ZYKLON Guitarist Talks About Songwriting Process For New Album

ZYKLON guitarist Samoth (ex-EMPEROR) recently spoke to the Enslaved by Metal webzine about the songwriting process for the group's third album, tentatively due next year via Candlelight Records. A couple of excerpts from the interview follow:

On the songwriting process for the new album:

Samoth: "Yeah, we're currently writing and rehearsing new material. There's still a lot of work to be done, but we got the basic structure set up for the whole album. So now it's a matter of arranging everything and rehearsing it perfectly. The vibe so far is very brutal... more speed and intensity! But there will be plenty of groove, too, and we have a few ideas for songs with a slightly different approach as well."

Enslaved by Metal: I really can't know what to expect from the new album, but I DID like "Aeon" a lot better than "World ov Worms", and I suppose you will keep on bashing our speakers with, roughly, the same musical approach on the coming, but will there be any changes at all, or do you find it unnecessary? Why fix it if it isn't particularly broken, ey?

Samoth: "To say it this way, I think the new album will be closer to 'Aeon' than 'Aeon' was to 'World ov Worms', but at the same time I hope we can add new elements to the new album. We're at least aiming for an all over stronger album."

Enslaved by Metal: Is it too soon to say anything about the theme of the record? Will it be a conceptual album?

Samoth: "No, not really a conceptual album, but still the themes are somewhat connected. It's pretty much the same topics as earlier, but without repeating things. I haven't really started to work on the visual aspect yet either. For me that's really a part of the whole concept too... I like to relate the design to the lyrics and the music. I can reveal a few titles 'Disintegrate', 'Vulture', and 'Scum'."

Enslaved by Metal: Also I understand you're going to make a video for the song "Core Solution". Why did you pick this track? And do you have any plans what the video is going to look like?

Samoth: "Yeah, it's still under production actually. It's been taking a while, but hopefully it will be ready soon. It's not really a big-budget video. It's based around live footage from various live shows. Pretty much a straight-forward metal video like 'Psyklon Aeon'. The track 'Core Solution' is perfect, I think, very catchy song. Still one of my favourites from the 'Aeon' album."

Read Samoth's entire interview with Enslaved by Metal at this location.