Germany based band Blacktoothed are set to release their second studio album entitled JULI on July 29th via Arising Empire. The band’s guitarist Matti Kietel took the time to talk with Metal Express Radio about the band’s upcoming album, their unique sound, plans for the rest of the year, and more. Check out the chat below!
Metal Express Radio: The band’s second full length album entitled JULI is set to be released on July 29th, what can you tell fans about the upcoming album?
Keitel: I can tell that it’s definitely going to be a surprise. We put so many influences and elements of different genres into our songs that no one will sound like the other. So if you ever asked yourself how you can translate EDM music into rock, or how that’s gonna go on one album with 80s heavy metal riffs or modern rock music, you may wanna give it a spin on July 29th.
MER: How was the writing and recording process having this being the band’s second album?
Keitel: I think the writing and recording process is now much more professional than with our first album. We made sure that this time we had mostly fully produced pre-productions before we even went into the studio. Although, it was quite an unusual process this time, because when we started writing some of the songs that ended up on JULI, we didn’t even plan to write an album. Only when Arising Empire said they wanted to work with us, we knew. So for JULI, we were in the studio three times over the course of almost 2 years, with the pandemic and all. I think we all would prefer doing the usual 2 weeks studio time for future albums. One thing we will probably never change though is the Sawdust Recordings producing team, because their work is just amazing.
MER: How would you compare JULI to the band’s first album?
Keitel: Honestly, I think we have developed a lot in terms of sound. For our first album SEEKER, we were happy just using our instruments, today we use a lot of synth melodies, because we think they contribute a lot to the vibe of our songs. Also, all JULI songs involve a more complex songwriting with all these synth layers than earlier songs, but honestly, I think they stand out a lot more in the end.
MER: The band has released two singles from the upcoming album, what kind of feedback have you received?
Keitel: They received great feedback. People seem to really enjoy our chorus hooks and Hendrik’s voice, which is super awesome! The funniest compliment we got so far was that we don’t have these scene-typical gym bodies which would – I don’t know- make us approachable. So, cheers to not working out? 😀
MER: Do you feel like those two songs give fans a good idea on what to expect from the full album?
Keitel: Like I said, Blacktoothed albums will always hold surprises. So, sound-wise yes, we rely on a modern rock sound, but this doesn’t mean there will be no breakdowns, 80s heavy metal or elements of electronic music.
MER: What do you see as far as plans for the band for the rest of the year?
Keitel: We are really looking forward to playing some yet unreleased JULI songs live for the first time. As far as we can say, the upcoming dates will all be in Germany, but we’re planning some bigger events in spring 2023. But really, we’re probably going right back to songwriting soon.
MER: Who do you hope to tour with and why?
Keitel: As far as “dream support,” we’d love to play an event with the band CAMINO one day. We’re absolute-fan-boys/girl and really dig their sound and songwriting. But we have a lot of amazing artists we would love to support, like our friends in annisokay. Chris is also our producer and we’re always having so much fun in the studio together. And, since we’re already talking about studio time, we bet our label buddies in Future Palace would be another great experience to support, they just released an absolute banger of an album – you should definitely check out Run. They are just really passing the vibe check big time!
MER: We’re halfway through the year. What are some of your favorite releases of 2022 so far?
Keitel: As already mentioned, Run by Future Palace is definitely on that list. For our singer Hendrik, I’m sure Malevolence’s Malicious Intent would definitely go on the list too, whereas most of my favorite artists are actually coming from the US pop scene, so it’s rather singles than albums. Check out Vaines’ “Party that never ends (feat. Zeli),” if you don’t think pop is sort of guitar heavy enough, but you still like the hook-melodies.
MER: How would you describe Blacktoothed’s sound for anyone unfamiliar with the band?
Keitel: I would definitely describe it as a modern rock sound. So, heavy guitars with an 80s heavy metal vibe here and there, but modern and catchy hooks and vibey synth melodies. Honestly, this always sounds so abstract, that, if I sense an interest in the person asking, I just show them a song right away, so they can make up their mind about what they would like to call it. It’s always exciting to see where others place us.
MER: What are your hopes for the band’s future?
Keitel: We’re definitely hoping to have a proper album release tour next year. I’m also really looking forward to writing new songs. There’s such a long period between us hearing the finished album and you guys hearing it for the first time. Like, we don’t hate our songs, but we’ve listened to them for a while now, so it’s always refreshing to work on new material. Our biggest hope for sure is that people like and hopefully buy some of our music!
Be the first to comment