Next Friday (22nd), Aenimus’ sophomore full-length effort Dreamcatcher will be released via Nuclear Blast (Pre-Order here). The album is a concept album as it was inspired by Stephen King horror novels and films such as It and The Shining. The record was mixed and mastered by Jamie King (Between the Buried and Me, The Contortionist) as it includes a few guest appearances by Mike Semesky (Intervals, The Haarp Machine), Jamie Hanks (I Declare War), Brian James (Fallujah), etc. Additionally, the group will celebrate their upcoming album by joining Hypocrisy and Fleshgod Apocalypse’s North American tour. While the band are getting ready for their upcoming trek and the arrival of their sophomore effort, we caught up with guitarist Jordan Rush to discuss more about the LP, and more.
Before I get into the album, can you first share what got you into horror films?
My interest in horror films started at a young age. My dad had HBO and Cinemax and would tape movies like The Predator, Aliens, and the Terminator, just to name a few and he’d let me watch them with him. I was probably around 7 or 8 at the time. He’s since grown out of it but my love for horror has grown with age.
Did any of you have an obsession with reading Stephen King novels growing up and which one was your favorite?
The novels are much more a thing for Sean since this was his concept originally. I ended up writing lyrics for two of the songs for the IT sections of the album so I had to revisit the book and the film. But if I had to pick a favorite it would be “Cycle of the Werewolf”, the movie version is Silver Bullet and it’s a classic.
How long ago did you begin writing Dreamcatcher?
Riffs and random ideas started happening the minute I joined the band but we really didn’t start piecing things together and consciously start working on the album until about a year and a half ago, or two years. It all started to fall into place after that.
Can you discuss more about the concept?
It’s Sean’s concept but to me, I wanted to paint my interpretation of the novels/films within the musical realm; making references to lines in the books, or capturing a specific vibe, at the same time trying to make it my own so if someone was unfamiliar, they would possibly take something else away from these songs and have it be a more personal experience.
Overall Dreamcatcher is a great album and musically, I heard several different technical arrangements in songs such as “Day Zero,” and “Before the Eons.” However, “Between Iron and Silver,” has a longer introduction and different vibe/delivery. Can you explain more about this song?
We wanted diversity. We are all fans of a multitude of genres so when it came to “Between Iron Silver,” Sean and I wanted to create a mysterious moody vibe; really allowing the beginning of the song to evolve and take shape. I threw in some ethnic drums to slowly fade in as well just to add a bit of variety. We wanted every song to stand out on its own, so naturally song structures and vibes will vary drastically from one song to the next.
If a budget didn’t matter, how would you visually interpret the music?
I think recreating iconic scenes from the novels/films intertwined with us playing live with vibrant lights and fog machines would best represent what we were are going for. The axe, spider, moth, and clock also on our stage to bring the two worlds together.
Dreamcatcher has brought you to tour with Hypocrisy and Fleshgod Apocalypse, and I must say, that’s one incredible lineup. How did this all come together and what should fans expect to see during your set?
We’ve been touring together for years trying to make a name for ourselves and signing with Nuclear Blast has helped us land this immense tour, seeing as we’re all Label mates. Our front man is intense, so expect to see us playing mostly new songs with a very animated performance.
Do you have any other plans for this year that you can reveal?
At the moment can’t really say, but keep your eyes out for us!
Anything else you want to say/add to your fans?
Thanks for sticking with us through the years and the changes, and expect Aenimus to continuously evolve and experiment.
