“There’s just something really naked – but also pretty authentic and personal – about your clean vocals.”
After introducing the music world to their potential with their debut album Jord in 2018, Danish blackgaze metal outfit MØL have returned with the follow-up Diorama which was released earlier this month.
Combining swirling guitars and crushing vocals with the dreamy ambience of shoegaze, MØL have redefined the black metal genre with their refreshing approach to music that defies convention.
Vocalist Kim Sternkopf joined HEAVY to chat about the new album, in the process revealing some inner demons that can only be banished through music.
“Musically I think it’s… to cite our main songwriter Nicolai, I know he sees this as a natural evolvement from our debut album.,” Sternkopf began. “Sound wise, I saw one reporter describe it as nasty glitter (laughs). I know with the vocals I make it pretty uncomfortable for a lot of mainstream listeners, but all in all I feel like this production is way more organic and vibrant than our first one. We all went to record it during the second lockdown, so we had to take turns. We had demos before, but there was a lot of intense collaboration to get the sound we wanted to.”
“The guitars are there, and they’re mightier, and bigger, and more… I would say unchained in some sense. I know everybody has stepped up their game with this one. I can say that for myself as a vocalist. I really like to challenge myself, so I did venture into clean singing territory. That’s a challenge. It took some convincing for me to do it, because I know I do things well in the harsh department, but there’s just something really naked – but also pretty authentic and personal – about your clean vocals. I also feel the lyrical content of this album is more personal and moves closer to home. Being able to convey that through my voice and also my singing voice, that made it feel a bit more intense”
In the full interview, Kim discusses the album in more detail, finding inspiration during lockdown, the cover artwork, the personal touches in the band’s music and how he deals with it, the early days of the band, touring plans and more.
