Interview Interrogation: Hanging The Nihilist (Denmark)

Deathcore is either regarded as taboo within the world of metal music, or as a misunderstood genre baying for recognition as a valid form of metal music. Either way the fact remains it's an unrelenting force that continues to enthral and dominate in both the underground and mainstream realms of metal, from the high-fliers of Bring Me The Horizon, Thy Art Is Murder and Whitechapel to the newest practitioners of the genre; in this instance Denmark's Hanging The Nihilist. However despite the genre's viral appeal, it has on numerous occasions fell flat as becoming 'generic' through bands using the basic formula of riffs, breakdowns and nothing else. So, how does one escape that ever-growing void of unoriginality? It's simple, experiment and tinker with various sounds to create something people will dub as a 'signature tune' (think Whitechapel's frontman Phil Bozeman and his rapid-fire vocals, or BMTH's Oli Sykes's raspy screams, etc). For the Danish sextet in Hanging The Nihilist, this is exactly what they have done and are on course to bring to the fore the sound of 'Danecore'.

The band agreed to embrace hygge and speak with GMA about their forthcoming EP 'The Crow', the Danish Metal scene and how they aim to avoid the clutches of 'generic Deathcore'.

"The scene is small and most of us know each other in one way or another, however, it seems to be constantly growing"

For those who do not know of Hanging The Nihilist, could you give us a brief history of the band?

     "Jon, Berna and Emil (guitar, keys, drums) played in a band before Hanging The Nihilist (HTN) that broke up because of creative differences. They decided to not stop writing music and were joined by William (bass) in early 2016. Marc's old band had just gone on a hiatus, so he joined during the summer of 2016 after being persuaded by Jon for almost a year. We played without a second guitarist for a long time because we couldn't find the perfect fit, so we decided to write 'Crow' with just one guitarist. Right after we finished recording Crow, we found the perfect fit in Casper (guitar), who has been a a HTN member ever since."


How do you distinguish yourselves from the already over-saturated genre? What makes your style of music not generic Deathcore?

     "We're naturally very inspired by the international Deathcore scene and the hype that's been built around it. We do try to add different elements that aren't as common, such as the piano (which is responsible for the creepy vibes), as well as the way Chris has mixed and mastered our EP which definitely makes it stand out. We're inspired by the way bands such as Lorna Shore add a horror "feel" or vibe to the music using a guitar, and we're trying to give our music a similar feel with the use of a keyboard rather."


You must be stoked to be releasing your 'Crow EP' next year, will you be touring in support of it?

     "If the opportunity strikes. For now our focus is on making sure "Crow" will be well received, and everything past that, we'll deal with as it comes. "


Could you give us a brief breakdown as to what each song title means?

     "Marc says:- lyrically...

• 'Abandoned' is the story of a close friend of mine, about the feeling of hopelessness, as well feeling abandoned and having to make it entirely on your own.

 

• 'Endless Crime' is one of the more political songs. It's about the vast amount of endless lies we're being spoon-fed and about a certain direction our society seems to be taking, which just leaves the weak and poor even further behind.

 

• 'Filth' continues the political thinking behind endless crime but in a less aggressive manner, since it has a more subtle vibe to it. I feel the title "Filth" describes the song well. All of us have felt empty and as if something in our lives was missing, and unfortunately, the majority tend to fill that emptiness with needless hate, fear and anger.

 

• 'Hostile' isn't as political, but rather critical towards human behaviour. It's about identity, and not being able to get anywhere or do what you want in life, without having people wanting to judge you or talk down on your accomplishments, as to better their own life-situation.

 

• 'Forgotten' is the darkest song on the EP. To put it short and sweet, it's about the feeling you experience once you've decided to kill yourself.
  

Little Mermaid, Copenhagen / Source: The Independent

How strong is the Danish Metal scene lately? What is the current scene like? What challenges are there?

     "The scene is small and most of us know each other in one way or another, however, it seems to be constantly growing. People like Mirza (CEO of Prime Collective) does a wonderful job of furthering our scene and making sure that the Danish metal scene is taken serious internationally as well. A challenge for us, especially being a Deathcore band, is that we're one of few Deathcore bands here, which means that it's difficult to get a lot of shows going, without it being the same bands and line-ups every time. However, positively, geographically-speaking Denmark is in a great spot in-between massive metal countries such as Norway, Sweden, Finland and Germany."


How did you get into playing metal music? Who did you grow up listing to?

• Marc: Underoath, August Burns Red, From Autumn To Ashes
• William: Veil Of Maya, Born of Osiris, Thy Art Is Murder
• Emil: Lamb Of God, Slipknot, As I Lay Dying
• Jon: System Of A Down, Slipknot, Metallica
• Berna: Nightwish, Betraying The Martyrs, Make Them Suffer
• Casper: Metallica, Slipknot, Pantera

     Most of us seem to have either metalcore or heavy metal backgrounds at least. 


Berna, do you feel that more and more women are engaging with metal music and that it's becoming less male-dominated?

     "I think that it is kind of balancing out and I think that it is great. Women are being more and more accepted in the metal scene now more than ever. Since I was a kid I have always had big female idols in this scene such as the vocalists from Nightwish and Arch Enemy, and now seeing that it is becoming more accepted I also become more confident with my music and live performance and way more motivated than before."


For metalheads visiting Copenhagen and Hillerød, what sights and attractions could you recommend?

     "All metalheads that visit Copenhagen must check out our friends in Cabal and their live-show. They're not just incredible musicians, they're incredible performers."


What plans do you have for the year ahead and the rest of 2018?

     "For the rest of 2018, our plans are to play a show on the 14th December, as well as releasing 'Endless Crime' on the 7th December. We're working on merchandise and the release of 'Forgotten' as well as "Crow" in its entirety in 2019. We're mostly just looking forward to hearing what people think of "Crow", and we've already begun working on new material."


Do you have any greetings, thank you's, etc you wish to send out?

     "Thanks to you guys for reaching out, thanks to Prime and Chris Kreutzfeldt for the work on Crow, last but not least, thanks to everybody who checks out Hanging the Nihilist.

     We're looking forward to seeing what you'll make out of this!"

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