We’ve seen many great bands expanding the ever prolific breed of hellish metallic hardcore and their genre refreshing or even gamechanging records that have made them beloved up-and-comers in the genre. Today, we’re stoked to introduce 2 heavy slayers expending their contribution to the genre and community with a jaw-dropping new split release. DECONVOLUTION (CH) and VOIDCRAWLER‘s (NL) new 7” is released by Dutch label Blindsided Records features just two tracks by both bands and we’re giving you the first listen of this beast right here. We sat down with the band to give you the full rundown with their thoughts on all songs, this unique project, their local scene, COVID-19 situation, George Floyd antiracist protests in the States, and more! Launch the beast and have a good read below.
Blindsided Records’ 4th release is about to be unleashed into the world. A 7” vinyl record featuring Voidcrawler (NL) & Deconvolution (CH), each taking up one side of the wax. Having played together several times the combination was a slamdunk as the music from both outfits complement each other perfectly. The riff filled record will drop both digitally and physically on 7” vinyl on June 12th, 2020.
DECONVOLUTION will kick off the record with raw hardcore combined with juicy thrash metal riffs. The Swiss band, hailing from Solothurn, has been working hard since 2015 and released their first EP ‘Fool’s Path’ in 2017. Sharing the stage with major hardcore bands Terror, Broken Teeth, Hawser and Expire to name a few, they gained momentum in the European hardcore scene. A promo cassette was released in 2019 and Blindsided Records is more than proud to feature them on this record.
On ‘Sanctimonious’ the band talks about the annihilation of our world, two faced politicians and the destruction of the environment. ‘Guillotine’ is about a group of people suffering and rising up against their leader through violent means. It’s easy to draw parallels with certain US leaders as the symbolic monarch, especially in these trying times.
We only really can talk about our part of the split here, but the lyrics are pretty political. Don’t get us wrong, we’re really privileged to live in a place like Switzerland, still we have to talk about the things going wrong. Sanctimonious deals with what happens when politics and society worry more about the wellbeing of their capitalistic ideals instead of the actual citizenship, while Guillotine is a retrospective of a group taking down their oppressing leader.
Side two is occupied by the most terrifying band in the Netherlands, VOIDCRAWLER. In just two years the Dutch band have already played shows all over Europe and released their acclaimed EP ‘Maddening Descent’ last year. The band produces an unique blend of extremely angry metal and hardcore. Lyrically frontman Lennart explores similar themes as DECONVOLUTION, for example he imagines the end of the world on ‘Certain Fatality’.
The songs and the general theme of our half of the EP are about the shortcomings of the human race, be it as individuals or as a species. We like to point out the ugly side of humanity. It’s a very negative viewpoint of the human race and in my opinion it works very well with the music.
Deconvolution – track by track:
Sanctimonious – This song is about how two-faced modern politics and business behaviors are. The destruction of our planet as well as hate crime and political fraud. The amount of negative information in today’s age can be completely paralyzing, on the other hand most people want to look away from the most ugly truths. This song takes a stance against people that push personal political interests over the wellbeing of the society they live in.
Guillotine – This song is about a group of people suffering through monarchy and deciding to revolt against their oppressor. History books are filled with tipping points, where the common citizens feel fed up by their current regime and take matters into their own hands to destroy authoritarian leadership. Political actions will backfire if they’re taken in advantage for oneself.
These two songs were our first collaboration with our good friends over at the newly founded Gravity Sound Studios in Lucerne, Switzerland. They recorded and mixed the two songs. The Split is released via Blindsided Records only.
Voidcrawler: track by track:
Certain Fatality – This song is about how we as a species have a tendency to exploit and corrupt the world around us. Large corporations are destroying our planet and its inhabitants in the pursuit of money and power, all while being backed up by corrupt governments. The song is about how this planet will end if we do not change our ways, and how close we are to irreversible damage to our earth. The title ‘’Certain Fatality’’ points to the inevitable end we are heading towards as a species.
Torment – The second song on our half of the split EP is about how useless and small you can feel as an individual in this big world. It’s about how your existence can feel worthless to a point where you accept that being alive means you have to suffer and how you will not achieve the things in life that you want to achieve. For me and probably a lot of people this is a feeling that can creep up on you and completely take over, disabling your true potential at succeeding in life. It sounds very negative, but outing these things in a song is a way of dealing with these feelings and overcoming them.
We recorded these 2 songs in the summer of 2019 at Perimeter Audio. This is a Studio in Velsen-Noord, the Netherlands. We recorded the songs with the help of Marc van Duivenvoorde, who also recorded our previous EP. The mixing and mastering was done by JB van der Wal.
Background behind the split release:
Voidcrawler:
We met Deconvolution when we played a show in Switzerland hosted by them and hit it off very well. The day after we had a great time playing Lyon with them again. Peter from Blindsided Records was with us and all of us together kinda decided we should do a split EP. Blindsided put a lot of effort and energy in helping us put this out and providing a platform for us to release this on.
Deconvolution:
We’ve met Voidcrawler when we played a weekender with them back in March 2019. They played in our bandroom in Grenchen, and it was kind of like a love on first sight experience! We had a really good time the day after in Lyon too, so we decided that we should do a split together, and we did!
Possible touring and Coronavirus pandemic:
Deconvolution: We would’ve had some release shows ready with Voidcrawler, which we’re going to postpone for sure, we have to properly celebrate this release! But that’s it for now, we’re probably going to play some shows here and there, but unless we get asked for a tour, we won’t be doing a longer run until the album drops.
Voidcrawler: At this point in time we can’t really plan anything. We are trying to get as ready as possible for when we are allowed to play again.
Voidcrawler: Obviously we wanted to release the EP with the boys in Deconvolution. Originally we were thinking about a weekender or a short tour that would allow us to play Switzerland as well as the Netherlands, but the COVID-19 situation did not agree. It has made it very hard to progress as a band because we are also not allowed to practice, and this is how we usually write songs. We do have some plans but we just don’t know when or how.
Deconvolution: It’s not like it’s been hard for us, since we don’t depend on playing shows for a living, but we do miss playing, that’s for sure! We had to cancel two festivals, which really sucked because the vibe’s always incredible, and some other cool shows too, but that’s the way it goes I guess. As for the local scene, we really hope that Corona doesn’t bring down all the venues here, because times are always hard for smaller venues in Switzerland.
George Floyd and riots
Voidcrawler: I think there’s not a whole lot we as a band can say that has not been said before, just that we fully support the BLM movement and the protesters. I think it is great that it triggered multiple demonstrations in our own country and other countries across the world. In the Netherlands a lot of people have to deal with racism every day as well and the police have been known to racially profile here too. We as a band have no clue how it must feel to be discriminated against or treated differently because of the colour of your skin. We will however make sure that at our shows there will be no room for by racism or any other form of discrimination.
Deconvolution: We’ve been discussing a whole lot about this matter, leaving us really shaken with what’s happening in America these days. First of all: Solidarity with every BPoC, having to endure systematic, societal or institutionalized oppression due to racist ideologies day in day out. We can never imagine how this must feel.
However we really hope that these protests are a wake up call all around the globe for white people to understand and use their privilege in advance to the ones suffering from it. On one hand it’s beautiful to see so many people on the streets solidarizing and showing the authorities that they can’t go on like that. On the other hand we’re worried about the police violence going out of hand, causing many people fighting for the right cause to be hurt or killed.
Dutch and Swiss hardcore scenes
Voidcrawler: We have seen the Dutch harcore scene get a lot more lively in the past couple of years. Shows are getting more crowded and we keep seeing new people coming to these shows. We have a lot of very driven and talented people really pulling their weight to ensure the scene stays thriving. People are actively booking shows, photographing shows, creating and buying merch and getting in touch with other people in the scene. This year would have been the first year for Lowlands Hardcore Fest, a new festival that would showcase Dutch hardcore and their European counterparts, unfortunately due to COVID-19, this has been postponed. The organisation has however confirmed that as soon as they are allowed to, they will make the event happen. Because the Netherlands is kinda small, we look beyond our borders for shows as much as we can and really enjoy playing Germany and would love to go back to Switzerland as soon as possible because we experienced a very dedicated scene in these countries.
Deconvolution: The Swiss scene has been getting back on track in the last few years, especially with Roadrage Booking and Fire Pit Booking setting up many great shows and festivals. However, the scene is still pretty small, but the shows are getting more and more crowded again and the vibes are great! People are stagediving and moshing, havin a good time and that’s what’s important!
Other bands worth a check:
Voidcrawler: We are looking forward to the new Hawser record and can’t wait for them to put it out there for the world to listen to.
Unfortunately they had to postpone the release due to COVID-19. Also be sure to check out Deathtrap (NL), Dagger Threat (GER), Lowest Creature (SWE), Fever Dreams (CH) and obviously the great Deconvolution (CH)!
Deconvolution: Definitely keep your ears and eyes open for the new Hawser (NL) and Stolen Mind (DE) records dropping later this year! The new Chaver (DE) Release is an absolute banger (see IDIOTEQ feature HERE), as well as the recent new album by our boys in Safe State (CH)! Some other bands you need to check out: Just Ice (CA), Lifecrusher (CH), Cage (CH), Deluminator (DE), Dethroned (DE), Born Hanged (DE), and of course our homeboys in Voidcrawler!
