CARNATION
Belgian blastbeat aficionados reach for perfection
“I started listening to death metal at a fairly young age. I was always interested in how broad the genre can be,” begins Carnation vocalist Simon Duson. “Death metal can be fast, slow, melodic, technical, aggressive… there are so many options available. We also try to experiment with these different ingredients and not stick to the same formula in every song. Changing up speeds keeps the album interesting and diverse.”
This reverence for the genre shines through in the Belgians’ sprawling debut full-length, Chapel Of Abhorrence, an exhilarating blast of filth that feels noticeably more powerful than their 2015
EP, Cemetery Of The Insane.
“Because this is our debut album, we felt that it was really important to take our time with the writing and recording process and not pressure ourselves with unnecessary deadlines,” says Simon. “The biggest difference between the EP and the album is the time investment. When we were working on the EP, we wanted to release something as quickly as possible to get out there and get Carnation off the ground. For Chapel Of Abhorrence, it was more important to go for the perfect take, even if it took us a lot longer to record it.”
Given how much attention the EP received – the band toured Japan and Brazil with Pestilence off the back of it – Carnation are poised to reach even greater heights once Chapel… hits shelves, and Simon can’t wait.
“Our live shows are without a doubt our strongest feature,” he beams. “We invest a lot of time and resources into our live set-up to keep changing it and improving it. Not only the sound has to be great, but visually it also must fit the music. It’s difficult to accomplish this as a relatively small band but it is also a lot more rewarding when we manage to pull it off. Creating the right atmosphere with lights and other visual effects simply takes the music up to another level… We invite you to come and experience it yourself!”