Interview with BAEST

«It would be great to work with James Hetfield!»

Danish metal band BAEST have announced the release of their epic fourth studio album entitled "Colossal". The album was co-produced by Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studios (Heaven Shall Burn, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Haunted, etc.), the record contains 9 tracks with a total length of 42 minutes, including the already released singles "Colossus" and "Imp Of The Perverse", as well as singles with guest vocals: Jesper Binzer from D-A-D on "King Of The Sun" and ORM on "Misfortunate Son". The album cover was created by Solomacello. Simon Olsen kindly answered our questions about Danish metal and the creation of the new record.

When I first listened to the album, I had the feeling that it sounds like classic metal stuff. What was your inspiration for the new album? How did classic metal influence your development in music?

- For the latest EP ‘Justitia’ from 2022, we wrote a song called ‘Ecclesia,’ which is one of our favorite songs to perform live because it’s so much fun. The song has a solo part that has a big classic heavy metal vibe to it that always blows our mind. So that part kinda sparked a lot of ideas for riffs that had sort of a classic metal vibe to them, and it felt good and extremely fun. We have a big heart for classic metal and rock like AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, ZZ Top, Whitesnake, Dio, etc., and we thought, why not try and work that feeling into some extreme stuff? IT'S EXTREMELY FUN TO PLAY, AND IT FEELS GOOD!

How would you describe the main idea of your album?

- Compared to our previous releases, we’ve tried not to get attached to a strict concept but created more free frames for ourselves to create music we think is fun. We got catchy riffs mixed with death metal intensity!

For King of the Sun, you invited Jesper Binzer. How long have you known each other, and why this choice?

- The idea of having Jesper Binzer guesting on ‘King of the Sun’ appeared very intuitively in the writing process of the song. The song has a very clear 80’s guitar rock inspiration, and with that also came a clear vision of having him singing in the bridge part of the song. We’ve met Jesper on different occasions, but the first time was during the recordings of our latest EP, ‘Justitia’, in the fall of 2021 at Lundgaard Studios when he interviewed us for a TV program on Danish national television about Danish rock history. We were very intimidated and excited at the same time because Jesper Binzer is not just some guy. No one in Denmark can talk about Danish rock history without talking about D-A-D. And from the Danish rock veterans D-A-D throughout 40 years (!), Jesper is nothing else but a DANISH ROCK LEGEND! No rock band in DK has not been influenced by D-A-D somehow—and BAEST IS NO EXCEPTION! We’re HUGE FANS! Luckily Jesper is also the kindest and most humble guy, and a few years later when we asked him if he wanted to contribute to the song he said YES! Simon sang and recorded Jesper's cue, which there is a hidden recording of somewhere. The part was forwarded to Jesper and our good friend S0ren Andersen from the Medley Studios. And the rest is now HISTORY! We’ve already had the lucky opportunity to perform ‘King of the Sun’ live with Jesper when we supported D-A-D at their Danish arena run.

Who are you planning to invite for the next features on the next albums?

- We don’t have any features planned for the next album. Right now the focus is on ‘Colossal’ and getting it out there to grow among audiences. But it would be cool to do a collab with James Hetfield one day!

What do you think could make heavy and dark music genres more popular?

- The goal and idea with heavy and dark music genres should NEVER be to reach popularity.

Which band has surprised you the most recently?

- Gojira and their performance at the Olympic Games opening ceremony 2024 in Paris. Seeing some of the Pantera reunion shows was a very pleasant surprise. The quality of King Diamond's vocals after the age of 69 is also worth mentioning!

What challenges did you face while creating the album?

- Time. It was a hectic process with songs going in and out, being added or removed at the last minute. That being said, this is our first release in four years, so we took our time writing the songs, arranging, and listening back, making it a record we are really proud of.

I saw that you are planning to play some shows after the release of the new record. Will your show include more new songs or more songs from previous albums?

- The new songs will find their place in the setlist, and we will be doing a nice mix between old and new ones. It is always nice to have more songs to choose from, and we’re slowly building up a catalog with a variety of (sort of) different genres and vibes.

Your music is pretty «angry» and «heavy,» but what are you into in your everyday life? Is there anything that doesn't fit your dark metal image?

- We would say that our music is not only angry and heavy but also funny and sexy! We embrace both light and darkness in our music. Saying that we have a “dark metal image” would be an exaggeration. We like to look cool and wear cool clothes that make us feel cool. Back at home we’re living normal lives with everyday jobs and families.

What other song would you like to have a music video for?

-We’ve already put out videos for Misfortunate Son, Colossus, Imp of the Perverse, King of the Sun, and Stormbringer. For the release of the album, we’re putting out a visualizer for the most progressive song on the album, Depraved World.

What style would you never write a song in?

- It is silly to limit yourself as a band, but reggae is a bit far-fetched. That or EDM.

What would you do if you weren't a musician?

- Probably schoolteachers and labor workers. All of us happen to have non-musical jobs for a living. In this day and age it is really difficult to make a living off just being a musician—especially in this genre. But it would be nice, one day, just to be a musician.

What is your most unforgettable memory related to music to date?

- It was pretty unbelievable to be invited to support D-A-D on their recent Danish arena tour. Supporting Arch Enemy in the USA and Canada earlier this year is also worth mentioning. Headlining Copenhell in 2022 in front of 30,000 people was also a huge experience.

Is the metal music something you want to do until you're very old?

- It is something we want to do until we don’t want to do it anymore.

Jenet Bonishi