Hello! Who are we speaking with? How are you doing?
I'm Konstantin Lühring, vocalist for Despondency. I'm doing well, I hope you are too.
Can you tell us the story of the beginning of Despondency?
The full, long version can be found online... but I'll summarize it briefly.
In the mid-nineties, Steffen Ilm (guitar) and Dirk Janssen (drums) started jamming together, playing brutal stuff in the style of bands like Suffocation, Incantation, Monstrosity, etc....and since they were looking for a vocalist, and knew my work with my band Gallery of Darkness, and because I was looking for a band that plays really brutal stuff, we rehearsed together a few Times and the rest is history .After several lineup changes, I am now the only founding member in the band.
Is the band currently working on new music?
We're gathering ideas and such, but we're not actively working on a new album at the moment. However, Keiran, Eduardo, and I have recorded an album with Flo's other band, "Mastication of Brutality Uncontrolled," which will be released soon. It's incredibly brutal!!!
Since the band has existed for almost 30 years and we've released relatively few albums during that time, each one stands on its own. My favorites are "Womb of Shit Promo 2002,"
We were obviously influenced by bands from the early nineties, such as Suffocation, Morbid Angel, Gorguts, Immolation, Sinister, etc. Later, of course, also by bands like Internal Bleeding, Deeds of Flesh, Embalmer, etc.
I could talk for hours about my favorite death metal bands, but that would take days. There's so much great music from Death, Autopsy, Sadistic Intent to Suffocation, Monstrosity, Immolation to Disgorge, Malignancy, Gorgasm, etc.
I also listen to at least as much other music as traditional metal, hardcore (from the eighties/nineties), jazz, prog rock, and much more. However, this has no influence on Despondency's music.
What record label will the new MoBU album be on?
How old are you guys? Do your families support you making such brutal music?
I'm 46 years old, Flo is a few years younger but also over 40, Remo must be 37, Eduardo is 28, and Keiran should be about the same age as Eduardo.
Yes, absolutely. At least my family has always supported me. When we started Despondency in 2015 after the hiatus, the condition was that we would only play shows if it worked for everyone. As you may know, I was the vocalist in Defeated Sanity, and DS is a band that tours constantly, which unfortunately no longer fit into my life plans... even though I love the guys and the band, and Lille will always be one of my best friends...Anyway, I wanted to continue playing death metal, but I now have a child, a wife, and a house, and that wouldn't have been possible with Defeated, so I continued with Despondency, but under the aforementioned conditions. So it was my own decision...no argument, no musical differences, and no pressure from my wife; she always supported me and even encouraged me to continue with Despondency.
Thank you so much for your support and the interview. Keep supporting the death metal underground!!!
Cheers. Konni
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