Throw Me a Frickin’ Label Hack: Mesmerized by Misery

Because every day another band records another song. Because 83% of those songs are unlistenable and you can’t be bothered to sift through the dreck. Because metal is about not giving a shit and waking your own personal storm. Because music is universal, expression is boundless, and even indie labels (whatever that means these days) don’t know everything, Decibel brings you Throw Me a Frickin’ Label Hack.

Mesmerized by Misery is a (relatively) newly formed melodic deathcore band from Germany who are currently pushing their 25-minute, five-song EP called Nurturing the Vultures. They shouldn’t have to push too hard, given that it’s a free download at their Bandcamp site and from their official website, and because it kicks a pretty sizeable amount of rear-cheekage. Powerful riffing, evil rasp ‘n’ growl vocals, tight percussion, and some wicked album art add up to a sweet noggin-banging package. Get a load of “Ego Sum Aeternitas” right here while you check out what guitarist Thomas A. had to say about occasional soloing, South America, and various apple beverages.

How did MbM form?

It was while at the With Full Force Festival 2009 in Leipzig that our vocalist Martin and bass player Dennis decided to form a band. At that time it was rather an idea than a specific plan. But after some time the idea took shape and all the members for the project were found, we then found a rehearsal room and began jamming and writing our own songs. At the time our songs were very simple structured and more core influenced until we realized that we wanted to create something different, something heavier. This was before the time of Mesmerized by Misery. After some lineup changes and a pause due to our drummer having problems with his sinews, in spring 2011 Mesmerized by Misery finally rose from the ashes of the former project.

How much has the band performed live? What have some of your experiences been like?

Well, our band doesn’t exist long enough to look back on a long history of live shows but still we already played several shows sharing the stage with different bands, sometimes even genre-transcending which was a very interesting experience. We’re happy to say that we have made only positive experiences throughout all our live shows until now. After the time-consuming process of songwriting and the recording of our EP “Nurturing the Vultures” we concentrate on playing live as often as we can for now. The best live experience we had yet was our first show as Mesmerized by Misery. We were very excited to perform our set in front of a live audience for the first time and to step into the public with the band. After all, there were 140 people attending the small show and we had a great time.

What music is influencing you right now?

There are several different bands that influence us. The Black Dahlia Murder and Neaera are among our main influences but we all listen to a bunch of different subgenres in metal so everyone of us has slightly different influences. I think whatever is influencing us at the time we try to incorporate into our music, be it wittingly or unwittingly.

What was the writing process like for the songs on Nurturing the Vultures? Any stories that stick out?

Our writing process is always very similar, I (Thomas) come up with most of the guitar riffs and with a song structure. After that our drummer Jano writes his drum parts and Martin, our vocalist comes up with lyrics, adjusts them to the structure of the song and we all jam along. Finally we refine the song structure and sometimes add new riffs or harmonies afterwards. A story that sticks out is the writing process of our song ‘Shadows of Darkness’. We played that song for a couple of months and one or two weeks before we recorded our EP we changed the chorus and added a solo to it.

Solos are pretty rare on the EP, but when they come out they’re really effective. Can you comment on their spare placement in the music and what you like about them?

When I write a solo, I try to pick up and intensify the atmosphere of the song. If you put three solos in a song, they can lose their effect and it ends up in showing off skills.

Do you have future recordings planned, or songs around that you’re currently working on? What direction would you like to take your music?

Since we released our EP on September 15th 2012, there is no current planning for further recordings but we aim to produce a full-length-album one day. Right now we are working on new songs, one of them is almost done so you can expect some new stuff in the near future. At the moment it’s unimaginable for us to commit ourselves to a certain direction, we still try to put as much energy as possible into the band, we hope the best and we’ll se where our journey takes us.

If you could join the perfect tour, who would you share the stage with, and where would you want it to go?

Well, my first thought is a South American tour with The Black Dahlia Murder. When it comes to metal, people in South America are not that spoiled like people in Europe or the US. Shows in these countries seem to be pretty intense especially due to the dedicated audience.

For us Americans who haven’t yet been to Germany but dream about indulging in your local food and beer, what would you suggest we should eat/drink while listening to Nurturing the Vultures?

That’s an easy one! There are tons of things in our local area you Americans should try. We’d recommend “Schnitzel mit Kochkäse” (Schnitzel with a kind of soft, spreadable cheese) and a glass of “Apfelwein” (a wine made out of apples) or if you don’t drink alcohol like me, a glass of “Apfelmost” (freshly squeezed apple juice) with it. Theses things are an evergreen in our regional cuisine.