Mit ihrer kompromisslosen Mischung aus Härte und Verletzlichkeit haben sich Dying Wish als eine der eindrucksvollsten Stimmen im modernen Metalcore etabliert. Nach dem gefeierten Symptoms of Survival aus dem vergangenen Jahr meldet sich die Band aus Portland, Oregon nun mit ihrem bislang kühnsten Werk zurück: Flesh Stays Together, das am 26. September über SharpTone Records erscheint. Produziert von Will Putney, führt das Album die Band in noch düsterere und cineastischere Gefilde – es setzt sich mit Themen wie Trauer, Verrat und politischer Unruhe auseinander und klingt dabei ebenso brachial wie eindringlich. Im Vorfeld ihrer Europatour mit Malevolence haben wir mit Sängerin Emma Boster und Gitarrist Pedro Carrillo über die Dringlichkeit des neuen Albums, die emotionale Wucht der Single „I’ll Know You’re Not Around“ und den Spagat zwischen Verletzlichkeit und der ungebremsten Energie ihrer Liveshows gesprochen.
Frontstage Magazine: You’ve just announced Flesh Stays Together — before we dive into the heavier themes, how are you all feeling right now as the album finally starts making its way into the world?
Pedro: I’m excited and terrified. I feel like that’s pretty common after a new album because you hope people will see your vision with something new attached.
Emma: What P said. It hasn’t been long since we wrote and recorded the album let alone approve the final mixes, artwork etc. It feels like it’s all happening so fast. In the past I have been so anxious to share music with the world but this time feels different for whatever reason. A lot of the topics we address are so deeply important to me. The sound is something that we really think will turn a lot of heads. So it’s definitely stressful to feel so many eyes on you.
Frontstage Magazine Emma, in your statement you described the record as “a vicious wake-up call.” Could you elaborate on what personal or global events shaped that urgency, and how you translated those feelings into the music?
Emma: We’re witnessing the most documented genocide in real time that our governments are funding with our tax dollars. Meanwhile, people go jobless, hungry and unhoused in our own communities. The political state of not only the United States but globally is one of the most drastic situations we’ve found ourselves to be in my lifetime. It feels as if the majority of our society is content with just watching it and letting it happen before our eyes without speaking up or making uncomfortable sacrifices. Eventually it will become a problem that spreads into the fabric of every home.
It was inevitable that this was going to bleed into the record. Whether the issues we wrote about were personal or political – it’s always been intertwined. I feel that not only the lyrics were devastating but the story that the instruments tell as well. The overall theme of the record is dark, moody and depressing.
Frontstage Magazine: The first single, “I’ll Know You’re Not Around”, tackles themes of dependency, betrayal, and grief. Was there a particular moment or experience that became the seed for this track?
Pedro: We’re not a religious band but that theme bleeds into a lot of the songs on the album. “I’ll know you’re not around” to me translates to the idea of watching god or whoever you believe in abandon you while all these atrocities are happening in this world. You almost can feel the absence when another tragedy hits. If they “higher power”, are supposed to be watching over us while all of this is happening around the world, maybe they have stopped, you know?
Emma: I second what P said. However, I also see this through the lens of the intense divisiveness in our society. How can normal citizens turn their backs on one another because of what a politician or authoritative figure dictates? “A cycle we can’t break how much trauma can humanity take? A life in agony is worse than death, I no longer care what comes next” is about being abandoned or forgotten by the world in your worst moments.
Frontstage Magazine: Pedro, you mentioned that this song opens up new possibilities for the band’s vulnerability. How do you balance exposing that raw emotional side with the aggressive energy your fans expect from Dying Wish?
Pedro: It’s not something we initially think about when putting words on a paper. I think Emma and I love being honest when it comes to writing. Whatever emotion or thing we want to say is easily complimented by the music. You’ll have songs like revenge in carnage and nothing like you, both equally heavy songs but filtered through a very different lens. For our live setting, the contrast between our songs gives the listener more to digest. We have the gift of having songs you want to spinkick to and songs that can make you actually feel something. Both of them are real and authentic. And I think people tend to gravitate more towards bands that are unapologetically authentic.
Frontstage Magazine: You worked again with producer Will Putney, known for pushing bands toward heavier, more intense sounds. How did his approach influence the sonic identity of Flesh Stays Together compared to Symptoms of Survival?
Emma: We were on a mission with Will to rely less on emulating a throwback metalcore sound and to establish more of our own unique sound. With that we wanted to incorporate more cleans – but not in a radio friendly way. The cleans are still melodic but they’re heavier and more haunting. We wanted to sing more over heavier riffs where it has never really been done before. The range we have established between our heaviest songs and our ballads was something we really wanted to nail on this record. It’s exciting to be able to do so many different things as a band.
Frontstage Magazine: The album title and tracklist suggest a strong visual and almost cinematic narrative. Do you see this record as a concept album, or are the songs more like snapshots of different emotional states?
Pedro: It’s definitely its own world. Pushing the cinematic elements is something I’ve really wanted to do for a long time. We took themes of the human experience and placed it into our own demented setting. You have songs about grief and loss but also about love and acceptance of one’s mistakes. All things that people are going through right now in this cesspool we call life. Some songs are very personal and some songs are just observations. I want the listener to be able to dive in and find things more hidden between the lines and the pictures on the record.
Frontstage Magazine: You’ll be touring the UK and Europe this autumn, including several shows in Germany. What’s your relationship with your German audience, and what can fans here expect from these upcoming performances?
Emma: To be completely honest I’m not convinced Germany really fucks with us yet. We’ve had some shows that were winners but for the most part I’m not convinced the crowds we have played to there like us. Our hope every time we come to Germany is to finally break through and we will give it everything we got until that happens.
Fotocredit: Imani Givertz
