Page 91 - RAGEBREED MAGAZINE - ISSUE 2 FLIPBOOK

And it’s all over the place. Speak to people in
Brazil or Mexico, as I have recently, and you’ll hear
basically the same story just with different
characters and events. We could be here all day
with different examples, but the overall point is
clear – in many different respects and in places all
over the world, the times are darkening, even more
so in recent years than usual. And that’s without
even getting on to the pandemic, and the issues that
has raised.

Based on the lyrics of “The Age of

Starlight Ends” and the music video for
“Endarkenment”, it’s clear that this is
a more overtly political Record. Do you
feel that periods of political turmoil and
economic uncertainty like the ones we’re
living through now are conducive to
Inspiring Extreme Metal?

Just to be clear, I’d reject the idea that it’s a
particularly politically partisan record – it’s
more that it’s a response to events in the world,
and the world is a more overtly political place
nowadays. Endarkenment is a maniacally pissed off
album, but it’s not Billy Bragg. But yes, in terms of
turbulent times being inspiring for music, I think they
probably are. Evolutions and progressions in
music are often linked to wider shifts in society.
And although a lot of extreme metal isn’t
particularly innovative on a conceptual level, it’s
often informed in a subliminal kind of way by how the Or something like Idles – they’re not unique, and as much as I gather they don’t like the
world is going. To be honest, though, I think the best label, they’re clearly inheriting a lot from punk, but there’s a vitality and new authenticity
bits are those things that emerge from troubled there. And in extreme metal, the crucible of anger that much of it expresses is very apt
times which are new, or an original take on previous for our times. And the tropes and metaphors are apt too – Carcass-style goreaphor, the
forms. Grime has had a lot to say about society, iconography of Satan and so on, they seem to me to be quite relevant, albeit that
and has been saying it to communities who weren’t perhaps they need an invigorating spin put on them after being easily maligned staples
being spoken to and recognised. and stereotypes for so long.