Upcoming Norwegian Metal band Hypermass are set to release their debut album Empyrean on June 3rd. The band’s guitarist Sindre Dagestad took the time to talk with Metal Express Radio about the band’s upcoming debut album, his love for The Black Dahlia Murder, the Metal scene in Norway, and more. Check out the chat below!
Metal Express Radio: The band’s debut album entitled Empyrean is set to be released June 3rd, what can you tell fans about the upcoming release?
Dagestad: No matter what type of metal is your favorite, this album has a little bit of everything. We cover a wide range of influences, everything from the Black Dahlia Murder (RIP Trevor), Revocation, Allegaeon, Lamb of God and even some nods to more groove-driven bands like Pantera and Kvelertak. The special thing about this album is the diversity within the tracklist. Every song differs wildly from one another, although you can easily hear a signature sound within the whole album. If I had to use one key word for the album, it has to be “exciting”. We guarantee you will struggle to compare this to anything else, and we mean that in the best way possible.
MER: How was the writing and recording process having this being the band’s debut album?
Dagestad: This album is the culmination of years of hard work and nitpicking at minor details. We have almost driven ourselves crazy with how critical we have been in the writing process, so we hope everyone will appreciate the work we put in and enjoy the album as much as we do!
MER: What were some of the differences you noticed with the progression in the band since the release of your previous EP Clouded Visions?
Dagestad: Musically a lot has changed. From the beginning where we were greatly inspired by TBDM, Revocation and a lot of other tech-death bands, we have since broadened our sound to the point that it is hard to pinpoint exactly what type of metal we play. But that has always been the goal, as we have always valued originality above all else.
MER: The band has released two songs from Empyrean, what kind of feedback have you been able to receive?
Dagestad: The feedback so far has been great! When we released these singles, we were very unsure what the reception was going to be, but people seem to really dig it, so we are really grateful for that.
MER: Do you feel like those two songs give fans an idea on what to expect from the full-length album?
Dagestad: Hard to say. I would lean more towards no, as the songs are all so different from one another. Just the two singles by themselves differ very much from one another. Still, we have developed a signature sound, and the album is very consistent considering how diverse the material is.
MER: What are plans for the band after the album release?
Dagestad: Our plan is to tour as much as possible. We really can’t wait to get out on the road and play this material live for everybody, as it has always been the best part of being in this band. During the whole writing process, we had our live show in mind, so if you think this album is good then wait ‘till you see us in concert!
MER: How would you describe the metal scene in Norway?
Dagestad: The metal scene in Norway is very diverse and has a lot of great talent! Some of my favorite bands are Norwegian (Blood Red Throne, Kvelertak, Enslaved). I know we are hugely known for our Black Metal scene, but I feel like that can overshadow some of the other talent we have within the metal scene. We have some amazing bands from our city of Trondheim as well, like Nexorum, Ghetto Ghouls, Warzaw, Haunted by Silhouettes, Misotheist and Ilhalung to name a few!
MER: Who would you like to tour with and why? (Headline or support)
Dagestad: That’s a hard one. My personal fantasy has always been to tour with The Black Dahlia Murder, but that is even more unlikely now than before unfortunately. Otherwise, my personal favorites consist of Sylosis, Allegaeon, Cattle Decapitation and Revocation so any one of those bands would have been insane to tour with!
MER: We’re about halfway into 2022, what have some of your favorite releases been?
Dagestad: Some of my favorite albums this year has been: Allegaeon – Damnum, Meshuggah – Immutable, Carpenter Brut – Leather Terror, Zeal & Ardor – s/t, Comeback Kid – Heavy Steps and Haunted Shores – Void. I also really look forward to the upcoming albums from Malevolence and Bleed from Within. The singles have just blown me away! Also curious to see what Behemoth will deliver this time around.
MER: What are you hopes for the band’s future?
Dagestad: Our hope is to one day make it big enough so that we can tour the world, as well as play major festivals. We want to become a recognized name within the metal scene, but still be true to ourselves and our sound without compromise. There is nothing like playing live shows for us, so if we can make a small living doing this, we are more than happy.
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