The Coffinworm interview

Coffinworm released in march IV.I.VIII which I consider one of the best album of the year (read my review HERE) and if you're into heavy and sinister stuff you have to give a try at this doom / death masterpiece.  so i sent them a few questions to learn more about it, and am pleased to be able to present you this interview :

-Can you present quickly Coffinworm, what was the project at the start and how it evolved?


We formed in 2007 after our now ex-guitarist, Tony McGuire, and I had talked about doing a project together. He was playing with Dave and Todd in Black Arrows of Filth & Impurity at the time. I had been playing guitar in a band called Salvation with Garrett and that band was ending. We got together to discuss what we wanted to do as far as musical direction and had our first practice for what would become Coffinworm a week or two later.

-I think your new album really take your music to a higher level, and especially it sounds really personal and different, do you also feel it that way?

Thank you. I agree, we had a lot of time, change, and personal things happen between the time that we recorded ‘When All Became None’ in December of 2009 and when we entered the studio in September of 2013 to record ‘IV.I.VIII’ — I think we all changed quite a bit as people and our music evolved. The biggest triumph to me about the new album is that I feel like it doesn’t sound like any other band in particular and we were able to capture something unique. I’m very proud of what we accomplished in writing those songs and how the record came out.

-I'd say the songs have at the same time some powerful grooves and also develops some creepy atmospheres, with a very "evil" vibe. Was it something you had in mind when you wrote and recorded it?

Definitely. We've always tried to strike a balance between locking into that slow/mid-tempo groove and keeping the dynamics (somewhat) varied so the songs breathe and are more interesting. The main objective when we’re writing music is not to stay within a prescribed set of parameters while always retaining the essence of ‘our sound’.

-Do you see Coffinworm as a death metal band (old school death metal) or more as a very dark doom band, or as a combination of the two?

We're rooted in doom, but have always pulled elements from other genres that we like into our music. I usually refer to us as a "metal" band for that reason. Classification's not necessary, either it hits you and you like it or you don't. Genre tags and fitting into a ‘scene’ have never been important to me personally.


-Which subjects are you dealing with in the lyrics of the songs?

Generally speaking, the lyrics are open for interpretation to the listener. Dave writes from a personal perspective, the basis of his lyrics being rooted in real life with lots of wordplay and black humor. He’s always said he wishes the lyrics to be a dialogue.


-How did you get into extreme music? Which bands were more influential for you, either for the music or for other things?


For me it was a natural progression from some of the traditional metal bands I was exposed to when I was younger. My extreme metal conversion moment was finding a copy of Entombed's "Clandestine" album on cassette at a pawnshop near my house when I was 12 years old. I was hooked after that. On the extreme side, definitely Entombed, but Black Sabbath have always been the masters as far as metal music. I started getting into a lot of punk music around that time as well.


-Which bands from your area would you recommend?

Black Goat of the Woods, Wretch (a new band Karl from The Gates of Slumber has going), Sacred Leather, Conjurer, Apostle of Solitude, Boddicker. I’m also playing in another band called Kvlthammer.


-What is planned for Coffinworm in the coming months, touring and writing songs I suppose? Do you already have some ideas for the next record?

Nothing planned currently in the way of touring. We’ll be doing a record release show in the next few months when the vinyl for ‘IV.I.VIII’ is released on Flenser Records. It’s too early to say regarding the next record.


-Which evolution would you like to see for underground music in the future?

Hard to say. I’d like to see more honesty happening with whatever the next evolution is in underground music. There are always some good bands and a lot more shitty ones making music at any given time. I’m sure someone will resurrect another style that’s already been done and the cycle will continue. I’ll stick to wading through to find the few modern gems and keep listening to old favorites.


-Something to add?


Thanks for the interview, Dennis! Cheers!