With their genre-defying sound and reputation for pushing musical boundaries, IGORRR return this fall with their long-awaited new album, “Amen,” out September 19th, 2025, via Metal Blade Records. At the center of this new chapter is vocalist JB La Baille, who joined the band in 2021 and has since become an integral part of its evolution. We sat down with JB to talk about the making of “Amen,” the creative process behind the record, and what fans can expect from the upcoming tours. Watch the interview here or read the full transcript below…
Hi there, and thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. How are you doing? How has your summer been?
I’m doing good, pretty good. And yes, everything is cool so far. I had a really quiet summer, so it’s been really interesting and easy.
I guess you’ve also been preparing for the release. Your new record, Amen, is set to be released very soon. How are you feeling about it?
I mean, we are slightly but surely getting involved in the preparation of the tour. And we are also doing some promotions, some interviews right now. But now we are a little bit busy with the tour. The tour is coming up in October, doing all the preparation and brainstorming. And everything that’s around the release of the album. So we are going to be a little bit more busy, but it’s really exciting.
It’s also been five years since IGORRR released new music. “Spirituality and Distortion“ came out at the beginning of the pandemic, if I remember correctly. Since then, there’s been a lineup change — you joined the band in 2021. Was that part of the reason it took a few years for this record to be finished?
Yes, I think so. I think that the band had to process all the pandemic-related things. It was really difficult, I think so, to have an album released during the pandemic. It was not before or after, but it was really during the pandemic. So we had to reschedule all the tours, and there were plenty of tours planned. So we had to really focus on every problem one after the other. So first, that was to reschedule the tour. Also, a few members quit the band, and we had some changes. So we had to deal with that. And after that, we had a few years of intense touring. And also during that time, Gautier took some time to create the new album. So it took some time between the tours and stuff like this to do it properly, if I can say so.
Usually, when someone joins a band, it’s first the record and then the tour. In your case, it’s been the opposite. Has it been nice to really get to know the band on a personal level while touring before recording an album together?
Yes, that was really interesting to do it that way. Because we had to know each other to see if we could get along with everyone. And I mean, there were already some guys. I mean, Martyn, the guitar player, and Sylvain, the drummer, were playing with IGORRR already a few years now. But for me, especially, I really discovered the band as a touring member. And I think that time and all the touring experience we had during the first few years really built up the way of every person can get along and get work all together. And we had all this talk about music in general that really drives the essence of the album. So I think during that touring time, we had the opportunity to really know each other better and to really know how to deal and communicate to work on the new album.
Everybody knows Gautier has very varied tastes in music. For you personally, do you listen to the same things as he does, or something completely different?
To be fairly honest, we have a lot of bands in common. But some bands and musical tastes that are in a way connected to IGORRR. For example, we are big fans of RADIOHEAD, me and him. We are also really fans of Jeff Buckley and stuff like this. MUSE, for example. So that’s not the band that you’re picking up when you’re thinking about IGORRR. But there are some elements that you can sometimes feel about it. In terms of extreme music also, we are really connected with all the CANNIBAL CORPSE, MAYHEM album and everything that comes to extreme music. We are really on the same page. And even in electronic music in general, I have my taste, he has his own taste. Maybe he’s listening to more extreme electronic music than I am. But since we are working together, I have also discovered a lot of new stuff. Which is really interesting. So yes, we have some common tastes.
Do you feel that to sing in this band, you have to be very open-minded about music in general?
Yes, I think otherwise you cannot really do it. That was my main concern when I joined the band at the first point. My first question was, do you think I am the right person to hire? And he was really confident about it. Me, I was maybe more skeptical during the first few months. But I really thought about it. And then when we agreed to work together, everything went great.
IGORRR started as Gautier’s solo project, but in the press release and on the website, it feels more like a full band now. Has that changed anything in the songwriting process? Did you have input as well?
I think it’s a long process since the beginning of the band. I do think that in every album he is slightly opening up the musical texture and the musical influence. And also he is bringing more other people from the official members. Also in all the collaboration with all the other musicians that he can hire to play the instruments that are in the album. So I think he is more open. So you have to really deal with it. To know what is your place, what you can bring. And also to know the boundaries and to also work for the project and also for him to empower his own vision. That’s how I see it. So if you really know what place you have, I think the thing could be really easy. And also I do think, I don’t know if it’s on purpose, but since I have joined the band at the beginning of the tour, he was creating music while we were on tour. I mean, apart of the touring. So I do think that maybe my vibe inspired him to write some more extreme and dark music that are the thing that I listen the most in the metal music. So maybe the fact that I joined the band inspired him. But I do think that he created some stuff for my voice. I am positive about that.
It’s been interesting to follow the process, since you’ve been posting little social media videos. I saw a clip of how “Infestis” was recorded, where you’re singing, and unlike many bands in the studio, you throw your whole body into it. It looked very intense. Is that something you do with every song, or is it just natural for you?
Yes, I try to give everything that I had in every recording session. So with Gautier, for example, it didn’t take us that much time to record every song because we live pretty close to each other. So we can work together and do a really decent pre-production before the real recording happened. But yes, the main goal is to give everything and capture this really energetic vibe to the final product and the album. And that’s the way I also sing. I don’t think that I’m particularly really talented as a technician, but the strength and the power that I give when I’m singing and screaming is the way I am and the way I like to sing.
Of course, fans know the lyrics are made-up words with no meaning. Gautier has also said he wants to avoid intellectual meaning in the music, and that the voice is an instrument to him. As a singer, how do you approach this? Is it difficult to interpret the emotions you need to put in?
That’s a really interesting point because that’s the first time that I have to work like this. So for me, as you can see, it’s really important. The energy that you put in the songs and the meaning that’s behind it is really driving how the performance could get recorded. So what we did on the recording process and even on the writing process is that we took some time to really discuss about the songs and what he really had in mind. So first of all, that helped me a lot to see what kind of type of voice I will use for the songs. And also he’s really seeing stuff and music as colors. So we tried to adapt a common language to talk to each other. And so since then, we really talked a lot about the songs or we see the songs that he wanted in his mind. And then after it was really easy to write some stuff and to have a good balance between the texture and also the rhythmic parts and how it can groove and stuff like this. So even if there is no proper lyrics, there is a sense behind this, which is maybe more important.
Some songs feel more personal for him, like “ADHD,” for instance. Do you need to know a person very well to give the right feeling when you sing? Do you need to be good friends?
I think there are certain songs that he really wrote by himself. For example, “ADHD” was a song that he completely did on his own. But for example, “Infestis” was a song that I was really involved in, about the sense of the songs. And also we had a really long chat about my perception of the track and the music and the meaning that I really wanted to put in. And also this kind of dialogue between my part and the opera singing part and what was the meaning of this allure to go and back. For me, it’s like a dialogue. So it was really interesting to put some meaning into that.
Did you discover any new vocal techniques or things you hadn’t done before while making this album?
Kind of. That was more pushing my boundaries to 200% because it’s really demanding technically to record stuff like this. There are some parts that I didn’t know I would be able to do it. So we tried and finally we did it. That was more on that part. I think I really improved myself as a singer with this experience in the writing process but also in the execution.
Was there a specific song that you struggled with the most?
Maybe the song… There is this song, “Headbutt” at the end, that was really tricky. In terms of intensity and also technique and speed, and everything. Also, what song was really hard? I think “Headbutt.” Maybe “Mustard Mucous” was really challenging but those are the two songs that are on my mind.
Funny you say that — “Headbutt” was also on my mind. The album also features musicians like Scott Ian and Trey Spruance. How does it feel to have such legendary people involved? Did you get to meet them?
Yes. We had the chance to meet them while we were on tour. A year ago. I think it came really naturally. The thing that is great is that we didn’t force them. I mean, you cannot force anyone to be on an album but that was really easy. They are fans of the band, which is really cool. So we never really thought that it would be possible to have such a guest like this. So we are really humbled about it. And the fact that they were super enthusiastic about the featuring and they did something really cool. So we are more than grateful about that. And they have been really supportive. Both Trey and Scott really praised the record and they gave us really good feedback. So it’s really cool for the confidence for the release.
I also saw a video where Gautier and some others were making a gong. Are you involved in those crazy ideas too? What’s your reaction when he brings them up?
I’m more the type of guy that would say, come on Gautier, not again. I mean, I cannot say anything. He always gets these crazy ideas. So we try to help him at least to make it happen. But in this case, once he told me, yes, I really want to make a gong with a big… I don’t know the English name of this, but I was like, okay, do it. If you want to do it, do it. And he did it. So that’s generally, when he had something in mind, it’s generally, it’s happening after all.
When you’re in a band with someone so creative, who comes up with these wild ideas, does it also inspire you to come up with your own?
That’s interesting. No, because I don’t think that’s part of my personality. So I’m more like a bit surprised. Every time he came up with something like this, I’m like, come on. But it’s funny in a way. I’m maybe a little bit more serious when it comes to music and stuff like this. But I’m always surprised and that’s always crazy and funny to see.
I imagine when he hears an interesting sound somewhere, he records it. Do you do that too, or is that more his thing?
Yes, that’s that kind of person. When sometimes you hear something that’s interesting, he’s going to bring a microphone and try to sample. I am more into sampling music that I like. For example, I’m always on, in an observation of my ear, I’m always open to hear some stuff and some music. So I’m always listening to music and in the process to discover new stuff. So that’s more my path on the creative process. Then I’m more into music than sounds.
Earlier you mentioned upcoming tours that you’re already preparing for. How are you feeling about those?
I do think it’s going to be a big step for the band and also for us because that’s the first album that we are… It’s the first album we created together. So it’s going to be a new song that we’re going to perform. So to present those songs live was going to be really exciting. It’s going to… I’m sure it’s going to be cool because we really thought about those songs like, okay, all these songs can really be in life. So pretty excited about this. And also we have like a ton of work to do it, to really perform the songs correctly. So it’s going to take some times, but I’m sure it’s going to be cool. And the fact that we have two separate tours, one in October, one in February, I think it’s a good idea for everyone to have a big run. So yes, I hope that the people will come and enjoy.
Are there any songs from the new record you’re especially looking forward to playing live?
Yeah, “Infestis” is one of the songs that I’m really looking forward to play. The songs also, the song “Daemoni” also. It’s also part of my favorite song of the album. And maybe some surprise. So we are still figuring out what songs we’re going to perform. We are discussing about it.
What about the production — are you planning to make the live show different from your previous headlining tours? Are you trying to raise the bar there too?
Yes, that’s the plan. But we have to be really careful about what we are doing because we try to evolve, but not too much because in terms of investment, we have to be careful about all this kind of stuff. But for sure, it’s going to be bigger and strange also. So yeah, I think it’s going to be surprising.
I’m really looking forward to that. That’s about it from me. Do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share with your fans?
I hope you’re going to enjoy the album and come to the show in Finland. I do remember that the show we played in Finland in Helsinki was part of the best of the tour. We really loved the vibe and the crowd. So yes, I hope we’re going to have some fun and we’re going to play back in Finland.
