For Demersal, the band's interpersonal connections run as deep as their musical ones. "Some of us are childhood friends, and we started playing music together from a very young age," says Viktor Ravn, the guitarist/vocalist of the Odense, Denmark-based quartet. "We had been trying out a lot of things in the metal and hardcore realm before we started releasing music and gigging a lot."
As far as their musical style, Viktor explains it like this: "We are a hardcore/screamo band that likes to explore intense emotions of frustration, and emptiness in our sound. Our sound contains influences of chaotic hardcore as well as atmospheric post rock. However, we like to mix things up a bit. Our new record contains a lot of acoustic passages with strings and wind instruments as well as frantic techno by the end. So, I would also say that we are a hardcore/screamo band that likes to explore our sound in general."
Before we get to their aforementioned new record, you should know a bit about Demersal's prior activities: "We toured extensively throughout Europe between our debut EP, To Mend a Yellow Wound, in 2017 and our debut LP, Less, in 2020, and we have since been lucky enough to share the stage with acts such as Portrayal of Guilt, Pupil Slicer, LLNN, Eyes, Hexis, and many others.
"We released our second EP, Death Routines (2021), as well as several split releases with Regarding Ambiguity, Letterbombs, Vientre, and Piet Onthel (2022). Finally, we'll be releasing our sophomore and self-titled full-length album in May."
Check out a couple of tracks from the forthcoming LP:
Viktor shares some context around the Dermsal LP: "Our new album is about care and the notion of being there for each other in times of crises, as a way of dealing with a world in decay.
"We want the album to serve as a counterpoint to modern capitalist ideals of self-sufficiency — the notion that one should be a strong individual who’s able to stand up for oneself and one's own values alone — and instead encourage to share one’s vulnerability with caring people and to reach out when the world feels the most incomprehensible."
How about the music community Demersal is part of in their home country? Is it cooking? "I think hardcore in general are doing pretty good in Denmark! A lot of great bands coming out of here right now. Check out Kollapse, Hiraki, Eyes, Omsorg, Regarding Ambiguity, syl, hudsult, vægtløs, Pleaser, Salver, and Puke Wolf."
The Demersal album will be out on May 10th on Bandcamp and all streaming outlets.
Demersal on social media: Facebook | Instagram
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