The kind of hope HKSPK brings to the future of death and doom metal is inspiring. Though they are a young band formed in 2023, they have been able to not only pay respects to the genre that has inspired them but also build on it.
The band from Brandenburg, Germany, is back to creating massive waves with fresh music. This is their latest doom-soaked track, “rot in despair”. We also had the chance to ask them about their composing process and affinity to music. Take a look at the interview below:
Mixing this powerful song
Clarity in instruments is something we’ve heard in your music from the beginning. Is this a conscious choice during mixing?
Yes, indeed. We tried to make it as clear as possible without overpolishing it. The mix has some kind of vintage feel to it, which makes it more impactful. No samples, no AI.
Tell us about your journey since your debut, Holy Scum. What has changed or shifted in the band since then?
Even though we’ve been together for just 3 years, since the release of our first album we have been able to evolve in many different aspects, such as writing, producing and playing songs.
The production of Rot In Despair, for example, is more defined than our previous releases. We went more in the direction of creating melodies rather than just playing “funny sounding” riffs. This song marks a new path of HKSPK with more serious lyric themes. We took a more advanced and serious approach in writing music. Which doesn’t mean that there are no funny songs on the new record coming soon 😉
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The build of this tune
Rot in Despair opens slowly, but the ominous feel of doom and fear already starts building. HKSPK prepare the stage for the intense gore and blistering energy that they’re going to bring. Slow, churning with rage and an intense vocal obsession, this song marks an incredible return to form. Like their popular song “Torture”, there is something about the energy, yet keeping the minimal simplicity that makes the song so memorable and effective.
Your EP “The Human Butcher” seems to coalesce with a lot of documentaries all over the world, uncovering that part of human nature. Was this planned or just a coincidence?
When we first heard the story of the human butcher, a cold shiver went down our spines. His evil persona gave us the inspiration to write about it. The fact that it aligns with a lot of documentaries was a pure coincidence. Murder is bad, but musically it sounds f*cking good. Kids, please don’t kill other people.
Crafting an experience
The mix ensures that the instruments are heard crisp and not kept muddled away with a lot of chaotic overproduction. In moments where the guitar fades away, the percussion takes over and keeps the fearsome tempo going. At around 2 minutes 45 seconds, the song recedes into a cathartic, slower state. It allows you to appreciate the zeal with which they were performing the song. There is a conscious choice to keep the melodies intact and the transitions memorable.
Torture seems to be a crowd favourite. What is it about this song that you think people enjoy the most?
Oh, we can’t tell. We listen to our songs with different ears. We write those compositions, so we automatically have a different bond to them than our audience. In the case of Torture, maybe it is the short length, the unusual lyrical theme,… or maybe it’s because of the song’s unique arrangement. It’s hard to say.
Writing the newest of doom metal
How do you go about creating the atmosphere for a song like “Rot in Despair”?
This is part of our natural song-growing process. We don’t focus on creating a specific atmosphere. It just happens.
We do have one composing rule, if you could call it that. It is to make the melodies as simple and as memorable as possible. With simplicity comes the impact. The atmosphere the song is creating comes naturally. That’s the mystery of songwriting, I guess (haha).
Packing energy towards the end
The outro towards this song is one of their most impactful. All hell breaks loose, and they’re there to witness it. Rather than strip away the essence of the song, they build on it with lyrics, stellar technical knowledge, and a devotion to the genre that is doom metal. HKSPK are the direction where the music is going, and you’re expected to just flow along with it.
You pay your respects to the origin of death and doom metal while carving your own niche. What does a typical composition session look like?
It always starts with a little guitar riff. Either by Jim or Leon. The riff builds the centre of the song. From there grows everything else. And then we think about the lyrics and which event or story “belongs” to the music. We focus on keeping it simple, which gives the songs a catchy character sometimes.
We also compare some riffs with each other to see if they fit together or if they would work in the same key. Most of our songs were born from spontaneous jam sessions. The old-school way.
Listen to the latest single “rot in despair” and tell us what you think!:
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