Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Terminalist Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?


 


“We’ve played a run of shows and seen the world turn for the worse so it seems like a good time to release something new.”


 


2.In September you have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?


 


“’The Crisis as Condition’ is more thrash-oriented than our previous album. I hear it as a technical thrash album featuring prog and black metal elements where the debut ‘The Great Acceleration’ balanced black, death, and thrash metal elements a bit more to reflect the sci-fi themes found on that record.”


 


3.You refer to your music as being 'hyperthrash', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?


 


“Hyperthrash is our way of stating that we are placed in the realm of thrash but that our sound also goes beyond that. We have the occasional black metal blastbeats, a death metal growl and lyrics centering around speed, acceleration, and societal crises which lends something ‘hyper’ to the universe as well.”


 


4.On the new album you cover a lot of socio-political themes, can you tell us a little bit more about the events you cover with the new recording?


 


“In short, the record is about the culmination of crises we’re facing right now, ranging from the climate crisis to political polarization and destabilization to social and economic inequality, the war in Ukraine, the Covid crisis, and so on. On a more abstract level, it’s about the loss of the future. After the 90’s, which to a large degree was a period of hope, progress, and stability, we’re now faced with prospects much bleaker. As we state on the record on the song ‘A Future to Weave’, the future is not what it used to be.”


 


5.On previous releases you had more science fiction orientated lyrics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?


 


“Sci-fi thrash has always had its own unique vibe and we wanted to play into that niche of the thrash genre. However, the sci-fi topics were also a way of addressing the themes of speed, acceleration, technology, and war that form our lives in the present.”


 


6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Terminalist'?


 


“A terminal is a place from which you depart. It can also be a state from which you pass on from life into death. So Terminalist is a point of musical departure as well as music that kills. The band name is a tribute in part to Vektor’s masterpiece ‘Terminal Redux’, to ‘Terminator’ and so on. You can hopefully hear what kind of music we play based on the name only since the connotations are there.”


 


7.Can you tell us  a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?


 


“The artwork was created by an incredibly talented British painter named Ryan T. Hancock. Contrary to what some have thought, there’s no AI involved, it’s handcrafted to the core. It shows the earth from a tilted angle being fractured in two by an unidentifiable ball of light. Is it a natural phenomenon, a nuclear bomb, a meteor, or something else? We don’t know.”


 


8.Out of all the shows or tours the band has played so far, which one stands out the most?


 


“Our recent show supporting Voivod certainly stands out. Incredibly nice guys and legends with 40 years in the game.”


 


9.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?


 


“Not anything we can tell of right now.”


 


10.On a worldwide level, how has the reaction been to your newer music by fans of extreme metal?


 


“As a new band, you always have to gain a foothold first, especially when entering the scene with self-made genre descriptors such as ‘hyperthrash’. But it seems that people are getting it and more and more are opening their eyes and ears to our music which is an absolute delight.”


 


12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?


 


“That’s a tough one. It depends on a lot. There’s still plenty of hyperthrashing to be done but it could be interesting to mix the thrashy vibes with something slightly more gothic-sounding or prog rock-inspired. But we’ll see.”


 


13.What are some of the bands or musical genres the band members are currently listening to nowadays?


 


“Our listening habits vary a lot. I’ve been on a spree lately covering Björk, Killing Joke, and Elton John. But of contemporary metal bands that stick out, we’d like to emphasize Enforced, Horrendous, Ashenspire, and Misery Index – and the overlooked oldschool death-thrash act Hellwitch who recently released a new album where they sound as frenetic and hectic as ever.”


 


14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 


 


“We hope you want to give our new album a listen and contemplate the times of crisis with us. Thank you for taking your time and for the interest shown in the band. We truly appreciate it. Cheers.”


https://www.facebook.com/terminalist

https://www.instagram.com/terminalistcph

https://terminalist.bandcamp.com

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