Stepping into the spotlight and ready to take the stage, Germany's very own breakout metalcore powerhouse AVRALIZE are shaping their sound with confidence on their sophomore album, liminal. Following their standout debut release, FREAKS, the guys dive even deeper in this new era with high energy, honesty, and the genre-blending hits we all love, creating rock masterpieces. I recently had the chance to talk with Severin and Bastian of AVRALIZE about how the band first came together, their thoughts on liminal, and what they are looking forward to the most on their upcoming tour this fall. Here's what they had to say.
How did AVRALIZE first come together? What pushed you toward this style as your creative path?
Severin: So, we had several band projects before AVRALIZE mixed with several genres we played. One time we were a funk trio, and then we were just a local metal band, which also had this dark and scary image. Then, after that, we were like, "Ok, we want to try this very seriously." Then we found AVRALIZE to push through our music and just this whole experience of music for us.
Bastian: Yeah, it really helps to clarify when we started AVRALIZE that this is going to be serious now and not a hobby project. So, I think that really helped.
Severin: Yeah, we had the right mindset at the right time and we pushed through, and did everything we could.
When you look back on those early days, what's one moment you all remember as a turning point for the band?
Severin: I think it was when coronavirus hit and we were all stuck at home and just thinking about everything. It was also the time when we formed the first things that got directly into AVRALIZE and also wrote the first demos. It was a crazy time, but it was also beneficial to have a moment to breathe and to think about a new project and to start a new project. So, after corona, we just started out and pushed it.
Bastian: Yeah, I mean, that's what we did. We thought about starting something serious at that time. The turning point was after we released FREAKS, the album, because this one song, "CANVAS," really blew up, and it put us more on the map, but at the same time we wanted to redirect our sound and our image a little bit. So, because we were getting more conscious about what music we really wanted to make and what really moves us, I think we did a really good job to show this. That was probably another big one.
You're known for blending heavy breakdowns with groove, melody, and even futuristic textures. How do you balance those contrasting elements when writing?
Bastian: I think the most funky or "weird" ideas start out not heavy at all for us. We are all pretty group-oriented, and we all love to listen to punk and progressive rock. So, I think we all start to work them out, the main ideas themselves, and then we try to make it heavy without making them too forced because sometimes you can pick the lead, for example, a melody, and force the heaviness, and we always try to find a sweet spot where it sounds, I don't want to say insecure, but we want to be really sure about all the certain parts.
Severin: It's always like, if someone comes up with an idea to add a change in the song and then we try it out, and if it sounds good, then we take it. So, that's the general approach to putting in those unique moments that you don't expect with heavy music.
Bastian: Yeah, the good thing is we never argue. Like, we talk about ideas, and then we're just like, "Hell yeah, let's try it." I think that's the reason why so many things end up working because we're not arguing. If something makes sense or not, then who cares because you're not searching for sense in funky music, funky breakdown music. We made it really easy for us to listen to each other; I think that's a really important point of having a band.
Severin: I think if it fits for everyone, then we would like to have different tastes. It really has a good blend of everyone in it, so we can hear each and every one of us in this music.
Are there any particular influences or genres outside of metalcore that you have been drawing from lately?
Bastian: Good one. I mean, I love to listen to softer stuff like Don Broco a lot because they make really poppy music, but for me, I don't really have a certain artist. I think I just listen to many different genres. I actually don't listen to metal that much because I'm also producing. I have to listen to a lot of metal in my car to see if the key is too loud.
Severin: I don't know. Lately, I've been really stuck on this TikTok and Instagram music. Like, these synth layers and crazy soundscapes, and I really enjoy that, but I also love to listen to funk classics and also disco and Jackson 5. It's one of the main artists I listen to, and it's awesome. I enjoy it. Also, our guitarist is listening to hip hop, like Tyler, The Creator.
Bastian: And a lot of Japanese jazz fusion.
Severin: Yeah, it's really awesome.
Would you say your latest album, liminal, marks a new chapter for the band? What did you want to explore or push further compared to your previous release?
Severin: I think it's definitely another sound and aspect for AVRALIZE. It's just sounding more natural, and I think more like a band.
Bastian: Yeah, we had a lot more experience this time to actually change different guitar tones and really work all the drum tones and vocal-sounding stuff for ourselves also because we're doing more stuff on our own. Also with the songwriting, I think we tried to not set any borders and also try to write songs that make sense. For example, you can't have a song that has a lot of interesting parts in it but just doesn't work as a song. So, we always try to write good hooks and make it pleasing to hear the first time you listen to it. Also, when you listen to a song for the first time, it can be overwhelming if you go too hard.
Severin: Yeah, definitely. I would say with the first album, we found our sound, and with the second album, we developed it in a way we defiantly wanted to.
With singles like "bite my tongue" and the title track "liminal," how did you shape the narrative and emotional tone of the album? Were there specific ideas or experiences you wanted to capture?
Severin: I think we just want to be a band that does fun music and is also fun to listen to because we are always having so much fun writing this music. Also, just having good vibes and being here in the studio as friends and trying stuff out, and I think that's one of the main points we want to share with the audience. Which is to just have fun with music and also emotionally to be the one to let stuff out, especially our own emotions. Yeah, you can feel whatever you want to feel, but we want to create a fun experience.
Did any particular song surprise you in how it evolved throughout the creative process? Such as turning out differently than expected?
Severin: Yeah, I think "medicine" is a really good example because the first few demos were a lot heavier, and then we came around with this country main riff stuff, and then we just recorded a banjo with it. I have a banjo in my studio, and we just held the mic on it, and that's the main riff now. Then the words began to get a lot more funky with this Robbie Williams piano, and then we wrote the chorus, which turned out insanely poppy, and then we kicked out all the heavy breakdowns. Also, another thing we had was a big epic climatic intro, and now it's just a little toy piano. I think that song had the most versions, but I'm insanely happy with how it turned out because it felt really natural. Every part we changed was just because we loved what we did to the song, so I think "medicine" really shows the best taste of music we all have.
As you head into your fall tour this year, what new elements or energy are you bringing to the stage that fans haven't seen yet or you're personally excited about?
Severin: I think it's really sick that we are headlining for the first time and we actually have the time on stage to work out the concept for the show. So, Philipp, the guitarist, and I are going to do drum and guitar solos. We are currently programming a live show and all those things because now we have the time and space to do all that stuff. That feels really good, and also bringing the songs to the stage that we've been working on for so long is an insanely good feeling.
Bastian: Yeah, definitely, and also we want to push the whole energy of the crowd to the maximum, like, dance with them and have a good time where everyone can feel at home. We want to create an open space for everyone, and it's so fun vibing with everyone and having fun with the music and connecting to the music. I think that's what I'm really looking forward to.
Is there a song or songs that you're personally excited to perform live on this tour?
Severin: Oh, good question.
Bastian: I think "medicine" is really fun.
Severin: Yeah, that's a really fun one.
Bastian: Also, "liminal" because it's so straightforward and we have to create a breakdown, and the chorus is so fun to sing. It's really easygoing but also pushes the energy really well.
Severin: Also, a song we're going to play that's not released currently is "fading faster." It's the last track on this album, and I think that one is going to be a lot of fun too. It has this dancy, R&B tempo and also this really, really danceable chorus, so I think it's going to be a nice energy playing live. Playing "medicine" live is an insane energy, and we've also played it 5 times, something like that, and it's always a pleasure.
Bastian: Yeah, and also with "fading faster," we have this sing-along chorus, and it's like, I want to hear everyone singing while having this whole moment together with everyone.
Severin: Oh yeah, now I'm looking even more forward to it.
Is there a message you'd like to share with your fans who've supported you from the start—or are just discovering your music now?
Severin: I think I'm really happy about the crew we have, about our loyal photographer, and our loyal sound engineer for studio and live. Also, are management that we have. All of our friends, which feels like a really good team for me and for us, and I'm really thankful for that.
Bastian: Also, I think the main key of AVRALIZE was to just be who we are and express ourselves. That's one key point you can get from our music, which is to just be yourselves and enjoy yourselves, be there for yourselves, and look out for yourselves.
Severin: I think we also did a really good job showing this on the new record. We could've written an album like FREAKS because we knew it would work somehow with this type of music, but it wouldn't be like us, so I think it's really sick how we didn't care about that aspect. I wouldn't call it brave, but it's just authentic when writing the music that you enjoy for yourself. Making songs for the listener can work, but are you really happy then, playing it live and showing it to others?
Bastian: Also, just writing it because it will work and you get your money. The thing about music that we chase is the feelings and the good moments, and we want to share them.
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