Dear friends, in our coverage plenty was already said about the upcoming new album "Toxin" of the Czech cyber metal orchestra MINORITY SOUND (be it in the studioreport, or in the current press release). For the optimal context however, some things still needed to be added.

And that is why we made a short epistolary interview with the most appropriate man for the job - Otus, the founder and composer of MINORITY SOUND!

In it you can find out for example what each song on "Toxin" is about, how this album evolved music-wise in comparion with its predecessors, or what is the relation between the frontcover art and the subject matter of the full-length

 


 And since the interview is in Czech, here is an English transcript

1) Is this album for your band more important than the previous ones?

Every album is important for us, and each one in a different way. What matters more is what each album means for us. And in this case, we agreed that this piece is the most sophisticated one, be it in terms of songwriting, of sound, as well as in terms of lyrics or album art. Everything fits together like never before. Nothing was rushed. We had plenty of time to go over everything repeatedly. “Toxin” is thus way ahead of all our previous full-lengths in every aspect.

2) In a short period of time you are the third band we work with that accentuates substance abuse issue on an album. Is it a coincidence, or is this subject matter in general now more in the spotlight, or perhaps that as you get older, you become more critical of this matter?

I must admit that I am not aware of the other two ones. And I am also questioning whether our piece is accentuating the drug thing too much. To put it differently, “Toxin” is not overtly critical towards substances. It is not the classic warning in the sense of “don’t do drugs, they will destroy your life”. Everybody knows that! It is more about addiction in general, wherein the toxin stands a symbol. A poison that can come in any shape or form. From a symbolic standpoint, we however found the most obvious one to be the strongest and most on point. There will a short explanation to the lyrics of each song telling what it is actually about, and only minimally does toxin represent a drug per se in those interpretations.

3) Alright, so what does it represent then specifically? For all who are already curious, could you at least hint at what informed the lyrics of each song?

The opening track “Deeds of Hate” is, as its title suggests, about blind hatred. It is the fastest piece we ever composed. Aggressive and straightforward. It tells what happens when you revel in hate too much.

The second one “Scarecrow” is about your inner boogieman that you create as a shield against the outside world, but then the only one it terrifies is you. It is also about how this approach can eat you from the inside, if you delve too much into it. Of all the tracks, this is the most insidious :-)

Most people probably already heard “Toxin”, since we released it as the first single. This one revolves around mental disorders, depressions and ill-advised solutions to those. It is about how in a desperate situation we are able to become addicted to things that will ultimately destroy us.

“Bipolar” is the song that echoes our debut album probably the most. Music-wise it goes with the title, which itself is about manic depression when you go up and down as if on a rubber band – from senseless joy and optimism to the blackest depression. And such contrast is then reflected in the composition.

“Sunlight” is a song we really love to play. It follows up on “Bipolar” and is about trying to break this ridiculous cycle, which not always ends well, because you can obsessively set upon something and when it does not work out, you grow bitter.

“Love & Mayhem” is the first song created for the album. It is about a toxic relationship between two people, who however refuse to part ways despite being poison for each other. It is our longest and most diverse song.

“Disconnected Sympathy” is a sort of sobering up moment, wherein one considers one’s deeds the toxin made him do. It is about the loss of friendship, of trust, of relationship…

The last one “Empty Sands” is then just a kind of sigh; a plea for forgiveness that however comes too late. It is the slowest and most melancholic track on the album.

4) From the recently released two singles, it is apparent that music-wise “Toxin” returned to the electronic spheres, when compared to the preceding “Drowner’s Dance”, which then begs two questions. Why did you decide not to continue in the previous more orchestral trajectory, as well as how then is “Toxin” different from “The Explorer” and “Analysis”, both of which followed a similar music path?  

Yes, we did return to more industrial approach. “Toxin” came about quite spontaneously, but at the same time we wanted the album to sound darker and colder. Epic orchestrations thus did not fit well into such concept. They are not gone completely, rather used on a far smaller scale. That way, the guitars and other instruments were given ample space, and we are satisfied with such a result. On “Drowner’s Dance” we oftentimes missed stronger guitars. Compared to the first two albums, the new one is farther in terms of overall production, concept and the music as such. Thanks to experiences gained, we can now make music with a degree of levity, and here it worked 100%.

5) The album frontcover is an adaptation of the famous Vitruvian Man by DaVinci. Why did you choose this motif and how it relates, meaning-wise, to the subject matter of the album?

The Vitruvian is considered a symbol of humanism, of reason and the enlightened man. On the frontcover art there is a woman who pumps poison into the veins of the man behind her, which is to convey that even the symbol of something perfect and reasonable can be corrupted; that even the best of us can hit rock bottom and disappoint themselves and those around them. The point here however is that the most important thing is to get back up, get purified, learn the lesson and carry on!

6) What live show support do you plan for this album?

A big one :-) To begin with, we shall host a release party on May 28 in Prague. Next comes Czech Death Fest, Symbolic and other festivals. In Fall, we then plan to tour Europe for a week., plus some weekend shows in and around Czech Republic. In 2020, we plan a longer tour on the other side of the Atlantic, along with more shows at home and abroad. There is plenty of it. Just follow our Facebook and website for the list of confirmed gigs.


Enjoy and more next time!