Interview Deadwood

Deadwood dives into darkness and intensity with Blasphemy, a crushing deathcore anthem blending eerie atmospheres, emotional depth, and relentless aggression. In this interview, the band discusses inspiration, songwriting, and future ambitions.

1. Deadwood describes “Blasphemy” as a mix of crushing breakdowns and eerie atmospheres—what was the first spark or idea that started the song?

“Blasphemy” started from the atmosphere before anything else. We wanted something that felt oppressive and unsettling right from the beginning, almost like a slow descent into chaos. The first idea was actually one of the main dissonant guitar parts paired with ambient layers, and from there we built the breakdowns to feel heavier because of the tension surrounding them. We didn’t want the song to just be brutal for the sake of brutality—we wanted it to feel dark, emotional, and cinematic at the same time.

2. The track explores inner conflict and rebellion against imposed beliefs. Was this inspired by personal experiences, broader social themes, or a mix of both?

It’s definitely a mix of both. A lot of the lyrical themes come from personal experiences with internal conflict, pressure, and questioning things that people are often expected to accept without thinking. At the same time, the song reflects broader themes about manipulation, control, and the struggle to stay true to yourself in a world full of expectations and noise. “Blasphemy” is really about breaking away from fear and confronting what’s been forced onto you mentally or emotionally.

3. You’ve mentioned influences like Lorna Shore, Brand of Sacrifice, and Humanity's Last Breath—how do you balance drawing from those sounds while still keeping Deadwood’s identity distinct?

Those bands definitely inspired us in terms of intensity, atmosphere, and production, but we never want to sound like a copy of anyone. We try to take inspiration from the emotion and energy behind those bands rather than directly imitating them. Our identity comes from mixing those modern deathcore elements with our own writing style, live energy, and darker, more chaotic approach to atmosphere. We focus a lot on creating songs that feel memorable and emotionally heavy, not just technically impressive.

4. Deathcore today often pushes extreme technicality and atmosphere—where do you feel Deadwood fits within the current wave of the genre?

We see Deadwood somewhere between modern atmospheric deathcore and raw live aggression. We love huge cinematic production and dark ambience, but we also want the music to hit hard in a live setting. Some bands lean heavily into technicality, while others focus entirely on atmosphere—we try to balance both while keeping the songs impactful and direct. At the end of the day, we want listeners to feel something, not just hear complexity.

5. What was the most challenging part of producing or recording “Blasphemy,” whether technically or creatively?

The biggest challenge was making everything feel massive without losing clarity or emotion. There are a lot of layers happening throughout the track—guitars, ambient textures, vocals, orchestration, drums—and it’s easy for a song like that to become overwhelming in the wrong way. We spent a lot of time making sure every section had purpose and that the dynamics felt natural. Creatively, we pushed ourselves harder vocally and atmospherically than we had before.

6. Your sound blends dissonant riffs with heavy breakdowns—how do you approach songwriting to make sure the chaos still feels intentional and structured?

For us, songwriting is all about tension and release. Even when the music sounds chaotic, there’s always structure underneath it. We pay close attention to pacing, transitions, and atmosphere so the heavy moments actually feel earned. A breakdown hits harder when there’s emotion and buildup behind it. We want every section to feel connected instead of sounding like random riffs stitched together.

7. You’ve already built momentum with strong releases and a sold-out show in Montreal—how has your live experience shaped the way you write music in the studio?

Playing live changes everything. After performing in front of real crowds, you start understanding what moments connect the hardest emotionally and physically. That absolutely affects how we write now. We think a lot more about energy, crowd interaction, tension, and memorable moments during the writing process. We want our songs to feel intense through headphones but even more powerful on stage.

8. What does a Deadwood live set aim to make the audience feel, especially during a track like “Blasphemy”?

We want people to feel overwhelmed in the best possible way—like they’re stepping into complete chaos for a moment and losing themselves in the energy. With “Blasphemy,” especially, we want the atmosphere to feel dark and suffocating while the breakdowns hit with maximum intensity. A Deadwood set is meant to feel aggressive, emotional, and immersive all at once.

9. Now that you’re expanding internationally, what are the next goals for Deadwood in terms of releases, touring, or artistic direction?

Right now, the focus is continuing to grow internationally and pushing the band to the next level creatively. Touring Europe in 2026 with Monstrosity and Japan with Humanity’s Last Breath gave us a huge amount of motivation and perspective. We’re working on new music that pushes our sound even further while keeping the identity people are connecting with. More releases, bigger tours, and expanding the visual and atmospheric side of the band are all major goals moving forward.

is continuing to grow internationally and pushing the band to the next level creatively. Touring Europe in 2026 with Monstrosity and Japan with Humanity’s Last Breath gave us a huge amount of motivation and perspective. We’re working on new music that pushes our sound even further while keeping the identity people are connecting with. More releases, bigger tours, and expanding the visual and atmospheric side of the band are all major goals moving forward.

Deadwood