DRAGONFORCE Bassist On His SINSAENUM Project: 'I Have A Natural Tendency To Write Darker Things'

Metal Wani's Anne Catherine Swallow recently conducted an interview with DRAGONFORCE bassist Frédéric Leclercq about his extreme death metal project SINSAENUM, which also features former SLIPKNOT drummer Joey Jordison. You can listen to the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether any of the songs on the band's new "Ashes" EP were left over from their 2016 "Echoes Of The Tortured" debut album:

Frédéric: "No, they were not leftovers. But as soon as the album was recorded, I never really stopped working on songs. Because everybody is so far away from each other, it is too difficult to actually write together. The contributions, I still write most of the stuff and the contribution is the same, I just send the songs, the demos, to the guys and they add their parts and they change [things] because I'm not really a good drummer, so I just write basic stuff. Then Joey is free to do what he wants based on those demos. 'Ashes' was probably the first song I wrote, probably when the album came out. I was already thinking about 'Okay, we need to come up with new songs.' I didn't want to stop there anyway. Because we didn't go on tour, that's why we thought it would be great to have a little something to give to the fans before the actual tour and the real album. That's why the EP is a bit of a 'Thank you for your patience.' That's where we are right now."

On whether the 2015 terror attacks at the Bataclan theatre influenced his lyrical approach in SINSAENUM:

Frédéric: "Yes, but it's not related to Bataclan. Everything that pisses me off is going to turn into music or everything that happens in my life is going to turn into music one way or another. All of the frustration, the hatred, the anger, that's going to be in the SINSAENUM 'box,' if you will. All the happier stuff is going in the DRAGONFORCE [box]. I put the happy stuff in the DRAGONFORCE folder, but I have a natural tendency to write darker things, so that's why the SINSAENUM folder has more stuff, if that makes any sense."

On the band's plans to release the follow-up to "Echoes Of The Tortured":

Frédéric: "The plan is to release the album in September next year, then to go on tour. That's the plan."

On trying to schedule a proper tour for SINSAENUM given the other priorities of its members:

Frédéric: "That's why I need to plan ahead. That's why I need to go, 'Okay, this is now going to happen this year.' Last year, we were that close to doing a few shows, but for a shitty reason, it did not happen. Now, I've been on tour with DRAGONFORCE for most of the year. Attila [Csihar, vocals] is busy as hell with MAYHEM. Joey just started VIMIC, so this year is not possible, so that's why I'm like, 'We'll have time, so we'll do another album.' I want to make sure everyone has a free calendar for 2018, October, and so far, everything seems okay. I don't want to say too much. One thing, I want to say, I could have not toured for the first album without all the members because I think it would have given people the wrong impression that it was just a studio album. Now that we are established and are the team that we are is doing more one than album, I'm less afraid of touring next year with one member not being there and replaced by someone else. I think people will understand more. I think if we would have done that for the first album, I think it would have been a huge mistake. I think now people will tolerate it a bit more, I hope."

On whether SINSAENUM will keep the same lineup for their second album:

Frédéric: "Yeah. So far, yes. Maybe I have my own ideas of what's going on, but so far, that's how it is, yes."

"Ashes" was released November 10 via earMUSIC. The effort contains three brand new and EP-exclusive songs. Additionally, two previously exclusive Japanese bonus tracks can finally be enjoyed by the rest of the world. To top it all off, renowned French producer and musician Frederic Duquesne (MASS HYSTERIA, guitar) has provided a remix for "Dead Souls". The cover artwork was drawn by Maxime Taccardi, a dark, twisted artist who managed to capture the essence of SINSAENUM's music.

SINSAENUM is rounded out by Sean Zatorsky (DÅÅTH, vocals),Seth Heimoth (bass) and Stephane Buriez (LOUDBLAST, guitar).