REISSUES OR REUNION... OR BOTH?
If you’ve taken more than a cursory glance at this blog’s Top Ten List lately (bottom of page), it's not unreasonable to assume that the Swiss Industrial Metal outfit SYBREED is effectively Future-Rocker’s ‘house band’. Indeed, despite having disbanded in 2013 when singer Benjamin Nominet departed, thanks to their contemporary sound and ever-growing legion of fans on social media, Future-Rocker’s various Sybreed articles have continued to accrue by far the highest number of page-clicks. In response to this and the recent re-release of Sybreed’s impressive back catalogue, we got in touch with guitarist and production mastermind Thomas ‘Drop’ Betrisey to find out if there was a chance this much-loved band was finally getting back together. What was his answer? Read on…
Future-Rocker: Drop, we’ve heard your crushing cover of
Tears For Fears’ classic anthem Shout.
Is it a brand-new recording, or has it been sitting around in your vaults for a
while? Benjamin sounds incredible on that single.
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Drop: When we started planning the reissues in 2022, we immediately
thought about finally recording our cover of Shout. The version you hear today
was recorded and mixed in 2022, but the cover itself isn’t new, we played it
live a few times back in 2005-2006 (there’s even an old video on our YouTube).
We just felt it deserved a proper studio treatment at last. And yes, this is
exactly Benjamin’s alley: those new-wave vocals mixed with melodic yet
aggressive screams. He really does sound fantastic on that single!
Future-Rocker: On a video-clip you mentioned that you are
working on some Sybreed singles but are not in a position to tour yet. I take it
that's because of your current duties? ( Indeed,
both Drop and Ales - Sybreed’s bassist - are now full-time members of Samael ).
Drop: Yeah, with Sybreed we do have a handful of new demos. Some have been around for quite a while, others are more recent. The good thing is that we write very fast, usually a song comes together in a day or two, music and vocals included. The real issue is simply time: we just can’t dedicate the proper focus to them right now. And as for shows, we’re really not in a position to play live at the moment. Personally, I don’t want to juggle two touring bands at the same time, it’s too much stress, and sooner or later you end up disappointing one of them. It’s not about choosing between Samael or Sybreed; it’s about doing things the right way. Realistically, Sybreed won’t be able to perform live anytime soon. Meanwhile, Samael’s new album cycle is going to run much longer than people might expect.
Future-Rocker: I love the new Samael track, too, and the video is beautiful.
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Drop: Thanks a lot!
Future-Rocker: It has that classic 'Late 90's Black Metal'
sound, which, to me, was my favourite era of that genre. Literally everybody
was putting out classic albums back then, including Samael. Would you say the
song Black Matter Manifesto is a good
indicator of the rest of the album?
Drop: Sound-wise, yes, it’s a good indicator. The album has
that powerful, modern, wide production. Musically, Black Matter Manifesto is
actually one of the faster tracks, but there’s a lot of variety on the record.
I can’t say much more for now, though.
Future-Rocker: What’s it like playing that style of music?
Difficult? Or fun?!
'when I was 12, Samael was my favourite band'
Drop: For me, Samael has never fit entirely into the “Black Metal”
box, their sound has always carried a strong industrial pulse and a more
intricate musical identity than the label suggests. The riffs are actually
quite technical, even if they don’t always present themselves that way on the surface.
What’s funny is that when I was 12, Samael was my favourite band. They shaped a
huge part of my musical DNA. So having the chance to play in Samael today genuinely
feels like fulfilling a childhood dream. And yes, it’s absolutely fun.
Future-Rocker: So, given these constraints, when might there
be a new Sybreed single?
Drop: Honestly, we have no idea yet. I’m hoping maybe late
2026, but it could definitely be later. We just don’t know at this point,
what’s certain is that it won’t be anytime soon.
Future-Rocker: Regarding the re-release of albums, ( including
the all-time classic Antares ) and
the others, can you confirm whether they are remixed or remastered?
Drop: It’s the exact same audio as the original release. We didn’t remaster it because I no longer have the original mixes for those albums ( The Pulse of Awakening and God Is an Automaton). They’re simply being reissued on vinyl and digipak CD, with bonus tracks added. Speaking of which, the bonus tracks for all three albums will be available digitally from December 11th, 2025.
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