaves to Martyrdom', mainly because we have the new drummer on this record and Marcin - our bass player and recording engineer – was involved in the writing for it. Musically, we're still very much into death metal with a strong presence of melody, but this time around the overall feel of the songs is much darker and wild. Apart from such straightforward tunes as 'Dystopian' there are also a couple of more intricate ones which, I hope, will make the listener feel lost in a way.
3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
There's also a serious shift in that respect. While the lyrics on the previous two albums were a kind of social commentary, on the new one I would rather withdraw from such statements. I no longer feel interested in voicing my opinion about where this world is going. Honestly, it's on the contrary. The older I get, my lyrics are more and more heading inwards. 'The Grim Muse' is for sure the most introspective album, fuelled by personal and rather unpleasant experiences – be it disappointment with ideologies, disillusion with people, the overall urge to rise above the mediocrity. With time comes that conclusion that life's not necessarily black and white and we all are bound to taste both sooner or later.
4. Originally the band was called 'Over The Edge', what was the decision behind the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'In Twilight's Embrace'?
Some of us started Over The Edge with the intent of playing metallic hardcore punk. At the teenage stage of our lives, we've all been involved in the local hardcore punk community in Poznan, Poland. In fact, we're still friends with many people being a part of it. In Twilight's Embrace, which we switched into in a result of our music taking more and more metal direction, is a critical reflection upon the state of mankind. Slowly we witness our twilight.
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?
There's been quite a few landmarks in our touring history. As a relatively young and unknown band from Poland, we toured Russia in summer 2006. I still remember the Tabula Rasa Club in Moscow packed to the fullest, with people jumping off the mezzanine. Our short Baltic States tour in 2007 was also a blast, especially the shows in Riga where the crowd went completely crazy and the city of Liepaja, which stroke me so much, that I've titled a song on 'The Grim Muse' after that memory. Fast forward into more contemporary gigs, we had a blast sharing with stage with At the Gates earlier this year in Warsaw, Poland. What I like the most about our stage performance is that with each gig it gets more and more intuitional. I like the mixture of solemn atmosphere, danger and spontaneity while on stage. That's what I think a good rock'n'roll show is about – breaking free and letting go.
6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Well, three days after the record is released, we're gonna play at 21th anniversary of Rozbrat, a legendary squat in our hometown and one of the oldest such places in Poland. In December, we'll play in Wroclaw along Dead Congregation and Shirenc Plays Pungent Stench inter alia. We're also thinking about playing a tour at the beginning of 2016, but it's too early to reveal any details now.
7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of melodic death metal?
Honestly, I have no clue. We've got some coverage by major titles as RockHard, MetalSucks and Metal Hammer with our previous record, but it's hard to say if media have any impact on people's musical interests these days or are rather following these interests. We're lucky to have a diverse fanbase – part of it are metalheads, part of it hardcore punk people. Seeing our stuff appeal to different groups is very rewarding.
8.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
Marcin also plays bass in black/thrash metal commando Bloodthirst from Poznan. Leszek played with them too as a session live guitarist. Some of us also had a certain side project, which is now on hold, but who knows what the future holds?
9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
As I said by the way of discussing our live performance, it all gets constantly more and more intuitional. I'd also like to apply that to the writing process for the next album – more improvisation, more urgency and more madness would make up for a perfect creative rot. I think we will still hold true to the death metal realm, however we're up for challenge more than ever now.
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?
I was raised on the classic hard rock/heavy metal of the 70's – Sabbath, Purple, Led Zeppelin – though Maiden are my number one band of all time. As a band, we however draw inspiration from a huge variety of groups: Asphyx, Dissection, At the Gates, Entombed, Sentenced, Dismember, even Paradise Lost to give you a few examples. Apart from them, the band that's always been a huge inspiration for me is Armia, a pioneering hardcore punk group from Poland. Their landmark album, 'Legenda' (1991), is darker than the majority of Black Metal ever released. Among my current favorites are the new albums from Chelsea Wolfe, King Dude, Tribulation, Myrkur and Publicist UK.
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
I like to read in my spare time. Back in the day it was mostly fiction like Swedish crime stories, but now I'm more into literary reportage. Besides, I'm a film guy with a taste in variety of genres: I like thrillers by Denis Villeneuve, although I was also blown away by Inarritu's 'Birdman' and the murderous silence of Zvyagintsev's 'Leviathan'. Not so much a series guy, but the first season of 'True Detective' was a masterpiece. As for the other guys, our guitarist Leszek is one of these new-born runners, Piotr likes photography, Marcin runs his own Left Hand Sound recording studio and Dawid plays basketball.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for your interest in the band. Let the grand breach expand.
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