Formed in 2023, HKSPK quickly carved their path with raw energy, dark riffs, and unfiltered passion. In this interview, the trio reflects on their journey, debut, and brutal new EP The Human Butcher.
1. You’ve
been together since 2023, rehearsing and shaping your sound. Can you take us
back to those first sessions — what did the chemistry between you three feel
like?
We first
met at a concert and spoke about making music. As a conclusion, it was the most
logical thing to meet up and jam. This fresh feeling of meet up and make music
is still very strong today. And so until today every rehearsal, every concert
and every recording session feels like: "That's how it has to be."
2. Arne
and Leon had the idea for a band before Jim joined. How did Jim’s vocals and
presence complete the HKSPK identity?
It was like
a kick in the a**. In a positive way of course. He was the first singer who fit
our favorite music style. His determined nature and persona awaked our
creativity. And it worked. We wrote one song after another.
3. Your
debut album Holy Scum (2024) set the tone for your raw,
uncompromising style. Looking back, how do you feel about that release now?
Besides
some little mistakes we are still very proud of it. It has a certain
versatility and was produced in a short period of time. This album teaches us a
lot and leads us to a more developed playing style. And we learned that we can
produce an album all by ourselves.
4. Songs
like Rhinotillexomanie and Blutrotes Kerkerchen have
striking titles. How do you usually approach songwriting — concept first,
or riffs and jams that evolve into lyrics?
It always
starts with a little guitar riff. Either by Jim or Leon. The riff builds the
centre of the song. From there grows everything else. And then we think about
the lyrics and wich event or story "belongs" to the music. We focus
on keeping it simple, what gives the songs a catchy character sometimes.
5. Your
new EP The Human Butcher (2025) has an even darker and more
brutal energy. What inspired this step deeper into heavier territory?
For us the
EP was a natural next step. It just happend. There were many little things that
changed in our approach to make music and record it. We took more time to
write, refine and record those songs. We had the opportunity to test new pieces
live and to see the reactions.
6. “Zur
Letzten Rauhnacht” has already been called a gothic anthem. Do you see yourself
leaning more into gothic influences, or are you more rooted in raw extreme
metal?
"Zur
Letzten Rauhnacht" became what it is because of our working process.
Actually we don't consider ourselves being influenced by "gothic
music". We love to play black and death metal. Which does not mean that a
song like "Rauhnacht" won't happen again.
7. Playing
live seems to be a big part of your identity. What’s been your wildest or most
memorable gig so far?
One year
ago we played in Leipzig at the first ever Summer Ends Open Air. It felt magic.
Even though there weren't a lot of people, when we started to play everyone
looked at us. Everything was perfect. The sound, the organization, the stage
and the overall feeling. The crowd seemed hypnotized by our performance and it
felt great. To this day we are still very thankful for this amazing experience.
8. Your
shows emphasize firing energy at the crowd and sharing beers with fans. How
important is that sense of connection and community for HKSPK?
We are part
of this community. We still feel like audience that also plays sometimes. We
became members of the scene at a very young age and were warmly welcomed.
Especially in our area the connection in this community is very strong. For us
it is very motivating.
9. You’ve
got a busy live schedule for 2025, including festival appearances and
headlining spots. What can audiences expect from your upcoming shows?
The shows
we played gave us more confidence so we could focus on our performance and how
we present our songs live. In the next few upcoming shows, we also may present
some new/unreleased tracks. And maybe some ear plugs will fly into the crowd
because our singer headbangs way too much.
10. Finally,
looking ahead — what do you hope HKSPK will stand for in the underground scene
over the next few years?
We hope we
will stand for the new generation of this kind of music. For now we just live
our personal adventure and we are happy to take you with us on this musical
journey.
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