Los Angeles Metal outfit Exmortus are set to release their sixth studio album entitled Necrophony on August 25th. Exmortus’ front man Conan Gonzalez took the time to talk with Metal Express Radio about the upcoming album, touring with a variety of Metal band’s, his favorite releases of 2023, and more. Check out the chat below!
Metal Express Radio: Your band, Exmortus are set to release their sixth studio album entitled Necrophony on August 25th, what can you tell fans about the upcoming release?
Gonzalez: I can say that we’re extremely proud of the work. It was written during the isolation we all experienced the past couple of years and thus, we’re setting a darker tone with this album. We’re not straying away at all from what we already do, but this album will be nice and fresh for fans and newcomers alike.
MER: How was the writing and recording process having this being your sixth album?
Gozalez: It was a bit like clockwork since this was our 5th session with Zack Ohren at Sharkbite Studios. We just know each other so well that communication and execution are smooth. He knows how to the get the best out of us, while delivering the sound we’re reaching for. As for writing, it took a while to get it finished. We were so uninspired during lockdown that we took many breaks. That sense of hopelessness and despair is very present in our lyrical themes, as well as our anger and passion is present in our music. This is probably our deepest and heaviest album yet.
MER: How would you compare Necrophony to your previous five album’s?
Gonzalez: This album is thematically and musically darker. Our previous albums are very sword and sorcery and epic fantasy inspired. While A: So far, so good. Everything’s been well-received. We purposely released tracks that are of a variety of tempo, rhythm and theme, to showcase and tease what the rest of the album will sound like. These songs are just the tip of the iceberg. You are all in for a treat.
MER: What do you see as plans for you and the rest of the band for the rest of the year?
Gonzalez: We just wanna hit the road to spread the new material to live audiences everywhere. We haven’t yet gone to South America or Japan so that’s definitely on our bucket list. We’ve been stuck at home for too long and are itching to tour as much as possible.
MER: Who do you hope to tour with that you haven’t yet and why?
Gonzalez: So many bands would be cool to tour with but Revocation would be a great match. I think many of our fans already dig them. Carcass, Immortal, Kreator, Behemoth etc… would be awesome for us too.
MER: Having toured with a variety of band’s from Amon Amarth, Death Angel, and Obituary just to name a few, how is it being able to tour with a variety of Metal band’s?
Gonzalez: We simply love it. We feel like we can fit in on almost any Metal lineup without standing out like sore thumb. I think, that just comes from our various influences. We don’t intend to be versatile in our music, our music’s just an amalgamation of everything we’re into. Aside from music, it’s an absolute pleasure to work with such great people in the scene. We’re beyond grateful for the hospitality of said bands.
MER: Since forming in 2002, what have been some of your favorite memories with Exmortus?
Gonzalez: There are so many great memories but the best one by far is when we were on tour with Death Angel. It was late November and we had to drive through the snow from Vancouver to Edmonton overnight. On the way through some treacherous mountains we hit black ice spun out of control. Thankfully, we hit a cement divider which prevented a nasty fall into a ditch. The van and trailer were totalled but luckily our gear was totally fine. It was only a week into the tour and were extremely bummed out to cancel the rest of the tour and go home. We set up a GoFundMe to help us get home at least but so many people shared the page and donated so quickly that we were able to buy a new van and trailer in time to catch up with the tour package and finish the rest of the run. We cannot express how grateful we are to the community for helping us out in this terrible situation. If you’re reading this and you contributed to that, we thank you very much!
MER: Who are some of your favorite artists on Nuclear Blast?
Gonzalez: There are so many to name! Kreator, Accept, Behemoth, Carcass, Death Angel, Enforcer, Immortal, Municipal Waste, Slayer, Symphony X, the list goes on…
MER: What have been some of your favorite releases of 2023 so far?
Gonzalez: Personally, I’m really enjoying Enforcer’s Nostalgia and Immortal’s War Against All lately. Looking forward to Kataklysm’s Goliath soon, too.
MER: Of of six albums from Exmortus, what is one you would suggest to a new fan and why?
Gonzalez: Slave to the Sword is probably the best start for newcomers. We redefined our sound with that album and continue to play many songs from it in our current setlists. After speaking with many fans, it seems to be the general favorite. We’re hoping Necrophony has a similar effect since it’s another fresh take of our sound.
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