Outergods Interview

 

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

Aside from the usual PR campaign/promotion, we're tightening up our live set ready for Mangata Festival on the 12th of July, as well as future shows we're looking at locking in. We want to ensure our live set sounds as powerful as possible. Aside from that, I (Nathe) have been demoing a couple of song ideas, which may end up as part of album 3.

2. Recently, you have released a new album. Musically, how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

I would say it is a more refined version of what I was writing for the debut album. My head's a bit all over the place at the moment, as it was during the writing of "Kingdom...", though for different reasons, so that chaos is still very much in the music. That said, I feel like I’ve finally found the "Outergods sound" on this record.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music, and also, how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

Both Sam (who was the vocalist and lyricist on the first album) and Pat tend to lean into the dark fantasy and cosmic horror themes when writing the lyrics, and they both tend to pull from things that are happening in reality, real experiences, but weave in aspects of dark fantasy and cosmic horror. In terms of songwriting, I stopped writing metal music for a few years when I shifted my focus to my Lost Outrider project. Doing this unintentionally helped my songwriting process, especially when it came to writing for "Dethroned...", as well as helping when it came to the electronic aspect of our music.

4.I know that the bands name comes from the writings of H.P. Lovecraft and the Elden Ring, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these fictional worlds?

Yeah, the band name is taken from the lore of HP Lovecraft. I find so much inspiration in the lore of Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring. I love the mood of the games, the world and character design, the stories, lore and how it makes me feel when I play those games. So, naturally, that seeped into our music. It's the same with The Lord of the Rings. All of these things are what I gravitate towards for escapism. Even when I was a kid, I used to love playing games like Quake, which has that dark, gothic and Lovecraftian vibe.

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

This was all done by my brother, Tim Sinfield. He has done 99% of the artwork for all my musical projects. I gave him a very high-level concept, then he put together a couple of sketches, and I think it was the 2nd sketch we went for. There is a lot of detail in there, even down to the pommel of the sword having the Outergods symbol on it, which is also in the eclipse of the debut album artwork. It's a great cover. I love it.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

So far, I'd say Bloodstock, Mangata Festival, and Cryptopsy. The crowd responses were great, and I felt we were locked in.. I'd describe our stage presence as intense, as we bring all the sounds from the record into the live environment and ensure there is no compromise when it comes to transferring our music to the stage.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

We have Mangata Festival coming up in July, and we are also in the process of arranging shows post-July. We're unsure about touring just yet.

8.The new album was released on 'Apocalyptic Witchcraft', how would you compare working with them to 'Prosthetic Records'?

I'd say they are both pretty similar in many ways. Both labels are really great to work for. With Prosthetic Records, it was always easy to get hold of our A&R contact, and we were very fortunate that we got to work with a label like that for our first release. With Apocalyptic Witchcraft, they are also always available to help with any questions we may have, and they put so much effort into this release with the promotion, music video, physical release, etc., which is great considering we're a small band. Having physical media is really important, especially for this genre, and both labels went all in on that, which is amazing. I was close to giving up during the writing process of "Dethroned..." due to a multitude of factors, but Apocalyptic Witchcraft's help with this release gave me hope.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?

It's been really positive. We have built up a nice following from all over with our music, especially since the release of "Dethroned...". Europe is very supportive of extreme metal, and we have seen great response from there.

10.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

I (Nathe) have a solo project called Lost Outrider, which is the polar opposite of Outergods as it's a mix of alt pop, witch house and hyperpop. Pat has a black metal band called Antre, who were also featured on the Cyberpunk 2077 in-game radio station. Bret has a death metal band called Mordhau, and Dan has a metal band called The Cartographer, who are playing Bloodstock this year.

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

I think it will be an expansion of "Dethroned...", just as our sophomore was an expansion of "Kingdom...". I can't see us changing our sound too much, but instead we'll build on what we have done so far.

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

We are all listening to a plethora of music at the moment, from melodic death metal and grindcore, all the way to J-rock, J-pop, and video game soundtracks.

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

Thank you for taking the time to check this interview out, and if you haven't already and our music sounds like something you'd like, check out our new album "Dethroned & Devoured", which is out now through Apocalyptic Witchcraft.

https://linktr.ee/outergods