Malevolent, malignant and terrifying are mere adjectives when it comes to accurately determine the resurgent force that is Deadspace. Their music is harrowing, and extreme a combination of styles that redefine the term uncompromising The Dark Enlightenment heralds a new era for DeadSpace that was hinted at on their return Ep Unveiling the Palest Truth
Chris Gebauer (Vocals)’’ I think it's a big change albeit a slow one. A lot of these tracks were constructed around the same time and split into EP and LP tracks. This shift into a more raw and sinister entity was something we agreed on upon reuniting. We were actually considering changing the band name but felt like it was unfair to older fans that were willing to follow us into new territory.
It is denser and atmospheric but marks a decided move from the traditional DSBM moments that were on previous releases?
‘’I really think we stopped paying homage to the dsbm thing in 2019 with Dirge. We simply developed more of a world view and I intrinsically de-personalised my artwork. Everything from Dirge on is somewhat more grounded and socially complete. As the world gets more depressed, we get angrier at the world. It's a natural progression for us.
It is a visceral immediate offering that moves into a blacker more deathened direction?
‘’Yes, it's definitely more upfront but there's a lot of complexity to uncover. The tracking process was extremely raw and straightforward. I wanted to fill the space with the instrumentation that synths and other superfluous textures occupied before. The whole thing is almost designed like a live performance because that's how we do things these days. No extra guitar tracks or vocals that can't be replicated live.
Or is it pure Deadspace where genres do not apply where aggression and thought are paramount?
‘’We weren't really thinking of genres at all when constructing the music. The aggression lies somewhere within. It's the job of the music to invigorate it. I'm not an aggressive human but somewhere within there is an animal that has learned to think before it opens its mouth.
The shroud of darkness that envelopes the album from conception through to its incredible artwork?
‘’The album is somewhat influenced by the work of Nick Land who discusses, in depth, The Dark Enlightenment. What we are all looking for in this state of decline is a solution. Although his is seemingly farfetched (re accelerationism), the roots of the issue are highlighted clearly, and accelerationism is happening beyond systematic control. We are living in a society where we are more afraid of life than we are of death, mostly because we are forced to disconnect from life to endure. Land talks about a figure called the Fanged Noumena, which can be linked to Lovecraftian horror. It represents an unknown entity which he describes as an automated or AI information driven machine that humankind is bound to serve. Therefore, there must be a fragmentation between fiction and reality as we must make our own reality through the impossible, or the life in which we perceive to enjoy. The artwork reflects this fragmentation but also the coexistence of reality and fiction, engulfed in horror.
Do you think society at large is even aware of such manipulations?
‘’I think subconsciously it is. Society tends to metabolise the subconscious horror in a variety of ways. Sometimes it's physical or mental decline, sometimes it's apathy.
Could it be labelled a mass psychosis where mundanity is peace?
‘’It could really be labelled anything you want to label it. It could also be labelled as productivity or the changing of times. On this album, we approach it as an automated unravelling into isolation that seeks to turn all organic matter into mechanical waste.
How does the human psyche find peace or is it an ever-evolving Lovecraftian Torment?
‘’People appear to be equipped with different tolerance levels to systematic management. Not everybody is so vehemently sickened by obligatory self-sacrifice. These people are lucky on one hand but critically miss out on experiencing transcendence through ‘the impossible’ (art). Those of us that become obsessed with such things must find a way to live a double life. Either way, there is a struggle between the conscious and the unconscious realm. This is where Lovecraft resonates by delineating the sheer inseparability of the two.
the cosmic connection and its relation to the personal perception of consciousness?
‘’I don’t want to go that deep as I’m not preaching dogmatism in the slightest. On this record, I’m merely addressing some important fragments of things that I’ve metabolised over the last 5 years. A destined future, sure. We’re simply left to our own devices of internalisation at this point. To pretend any of us know anything is absurd. I will say one thing though. The scientific mind seems to be getting us a lot closer to the sun and that’s damn scary in itself.
The denouement of Into Shadow? Yet it is also relentless?
‘’Into Shadow is basically the contrasting finale on the record. Musically, it makes a bit more sense than the rest. Sort of like a final resolve as opposed to each track resolving.
Is this the beginning of an ever-evolving surprising direction?
‘’I think it’s just a continuation of our evolution. We started to shift from the Dirge record onwards. A Portrait of Sacrificial Scars was supposed to sum up the new with the old as it was supposed to be our final record but new fire took the helm and we buckled up for another ride.
The six most important concepts of individuality?
‘’I think there is only one. Don’t try to be individual. I feel like the best identities are formed through tribal discipline. Observe communities and work out their strengths and flaws. Sounds convoluted but there is an essence in that sentiment.
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