Interviews: Extinction In Progress

This is a new interview with the Alternative Death Metal band Extinction In Progress from Finland. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you plan it or come out just like that?

We had some discussions about it, took the best ones, and voted for the one we liked the most, that being Extinction In Progress. The name has a double-meaning, is extinction something that's already happening, or is the progress of mankind on the brink of extinction? You tell me!

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

We all really enjoy heavy, fast music, so it kind of came naturally to us. We've had quite a lot of discussion about the genre that we're playing. Could it be "blackened death metal", "death metal", "melodic death metal"? "Alternative death metal" was the closest that could group all the different styles of music in the new album.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Antti: I and Atte had some jams before we had this band. We played some drum&bass versions of Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying etc. I knew Juho, and we asked him to come and try vocals with us. Later our first guitarist would quit the band, so I asked my classmate Joni to join the band. Samuli actually had another band who had the same rehearsal place as us. We would try to convince him that we needed a solo guitarist, but he wasn't that interested in joining us. Luckily we were determined enough to persuade him, and he gave up.

4. Each band member's favorite band?

Antti: Right now it's probably Vildhjarta or Gunship, but all-time, Circle of Contempt.

Juho: Can't name just one, but Kardashev, Job For A Cowboy, and Swallow The Sun all rank very high in my list.

Joni: Lately I’ve been listening to lots of Porcupine Tree / Steven Wilson’s solo stuff. Metalwise I’ve been listening to Panopticon's recent album every now and then since its release.

Atte: It’s very hard to say only one band but I would say Amorphis.

Samuli: Iron Maiden

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

This new album has taken a lot of inspiration from the work of Tove Jansson. There are also lyrical and musical themes coming from things like video games and anime. Mostly stuff from our childhood. Can you tell which ones?

6. Where was your last gig?

20.11.21 @ Volume Metal Night in Vaasa. We played alongside Nicole, Dead Shape Figure and When We Buried The Ringmaster.

7. Where would you like to act?

Wacken open air.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Antti: I, personally, would love to play with Misery Index.

Juho: Kardashev

9. Whom not?

Of course, we would prefer to play with bands that play somewhat of the same type of genre that we do. We’ve had our fair share of playing in the same evening with something totally different from us e.g humor- or jazz orchestras. We’ve made great memories of those nights but for the audience, it probably would’ve been better to have more of the one thing, rather than a little bit of everything.

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?

Antti: I think all of us do. It's gotten a lot easier now, but we all still are a bit nervous before a show. Just do your warm-up routines, don't go on stage when you're drunk, and try to enjoy the moment.

Joni: Practice! The better you can play the songs off stage, the better they are going to sound on stage. Stage fright is at its worst just before you’re walking to the stage. When you manage through the first song it's going to get a lot easier.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Slayer inspired us to start playing instruments, The Faceless, The Black Dahlia Murder, Wintersun and Swallow the Sun inspired us to write music.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

Antti: This one time, for some reason I had to sign our EP to a fan with the pen being between my buttocks.

Joni: One fan wanted me to give him some guitar lessons. Since I don’t really think of myself as a teacher I pointed him to some guys that I think know teaching stuff better. Later I videotaped him an instruction video of one of our songs that he wanted to learn.

13. What do you think of your fans?

If there's anyone that loves the music we make, we love them.

14. What do you think of our site?

A professionally made page that also gives a spotlight to smaller bands: love it!

15. Something to add?

Our debut album Shades of Pale is out now, go listen to it on all major streaming platforms!!