Exocrine: Release The Kraken!
As the merciless ball of fire also known as the sun attempts to burn away our retinas, Distorted Sound is kicking off the early May holiday weekend in equally blistering fashion via an in-depth chat with Jordy Besse of EXOCRINE. The brainchild of prolific guitarist Sylvain Octor-Perez [ex-SON OF SENOKA], the French quartet have gone on to become a genuine force in technical death metal since 2015 debut Unreal Existence. The record would see the band demonstrate a penchant for extreme brutality interspersed with jazz-inflected nuances and plenty of melodic flair which would in turn lay the foundation for their signature sound. Fast forward to 2020 and the band are now poised to unleash fourth album Maelstrom – with a storyline that focuses on escaping the deadly tentacles of a mythical and terrifying Kraken – upon the baying masses.
The word du jour is certainly transcendental, with the record picking up where predecessors Ascension and 2018’s Molten Planet left off in terms of expansive soundscapes bursting from the sci-fi universe in which its anchored. It should be an exciting time for the band, but unfortunately that’s been somewhat diminished. Because right now, like countless other acts across the metal spectrum, the guys have been left reeling over the devastating effect of the Coronavirus which has resulted in cancelled shows left, right and centre as well as some pretty dire financial ramifications for many artists. The vocalist/bassist is understandably disappointed. One of the cancelled live shows in question for EXOCRINE was in fact a slot at this year’s Hellfest, but he remains determined to retain a sense of stoicism – as he’s fully aware that the reality has been considerably worse for many of his musical peers.
“The lockdown has proved to be very complicated as well as crushing for us, as like many artists operating in this particular genre, we just don’t have a lot of money. But there’s bands like CARNIFEX for example, who have suffered a lot more in money terms with that huge tour [the March/April US Human Target tour run alongside headliners THY ART IS MURDER] being cancelled,” Jordy explains, a sombre note colouring his tone. “I think it’s [2020] just an empty year. I mean, Hellfest for us is like stepping on consecrated ground, and it’s just such a huge deal for French bands to get to perform there. We don’t know how the next edition will go – or even if we will still be part of it. I hope so but it is all down to the organisers. But right now, I don’t even think they know – it is just such a difficult situation. We have one local show in December – it is one of the dates that got postponed – but right now that’s the only one. We had a tour planned outside of France for September but obviously this is now very unlikely. I don’t think the government here even knows what’s going to happen!”
What is decidedly more certain however, is the ways in which EXOCRINE have managed to push the genre to its proverbial outer limits on this new release. Granted, at this point anyone familiar with the four-piece knows that listening to an EXOCRINE record will, nine times out of ten, come with a guarantee of melting your face off. The fact that this is also their second full-length with label juggernauts Unique Leader (whose roster includes death metal royalty like INGESTED and SIGNS OF THE SWARM) behind them is a good indication of what to expect. But there’s zero complacency at work here; the title track and songs like Scorched Human Society still possess that inherent brutality but there’s also a lot more experimentation going down. Schizophrenic time signatures collide with atmospheric synths, a death metal trumpet (yes you read that correctly) and progressive guitar leads, with the likes of Abyssal Flesh sounding like the bastard lovechild of NECROPHAGIST and RINGS OF SATURN. Do you think this is EXOCRINE at their heaviest but also most expansive to date?
“We really wanted to ramp up the concentration of brutality but also the progressive parts too – to just make everything that much more intense. Obviously, I don’t know if that was a risk or not yet – we’re still waiting for the reaction from people,” Jordy divulges. “I think that when you have that balance of the very heavy and then those softer moments, it simply amplifies each in turn.” Whilst Besse prefers to view Maelstrom as a normal evolution of the band when posed the question of whether it could be regarded as their magnum opus, he does hope that fans will enjoy turning the page on this next chapter as much as they have in writing it.
“I hope the fans will be surprised. ‘coz we’ve already heard things like saxophones in bands like THE FACELESS and RIVERS OF NIHIL. But I do still think that using a trumpet is exotic in this kind of metal,” he concludes. “I do know that certain people are already divided over our choosing to bring the more extreme guitars back. As usual! But this is the way we want to go – it is still about being brutal. It is just a more modern take on death metal and deathcore. When it comes to the composition, we’re making the kind of music that we like and want to hear!”
Maelstrom is out now via Unique Leader Records.
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