1 – Dethroned & Devoured was two years in the making – what can Outergods fans expect?

I think fans can expect an expansion on what was on our debut album. It’s a more refined version of that. The “Outergods sound” has been refined, built upon and made even bigger. We have found ourselves with the new album. There is a lot more focus on the soundscapes, too, as well as a bit of experimentation, with songs like “Phantasm”.

 

2 -What has the response been to the album so far?

The response has been great. We’ve seen the reviews and what people have shared online, and the response across the board has been really positive. This has given us the drive to take it even further with what we work on next.

 

3 – Which track from the album would you recommend to metal fans yet to experience Outergods?

“Cosmic Abomination” is a great start. It covers (most) of the genres we experiment with across the new album, and captures the intensity of our sound.

 

4 – Lots of people struggle to identify your sound. How would you describe it?

We sometimes struggle to identify it ourselves, to be fair. But I guess it’s a mix of blackened grindcore and death metal?

 

5 – What has influenced your sound the most?

The bands that have influenced us the most would have to be Strapping Young Lad/Devin Townsend, Hate Eternal, Morbid Angel, Nile, Akhlys, Anaal Nathrakh, Machine Head, Chimaira, Sepultura, and a lot of Gothenburg bands, like In Flames and Soilwork. We also draw inspiration from TV and movies, like Twin Peaks, Silent Hill, Jacob’s Ladder, Angel Heart, and games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring. That’s a pretty long list, but all these things helped shape our sound and vibe.

 

6 – How did the collaborations with Rune Stigart (Mnemic) and Chad Kapper (Frontierer) come about?

Nathe was already friends with Rune, and they had planned to work on something together in the past, but life got in the way, and there was the Mnemic reunion. So when the opportunity arose for a collaboration on Phantasm, which was a song perfect for Rune and his style, Nathe messaged him about it, and he was 100% up for it. It’s a similar story with Chad Kapper. Nathe is friends with Chad and has worked with him on a couple of music-related things before, one of which is a project called Fate/Gods//Viruses, and Nathe’s old band played a show with Frontierer back in 2017. They wanted to collaborate again at some point, so when Sprawling Chaos was written, it turned out to be the perfect song to work on with Chad.

 

7 – When did you get the call to sign with your label, Apocalyptic Witchcraft?

This would have been around the summer of 2024. We released our debut with Prosthetic Records and needed a new home for the follow-up, and thankfully, AW were more than happy to team up. They were already familiar with the projects Pat has been a part of, as well as being familiar with and involved in the Nottingham metal scene as a whole, so it was the perfect match.

 

8 – You’re all from in or around Nottingham – a place rich in metal and alternative bands – what keeps the scene so vibrant?

We think it’s the whole arts culture in Nottingham that breeds great creatives. There are so many great artists and bands in Nottingham, from pop to black and death metal, that then inspires others to create something great. A great example of this would be events like Mangata Festival and Dot To Dot. Nottingham also has a great history with the metal scene due to labels like Earache Records and the undeniable impact they’ve had on the metal scene. Then there are iconic bands such as Pitchshifter, a band that Nathe has been a fan of since he was in primary school, and other greats, like Iron Monkey. Great musical output and Nottingham have gone hand in hand for a very long time, and we think that’ll continue to be the case for many decades to come.

 

9 – The first half of 2025 has been a big year so far for Outergods: new lineup, new album – how is the rest of 2025 shaping up?

We’re in discussions regarding more live shows, and we’re also demoing ideas for album 3. Now that we have the live set sounding great and played our first show with the new lineup, we can start planning for many more things.

 

10 – Finally, what 10 songs have influenced you the most?

Strapping Young Lad – All Hail The New Flesh

Hate Eternal – Born By Fire

Morbid Angel – Lions Den

Machine Head – Blood For Blood

Anaal Nathrakh – Submission is for the Weak

Vitriol – Shame and its Afterbirth

Aegaeon – Neural Union

The Black Dahlia Murder – Nocturnal

LLNN – Imperial

InFeri – Simian Hive

Our bonus 11th song is “Messiah” by Godflesh.

1 – It’s been just over a year since your latest album, ‘Circle of Stone’, came out. How have the Blaze Bayley fans reacted to it?

It has been an incredible reaction; it’s so exciting that many of my fans have said it’s my best album yet. I’m shocked and surprised, but I’m very happy with the reaction.

 

2 – Reading the lyrics fans might feel the songs are mostly reflective but defiant – is that a fair assessment of Blaze Bayley in 2024/2025?

The album comes in two halves. The first part of the album is a mixture of songs that are personal to me, about subjects of interest and true stories. The second half is a concept, a story, a journey. The ancestors call from the dream world, asking you to take your place as the leader of the forgotten tribe and find your way back to the homeland. The lyrics are tragic, sad and defiant. We remember those we have lost and find deep inner strength we did not know we had.

 

3 – You’re currently playing shows celebrating the 25th anniversary of the ‘Silicon Messiah’ album – what’s it been like revisiting that album?

It’s been a wonderful experience. So many songs feel like old friends, it’s been great to sing them again. My voice has changed a lot in these 25 years and I feel I sing them better now than when I first recorded them. The themes and topics of the lyrics seem to be as relevant today as they were 25 years ago. Fear of AI and finding the inner strength to cope with the challenges of the modern world and following and fighting for your dreams.

 

4 – Why do you think ‘Silicon Messiah’ has endured and remained so popular?

I think the lyrical themes are very strong on Silicon Messiah. The production by Andy Sneap makes the songs very accessible and worthy of listening to again and again.

 

5 – You release new music pretty consistently – are you working on new songs between live shows?

Yes, I’m always trying to catch ideas and thinking about my next project. I meet my fans when I’m on tour, listening to their stories about the way they connect with my music inspires me to carry on.

 

6 – If someone had never heard of Blaze Bayley, what 10 songs of yours would you suggest they start with?

1. Ghost In The Machine

2. Born As A Stranger

3. The Man Who Would Not Die

4. Stare At The Sun

5. Blood and Belief

6. Circle of Stone

7. Together We Can Move the Sun

8. Pull Yourself Up

9. Warrior

10. A Thousand Years

 

7 – Wolfsbane has seen a revival in recent years—you re-recorded your 1989 debut album, and Live Fast, Die Fast was released earlier this year. What inspired this resurgence?

Live Faster… is the new album from Wolfsbane. It is a re-recorded and re-imagined version of the 1989 Live Fast, Die Fast album with all four original members. When those four people are in a room together, some kind of magic happens. We’re so proud of the Wolfbane Save The World and Genius albums.

 

8 – You never seem to stop touring – you’ve toured almost every year for the past 30 years – what keeps that fire burning?

I love to perform live and I’m so lucky to have incredibly loyal fans My dream has been to be a singer in a band on tour and I’m living that dream. I feel honoured and privileged to have the support that I do.

 

9 – What advice would you give to the next generation of rock stars?

Be a musician, be a writer. Do it because you love it, don’t do it to be famous.

 

10 – Finally, what 10 songs have influenced you the most?

1. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath

2. Holy Diver – Dio

3. All Right Now – Free

4. Raining Blood – Slayer

5. Master of Puppets – Metallica

6. Children of the Sea – Black Sabbath

7. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen

8. Kick Down The Walls – Wrathchild

9. Sin City – AC/DC

10. Panama – Van Halen

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