With just a few short weeks away from the release of ENEMY INSIDE’s third album, “Venom,” we caught up with the band to talk about the new studio offering, how the band’s sound morphed through the years, and what could be improved on the metal scene, among many other things. Read the full interview below…
Hello and thank you for doing this interview! How are you doing?
Hey, thank you so much for the interview! We’re doing great. Right now, we’re busy preparing for our album release and gearing up for the upcoming tour in February and March.
Your third album, “Venom,” drops on February 28th, and it’s a much heavier and more distorted affair than “Seven.” Was there much discussion about the musical direction, or did you have a clear creative vision of where you wanted to go from the previous album to this one?
Actually, we didn’t have any big discussions about the musical direction. We always write as a duo, and for this album, we didn’t have a concrete vision in mind. Instead, we just started writing freely without setting any boundaries, especially when it came to incorporating influences from other genres. This approach really made the creative process much easier and more inspiring for us.
There’s certainly a modern vibe to the sound design of this album. Are there any contemporary bands that you find particularly influential towards the band’s current sound?
The album could definitely appeal to fans of BRING ME THE HORIZON, I PREVAIL, BAD OMENS, or SPIRITBOX. That said, we didn’t set out to sound like any specific band. Our main goal was to find and refine our own unique sound. It’s hard to pinpoint direct influences because that happens more subconsciously – we’re naturally shaped by the music we listen to or have listened to in the past. Each song on the album has its own distinct vibe, so it’s not easy to label it as just one particular style or sound.
“Venom” has a lot of diversity, a lot of elements that are new for the band. Were these elements really new or were they there before, but not as visible as they are on this record?
We think there are definitely a lot of new elements on “Venom” compared to “Phoenix” and “Seven.” Of course, some things have stayed the same because we still want to sound like ourselves and keep our core sound intact. But this time, we’ve added a lot of fresh elements. For example, the rap parts are something completely new for us – we didn’t have anything like that on the previous albums. Overall, we’d say “Venom” definitely brings a lot of new ideas to the table that weren’t present before.
Is there any section in this album that you’re particularly proud of having written or played?
We’re actually very proud of the album as a whole. We truly believe it doesn’t have any filler tracks – every song stands strong on its own.
What can you tell us about “Venom” in terms of lyrical content? Is there an overarching theme to the album?
It’s not a concept album, but there is definitely a recurring theme that runs through it. The entire album revolves around everything toxic – whether it’s relationships, self-destructive behavior, friendships, or anything else that drags you down. It’s about breaking free from those things, reclaiming your strength, and finding empowerment.
Were there any challenges during the recording process, or did everything go smoothly?
Actually, both the recording and writing processes went very smoothly. We didn’t face any major issues or moments of frustration, as can sometimes happen. I think the most challenging song for me to write was “Sayonara,” particularly on a lyrical level. It took me quite a while to develop the main idea behind the song.
For example, the working title at first was “Fuck Yeah,” based on the opening part with the children’s choir chanting. But I wasn’t happy with that and spent a long time thinking about what word or title would fit better and how to shape the story behind it. Once I figured out the concept, everything started to fall into place quickly. However, it’s a very text-heavy song, with rap parts that required a lot of work. So while it took the longest to get started, the inspiration came flooding in once I found the direction.
I really like the variety of sounds that is on the album, especially vocal-wise. How did you, Nastassja, approach the vocal melodies?
Thank you so much! There wasn’t really a specific approach to writing the vocal melodies. When I work on them, I just let my emotions guide me without overthinking. I simply improvise until it feels right and fits the mood of the song.
Speaking of the vocals, there are three interesting collaborations on this album. Can you tell us more about who the guest musicians are and how these collaborations came to be?
We have three amazing special guests on the album. First, there’s Zak Tell from CLAWFINGER. We had the chance to support CLAWFINGER at a show in Pfaffenhofen, where we first met. Over time, we kept in touch, running into each other again at various festivals. When we wrote “Fuck That Party,” we knew we wanted a rap part, and Zak was the first person who came to mind. We reached out to him, and he was immediately on board.
Next, we have Mirza Radonjica from SIAMESE. We discovered SIAMESE through Spotify and were instantly drawn to Mirza’s incredible voice. We thought his vocals would fit perfectly on the track, so we reached out to him. We’re beyond happy with the result and love how our voices harmonize together.
Finally, we worked with Davey Suicide. I’ve been a fan of his music for a while, and we actually have a mutual fan who helped connect us. Davey was very enthusiastic about collaborating, and we’re thrilled with how all the features turned out on the album.
As a follow-up question, do you think these collaborations are important to expand the fan bases or do you do it to better serve the songs?
Primarily, it was about making the songs more interesting and giving them a fresh and unique sound. The features really added a level-up to the tracks. But of course, having guest artists also helps you tap into a different fan base and reach new listeners, which is definitely a bonus.
“Venom” is packed with singles! What led you to release so many tracks ahead of the album release?
This was mainly because we had so many songs that we saw as really strong and fitting as singles. We didn’t want them to get lost on the album, as singles often get more attention compared to the other tracks. Since we had so many powerful songs, we wanted to give each of them the spotlight they deserved by releasing them as singles.
How has the feedback for the new album been so far?
The feedback so far has been very positive. Of course, there will always be people who don’t like certain things – that’s just the way it is. We’re also aware that we may have lost a few fans since our sound has evolved quite a bit compared to our first album. But for us, this change was necessary because, as musicians, we have to create what we love. At the end of the day, we’re the ones who hear the songs the most.
That said, the majority of the feedback has been amazing. People have really embraced the new direction and the songs we’ve released so far, calling them one banger after another. We’re super happy with the response.
The artwork for “Venom” is striking! Can you tell us a bit about the concept behind it and how it came together?
The idea with the 3D glasses actually came from me. I remember seeing a photo with that red-blue effect – I think it was on Pinterest – and I thought it would be super cool to incorporate something like that into the CD design. I hadn’t really seen any bands do something like that with 3D glasses before, so I thought it would be a fun and unique idea. The artwork itself was created by David Hadarik, and we built the concept around this vision of combining the 3D effect with the album’s themes. It all came together really well, and we’re really happy with the result.
Do you have any live shows or tours planned to promote the album?
Yes, absolutely! We’re going on tour in February and March, playing shows in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Czechia, Poland, Finland, and Denmark. We’re really excited and can’t wait to perform the new material live. I’m especially looking forward to playing “Sayonara” and “Fuck That Party” because they’re such high-energy songs, and I think they’re going to be amazing live.
Finally, what is something you’d like to see change or improve in the metal scene?
I think it’s great to see more women being represented in the scene, and I also love that more bands are stepping outside of the typical standard metal sound and blending it with other genres. It makes everything more interesting and dynamic.
That said, one thing I’d really like to see improve is tolerance within the scene. While metal fans often demand tolerance from others, there’s still a lot of narrow-mindedness within the community itself. For example, the so-called ‘metal police’ who believe only one subgenre is valid, while everything else is ‘not metal enough’ or ‘wrong.’
We need more variation and open-mindedness. If you don’t like something, you don’t have to listen to it – there are endless options on Spotify, YouTube, and elsewhere. No one is forcing you to listen to a particular band or style. What I wish for is a more accepting attitude. Metal is supposed to be about freedom and individuality, yet sometimes it feels like it has some of the most rigid rules. Let’s embrace the diversity instead of tearing it down.
Any final words for our readers?
As mentioned, we’re heading out on a European tour in February and March, and we can’t wait to see you all there! We’re excited to share the new songs with you live – it’s going to be an amazing time. See you on the road!
Interview by Andrea Crow
