Dutch blackened death/doom metallers Soulburn unveiled their new album NOA’S D’ARK last year, including their ferocious single Shrines Of Apathy. Intrigued to find out more, we caught up with founding member Eric Daniels and vocalist/bassist Twan van Geel to discuss the song and it’s accompanying video, including themes, the writing process and stories from behind the scenes.
Can you give us your quick elevator pitch on this track? Why does this one standout for you as a band?
Eric: We have chosen this song, Shrines Of Apathy, cause we were convinced this song is best reflecting the atmosphere we put in our music and the darkness of our songs. Of course the other tracks on the new album are too, but the theme and atmosphere is right good this way.
How did you tackle the writing process for the song? Was there anything unique about this track compared to your usual/previous approach?
E: The writing process for this track was in 2019, when we started to write new songs for the whole new album. I think it was in mid-2019 when this song was seeing daylight. It’s an explosion about expression, the vocals, the music, all fitted in right, it has as we call it the hypnotic vibe to it, what we like so much.
Can you tell us how the song’s theme came about?
Twan: I included the following liner notes to this lyric in the album booklet:
“Shrines are a stillborn faith for insecurity to drown into. And along this hollow path towards them, the hollow ones seek on. And all it can find it consumes. Somewhere along its lonesome journey towards the end, it thinks and tries to grasp for a meaning. But in the end, that what he consumed, consumes him too. And to the big hollow he returns.”
I like this philosophical approach to my lyrics, and same goes for this one. My words become one with the music, it’s the strength of art you know. To leave interpretation open for the reader/listener it gains magic and feeds the listener’s own free mind.
ARVE Error: Invalid URLhttps://youtu.be/zsviM-My0q4 in urlTell us about the video, do the themes of the single transfer to the video?
T: Death is the key here, and also I cast a lighter shade in here as well. I refer to this as: Spiritual Anarchy. As in all of my lyrics, I pledge for a ‘self above god’ approach. So with the human skulls that appear now and then, I transfer death to the screen. This way it impowers the ever drawing death magnets that we are all undoubtfully heading for. With the goat skull and horns I channel the occult and seal the deal by crowning freedom of thought, and of course mock the foul stink that religions still reek from in today’s society. The graveyard and it’s relics symbolises modern death and places the song very much in the ‘here and now’, creating a feeling for the viewer he/she can recognise and perhaps even personalise the connection to death with. Also, the mirroring of nature (trees) in those large church windows you see, to me represent a counter reality from death – life. When mirroring life in the eyes (windows) of a self-made god (church), one reflects a truth that hides within a lie. This very much all connects to the philosophical weight that enriches the soul core for the video of Shrines of Apathy.
Do you have any behind the scenes stories from the video shoot?
T: Because of the COVID-19 lockdown it wasn’t easy to find a fitting place to record this vid. Luckily a good friend of mine who works at the concert hall was kind enough to arrange a day for us to work it out. The vid is beautifully shot and arranged by Maurice Swinkels, who also shot Exodus and Asphyx to name but a few. It turned out he just became a dad that day so we brought him a nice gift from the band: it was a box filled with earplugs and aspirins hahaha, we had a good laugh about that ; )
Anything else you’d like to add for our readers?
E: Thank you for the interest in behind the scenes of our official video clip, and I say, stay safe, and to your readers, stay safe too and take care of each other. Cheers!
T: Thanks for your interest indeed! We had lots of fun making this video and its nice this way to explain more in depth on the song’s subject and the choice of images we used. I hope people will enjoy it and that the honest expression of our love for extreme music comes across. Stay safe – not slave!
Soulburn‘s latest album NOA’S D’ARK is out now via Century Media Records, available to stream or purchase HERE.
