IMMUNITY’s Dark Side of the Earth is a raw, cathartic journey through grief, mental health, and personal struggle—an album that transforms pain into power through unflinching honesty and emotional depth.
1.
"Dark Side of the Earth" is a deeply personal album shaped by immense
grief. Nik, could you share what it was like to channel such profound loss into
your lyrics and performances during the recording process?
I cant even
remember much of that time. I felt totally numb and our music was a rare
channel to let go emotions I couldn’t express in any other way. I didn’t want
to delay the recordings. It would have driven me in a hole.
2. The
track "Unhinged" is especially raw and emotionally intense. What made
you decide to include such a vulnerable song on the album, and how has its
release impacted you personally?
Music is my
way of dealing with hard emotions. While listening and writing. I tell a lot
about myself and my feelings in our songs so its not unusual for me to open
myself up. By writing a song about it, its kind of out of my head. Its now
running on Spotify and not in my head anymore.
3.
Mental health is a core theme of this record. What role did your time in the
psychiatric clinic play in shaping the final direction of the album, both
lyrically and emotionally?
Even if the
clinic was absolutely necessary for me, I couldn't get a positive twist in at
the end. On the other side have our songs always been more tragic than
uplifting. Let’s see if that changes in the future!
4.
IMMUNITY has kept its signature sound while evolving lyrically. How did you
manage to balance the heaviness of the themes with the accessibility and
catchiness of the music itself?
We like the
variety of sounds and emotions in our songs. Between singing and screaming are
a lot of layers you can work with while expressing raw emotions.
5.
"Of War and Peace" is a standout collaboration. How did this
long-awaited duet with Lina Benabdesslem come together, and what does the
contrast between your vocal styles symbolize for the message of the song?
We wanted
to do this for years and we are really happy how it worked out! I always had
this idea of a duet between war and peace. As you can imagine we needed a heavy
contrast between those two so this wonderful clean voice from Lina was ideal.
But for the part where peace looses it over war, it was necessary to have a
screaming voice in which Lina is as talented as in singing! The message is that
you won’t fight aggression with patience.
6. The
instrumental track "A Tale" acts as a bridge in the album. Can you
tell us about the intention behind including an instrumental piece in such a
lyrically driven record?
We wanted
to give the duet the right stage on the album. Right in the centre with an
extra big opening.
7. “The
Fire Inside” touches on your battle with epilepsy and the emotional toll of the
medication. What made you want to address such a personal and rarely discussed
topic in a metalcore track?
It is
something that follows me every day and writing a song about it is a way of
coping with it. I initially wanted to call it „Kepprage“ which is a common used
name based on the drug „Keppra“ that’s side effects are anger and even rage.
8. Songs like “Panic Room” and “Ghosts” reflect on inner demons and the
lingering effects of trauma. How important is it for you as a band to normalize
conversations about mental health within the heavy music community?
Talking
about your feelings is essential for living a healthy life. Many of us were
raised to keep their feelings for themselves which leads us in very difficult
situations. We have to normalize speaking about how we feel and we have to
learn to respect how others feel even if we can’t understand it.
9. From
production to mastering, you returned to Sawdust Recordings with Christoph
Wieczorek. What makes this partnership so effective, and how did it influence
the final sound of Dark Side of the Earth?
Most of all
we share the almost exact taste in Metalcore music and how to evolve within
this genre. Christoph is virtuous in is work and we can’t image having a better
producer at our side.
10.
Looking ahead, how do you hope listeners will connect with Dark Side of the
Earth? What message or feeling do you want them to walk away with after
experiencing the album?
We hope it
can be a channel for emotions as it is to me. Live can be hard but there is
always a way into a better world - away from the dark side.
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