Ahead of their recent visit to the UK, we had a chat to Pepe from Danish heavyweights HateSphere to find out about their new album, new vocalist and the Danish metal scene. Read on…

Planet Loud – So, how are things with Hatesphere today?
Hatesphere – Quite good, thank you. Currently on a small European tour promoting the new album. Looking forward to playing our asses off.

Planet Loud – You’ve just put out your new album, The Great Bludgeoning. The title is self-explainitory but could you tell anyone who hasn’t heard the album a bit about it?
Hatesphere – The title describes the music pretty well – and the way that we feel our music makes people feel. Going to a HateSphere show should make you pretty beaten up, hence the title. Anyway, besides being a cool title for a kick ass album, the title gives you an idea of what you’re about to go through from the time you press ‘play’. At the same time it’s a powerful image. When I try to picture what “The Great Bludgeoning” would look like, I always get this morbid image of a guy with a club standing on top of big pile of dead bodies. “The Great Bludgeoning” is the way this world works, I guess. If you want to be on top, you will always leave a bloody trail behind you. The music itself has turned into a more old school HateSphere direction.

Planet Loud – The Danish metal scene isn’t one we hear a lot about, is it a tough scene or are their plenty of opportunities within Denmark for metal bands?
Hatesphere – Metal is still underground in Denmark but it¹s also getting more attention nowadays. We just won a Gaffa Award for the best hard rock album of 2011 – Gaffa being a national music zine, not metal, but quite alternative – and that pretty much shows that it¹s getting more accepted. We have a lot of bands but they are not all good enough to make themselves heard abroad. It¹s still the same 5 bands that are having some international success, and it that sense it¹s not good enough.

Planet Loud – You made your first trip to North America last year, what was that like? Any good stories you can tell us?
Hatesphere – It was really fantastic. In North America we have a few die hard fans that have waited like 10 years to see us live… and apart from that we are a pretty unknown band over there. It was quite cool to experience being the underdogs again, hehe. And being part of two great tours with The Black Dahlia Murder and Nevermore was great as well!!!! We had a lot of great experiences and a lot of trouble with the border authorities between the US and Canada, hehe, but pretty much everybody has
that.

Planet Loud – In terms of touring for the new record, what are your plans?
Hatesphere – We have had one tour this fall and are now touring again now in December. We have plans for a EU support tour, a Russian tour and Scandinavian dates in the spring of 2012. Then summer festivals and most likely a US tour in the fall of 2012.

Planet Loud – As we’ve touched on, the title indicates a fairly brutal album and that is the case. What did you want to achieve with it?
Hatesphere – Simply making people aware of how our music sounds, how it affects us and how it will affect others going to our shows. HateSphere has always been about violent music and having fun on stage. Come join us, that¹s what the title wants everybody to do!

Planet Loud – What was the inspiration lyrically and musically for the record?
Hatesphere – The lyrics are for the most part tales of (and views on) everyday life through a more or less dark or pessimistic lense. They are tales of ruined lifes, self-hate, greed, thoughtlessness and more. And each song stands either on the victim’s or the offender’s side in the great bludgeoning.

Planet Loud – TGB is also the first album with your new vocalist, tell us a bit about him and what he brings to the band?
Hatesphere – Esse comes out of the Danish underground, having sung in As We Fight and Stomped, and still singing in Numbnuts. He is by far the most diverse vocalist we have ever had, and brings a lot of new energy and new ideas to the band. His lyrics fits the universe of HateSphere as well, and as soon as we knew, that he was as fond of drinking and hate as we were, we knew we had the right guy, haha.

Planet Loud – You’re doing a couple of dates in the UK shortly, any message for fans coming along?
Hatesphere – We look forward to finally coming back, and we will be back in 2012 as well for sure!

Planet Loud – What are your goals for 2012 for the band?
Hatesphere – World domination!!! Well, no.. actually just bringing it as far as we can, having as much fun as we can! We will never be the biggest band in the world but we are happy about what we have achieved – and we simply look forward to kicking ass around the world again!

Planet Loud – Just to finish off how would you sum up 2011 for the band? Was it a good or bad year?
Hatesphere – A very good one indeed. Finally got the line up fixed, made a new kick ass album and got on the road again!

Planet Loud – Thanks for your time. Anything else to add?
Hatesphere – Thank you!! HateSphere loves you!

Interview by Graham Finney