Hello. Today I have the great pleasure of interviewing one of my favorite bands on the current scene. German-American band THEM, on the occasion of the release of their latest album «Psychedelic Enigma».
Rockmania: Hi. It’s a great pleasure to talk to you. Thank you very much for joining us.
THEM: Thanx to you
Rockmania: The band was born as a tribute to King Diamond (the band’s name comes from that famous King Diamond album). But when did you decide to start creating your own music?
THEM: Only our singer Troy was part of the tribute band; aside from him it was an entirely different lineup. Troy found that entertaining for a few years, but around 2012 he decided that it had been enough and that making original music was simply much more interesting. Unfortunately, the other members were less motivated, and after we had met in the U.S. because of a show by my old band Lanfear, he asked me if I’d be interested in writing music for an album. I was, and that’s how our debut came together, and bit by bit we found the other members as well.
Rockmania: Whose idea was it to create KK Fossor and for the albums (up to this latest one) to revolve around his figure and his struggle?
THEM: That had always been Troy’s concept, who — at least when I met him for the first time — had already developed the complete concept and story for the debut album.
Rockmania: I’ve always been intrigued by this: what are your influences when it comes to composing?
THEM: I actually listen to a very wide variety of music. A major influence on my guitar playing was certainly the U.S. thrash scene of the mid/late ’80s into the early ’90s. But I also liked the more melodic bands such as Maiden, Priest, Helloween, and the like, and very early on I also discovered more underground bands for myself. I loved — and still love — bands like Armored Saint or Titan Force, Metal Church, etc., but I also enjoy more progressive stuff, hard rock, ’80s pop, all the way to jazz and fusion or ’70s prog rock. The more you listen to and the more open-minded you are, the more varied your own songwriting becomes — at least that’s my opinion.
Editor’s note: I completely agree with you.
Rockmania: Speaking of composition, who is responsible for writing the lyrics and music? Or is it a joint process involving all the members?
THEM: The lyrics come exclusively from Troy, while the music is written either by Markus Johansson or me. Usually I write about 70% of the songs and Markus writes the rest, but we complement each other extremely well.
Rockmania: I’ve also noticed that you release an album approximately every two years, but between «Fear City» and this psychedelic album, three years have passed (although the digital single «The Goblin Sessions» was released in between). Is there a special reason for this longer gap between releases?
THEM: Yes, we did take a break for a while. Mostly I didn’t want to fall into the usual routine and wanted a fresh start. Still, I had actually already written most of the material two years ago, and then Troy had a ton of stress at work and in his private life, so everything got delayed a bit.
Rockmania: I first heard you with «Return to Hemmersmoor» and I was blown away. It really helped me during the pandemic. Then, with «Fear City», I became a huge fan of the band, and now with this psychedelic album, I’m on cloud nine. All of this comes from the pandemic. How did the dark times we are living through affect you, both as a band and on a personal level?
THEM: I think that had not that much of an influence on the actual songwriting. It’s always important to me to have a certain vision in front of me. I need a kind of view of the bigger picture — I want to know where I’m going. At some point it clicks, and everything just pours out of me. I barely think about anything else and write like a man possessed. When it comes to the lyrics, Troy processed a lot of personal things this time, and I think this is by far his most personal album, even if that kind of answer always sounds a bit cliché.
Rockmania: Getting down to business about the album, the first thing that surprised me was the change of artist for the artwork. I’m a big fan of Giannis Nakos from Remedy Art Studios, and I went crazy when I saw that he was in charge of the artwork (which I think is spectacular). How did the idea of contacting him come about?
THEM: As mentioned, we wanted a clear cut — a slightly different approach, but also an evolution of the sound, and then also a different artist for the artwork. I had always liked Giannis’ work, and when I pointed him out to Troy, he was immediately on fire for it.
Rockmania: As I mentioned in my review of your album, there’s something interesting about the covers. «Manor of the Sev7en Gables» is red, «Return to Hemmersmoor» is blue, «Fear City» is black with fluorescent touches, and this one, «Psychedelic Enigma», is purple. Was this done on purpose, or did it just happen that way?
THEM: That’s really intentional — at least it was for the first four albums. In parallel, we also always adapted the color of the inverted cross on our shirts. On the new album we gave Giannis complete creative freedom, and his first draft was actually what you now see inside the gatefold cover — so, green. Since the depicted situation didn’t 100% fit what it was supposed to express, but the artwork was fantastic, Troy had the idea of using it as a kind of inner mirror, and then making the actual cover in that purple tone.
Rockmania: For this album, I’ve noticed that you’ve hardened the sound, sped up the compositions, and explored terrain that, at least for me, I hadn’t heard before in your music. Why? Why not continue along the more melodic path of «Fear City»?
THEM: That was probably my «fault». I simply wanted to become more direct and also more basic, yet more progressive and technical. I’m not someone who likes to repeat himself and I just wanted to approach things differently. I wouldn’t even say the album is less melodic, but it’s a bit more intricate, and it starts off very heavy while only becoming more epic toward the end.
Rockmania: It’s just that songs like «Remember to Die» and «Psychonautic State» seem like great songs to me, but they’re very far from your main style (besides, they were singles that we heard before the full album came out, and I thought they were a very risky move). Are these two songs tributes to a band or style that you like, or did they just come about like that?
THEM: We left the choice of singles to our label and were surprised that they chose these. «Catatonia» was a logical decision, but I never would have thought they’d go for «Remember to Die», and absolutely not for «Psychonautic State». However, I like risks, and I actually found the decision pretty cool. With «Remember to Die» I originally just wanted to push the limits of heaviness and speed we’d had so far, while «Psychonautic State» reflects my love for bands like Realm, Watchtower, or Toxik.
Rockmania: Please tell us, what was the process of recording and creating this album like?
THEM: The process is always similar, since we live on different continents. Basically Markus or I create complete demos with the music, so everyone can prepare. Then we record the drums, and Markus, Richie, and I each have our own little studio where we can record ourselves. Of course, we’re always in touch, but it works well. Troy records the vocals in New York and then everything goes into the mix.
Rockmania: I have a question that pops into my head every time I listen to the album. Who recorded the drums? Because I saw that it was a studio musician, David DeLiniers, but in the credits for «Catatonia» it was still Steve Bolognese, who recorded «Fear City», if I remember correctly. What happened, if you can tell us?
THEM: Since we haven’t done any touring in the past years, it’s actually easier for us to work with session drummers. We chose David because, as a drum teacher, he also has his own small studio and can record himself easily. It’s simply more practical than flying in a drummer, and we’re more flexible that way. David recorded the entire album, including «Catatonia». If somewhere it says Steve, that’s simply incorrect information.
Rockmania: As for the story of the adventures and misadventures of KKfossor and his fight against Mr. Thompson, those of us who follow you know what happens over the course of each album, but the end of this album, apart from seeming sublime to me, has left me with an impressive existential question. Why such a drastic turn? Or is it not what it seems?
THEM: Yeah, that’s a good question that I probably shouldn’t answer . Let’s just say this: it is definitely a new beginning, and we simply wanted the perspective to shift. When Troy came up with that plot twist idea, we were all excited.
Editor’s note: Just as I imagined, so big and so wicked at the same time. Mind-blowing.
Rockmania: Another question about the order of the story is the EP «The Goblin Sessions», which you released digitally last year. When could this EP be placed, before «Psychedelic Enigma» or after? Because in physical format, it’s only available as a bonus on the vinyl edition, after the track «Delirium». Does the option you’ve chosen for fans to enjoy it in physical format have any special meaning?
THEM: In terms of the story, the songs are set before «Psychedelic Enigma». We actually recorded the two vocal tracks back in 2022 for «Fear City»; they were basically intended as bonus songs. Then we had the idea to give the fans something during the wait, but releasing an EP as CD or vinyl probably only makes sense for big bands nowadays. And we didn’t want to charge fans money for two new songs and an instrumental, so we just released it digitally and essentially for free. When it turned out that the new album would be very long and that we were heading toward a double vinyl, I had the idea to simply put the songs on side D as an extra gift for people’s hard-earned money. On CD the separation from the album would have been harder, but for vinyl lovers the story ends on side C, and if people want, they can just flip the record again.
Editor’s note: I can’t wait for the vinyl to arrive at my house…
Rockmania: I’ve been looking, but I haven’t seen much live activity from the band. I understand that the pandemic hasn’t helped, but are you planning to go on tour to promote this album?
THEM: At the moment, nothing is planned. After Covid it’s become incredibly expensive to go on tour. We’d have to fly in three people, and the costs for vans etc. have practically doubled since Covid. We don’t need to make a profit, but we also can’t just throw money out the window. If an opportunity arises, we definitely wouldn’t be opposed.
Rockmania: And although it sounds hasty and eager, are you already thinking about the next chapter? Do you have any ideas floating around yet?
THEM: Not at the moment. Troy has some early ideas regarding the concept, but I’m currently waiting to see what may develop.
Rockmania: While browsing the internet, I saw that your last visit to Spain was in 2019 to present «Manor of the Sev7en Gables». Are you planning to come back here at some point to please the fans who are eagerly awaiting you? At a summer festival, perhaps?
THEM: If any festival wants to book us, we’d be very happy to come.
Rockmania: Well, that’s it for the interview with you. It’s been a great pleasure. Would you like to say a few words to our readers and your fans here in Spain?
THEM: Thank you for your many years of support. We’ve always gotten great reactions from Spain and enjoyed our shows there. I’ve always loved Spain — the food, the language, and the people, not necessarily in that order 😉
Rockmania: It was a real pleasure to chat for a while with one of the most up-and-coming bands on the current scene and, why not say it, one of my favorites. It was a real honor to be able to do this interview. Thanks to the band for their kindness.
THEM: Thanks a lot to you, it was an honor. Ulle