…and our second Profile for the week moves in a bit of a different direction! LIFESICK are releasing Loved By None, Hated By All, their new full-length, this coming Friday through Metal Blade. Leaning into the intersection of hardcore and death metal in a way that only they can, LIFESICK are about to unleash an absolute beast of a record. And there is a lot to unpack in both the sound they’ve created, and the lyrical themes within in. To support our doing exactly that, their responses can be found below as aways. Give it a read. Hit play. And prepare for its November 1st release just around the corner.

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How and when did you first get into playing music, or metal more specifically, and how did your band get its start? Any pushback from family/those close to you?

It’s very different for each member of the band, but for most of us, it started in our early teenage years. We all come from the same town, and in Fredericia, hardcore has always been a big thing, with festivals focused on extreme music genres and a vibrant skate scene. So it was easy for us to go to shows and meet different people in the underground scene. Most of us started with punk or nu-metal, and then later on, we got into more old-school metal like Slayer and Metallica. I guess for most of us, death metal came later.

We’ve all played in different metal bands, and some of us have played together in previous projects, but we all wanted to tour more and create more aggressive music. LIFESICK started with just 2-3 of us, and later we became a full five-piece band. We began rehearsing in 2014 and released our first songs in 2015. Our families have always been very supportive from the start; they’ve attended our shows, bought our merch, and helped us with cars and gear. We feel very lucky to have families that are there for LIFESICK.

How would you describe your band and what you play to someone who is completely in the dark?

When we explain our band to someone outside the underground scene, we usually say we’re a death metal band, and we often show them our song “Suicide Spell” since it’s one of our catchiest and most melodic tracks. When we talk to people who are into extreme metal genres, we describe ourselves as a mix of Terror and Slayer, with a twist of Swedish death metal (HM-2). We try to blend hardcore and death metal in most of our songwriting since those are the genres we enjoy the most. Hardcore might be where we draw most of our influences, but we incorporate death metal into the riffs to make the songs and riffs more exciting, rather than just relying on power chords and D-beat.

Is there anything about your upcoming album or about your band that no one will find in any interview or review that you care to divulge?

I feel it’s important for us to emphasize that all the songs are based on Simon’s true feelings and experiences dealing with mental health and depression. Everything on this album is not “random” material just to seem “cool.” The artwork serves as a metaphorical scenario of Simon being trapped in a sea of chaos, with both good and evil demons trying to pull him either down into the deep sea or take him away. The recordings were intentionally made using analog gear without a click track to ensure the music sounds as honest and sincere as the lyrics. Some of the parts are not “flawless” and contain small “mistakes” to reflect the honesty in Simon’s lyrics.

Any funny stories from playing shows / tours / festivals, etc?

After playing more than 300 shows, with almost all of our early tours being DIY bookings, we have quite a few stories — most of which are not suitable for public reading. One time, we played a show in the forest where the “stage” consisted of just a few euro pallets, and the power came from a generator that made as much noise as our amps. The accommodation was a concrete house without windows and no mattresses. We either thought we would be kidnapped and killed like in some Hostel movie or that we would have the best time ever; it was uncertain. So we just drank like maniacs and survived the night as best as we could. This remains quite a funny memory.

What do you see as some of the great things happening in and around the metal scene (yours or just in general) and what are some of the worst things happening right now?

I think it’s great that people are “accepting” different genres, like hardcore and death metal, as not being two separate worlds but rather genres that can be mixed and represented by different bands. It also seems like there are a lot of people attending shows these days, especially in Denmark. I think the festival Copenhell has played a significant role in making the metal genre look “cool” again. That’s nice, but there are also a lot of “mainstream” people attending these events who don’t always understand mosh pits, which can ruin the experience for many others.

Most folks have passions for a cause or causes that are close to them. What, if any, are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you / your band and how do you insert those issues into your music?

LIFESICK is not a political band, and we probably never will be. We don’t find it interesting to write or talk about at all. We’re more focused on emotions and feelings, including all the bad stuff that comes with them. Since mental health is something most of us in the band are dealing with, we feel it’s important to talk about and share with our listeners. We’ve had people contact us, saying our songs have helped them through tough times and made them feel less alone with various issues. It’s important for us to convey that no one should feel bad or alone when dealing with mental health. I feel like there are too many bands writing about monster stories or how tough they are instead of being honest and addressing important issues.

Do you have day jobs or hobbies you want to share?

3 in the band work as pedagogue, 1 is a project manager and 1 is unemployed at the moment. Pretty normal and decent lives, with girlfriends, kids etc. – But all with the same passion for metal and touring.

What advice do you have for music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?

It’s funny because we’ve never seen an actual critical interview or review of LIFESICK yet. Sometimes I wish more people would be a little more critical because it’s the mistakes and flaws that you learn from. It’s not that we don’t like it or anything; I just think it’s important for critics and reviewers to be honest and listen to the music with an open mind. They should always be open to new bands and what’s happening in the underground scene, rather than focusing solely on major bands, who don’t really need the critiques or headlines.

Any specific long term goal(s) in mind?

Our biggest goal is to tour in the US. We’ve never been there, but we feel like our band belongs there since we are very inspired by many bands from that scene, and our sound leans toward American hardcore, among other influences.

When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently?

We all enjoy country music, so that’s something we listen to a lot when driving to a show. I personally like Bon Iver a lot; their music is something I can listen to almost every day because I feel they are so talented. We also listen to a lot of hip-hop, mostly the modern trap stuff, but we’re really not picky at all — we listen to every genre. One album I really like is the new Post Malone album; I think he’s a talented artist who is very open-minded when it comes to genres.

What is the near future outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?

Right now, we don’t have any big secrets. We’re just looking forward to releasing the entire album and showing everyone the next music videos we have. We’re also hoping to share more tours in 2025.

Summarize your band in one word.

Honest.

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Many thanks to LIFESICK for the time!

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Loved By None, Hated By All is out November 1, this Friday, through Metal Blade. For more information on LIFESICK, head over to their website or give them a follow on Facebook/Instagram.