Aphyxion: To The Stars
When a band releases an album, the sky’s the limit. A universe of possibilities opens up. Is it going to be a success? Will it flop? Is this going to be the collection which takes a band to the next level? For a band who has opened for METALLICA and the youngest band to have graced the stages of Wacken, what is the next level? The repetition of that seems to be the next step for Danish band APHYXION.
With the release of their fourth album in February, APHYXION have their sights firmly set ahead Ad Astra (translated from Latin as “to the stars”). “It’s a record which has music on it,” vocalist-cum-bassist Jais Jessen jokes when we ask him to sum up the album for us. “This world is so crazy and fucked up which can be hard to navigate so the album comes with this thematic message of do whatever you feel like,” he finishes. Though it’s not all happy go lucky on Ad Astra as the band address the other end of the spectrum and reiterate the message that it’s okay to not be okay.
Sounds like your typical metalcore themes, no? For a band who started life within the death metal realm, standard metalcore isn’t where this band wants to tread. “We feel like we took some chances with this,” Jais comments. “It may seem insignificant for listeners coming in from the outside but for us, this is a massive shift.” Adding melodic elements into the brutality which comes with death metal as well as bringing in a brightness to the material does appear to be a step into the void of space.
Depending on your disposition, space isn’t the only thing which can be described as a yawning chasm. When talking about the album title, Jais tells us, “life is in essence pointless, but because it’s so pointless, there is so much purpose you can create for yourself.” Following the idea that you are the captain of your own destiny APHYXION treads the line of nihilism and existentialism. While throwing caution to the wind in Roll The Dice, Pathless dwells in the idea of dying young and miserable. Though, like most music, this is always open to interpretation, as is Jais’ proclamation of “fuck life” which can be taken from either approach.
“Life is a balance of the two things,” Jais begins as we delve into duality. “You have reasons to struggle but there are still reasons to celebrate life.” Exploring the darker side of the balance, Heavy Shadows comes from vocalist Michael Vahl’s struggles with his own anxieties which led to a hospital stay. “It’s a reflection of his time there,” Jais says cautiously. “It happens to the best of us and he wanted to deal with it by making music.” Catharsis in the driving seat, the band allowed themselves to exorcise their demons without being direct in their approach. Though the good ship Ad Astra had one more climb to master. Launching the album into the wider world, the band felt some natural anxiety as to whether their fans would embrace the further voyage towards metalcore. They did to much surprise. “Reactions online have been overwhelming,” Jais grins. “It’s difficult when a band’s established but add the change in musical direction, it’s hard to know what to expect.”
As with a lot of material surfacing throughout the past three years, some of these tracks took shape during the pandemic. When creating within the vacuum of a lockdown not only is the process a lot longer there comes a certain amount of pressure. “When you’re in a studio, there’s an expectation right? As in you have to leave with full songs,” Jais smiles. “You want to be productive so when you start banging your head against the brick wall, your confidence drops.” So how do they solve a problem like frustration? Jais tells us he turns to meditation or removing himself from the situation and returning with fresh eyes and ears.
While an album has to stand the test of an initial spin, where tracks really prove their mettle is within the live arena. APHYXION had little time to prepare as they were soon touring Germany and Denmark with the latest material. Commenting on how the new material’s fared in the live arena Jais says, “having people shouting the words to new songs back to you when the material’s only just been released is amazing.” For a relatively smaller band such as this five piece, live shows are incredibly important. This is their bread and butter after all. How can word of mouth spread without live shows? That last question isn’t at the forefront when APHYXION plays however as it’s much more about the phenomenon around them as Jais elaborates; “seeing people in the moment and experiencing our music in a new way – that’s the most important reaction.”
Our time with APHYXION draws to a close and we come to a question which can be open to interpretation. We ask Jais what he would like fans’ biggest takeaway from the Ad Astra cycle to be. The bassist takes a beat to form his answer, needlessly apologising for doing so. His comment is refreshing in its simplicity. So much so that it could be taken into other aspects of life; “take what you like and leave the rest.”
Ad Astra is out now via Circular Wave.
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