Horrendous [enormous creative effort]

First of all, I`d like to congratulate a great new stuff. Where and how will you be celebrating the release of the new album? How have the general reactions to the “Ontological Mysterium” been so far?

Jamie: We’re putting together some record release shows for December in the US to celebrate. So far, most reactions to OM have been positive! We didn’t know how people would feel about the album, since we are always trying something new with each release. It almost feels like a comeback album, since it has been 5 years since IDOL and people are pretty excited.

I have the impression that with the new album you have returned to a more hit, melodic and epic path. Was that your assumption?

Jamie: I think we tried to recapture some of the more epic, fun feel that our earlier records had on this one. IDOL was pretty dark by comparison, and we wanted to make sure this album was more engaging and immediately enjoyable. We wanted it to feel big like 80s heavy metal albums used to feel – bands like Judas Priest and Dio. Not to sound like those albums, but to channel the bombastic joy felt in that era.

What distinguishes Horrendous from typical death metal bands is that you take full advantage of the melody and feeling of classic hard rock. Such a combination is, in my opinion, brilliant, as for example Carcass has already proven. Why do you think so few bands choose to mix genres in this way? Don’t you think that more use of such a combination could refresh the genre a bit?

Jamie: I do think we employ melody and classic heavy metal influences more than many of our peers. It would be nice if more bands today would tap into that energy, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a desire. Many other contemporary death metal bands primarily use that Immolation/Morbid Angel/Incantation approach, and we just choose not to do that (although we like those bands too).

Your lyrics are quite specific. What is your inspiration to write such mysterious, esoteric (?) and symbolical lyrics? How big a role do the lyrics play for the Horrendous, and music? What is the main message & philosophy of your lyrics?

Jamie: We take lyrics very seriously, although we didn’t as much when we started the band. Now, we want them to actually say and mean something, and hope that they might be useful or inspiring for the listener. Additionally, since our music is relatively complex and emotive, we try to make sure that the lyrics reciprocate and reflect this. We have varied interests in literature, fantasy, science, philosophy, etc., so we have a large reference base to pull from when putting ideas together. I don’t know if our lyrics have a central message or philosophy – our songs cover a wide range of concepts. On the new record, a common theme is empowering the listener to take control of their lives and to become the protagonist.

Could you explain the meaning of “Cult of Shaad’oah” song? What is Shaad’oah generally?

Jamie: Matt might put this differently since he wrote the lyrics, although I did create the concept for that song. Matt actually made up the word Shaad’oah during the recording process – it came to him as inspiration while he was recording vocals. It has come to mean something like the cult of the hero, in the sense that everyone has their own story that they are living, and they are the central person in it. The song is about finding the courage to be the one with the sword – the one bringing about action and change in your story. Similar to the Manowar mascot, the idea is for you to take the place of the character in this song – the Cult of Shaad’oah shall be built around you as you rise to take your throne.

Your new album is great, but I still consider „Ecdysis” to be your magnum opus and „Stranger” to be the best asong you’ve composed so far. Do you often come back to this album and do you have a fondness to it?

Jamie: I don’t think we are more fond of Ecdysis than any of our other records. We really love them all, since each album came from an enormous creative effort. Each new album is a big step forward for us personally, and we really think our most recent album at any given time is our best work – all of the guys would tell you they consider OM to be our best. Each release builds on the one before it to become something bigger. But of course listeners will choose a favorite for their own reason, and that’s fine. I realize some people consider Ecdysis to be our best, while others prefer Anareta, and so on. Regarding The Stranger, we do play that song in nearly every live set since it is quite popular.

What’re your personal favourite tracks from the new album?

Jamie: We have only played three tracks from OM live so far (title track, Cult of Shaad’oah, and Preterition Hymn), but I think we enjoy playing all three at the moment. We’ll be adding more to the set for our upcoming release shows.

I know you’re doing lots of concerts in USA, but what about outside of the country? When could we expect the chance to see you in Europe?

Jamie: It is much harder to play outside the US, for a number of reasons. We are hoping to play in Europe in Summer of 2024 and are in the early stages of planning.

What do you think about the current position and condition of american metal scene? As it is today, what would you say are some of the biggest problems with the metal scene today?

Jamie: The metal scene in America is huge right now, probably not far from as big as it was in the 80s. We are lucky to be a part of that for sure, since more people get to hear our music. I think the biggest problem today is stagnation – most modern bands are just rehashing what the forefathers already did better. It is rare that I hear a new band and am truly interested in what they are doing. I think the scene as a whole could use some inspiration and I hope more bands will gain a desire to create something that is their own. At minimum, take something that has been done already and do it in your own way. The world doesn’t need any more bands trying to replicate Cannibal Corpse or Entombed.

What kind of influences do you have beyond music? Are there any interesting things that you can share about your personal lives or ideas?

Jamie: I’m sure I could write about influences forever, but we’ll keep it short. I’ll speak to Matt and myself’s interests since I know these best and we have a lot of overlap. We both read quite a bit and are interested in literature but also philosophy and studies of religion. He and I have started to develop an interest in the esoteric, although we are at the very early stages. We are also very interested in film, and we have seen probably every bigger horror movie that you could imagine. But we also love arthouse cinema and are constantly looking for new films to shock and inspire us. Matt teaches English, so he is connected to the literature world. I am a research biologist, so of course I study science quite a bit, and I’m also very interested in the history and philosophy of science. Our musical interests are vast and stretch far beyond the realms of metal, as some listeners may gather.

What do you think music scene from my country (Poland)? Which artists do you know and and which albums written by polish artist do you like the most?

Jamie: I’m certainly no expert on the Polish scene, but I’m familiar with the bigger bands. Behemoth was one of the first extreme bands I ever listened to, and one of the first extreme concerts I saw – I couldn’t believe what they were doing at the time. This was the Demigod/Apostasy era – I still have an attachment to these albums, and I liked The Satanist a lot when it came out too. I’ve seen Mgła play before but they aren’t really my thing. I did listen to the early Decapitated albums a lot when I was first foraying into death metal. Lastly, I have a friend who is a Kat fan, so I’ve heard some of their stuff and definitely enjoyed it.

Which of the European countries do you think is the strongest in playing metal and why?

Jamie: These days, I’m not sure who is strongest. Historically, the UK, Germany, Scandanavian countries, etc. all had a number of huge bands. It seems to me most of the „bigger” underground bands these days are coming from the US, but there are plenty of exceptions.

What are the best albums of 2023 for you so far?

Jamie: That is hard to say – I think the new Thantifaxath album is wild, and I really like the new Outer Heaven album. I’m curious to see which albums will come out over the next few months.

Your all time favorite death metal album?

Jamie: That is also hard to say! Probably Human by Death, but close runner-ups are The Rack, Mental Funeral, Altars of Madness, and maybe Heartwork.

The world ends tomorrow. What 3 things will you do today?

Jamie: I have no idea! Meet up with my friends and listen to 80s metal records probably.

What is next on the musical horizon for Horrendous?

Jamie: We are feeling very inspired, particularly with the warm reception that OM has received, so I think we’ll start writing the next album pretty soon. We have lots of material laying around already. Beyond that, we want to get out and play shows so we can share the music with people. As I said, we are hoping to make it to Europe in 2024! Maybe even Poland, who knows!