Having inked a deal with Los Angeles based Prosthetic Records, Nottingham, UK-based Outergods are preparing to release their debut album, A Kingdom Built Upon The Wreckage of Heaven, this September.
The formative months of the band were marked by separation as they wrote what would become their first full-length release throughout 2020. Finding a route towards escapism, founding members Nathe Sinfield (Lost Outrider) and Sam Strachan (Raised By Owls) realised that many of their personal struggles and anxieties were being channelled into the writing process. In the face of inner turmoil and an uncertain world, the pair found solace in their love for extreme metal – in particular ‘90s death metal – and set about creating an album that recreated the adrenaline and obnoxiousness of the albums that helped shape their own tastes.
Sam comments: “Nathe is very much the visionary of Outergods. He explained to me early on that he wanted to make a feral beast of a record that would blend all our favourite sounds and push them to the limits of extremity. That is how the album title came about – I wanted something that felt traditional to the genre but also conjured up a stark, bleak image of horror.”
Lyrically the album uses dark and sinister metaphors to explore turbulence they were experiencing throughout the album’s creation. Specifically Nathe found himself in a situation where his family were staring down an immeasurable bereavement – the feelings of hopelessness, grief, and torment were poured into his writing. Finding comfort in nostalgia and seeking connections to the past, a rich seam of inspiration was found in the music that was key to his own musical development.
The resulting songs fuse together elements of death metal, black metal and grindcore – blending their abrasive early influences such as Morbid Angel and Strapping Young Lad with the intensity of more modern, expansive but intense bands like Full of Hell. A Kingdom Built Upon The Wreckage of Heaven was self produced, and stays true to their DIY ethic and underground attitude. The album was mastered by friend Kristofer Strandberg, and the album’s cover art was crafted by Nathe’s brother, Tim Sinfield.
Bringing Outergods to life for the album recording and with designs on playing live meant assembling a full band – and Nottingham’s fertile scene didn’t disappoint. Having recruited Alex LeGrice (Raised By Owls), Dan Oldcorn (Antre) and Jordan Spencer (Evil Scarecrow) Outergods are now set to become an unstoppable force of sonic devastation, weaving bleak tales of misery and woe.
A Kingdom Built Upon The Wreckage Of Heaven will be released via Prosthetic Records on September 1.
Outergods is:
Sam Strachan (vocals)
Nathe Sinfield (guitar, electronics)
Alex LeGrice (guitar)
Dan Oldcorn (bass)
Jordan Spencer (drums)