Parisian modern death metal crew Deep In Hate have had a busy summer so far, releasing album number three and touring their native land with Arch Enemy for starters. ZT spoke to guitarist Florian Paris to find out more.
Having formed a decade ago there have been a few changes in the Deep In Hate camp over the past few years, but right now is all that matters. Their new album Chronicles Of Oblivion follows on from 2011’s Origins In Equality and for the first time in their career contains the same line-up. Less of an evolution and more a fine tuning, the crushing illusion it creates alongside a crisp production full of little twists and turns make it worth seeking out for any fans of modern death metal/deathcore.
Securing a support slot with Arch Enemy, having Kaotoxin Records release their new album and with more live dates in the pipeline, it’s an exciting time for the band. ZT discussed the new record, dealing with the deathcore label and the current French scene with guitarist Flo.
ZT: How did the recording for Chronicles Of Oblivion go?
Florian Paris (Guitars): The recording went very well. This time we did everything ‘at home’ with the help of our live sound engineer Julien Delsol who supervised every process of the recordings. We took the time to reach the sound we wanted from the beginning. There was no stress about time, so we worked as much as we wanted and it was worth it in my opinion. Besides, we entered the studio with pre-productions and did not change the music much, so we could really focus on the production side of things with Julien.
Did you do much differently than for your previous albums?
We had already begun to work by ourselves on the previous album Origins of Inequality, but this time all the production happened in our studios, DIH PROD. We already had a good quality sound on the previous record, but we really like what we have achieved this time!
Where did you draw inspiration from for this album, both musically and lyrically?
Musically we obviously drew our inspiration from what we had done in the past: there was what we still liked, and what we felt frustrated about. Touring and playing shows are a source of inspiration in themselves and we also learned a lot thanks to the great bands we played with. Of course, what we were listening to at the time inspired us: Behemoth, Whitechapel, Gojira, The Faceless, Decapitated, they are the bands we have in common in the band.
Lyrically there were themes we wanted to talk about; the importance of thinking by oneself, the vision of a divided society for example. Then we decided to create a fictional world to develop those themes. The chronicles of oblivion are like episodes of a post-apocalyptic history, like a Bible of the new world. Each episode presents a group of characters that illustrates a theme, a default of the human being for example.
What were you aiming to achieve with Chronicles Of Oblivion?
Good question. As always, the best album we could, I suppose, with songs we want to hear. Define our music the best we could, and present it to the world. Find our balance between our different influences, and make a new step towards being a band that counts.
How were your recent shows with Arch Enemy?
Good! Really tiring – we had a show in the Czech Republic the day before Arch Enemy’s French tour so we literally lived in our van for five days! Besides, we had a lot of technical issues during the tour, but succeeded in proposing our shows, like we wanted them to be. It was totally worth it, so much pleasure and we’re thankful for the warm welcome we got! The audiences were really open minded, even if we do not play the same kind of metal as Arch Enemy.
How would you describe Deep In Hate’s sound?
Deep In Hate’s sound is a mix between classical Death metal and modern currents like deathcore. The production is modern, but the fact that the guitars are clearly audible shows we do not want to just be a succession of mechanical riffing and breakdowns, where only the impact of the drums and the vocals matters. There are modern productions so compressed today that I can only hear the drums and the vocals! It is powerful indeed, but where are the melodies, the riffs and the soul of the music?
I know our sound falls into the ‘cold’ and compressed type of production, but I believe we have achieved a great balance between the instruments and I am proud of it.
Are you bothered about being labelled deathcore rather than death metal by some fans?
Well, if you say ‘fans’, no. I do not care about labels as long as you give a chance to the album and listen to the songs for what they are. But if deathcore becomes like an excuse not to listen to the album or to just bash it, then of course it bothers me. We have deathcore influences in our music, it is a fact, but I do not think this is merely a deathcore album. Well, people’s opinion will prevail! Some reactions to the deathcore label seem disproportionate though, as if they did not listen to the record…
You’ve released videos for ‘Altar Of Lies’ and ‘New Republic’, do you think music videos are still important for metal bands?
I personally think they are more important than ever! I think many people discover a band through its music videos, whether they just come across them, or search for it. It gives a glimpse on the band’s universe and often illustrates the lyrics, so you really get to ‘meet’ the band. The music video is often the first contact, before the listener gets to hear the whole album, so you better choose a song that represents it well!
What is the current French metal scene like? Is it harder being a metal band based in France rather than elsewhere?
It is not easy, for sure. I would say that it is the case in the Latin countries, where metal and even rock music do not seem to have the same impact and where a huge amount of people do not know this culture. There is either an indifference towards having a band in those aesthetics, or prejudices towards the people doing it. But the success of Gojira, who gained an international status, granted a new breath of life to the scene. Despite the difficulties there are a lot of new bands that do not fear to believe in what they do, and quality is quickly rising in the French scene. I love that, it is really inspirational to be a part of it!
What future ambitions do you have for Deep In Hate?
Growing, growing and growing! More precisely, we want to tour more in Europe with this new album, and visit new countries. Amongst my personal ambitions there would be a participation in Hellfest 2015 and in as many festivals as we can! Finally, going back to work on new songs and become better of course!
For more information watch the video below and like Deep In Hate on Facebook.
