For those of us who were around for and really enjoyed the early iteration of death metal, a band like the UK’s Horrified is akin to an old friend. Their sound is raw and visceral to put it lightly. On their debut Descent Into Putridity influences such as Autopsy, Carcass and Dismember played a large part throughout. It was an exercise in speed and brutality that hit hard and got out quick. On their second full length, Of Despair, the band retains their gritty, raw sound but tightens the songwriting and adds a heavy dose of melodicism as well as (gasp) slower sections. No fear though, the end result is a truly exciting and utterly mesmerizing second effort. Mastermind Dan Alderson discusses this change as well as many other things after the jump.

Sophomore outings can be a make or break affair and it’s always amazing to me when a band retools their sound — whether large or small — and returns with something that is at once different but completely better than before, particularly in death metal. Horrified have done that here and in grand fashion. Just the melodic aspect alone is enough to make this case, but with longer songs there’s more time to really dive in and dissect all the differences. So without further ado…

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Of Despair is not so much of a departure from Descent Into Putridity as it does a great job of expanding on that sound. Here though, the shift to slower, methodical parts and a larger focus on guitar work gives the album some serious depth and it truly sounds amazing. What led you to make this change and was there any specific influence that made you go this route?

Thank you for your kind words within the question. Of Despair was intended to be emotionally involving and “epic” sounding. I think outside of our well-documented influences, While Heaven Wept were a massive influence in those parts of the album you just mentioned.

One thing I find intriguing about this album is that while it does have a throwback feel to the early days of death metal and Swe-death, it’s also immensely full of fresh ideas and at times progressive thinking. Was this the intent going in or did it just happen that way?

I think this is largely due to taking influence from a few different scenes that took place in the early-to-mid 90’s, whilst also taking influence from some newer bands (Horrendous and the aforementioned While Heaven Wept, for example) A recent review of our album from The Sound Not The Word said that we weren’t hero-worshipping our influences, but “expanding on their legacies”. I was humbled by this as it was pretty much my exact intention, to try and take that influence but look much more inward when writing the music, which lead to the more original sounding material of this album over the debut.

If there was one main goal for this album what was it? And why?

Personally: To hopefully have a few people get exactly where the music came from and have it hit home.

As a band: To take several steps forward and show people we aren’t intent on standing still as a band rehashing old material. We will be constantly evolving and aiming to push ourselves forward in every department, and this will only continue with future releases.

How was it working with Damian Herring (Horrendous) for the mixing and mastering this time out?

Really laid back and just a lot of fun to work with, when I couple this with the results he achieved for us, it was pretty much the best and most painless production phase of an album I’ve ever worked on so far.

Comparisons can be drawn between Horrified and Horrendous but what I specifically like about Horrified is the raw and dirty death metal sound. It’s extremely visceral from start to finish on both albums. In this day and age it’s refreshing to hear an album or a band that retains this quality. With that said would you agree or disagree that this visceral sound and feel in death metal is becoming more and more of a rarity?

Thank you, it all depends on the band in my opinion. As I’ve gotten older I’m not too big on these worship bands that intentionally set out to copy one band aesthetically and musically, anyone reading this will probably have a few names running round in their head. I think there are a lot of great new bands, like Horrendous, Skeletal Remains and Dead Congregation in the death metal genre. But those worship bands don’t come off as heavy because you can almost pinpoint which riff they have reworked for their material haha.

You guys are from the UK and began in 2012, can you give us a little more backstory on how the band came to be?

It’s well documented that the band started off as a studio-based side project which then evolved into a full live act in 2013. We went through a period of on-and-off activity, but now we do the band pretty regularly and have lots of plans for the future. It pretty much came to be when I posted the demo we did publicly, it got a few bites from musicians in the local scene wanting to have a jam on the material, we played our first gig in November 2013, and it started from there.

Listening to both albums you proudly wear your influences on your sleeve and even more so on this one, but I know there are a few hidden gems that aren’t so apparent. If you will, name a few of these and how they tie in directly to your sound?

I’ve mentioned While Heaven Wept a few times, which are a big influence for those sad, gripping melodies displayed across the album. Hell, the title track is hugely inspired by them. I’d also say that Woods of Desolation (who are one of my favorite bands) inspire me to make really bleak music, which you might be able to hear a bit of a nod to them with the harmony parts in the end of Dreamer of Ages.

Album closer “The Ruins That Remain” is my favorite death metal track at the moment. Thrashing fast parts, slow and lumbering death parts along with a very dark atmosphere are just a few reasons for this, but the fantastic songwriting and structure stands out the most. What goes into your writing process? 

Ah man, I’m really glad you like this one so much, as it’s easily my favorite track I wrote for the album. I can sum the writing process to be an amalgamation of musical influences, and wanting to express myself more now, I think we paint more of a picture with our songs and structures now, as you said. This would have never have come about if I didn’t get so heavily into fantasy literature. Reading a book can have just as an influence on me as anything else.

You had stated you wanted the music to be “as emotionally involving as well as outright savage”. Personally I believe you succeeded, do you feel the same?

The album has a big dynamic, it has riffs, melodies, slow parts, clean guitars etc. If guys doing good press such as yourselves are getting it, then I think so. Hopefully this happens on a big scale when the album is released.

Of Despair will be released on Stormspell Records, how did this deal come about and are you still working at all with Memento Mori?


Our previous label didn’t like our new direction, due to being dedicated to the classic filthy death metal approach. The album is also coming out on tape and vinyl via Till You Fukkin Bleed and Infernal Devastation Records, respectively. I just contacted as many labels as possible once the album was finished.

The album art is as dark and foreboding as the music, can you tell us a little about the cover, artist and how all that came together?

I’d been a fan of Raul’s (Raul Gonzalez) art for many years and I knew he would be able to nail the landscape/Necrolord-influenced art style. He was quite up for emulating it and people seem to really like it. We were all hyped how the art turned out.

What does the imminent future hold for the band and will we get to see you guys over here in the States at all?

We may or may not already have plans for our next release, with new material written and plans to record it etc. We have a tour in April with Skelethal and Decrepid and a few other one-offs planned, including playing a small DIY outdoor festival in Wales this August. Sadly, due to the current visa issues and how much it would take to get over there, many things would have to fall into place for us to come to the USA. But if people wanted us to come and we had the support to do it, we would kill to get over there.

Is there anything at all you’d like to add?

Thank you for conducting the interview and for everyone’s continued support. So far the response from press about this album has humbled us, it means more than people know. Make sure to keep an eye out for updates in regards to the release for Of Despair. Out through the months of March – May on various formats!

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Many thanks to Dan for his time.

– Josh

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Of Despair will be available March 25 on Stormspell Records. For more information on Horrified visit the band’s Facebook page.

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