All star extreme metal band Sinsaenum featuring Frederic Leclercq of Dragonforce fame and ex-Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison are set to make their first trip to Australia this November. Formed in 2016 by Leclercq, Jordison and Loudblast member Stephane Buriez, the trio quickly recruited Sean Z (Chimaira) and Heimoth (Seth) and released their debut album ‘Echoes Of The Tortured’ to world-wide critical acclaim. The supergroup are back with their sophomore release ‘Repulsion For Humanity’, and are set on unleashing their very first live offerings to fans around the world. We talked to Frederic about the upcoming tour, the new album and much more.
Steve: Hi Fred how are you?
Frederic: I’m great thanks.
Steve: Excellent so how does it feel to have a new album out?
Frederic: It’s good but I have that much going on at the moment that I haven’t had time to sit back and enjoy the fact that the album is out and peoples reaction and what not, there is already so much tension involved because you spend so much time working on an album. You want it to be successful otherwise you wouldn’t be doing this, it’s always like a lot of stress and what not because I have to deal with interviews and tours and what not. I have to do promo and social media stuff around the release, I’ve got a lot on my plate but that’s cool, hopefully people buy it and like it and if not, well too late.
Steve: Well I for one have had the pleasure of listening to the album in it’s entirety and it feels and sounds like a completely different animal compared with the last release “Echoes of Tourture”. To me “Echoes of Tourture” felt a lot more black metal inspired, this new album feels a lot more old school death metal inspired, would that be a fair statement?
Frederic: Well I guess if that’s what you say then that’s what you feel, I can only really say from my point of view, not quite because I wanted to make a perfect death metal album with touches of black metal and using inspiration from the stuff I grew up listening to. Morbid Angel, Pestilence for sure, Bolt Thrower, Deicide with a touch of black metal so like Darkthrone and Mayhem. I wanted to make the perfect death metal that I could buy in 1995 or 1996, I mean I’m not sure if it followed any type of formula because you have a song like “My Swan Song” it had sort of a Darkthrone” vibe to it. I don’t know, I wasn’t really thinking in terms of style when I was writing this one, I wanted to do something very hateful and dark so if it sounds more death or black then so be it. It was not something I really analyzed at the time but if you see it that way then that’s great.
Steve: Yeah absolutely and everyone is going to have their own take on it which is human nature I guess, for me that’s what I picked up anyway.
Frederic: Yeah it’s always interesting because you may not analyze it while you listen and you go, ‘Oh yeah I think it’s this’ and your receiving it this way.
Steve: Cool so I even pick up something like Carcass at certain points?
Frederic: Yeah that is one of my favorite bands period. I love that sense of groove on something like “Heartwork” etc, it’s something you can really pick up in my own music because it’s everything I listen to and everything I’m surrounded by. Everything I do or eat or the people I interact with is influenced by the music I’m sure, because I ate rice on that particular day influenced the music (laughs).
Steve: Good call (laughs). So I also see you guys are coming down under!
Frederic: Yes very exciting. I’ve been down a number of times with Dragonforce, I’ve done a Soundwave before. I’m very happy that we could add Australia to the touring schedule because you start with Europe and you make your way there, we were not sure we needed to find a good promoter and look at the schedule because everyone is busy and what not and lots of people complained, ‘Oh your not coming to Brisbane’ for example but that’s just how the schedule works this time around. I had the same, we only played one show in the UK with Dragonforce, we could pick up more gigs here and there but we have to concentrate on the main markets, the main cities because everyone is so busy. Once I’m done with Sinsaenum I need to go back in the studio with Dragonforce, we like to keep the tours short and sweet as opposed to twelve fucking weeks and drag forever but my point is I love Australia, I really wanted to come to Australia with this tour so I’m really looking forward to it.
Steve: Great I also need to ask you about one of your other bands Carnival In Coal, a very underrated band in my book. Is there any movement on that front or is it a long gone project?
Frederic: Well I’ve only ever played live guitar with them, I never wrote anything as such.
Steve: Oh sorry!
Frederic: No that’s ok, they are really good friends of mine and I’ve known them for a long time and I did a spot on the album “Collection Prestige”, the third one. I was doing a long solo and high pitch vocals but really it’s more questions for them but the way I see it because I know Arno Strobel (vocals) has many other projects and Axel Wursthorn don’t want to work together anymore which is a shame because as you say, they were a very underrated band. It was amazing what they could come up with, if they ever need me to play live I’m available and the band still exists live so they have musicians and they play songs from the three albums but they are not making any new music as most of it was written by Axel and seeing as they aren’t working together anymore, so yeah that’s all I can say about them.
Steve: Fair enough. Comparing Sinsaenum and Carnival In Coal is impossible because they are universes apart.
Frederic: They sure are!
Steve: So in terms of musical freedom in Sinsaenum is it a real collaborative effort? When you put something on the table, the guys are happy with in the sense of recording?
Frederic: I’m still the main composer, I started the band. I’m still in full control of everything, I’m the boss. I really don’t like that term (laughs), it’s fucking lame! But you know what I mean, that’s the way it works. I come up with most of the ideas and they trust my judgment and coming from such amazing musicians and the fact that they trust me 100 percent and that’s so cool and I say we should be doing it this way and it’s like, ‘Yes Fred!’ Maybe it’s because they can’t be bothered arguing with me (laughs) but I don’t think that’s the case because I’m not that type of person, I feel very strongly about things in particular where we are going and what is great. Jokes aside is that we are all going in the same direction so I am the one with the ideas but we don’t discuss things for three days on end, I’m the first one to bring the idea but we all have the same vision but there is very little argument or discussion. Joey did his part, Stephane wrote a great portion of one of the songs, everyone gets the same vibe and we all want to go in dark and evil (laughs).
Steve: It would have been pretty cool to get back in the studio with Joey Jordison and throwing ideas around.
Frederic: That was great because we did some recording in Des Moines, Iowa and he was sending me the tracks I originally came up with in my demo sessions and this is Joey we are talking about, he did an amazing job and I don’t need to be looking over his shoulder all the time. That’s the great thing because everyone is so professional, we don’t need to be in the same room. Now being in the same room it drastically helps the music, you will change more, we could exchange ideas on the spot and maneuver and try different things rather than Skype or email because you think, ‘Fuck I’m not going to call him for that reason!’ (laughs).
Steve: (Laughs) exactly right! Well it’s been great speaking with you today, thanks so much for you time and good luck with the tour of Australia.
Frederic: Your most welcome, take care and we’ll see you guys very soon! Cheers!
Overdrive Touring & Dragon Productions Presents:
SINSAENUM ‘Repulsion For Humanity’ Australian Tour 2018
Thursday 8th November – Sydney, Factory Theatre
Event: https://facebook.com/events/431776110650373/
Tickets: https://www.overdrivetouring.com/sinsaenum-november-2018
Saturday 10th November – Melbourne, Max Watt’s
Event: https://facebook.com/events/1019216171589953/
Tickets: https://www.overdrivetouring.com/sinsaenum-november-2018
TICKETS AND VIP UPGRADES ON SALE NOW!
