Positioned to have a banner 2021, Toronto deathcore unit Brand of Sacrifice are currently staring down the drop date of their March LP release in Lifeblood. Vocalist Kyle Anderson was the most recent guest on the Knotfest interview series Mosh Talks and shared the details of the album and the band's recent rise in profile.
Commonly the case, Anderson shared that in making their sophomore LP, there was an added sense of pressure to not only get the balance right but also, to adhere to the less glamorous stuff like deadlines. Confessing to dealing with a real case of writer's block, Anderson detailed that the obstacles were thankfully short-lived and the band managed to stay on track.
Anderson would also address the creative evolution of Brand of Sacrifice as Lifeblood serves as a bit of a stylistic departure from the band's breakout debut. Embracing a healthy balance of electronics, synth, and even incorporating some elements of choir vocals, Anderson confided that the aim was more about moving in a forward direction, and less about rehashing something safe. The there was no intention of alienating existing fans, Brand of Sacrifice was adamant about sharping a whole new set of tools.
The conversation also took an close look at what was referred to as the third wave of deathcore. When asked If he felt an of the stigma associated with that label, Anderson wisely left the labeling to the fans. Explaining that the listener ultimately does the organizing. The frontman also made it especially clear that he is all good with that category.
As for falling in line with the third wave of deathcore, Anderson explained that there is a conscientious effort to differentiate themselves within the subgenre to ensure some diversity. Utilizing accents like synth and big hooks, Brand of Sacrifice are certainly menacing, but their are methodical in their approach as well.
Anderson would further detail that some of the inspiration to incorporate different sounds into their craft is sourced from video game culture and an sincere appreciation of anime. Citing titles like Halo and the work of Doom Eternal composer Mick Gordon, Anderson also disclosed that Brand of Sacrifice is actually derived from his favorite manga of all time, Berserk.
Referring to the Kentaro Miura-penned and illustrated effort as the "death metal of anime or manga," Anderson explained that the dark source material offers unique parallels to the world of metal music that go hand-in-hand and offer a rarely tapped resource for inspiration.
Anderson would also make reference to the overall health of Deathcore and discussed how the new class of artists within that community have fully embraced an outside the box way of thinking that is resulting in experimentation and creative progression. Including artists like Rings of Saturn and Enterprise Earth, Anderson explained that the pervasiveness of the sound is directly correlated to the bands willing to take chances and evolve through exploration.
Dig into the complete interview with Kyle Anderson of Brand of Sacrifice on the latest episode of Mosh Talks.
