Hailing from the robust Chicago music scene, death pose, formerly known as big bird., has swiftly become a formidable presence in the heavy-as-shit category. Emerging in 2022 from the remnants of punk, hardcore, and indie bands like Typesetter, Little Teeth, and The Sky We Scrape, death pose’s rapid rise included a three-song EP and live performances. Now, with their debut album, Midnight Society, released in October, produced by Jeff Dean and mastered by Alan Douches, death pose have given their all with the new name and overall chapter. Metal Insider caught up with Jason Thompson to discuss the journey and process of creating their debut full-length offering.
What was the creative process like for the new album, Midnight Society?
The writing for every song on this album started first with the music. Half of the main musical ideas of these songs were written by Alex, and the other half by myself. We then brought those ideas into the room together and bounced them off of each other to see what shakes loose. Generally what resulted maintained the core essence of the musical concept as it was originally presented, but definitely took on a new life through the process and the songs became all of ours as a collaborative unit. In terms of lyrics – everything is written by me, and that’s something that I start once the overall structure and arc of a song begins to really take shape. A few of the songs started with a very direct intentionality in terms of storytelling or narrative, while others came to life in the studio while nuancing each track.
What were some of the challenges you’ve faced to see the album through completion?
The main challenge we faced was purely budget and studio time. Ideally we would’ve had a few more days to track the album, but to be honest – the limited studio time that we had ended up being a positive thing as it forced us to make decisions more quickly and lean into a concrete direction. The time we spent in the studio with Jeff Dean was amazing, and every other aspect of the album process was really rather smooth thanks to Brutal Panda! I did all of the artwork, layout, design, merch stuff, etc., so everything was really pretty easy to manage and we couldn’t be more proud of how it turned out.
Could you discuss more about the inspiration behind the dark lyrical themes in the new album, Midnight Society?
There’s a lot of ground, thematically speaking, covered in “Midnight Society”. The album as a whole doesn’t follow a shared “red-thread” narrative, but the stories told and experiences shared throughout the arc of the record have a common bond. The lyrical direction for this album is more about holding up a mirror both to yourself and others around you who might have blinded themselves by naivety, willing ignorance, conditioning, indoctrination, what have you.
Are there specific tracks on the new album that hold a particular significance for the band, and if so, why?
Great question and a hard one to answer! The first three songs that we wrote together hold a special place for me since that’s where we started piecing together what this band (and album) would become. Those songs are “Double Hockey Sticks”, “Quadrophenia Pt. 2”, and “Imperfect Contrition”. That said – the songs that resonate most for me personally are the last songs that we finalized before going into the studio: “Ratnest” and “This Time Tomorrow”. “Ratnest” is a fast, 2:08 long ripper that we finished about a week before going into the studio, but the lyrics and vocals were written as it was being recorded, so it was a rad challenge. “This Time Tomorrow” is sonically a slight departure from the rest of the album (at least the beginning of the song), but I’m really glad that we included it on the record and it’s one of my personal favorites – likely because it shows a different side of the band and how we can lean into different directions when it aides and supports the storytelling narrative of a given song. “Steady As Ever” is probable the most fun to play live because it’s just bananas haha
Can you talk about the songs “Gardens of Salt” and “Revisionist?”
“The music for “Gardens of Salt” was written mostly by Alex, and it’s a blast to play. Straightforward yet weird and angular guitar parts interwoven, and it contains one of the very few “breakdown” type parts on the album. “Revisionist” was the one song in which I brought one idea to the room and Alex brought another – and they seamlessly worked together to create the song as it appears on the album. That’s likely why it’s the longest song on the album haha but I really like the twists and turns that it takes throughout, and has what I think it one of the most simple yet catchy, singalong choruses on the album. It also features a ripping guest guitar solo by our friend Jason Milbank from A Wilhelm Scream and Senses Fail.”
What can fans expect from Death Pose in the future, in terms of both musical releases and live performances?
We legit can’t sit still, so we’re already actively writing for LP2 and really stoked on how it’s shaping up! Our main focus right now is ripping the songs from “Midnight Society” live as much as possible, so we have some East Coast and Midwest dates in early December alongside Local H, Kowloon Walled City, Rid of Me, Cherubs, etc., including a few Brutal Panda Records showcase shows in Brooklyn, Boston, and Philly, and then working through some additional Midwest spots and beyond in early 2024. We will also be doing a run in Europe next year in late May/early June that we’re stoked on.
Is there anything else you want to say or add about the album?
We put a lot of ourselves into making this album, and it really means a lot to us to anyone who gives it a spin. Bob, Jared, and Steve from Brutal Panda have been incredible bringing “Midnight Society” to life with us and it’s been an amazing experience with them thus far, and can’t wait to keep ripping and playing out as much as possible. So, hey, buy the vinyl, come on out to a show, and do a shot with us at the merch table!
