German black death band HKSPK have a bona fide headbanger with ‘Nocturnal Beheading’

HKSPK is a black and death metal trio from the Brandenburg region of Germany. The band hails from Frankfurt (Oder) and their name stands for HELLOKITTISCUMPORNKILLER. Adventurous band names aside, the lineup features Jim Tonik on vocals and lead guitar, Leon on rhythm guitar, and Arne on drums. Formed in 2023, HKSPK bring together a black metal aura with riffing that draws heavily from the death metal side of the spectrum. Today, we have a look at their single ‘Nocturnal Beheading‘ from their latest EP ‘The Human Butcher‘.

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The song begins with what can only be called a good old fashioned moody intro followed but some cool riffs and then a blast beat section with screamed vocals. They immediately signal their allegiance to old school black metal. From there, the track surges forward with sharp guitar work and pounding drums, giving it a raw drive that is both unpolished and convincing. That being said, there is clarity of arrangements, which is nice. I like the guitar tone on the song and the overall production. It’s raw enough, but well-recorded. The guitars and drums work is amazing. Love the beautiful riffs and mixed pacing of the overall EP as well, some nice ferocious riffs. The riffs by HKSPK are eerie and gothic and moody, coupled with intense energy.

Coming back to the track, it thrives on atmosphere as much as on its aggression. The riffs are biting yet memorable, the pacing tight enough to sustain intensity without descending into chaos. It feels ritualistic, violent, but orderly too, and rooted firmly in the traditions of black metal while still allowing room for the death metal crunch that marks HKSPK’s sound. So give this one a spin!

We also had some questions for the band on their latest release.

1. Your songs appears to balance raw aggression with really well structured clear arrangements. When you are writing together, how do you decide which direction a song should take, and at what point do you know a riff or section belongs to HKSPK rather than just being a cool idea?
   Every song idea starts with a guitar riff. From there grows everything else. The riff basically decides in which direction the song goes. There is no plan B. We don’t have 5 different versions of each song. It is actually not that easy to explain how we know that a song belongs to HKSPK. In our case, it is just a matter of feelings.
2. The guitar tone across the EP feels raw enough to capture that underground black death edge, yet it is still clear enough that every riff cuts through. Can you talk about the choices you made in terms of guitar tone and production, and how you strike that balance between rawness and clarity? Also, what gear do various band members use? I’m especially curious about guitars and tones.
   Our rhythm guitarist Leon is using an Ibanez Ice Man tuned down to B standard. His live amp is a Hughes&Kettner Black Spirit Stock Amp going through a Laney IRT412A guitar box. Our singer and lead guitarist Jim is using a Ltd Stephen Carpenter Signature 7-String also tuned to B-Standard. Live, he’s using a Bugera V22HD Infinum amp through a Marshall 4×12 guitar box. In the studio, we are recording with a guitar amp simulator called Guitar Rig 5 by Native Instruments.
   Because we don’t have a bassist, we always turn up the low ends and bass on our guitar amps. That gives the tone some power. And we always turn down the mids. We don’t like mids 😂. And what is really important: we don’t use too much distortion. It can easily make your guitar tone sound muddy and not heavy at all.
3. Your band name HELLOKITTISCUMPORNKILLER is funny and quite memorable, even the backstory behind it. One of your songs is also against sexism. Do you see your imagery, etc, as part of a wider statement about playing with clichés in extreme metal?
   Short answer: no. Our lyrics are telling stories that we’ve experienced in a weird, absurd way, and we sing about events that we have heard about. But the context is never that serious. Which does not mean that there isn’t a real statement hidden in the lyrics sometimes (for example, Schwanzløses Gesindel). Those cliches are a part of this kind of music. We love it and we live it, but sometimes it could be healthy to laugh about ourselves.
4. Since starting in 2023, you have already managed to carve out a presence with gigs and festivals, and you have connected with listeners from Germany to Scandinavia and even the US. What have been the biggest surprises about the audience reactions so far, and how do you think being from Frankfurt Oder and Brandenburg shapes the way you approach black and death metal compared to bands from Scandinavia or other parts of Germany?
   ⁠Especially reactions like yours, the big international interest, and the love from other countries were the biggest surprises. Suddenly, we have to think about many new, different things we’ve never expected, like more merchandise, bigger shows, new productions, and taking a professional approach to the music.
   In East Germany, there was always a small but overall amazing scene for metal. We grew up with this community. This region felt like a small Scandinavia. The bond and connection in this scene are so strong that it feels like a big, loud family.
5. What is the lyrical theme of “Nocturnal Beheading”? How does it fit into the larger repertoire? Listening to the EP, this appears to be the most classic style of black metal of your songs on this record, while the other songs are more innovative. Wondering if it’s a conscious decision to keep a familiar sound on the English song to appeal to larger audiences, while the German songs are more compositionally complex?
   The backstory of Nocturnal Beheading is quite interesting. It is about a mouse in our rehearsal room that we killed with a trap. The mouse was beheaded. In the night. So it was a “Nocturnal Beheading”. You can build it up to a big thing, but sometimes it is only a mouse 😂. Just like most of our lyrics, it is about a very random and simple thing, but if you want, you can interpret it into a great theme.
   The German language is more complex, so it fits a more complex song arrangement. The songs with English lyrics are not specifically for international listeners. As far as we know, many of the American black metal fans prefer the German language in this kind of music.
   Summed up: the choice of the language is a matter of our feelings. For example, our song “Exitus” also features a Latin part.
6. What are your individual musical influences, where do they overlap, and where not? How does that influence the songwriting process?
   We have many different influences. It ranges from German bands like Eisregen, Nargaroth, and Mavorim to more famous groups like Slayer, Amon Amarth, Slipknot, and Cannibal Corpse. We all have our own favorite bands from different genres, that is why our songs sound so different. There are also groups that we equally like, especially in Black Metal. We try to create our own HKSPK sound, that’s why we don’t orient ourselves too much towards other bands.
7. What’s next for the band? What regions are you playing in, and further plans?
   Right now we are living our personal musical adventure. We are overwhelmed by the feedback and compliments from so many different people. We try to take a more serious approach to our music and plan on playing at bigger festivals. There is also new song material in the making, which we want to release this year.

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