Hey guys, I’m hitting you with not just one, but two interviews! If you didn’t see it already, I did an interview via Skype with the band Of Virtue. Good band, good guys. Check them out and that article on our Facebook. Now, I present to you an interview that may shed us some light as to how everything is going in the world of Chelsea Grin, from finding out about the album, to having Tom Barber added to the roster. If you didn’t see the initial statement and are not caught up on the recent happenings in Chelsea Grin, you can find the statement on their Facebook. Without further ado, here is the interview I got the privilege of having with Chelsea Grin! Added note, Tom Barber (vocals) and Stephen Rutishauser (guitar) of Chelsea Grin gave me the answers for the said interview.
With the addition of Tom Barber, originally from Lorna Shore, how do you believe Chelsea Grin is going to evolve or grow?
S: While the situation regarding member changes is far from ideal, Tom has stepped up and delivered a vocal performance that we could never have expected. His ability to adapt, learn new styles, and perform with passion has allowed us to experiment and take chances on this record that we have not before. For us, Tom has breathed a new life not only into the band but into each of us individually. We feel that our new record will appeal to a much grander audience, from the death metal enthusiasts of Europe to the heavy-hungry fans in America.
What are the ways you feel fans will perceive Eternal Nightmare?
T: We hope that they see it as a new testament for Chelsea Grin. We put in a lot of hard work with the fans in mind to create a record that they could empathize with.
S: For us, this record is a culmination of all we’ve achieved and written in the past. We wrote it angry, depressed, lost in our heads, and we hope that listeners can latch onto this and gain some satisfaction. It is our heaviest, angriest, most evil material to date, and we are very confident that our fans will be getting the record they’ve craved for so long.
Other than Warped Tour, what are some future touring plans?
T: We can’t reveal too much, but we just announced the Eternal Nightmare European headlining tour in September/October with support from Oceano, Kublai Khan, and Enterprise Earth. We’re very excited to tour our new record around the world.
What were some of the challenges of creating Eternal Nightmare? Was there anything you wanted to do that you maybe didn’t get the chance to add to Eternal Nightmare?
S: It is difficult to scratch the surface of challenges we faced during the process of creating Eternal Nightmare. We entered the writing process with a lot on our minds – some of us were in a very dark place. It significantly impeded our creative process until we learned to harness it and channel it into our new material. Furthermore, our previous vocalist had been enduring his battle with alcoholism for more than a year prior to his departure. The stress and worry of seeing your friend in such a state had the band (himself included) in a state of near-crisis. His struggle had such a huge impact not only on our/his mental resolve but on the subject of the music we created. If I were to go back, I wouldn’t change much – despite all of the strife, we were able to produce a record that we are supremely proud of, even if it felt like ripping pieces of ourselves off and throwing them into the melting pot.
What’s the inspiration for Eternal Nightmare? Lyrically and Instrumentally.
T: Lyrically, we tried to describe all of the darkness we felt we were surrounded by.
S: Instrumentally, we wanted to convey all of the negativity that had seemingly been crashing down on us around that time. It is a reflection of our bare souls.
Are there any themes or ideas that you wish to reflect towards your fan base in regards to Eternal Nightmare?
S: Our biggest goal, even though we wrote a negative record, is to help people to realize that they are never alone in depression, anxiety, addiction, grief and so on. There are ways to productively express yourself, people to help you through the fog, and communities larger than you can fathom of people that share in your pain to different degrees.
Other than touring and releasing Eternal Nightmare, is there any other projects going on at the moment for Chelsea Grin that can be made known?
S: We are focusing on Eternal Nightmare and making this album cycle our strongest yet. No time for side-endeavors.
Are there any nods towards Lorna Shore or previous Chelsea Grin albums that show up in Eternal Nightmare musically?
T: Other than using certain vocal tones, I tried to create a unique vocal performance that was fitting for this new chapter.
S: We attempted to allude to older CG material while retaining the sound we wanted for ourselves currently. It was a challenge, but we’ve achieved a sound on Eternal Nightmare that we feel will suit listeners both new and old.
Is there anything you would like to let your fans know?
We are so grateful for everyone’s support through this tumultuous time. Obviously, the situations surrounding our band over the last year and a half were so far from ideal, but we will always appreciate our fans for allowing us to continue pursuing our passion. We can’t wait to see everyone, whether it be this summer, this fall, or at any other time in the future. CG is strong as ever, and we are so eager to unleash Eternal Nightmare on everyone.
There you have it. This may have answered some questions you may have had about Chelsea Grin and what is going on in the headspace of the band now. Furthermore, you’ll get to hear the newest album from them, Eternal Nightmare on July 13th and be the judge of their new sound for yourselves. Take care, everyone!
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