Kesurapan On the Making Of ‘Lifeless Shells’
What was the creative process like for this particular 'Lifeless Shells?'
Most songs start with a catchy riff, and then we build everything else around it. Take “Falling Faster” for example. We knew right from the start that we wanted to create a haunting vibe with that pitch-shifter effect and then shape the whole atmosphere around that riff, keeping it simple but impactful. On the other hand, “Oblivion” was like a puzzle. We grabbed different parts and patched them together, borrowing some ideas from other songs we had. But when it all clicked with “Oblivion,” it just felt right. Now, “Lifeless Shells” was mostly built around its chorus. That was the first piece of the puzzle that fell into place. The lyrics, rhythm, breakdowns, and solos just flowed naturally from there, you know. That’s pretty much our usual process, but for these three songs, it just felt very organic. That’s why we had to put them on the record.
Can you talk about the recording and production process for 'Lifeless Shells?'
Our friend Martin Frank, who lives in Austria, offered us a long weekend in his cozy little studio. We spent 4 days there and recorded 4 songs: “Falling Faster,” “Lifeless Shells,” and “Oblivion,” along with a live recording of the song “Not Blind Yet,” which we plan to release as a single soon, alongside the ‘Lifeless Shells’ EP. Martin gave us some great support with his ideas and experience. He had previously collaborated with our friends from Abstractyss and his work with White Noise Generator, for example, was quite helpful giving us the right shape of sound. He gave us some great suggestions, and we had a lot of fun hanging out in the hot tub, drinking beer, and savoring our guitarist Matze’s famous Nasi Goreng. These memories are truly special, and we are thrilled with the songs that came out of it.
What did you enjoy most about making this album?
We had a great time as a band and with the creative process. But what made it really special was the fact that as friends we got to hang out in a little cabin that had a studio in it. We slept in the studio, so we had a lot of nighttime recording sessions. It was great to have the freedom to record around the clock without any pressure. It was really some quality time for us. Also, especially Falling Faster means a lot to us, because it's one of our most emotional songs, dealing with a very sad event in our friends' lives - it was good in that context to bring that up through the song, to talk about it and give the song the sound that it deserves.
Can you tell us more about you as a band?
We formed Kesurapan in 2019, at the time it was Dom, Fabi and Matze coming together from other bands and bringing their individual influences. Initially, the focus was to go in a stoner and doom direction, but through our influences as kids of the 80s and 90s this has evolved into a more open approach, with early influences from alternative metal and rock like Tool, Deftones, Alice in Chains and others. Our bassist Ade joined us and brought his background in black and death metal, which has a definite influence on our song structures, which are often complex and unpredictable as a result. Unfortunately, when we were ready with our live set in 2020, the lockdowns messed things up for us. We wanted to play live but were not allowed to, yet. In this phase, we used the time to record our first EP in home recording. With this debut EP packed we had our first gigs and the passion to play live took hold of us. Since then we shared the stage with legends and idols like Pentagram and Kadaver, played great festivals like the Blackdoor Festival and made many new friends in many venues. The last 3 years have been very exciting for us as a band, and with our first studio EP we want to complete the whole thing now.
How do you continuously grow and evolve as a band?
Aside from our day-to-day grind, we’re all about growing as a band. We are therefore constantly pushing ourselves to up our game on stage and in the songwriting process. We want to give our tunes more depth, and break free from those genre boundaries. But of course this also means fun to us and not only work. As pals, we hit up loads of concerts together in Munich, soaking up inspiration. Our next goal might be to hit the road for a small tour, maybe this year or next, spreading our sound and discovering new places through our music. We haven’t tackled the whole tour life thing as a team yet, but we’re totally up for the challenge.
Maximilian Wentz Debuts Metalcore EP ‘Memories 1: The Storm’
Heavy Metal-Metalcore musician Maximilian Wentz is excited to announce the release of his debut EP, Memories 1: The Storm on July 14, 2023. This highly anticipated project showcases a shift towards a heavier, more metal-oriented sound, marking a departure from his previous work. With a focus on self-reflection and personal experiences, this EP represents the culmination of years of growth and development as an artist.
Recorded at On the Fringe Studios in West Newbury, MA, the same studio where Maximilian recorded his debut album, MARE, the new EP was expertly crafted in collaboration with a dedicated engineering team. The decision to return to this studio was based on their unparalleled expertise in the genre and the successful collaboration that occurred during the creation of the prior album and singles.
“In my latest EP, titled Memories, I embark on the most intense musical journey of my career. This release showcases my most personal and arguably heaviest material to date. The lyrics emotionally capture a sense of impending collapse, as if the very structure is crumbling, and the weight of the waves crashing against my bones can be felt.” ~Maximilian Wentz
Drawing from his extensive experience of writing, recording, and producing 18 previously released songs, Maximilian Wentz seamlessly incorporates the lessons learned from the past into this new EP project. By carefully considering feedback and responses from prior releases, the EP presents a cohesive and genre-specific sound that ensures a solid fit within Metalcore.
Memories 1: The Storm serves as Part 1 of a trilogy of EPs, with each song reflecting on different aspects of Maximilian's childhood and young adult years. The EP captures the essence of old-school metalcore from the period 1998-2005, showcasing Maximilian’s versatility as he skillfully handles multiple instruments, including guitar, drums, bass, piano, percussion, and vocals.
Liontortoise “v4”
Contemporary meets ancientness always spark unusual spectaculars. The genre of metal, retroactively going far back in time has grace and beauty in the distorted, darkly inventive expression. Liontortoise is a four-piece metal band, known of their expressive music style and intricate guitar works. “v4” sees the masters of music bringing yet another fantastic piece.
The melodies has a flair of otherworldliness. As if drawing from another universe, or maybe from a different time, there’s a kind of medieval or pre-medieval roughness deep in the undertone. The guitars, on the other hand, stays in a Baroque/pre-Baroque approach. The melodies remain their own expressions all in extraordinary parallels. Each line has a different personality and tells a different story. Together, they weave into this epic storytelling that feels both rich in details and drastic in volume.
From there, you could hear how high they could fly and how much further they could take this form of music. The flow and patterns emerge organically. There’s a good chemistry and collective space that they go to when playing. Much like jazz music. They don’t stay in one place. At some point, someone in the group initiate an idea, a motif and the rest responses. There’s that natural spontaneity in Liontortoise’s music, which doesn’t always occur among metal bands. There also isn’t any lengthy, overly technical individual show off in their songs. Of course, the soaring guitar that lands with a melodic bang is always forefront attention-grabbing, but the deep, captivating roar in the lower riffs are something else.
The dark, luring undertone feels stirring and deep, giving all emotional chaos and resolution more in-depth and intense distortion. A mid-range embrace tears itself into pieces and regroups in painful transformation bears so much wrenching energy. Towards the end of “v4,” the flying melodies begin to swirl into an illusive, expansive mentality. Again, that’s how the counterparts idea woven into an emotive, expressive modernity.
The more you listen to Liontortoise, you’d be more convinced they are a four-piece electric orchestra. The drums in their music also don’t just serve as a time keeper, but an individual with emotions and stirs. There are couple of times where changes and shifts come from this very exact place. Double up, hits true and hard, adds something spice, makes it texturally appealing. The drums play a part in all. Together, Liontortoise brings a multi-layered sonic storytelling that can be savored through a fierce live setting that makes the crowd go mad while keenly listening to the art of how everything comes together.
The Egery “0 U”
There's no doubt clouds of mystery surrounded by The Egery, who are just starting to reveal themselves to the rest of the world.
The Egery Drop Haunting Dark Single “0 U”
There's no doubt clouds of mystery surrounded by The Egery, who are just starting to reveal themselves to the rest of the world. The wonderful blend of haunting hooks, electrified coiled sound effects, extremity, and metal riffs put you into a jaw-dropping surreality as if they somehow have been existing forever in harmony, yet you have no idea they do until you click on the track of “O U.”
Spanning from Los Angeles and the cabins in the deep forests of Europe, The Egery have a very distinct and contrasting sound within themselves. “O U” is cathartic and extreme, yet it’s tender and relatable; it has the warmth of a vintage glare, yet it’s hip and addictive. It’s hard to tell what it really is. It’s everything and nothing at the same time.
Just like the complexity the sound suggests in “O U,” the track is about the final acceptance and surrender to your devotion towards another entity, the forever bound, and the peace that comes from this realization. The Egery have captured the emotional roller coaster and story plots of an entire dramatic film in one song, and that’s something very unusual to witness.
MUSIC REVIEW: K4YLEE “HELL AND BACK”
Song of the Day
There’s no doubt that K4ylee can pull of hardcore rock and metal music like a man. The 19-year-old artist doesn’t lack maturity or masculinity in her vocal delivery. In addition to that, the extraordinary singer-songwriter has something raw and powerful in her voice that reaches deep into your soul.
“I’ve been through hell and back, but I’m still alive.” With her background in writing poems and short stories, there’s always a deeper expression underneath what meets the eyes. The captivating melodies linger in your mind; her image challenges normality, and her lyrics give people a little more.
Photo credit: Kaylee Rogers
Addressing the lack of female presence in a male-dominated rock/metal music scene, “Hell and Back” is a politically driven song that challenges the stereotypical fragile, soft female image. K4ylee is conquering the world with a deeply haunting voice and powerful road-worn scream.
“This song will resonate with any woman at any stage in life because underneath the glamour that society places upon the female experience, there is rage and vindication inside of us that society doesn’t want to shed light upon,” K4ylee commented.