Interview: Mick Jeffery of Aversions Crown Discusses Xenocide, 2017 Plans and More

BearlySinister: What is it about extraterrestrial life and hostile takeovers that continues to intrigue you, while writing?

Mick Jeffery: We’re all big fans of science fiction movies, books, games etc. There is so much room for creativity, because I feel we know so little about what extraterrestrial life is out there. Conceptualizing unknown galaxies, species, wars that could be happening. 

BS: What drew you into working with Mark Lewis?

MJ: We’ve been fans of his production on other albums he’s worked on. He’s got a great ear for modern metal tones, but also comes from an understanding of older more classic metal. Essentially we wanted a crushing, modern sounding album, but still wanted the drums to sound like a real kit to highlight Jayden’s playing. We’d worked with Mark on our previous album Tyrant so we knew he was great to work with. When we approached him for this album he straight away knew the sound we were chasing and he nailed it. 

BS: Who created the artwork for Xenocide and what inspired it?

MJ: Ryohei Hase was the artist. We’d worked with him previously and he designed the cover for our first album Servitude. He came up with the design based on some lyrical ideas we sent him. 

BS: Can we expect a visual element to this album? Music videos, a documentary or the like? 

MJ: We’ll be releasing a music video for one of the tracks very soon, and there will be more visual stuff to come. You can expect to see playthroughs, music videos, and plenty of tour footage when Xenocide is released

BS: If you were to collaborate with any artist in the metal world, who would it be and why? 

MJ: Daniel Heiman. I’d create the ultimate death metal/power metal cross over band. 

BS: Who or what inspired you to want to be a musician and what keeps you hungry for more? 

MJ: When I was younger I had a patch sewn onto my school bag that said “Birth, School, Metallica, Death”. I guess that’s always kind of stuck with me and I do see myself playing some kind of music for the rest of my life. I’m constantly inspired by hearing new music from other bands. The more touring I do, the hungrier I get to do more of it. 

BS: What, would you say, sets you apart from other bands in your genre? What would draw someone into your music, who may not typically be into the genre?

MJ: There are a few elements in our songs that make our band sound unique. The melodies and ambient guitar leads that Chris plays are the parts that tend to stick in your head. I think the live show, musicianship, and the songs themselves would draw someone new to check out our music. 

BS: What is your favorite track or part on Xenocide? 

MJ: My favourite track is the song “Odium” which is the album closer. For me there’s something special about the last track on an album, it’s the final thing the listener is left with. When I’m listening to a new album I’ll often skip to the last track and see what I’m feeling after hearing it. 

BS: Australia has a lot of talent and, I’m sure, a lot of untapped talent. Who are some bands killing it in your scene that we should know about? 

MJ: Some great bands in Australia. Here are some I think you should know about. Psycroptic, Thy Art Is Murder, King Parrot, Lord, DVSR, Boris The Blade, A Night In Texas, I Shall Devour

BS: What are your plans on getting over to the US for a tour and who would you like to take along with you?

MJ: We are currently working on getting ourselves over to the USA, there are plenty of bands we’d love to share the stage with over there. Hopefully some day we can take some other Aussie bands over there with us. 

BS: In terms of promotion, do you prefer social media or the traditional “word of mouth,” “fly-posting” type? Why? 

MJ: Social media definitely seems to be the biggest tool in terms of promotion these days. It really connects the whole world. Without it it’s pretty safe to say our band and a lot of other Aussie bands would never have been noticed outside of our country. I used to discover new bands by buying magazines, listening to late night radio stations, browsing cd/record stores. These days it’s all there in the palm of your hand with a smart phone and social media. 

BS: When this album is released, what can we expect next from Aversions Crown?

MJ: You can expect a lot of touring, we can’t wait to start playing the new album live. We haven’t stopped writing either, so there’s always going to be new music on the horizon too…

Xenocide detonates on January 20th, 2017 through Nuclear Blast! Check out the links below for pre-orders and more!


Tracklist:
Void
Prismatic Abyss
The Soulless Acolyte
Hybridization
Erebus
Ophiophagy
The Oracles of Existence
Cynical Entity
Stillborn Existence
Cycles of Haruspex
Misery
Odium

Pre-Order Xenocide
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