Exclusive Interview: Drown In Sulphur talk writing and recording “Dark Secrets of the Soul”!

A second exclusive interview with Italian Blackened Deathcore operatives Drown In Sulphur is an opportunity to get into the writing and recording of their latest burnt offering “Dark Secrets of the Soul“, an album which needed to be special given that its predecessor fell into the critically acclaimed bracket. Rather than opting for some big name guests, the band put the pressure on themselves and produced something fitting of their huge reputation that is going to go down a storm live. So without further ado, here’s the interview:

How did your previous experiences writing and recording help to smooth the path of the new record? “In the past we self-produced our first album “Sulphur Cvlt”, which reached around one and a half million streams. For “Dark Secrets Of The Soul”, however, we met Filippo Rambelli, a great producer with whom we had the enormous pleasure of working with. It’s simply a matter of understanding how the songs can obtain maximum performance, in this case we preferred external help rather than producing the album ourselves.”

How does the writing process of a new track start? Melody, riff or rhythm first? How does it evolve from there before you consider it the finished article? “We don’t have a main composer, everyone gives their own contribution, starting from a simple draft born in the rehearsal room or from a home-made pre-prod, where we then work together to achieve what the song wants to express”

What was it like working with Filippo Rambelli (Cremisi, Next Time Mr. Fox, Model Decoy) and Alex Pedrotti in the studio? “We got along very well with both of them, the recording phase was extremely fun and profitable. Afterwards, the harmony we had with Filippo in the production phase was incredible, he managed to perfectly understand what our idea of ​​sound was, also giving his personal touch which made this album even more beautiful. We had the chance to make incredible guitar tracks, as well as some crazy real drums.”

If you had the opportunity to work with a guest in the studio next time around, who would you like to work with and why? “We never thought about it, but he would certainly be an artist who can contribute to the message we want to give. We wouldn’t want to do a collab just to have a big name on the album.”

For us gear nerds out there, can you tell us what you’re using gear wise (pedals, strings, drums etc) to get your sound? “For the album we used three different guitars: Jackson HT7, Strandberg Boden Metal and Music Man Majesty amplified with a Peavey 5150 and a boost given by a Horizon Overdrive. For the drums we opted for a Tama Star classic with a Ludwig black beauty snare drum, Zildjian custom and Sabian AA.”

What difference would it make to you if you could land an endorsement from a gear manufacturer? “We would certainly like to be endorsers of the brands we already use such as: Esp Guitars, Solar, Music Man, Strandberg but also Pearl Drums, Paiste, Ufip, Istanbul Agop, Roland, Evans, Aquarian, Engl Amps, Peavey Amps and D’Addario. It would certainly be an honor for us to work with them.”

“Dark Secrets of the Soul” by Drown In Sulphur was released on 12th January 2024 via Scarlet Records