October 31, 2019 • 26 mins
In the ninth episode of Metal Maven Podcast, lead singer of Spoil Engine, Iris Goessens discusses their new album, Renaissance Noire, her thoughts on fronting a Metal band as a woman, and her journey from vocal student to teacher.
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Metal Maven (00:02):
Welcome to the Metal Maven Podcast, where we
explore and discover the processand passions of artists in the
Metal music and art community.
In episode nine of metal MavenPodcast, I'm joined by Iris
Goessens, lead singer of BelgianMetal band, Spoil Engine.
Thanks for being here, Iris.
(00:22):
How are you?
Iris Goessens (00:24):
Yeah, I'm fine.
Thanks for having me today.
Metal Maven (00:26):
Yeah, I hope I added enough[guttural H sound]
on your last name there.
Iris Goessens (00:29):
Yeah, perfect.
How are you?
Metal Maven (00:33):
I'm doing great, and I'm so happy that you're
here to join me and talk aboutall the new things that are
happening with you and SpoilEngine.
There's been a lot of excitementbrewing.
You guys are close to releasingRenaissance Noire on November
15th through Arising Empire andNuclear Blast, so
congratulations on that.
Iris Goessens (00:50):
Thank you.
Thank you.
Metal Maven (00:51):
You're welcome.
This is your second album.
Since joining the band, withyour first display of metal
prowess being 2015'sStormsleeper.
Compared to the prior album, howdoes Renaissance Noire continue
to redefine Spoil Engine?
Iris Goessens (01:06):
Well, we moved on as a four-piece, so at first we
were with five, so we are nowback as a four-piece band.
So that's– I think that's verydifferent from Stormsleeper.
So our lead guitarist, Steven,he did most of the songwriting,
most of the rifts.
From the rifts we started to adddrums, add bass, and then, in
(01:28):
the end we added vocals.
So it's mainly his and the bassplayer's influence, and they
listen to bands like Pantera andMachine Head.
So it's more riff-based, moredirect than Stormsleeper I
guess.
Metal Maven (01:43):
So when you guys produce albums, it seems
everyone records in their homestudios, and then final mixing
and refinement happens atHenrik's studio in Sweden.
What is your favorite part ofthe recording process?
Iris Goessens (01:57):
I like the songwriting actually.
So creating a song from nothinguntil it's 100% that's my
favorite part.
The recording process itself?
It's just, yeah, I do enjoy it,but I like the writing process
more.
Metal Maven (02:11):
So what are your personal influences and
inspiration regardinglyric-writing or songwriting?
Iris Goessens (02:17):
Oh, a lot.
I listen to many kinds of music,many genres.
So I think my influences arefrom Metal bands, I'm a huge
Bring Me The Horizon fan, tolike, Taylor Swift stuff.
I listen to so many things thatI think my influences are very
wide.
Metal Maven (02:36):
All right, cool to know.
I was just wondering how thatall worked out for you guys.
I also want to talk about thevisuals for the new album.
The artwork for RenaissanceNoire was created by Adrian
Baxter based in the UK.
How did that collaborationhappen?
Iris Goessens (02:49):
Well, I think our bass player, he went on a big
search for artists on Instagramactually.
And then he found Adrian Baxsterthrough Gojira and he sent us a
few pictures of his work andyeah, we all really liked his
style, really liked the detailhe puts into his drawings.
So we were convinced that he wasour man.
(03:11):
So we messaged him and we senthim some basic ideas.
We wanted the Renaissance themeto come forward in the
paintings, and after that wegave him just a carte blanche
because he's so talented.
He just has to do his thing andthen the magic happens.
So yeah, that's how thathappened.
Metal Maven (03:30):
Okay, because I was looking at it and I was just
like, I see Leonardo da Vinci's"Vetruvian Man" in there– the
torso of him.
Iris Goessens (03:37):
Yeah.
Metal Maven (03:37):
And there's a lot of that Renaissance-style
flourishes– it almost has atarot card appeal too with the
two daggers.
Iris Goessens (03:44):
Yeah, yeah.
And I was also wondering, isthat checkerboard frame
surrounding the central figure–does that hint at a game being
played?
Yeah, the political games thatare played in this world.
So that's a good catch to seethat.
So yeah, some of our songs arepolitical like"R!OT", like
"Warzone".
So yeah, that's a part of that.
Metal Maven (04:03):
Well this plays into my next question with music
videos.
So for"R!OT", the aesthetic isvery clean with surveillance and
events of change as subjectmatter.
So the common thread or patternI'm seeing is revolution.
It's like each album– this isjust me, I always just come up
with my own theories for bands.
But for me, it seems like eachalbum takes place in an
(04:26):
alternate reality where we'restill fighting for freedom.
So how does this topic ofrevolution play into your music?
Iris Goessens (04:33):
Yeah, indeed.
In Stormsleeper there were alsohints in the lyrics about
revolution, about standing upfor your rights, standing up for
other people's rights.
It's a topic that keepsevolving.
So I write about it a lotbecause I think it's important,
and it's important to supportlike the climate movement that's
going on around the world.
So, we just wanted to do ourpart in that, and as an artist
(04:58):
you have a stage to speak up.
So yeah, you should use that inmy opinion.
Metal Maven (05:02):
That's awesome.
I also see a futuristic,post-apocalyptic vibe happening
too.
So,for me, it may not be theband's intent, but when I listen
to"Doomed To Die"–
Iris Goessens (05:13):
Yeah.
Metal Maven (05:14):
For me, it's like a spell that takes you into these
other worlds, these alternaterealities– like you're inviting
others to join you in what is afight for the future?
Iris Goessens (05:22):
Yeah.
Metal Maven (05:23):
I go hardcore when I listen, I try to see what the
common thread is.
Iris Goessens (05:27):
Yeah, you're very good at this.
Metal Maven (05:30):
It's fun to do.
Iris Goessens (05:32):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Metal Maven (05:34):
So, you guys have a new music video out and single,
"The Hallow".
And I was just wondering whythis song for the second single
and music video?
Iris Goessens (05:43):
Oh, well, because we had this great collaboration
with Jeff from Carcass, so wereally wanted to use this song
to show the people that we did acollaboration and we're very
happy with the end result ofthis song.
I think the chorus is one of thecatchiest that's on the album.
So yeah, it was a logical choicefor us to put that out as a
(06:04):
second single.
Metal Maven (06:05):
So how did this collaboration happen?
Iris Goessens (06:08):
Oh, well we have the sound engineer called AK.
He also does sound for Slayerand for Carcass.
And Jeff was in his studio doingsome pre-production vocals for
Carcass at AK's studio inBelgium.
And Steven knew this, so he wentthere and talked to Jeff and he
asked him if he was interestedin laying down some vocals on
(06:30):
our track.
And then he showed him the song,"The Hallowed"– it was already
recorded at that moment– and hetold Jeff,"Just do whatever you
want to do on it." We had somelyrics and he recorded it in a
few takes and that's how ithappened actually.
Metal Maven (06:46):
That's fun.
Featuring other people and kindof having their style infused
into your work.
Iris Goessens (06:52):
Yeah, yeah.
I know Steven and Dave, they arehuge Carcass fans so it was a
dream for them to have Jeff onthe album.
So when the opportunity came,they grabbed the chance.
Metal Maven (07:05):
So for the music video, what was the idea behind
the concept for it?
Iris Goessens (07:10):
Well, it was me doing a music video on my own
because our drummer, Matt, hewas in Australia for a few weeks
and I did the video for"Disconnect," I did the video
for"Black Sails," I did thevideo for"Singing Sirens"– so I
do a lot of video stuff.
I studied Media Design for a fewyears.
(07:33):
So yeah, I had to be kind ofcreative in, I only had myself
because Matt was not here.
It's weird to only put Dave,Steve, and me in it.
So then we decided, okay, it'sjust going to be me and we're
just going to make some psycho,weird, glitchy vibe in it.
And it's kind of a long song,it's four and a half minutes.,
(07:54):
so yeah, it was a challenge tofill the whole song with shots
with only me and a few fromJeff, of course.
But I had two friends who helpedme out with this, with the
filming process.
Yeah, I'm really happy how itturned out.
It took some hours but yeah, wedid it.
Metal Maven (08:12):
Well.
I've also read that this albumis part of a rebirth for you
guys with a lot of heavyemotions and subject matter.
So the title basically means"dark revival" or essentially"a
comeback," and I just wondering,what was that trigger, that
driving cumulative force, behindRenaissance Noire?
Iris Goessens (08:31):
Yeah, we had a lot of stuff going on through
our Stormsleeper run, like wegot robbed in Milano when we
were on tour– stuff like that.
So there were personal things ofevery band member that happened
to them in that period.
And we were kind of unlucky atthe end of our Stormsleeper run.
So we were kind of down, butthere was a lot of frustration
(08:56):
and just anger in general.
So we had to write this albumand just put everything in it,
and I think that went very well.
So yeah, that's how RenaissanceNoire became how it is today.
And we went from five people tofour people.
That's also kind of a rebirthagain as a band.
Metal Maven (09:14):
So do you think this kind of provides a bit of
closure to all of that?
All of those things thathappened in the past and forge a
new future, a fresh start foryou guys?
Iris Goessens (09:23):
Yes, definitely.
We look forward to the future.
We're all very happy with thenew music.
So we are very positive now.
So it's like the opposite of theend of our Stormsleeper run.
So now we just have new power,new force, and we want to go for
it.
Metal Maven (09:41):
Nice.
I definitely know you will,yeah.
Iris Goessens (09:44):
Yeah.
Metal Maven (09:44):
So how has assuming the role of lead singer, and
that transition, been for theband, for yourself, and for your
fan base?
Why did Spoil Engine choose youover all the other candidates
vying for this coveted position?
Iris Goessens (09:59):
Yeah, they had like 30 auditions before me, so
that's quite a lot.
They searched for over a yearfor a new lead vocalist because
they wanted to grow bigger anddo it very different from the
previous singer.
So they didn't want someone whocould do what he could do.
They were looking for a newsound and they found that in me.
(10:22):
So that's how that h appened.
Metal Maven (10:25):
You've been doing this for four years as the lead
singer.
I want to go back basically toyour beginning with this is
you're"Introducing Iris" video.
Your style of singing isgenerally a male-dominated
arena, so I was just wonderinghow is this emergence has been
for you in this regard, becauseif you read the comments– like
the second comment on"Introducing Iris" is,"I could
(10:48):
fap to this," and then anotherone is like,"Metal is so
completely dominated by malevocalists that hearing a woman
behind the mic is refreshing."So it's like you have this
polarity with how people regardyou as a front person of a band.
So I was just wondering how youfeel about that?
Iris Goessens (11:07):
Yeah, you know, sometimes it's, you know, if
you're a female in the musicindustry in general, they always
try to push you into that roleof"sexy front lady" and it's not
really my style.
So I'm just, you know, I don'tcare showing off some skin, but
it's always on my terms, and ifI don't feel comfortable doing
something, I won't do it.
(11:27):
And you always have guys, males,who want it more sexy, want it
more this, or that, and blah,blah, blah.
But yeah, I'm just not goingwith it, so I think you have to
stand up for your gender in thatcase.
We should get away fromsexualizing women in general, I
think, because that's a paththrough history that we maybe
(11:51):
can end in our generation.
I don't think so, but I like todo my part in that.
Metal Maven (11:56):
Let's hope so.
Iris Goessens (11:58):
Yeah, we have a long, long way to go.
But, yeah.
Metal Maven (12:04):
Did that inspire you to– because I know you said
that you got into Metal vocalsbecause you just wanted to see
if you could do it– was that alittle bit of the reasoning
behind it as well?
Did you want to be a woman inthe scene to kind of stir it up
a little bit?
Iris Goessens (12:19):
Yeah, I just discovered that I could do
grunts and stuff and I didn'trealize that,"Oh I'm a woman,
now I'm special in the scene,"because I hang out with guys all
the time.
I think 80% of my friends,they're all males, so I'm
surrounded by guys all the time.
So when I started, I didn'treally realize this.
But now, when the band becomesmore popular, you see that it's
(12:42):
like,"Oh, it's special," andthey have certain expectations
from you, and you have to lookcertain ways, and everyone has
their opinion.
But when I started out doingmetal vocals, I didn't really
think about it.
Metal Maven (12:54):
So in that regard, just doing what you want to do,
what has your evolution beenmusically and professionally
since 2015?
How has your presence andexpertise fortified the band's
sound and overall appeal?
Iris Goessens (13:08):
Stormsleeper was my very first album that I had
to do.
I did some stuff in local bandsbefore, but that was not
comparable with what I had to dowith Spoil Engine, so my skill
level had to go up in a fewmonths because we were recording
very fast at that time.
And I'm very happy that I had somuch guidance from the guys and
(13:31):
from the producer that we workedwith in that time.
So it gave me a chance to growreally quick.
Then I started to do vocalcoaching for other students.
Yeah, and that's what I'm stilldoing today.
So I'm teaching other people howto do it, how to apply metal
vocals, and that's a lot of thestuff that I learned along the
(13:53):
way, so in my first, I think,first two years of Stormsleeper.
Metal Maven (13:58):
Well, I've been listening to the new album, I
was lucky enough to get a chanceto preview it, and I really
enjoyed it, particularly thepolarity of range and style.
My favorite song is"GoldenCage." I was just wondering if
you have a new favorite songfrom this album and if there's
any song you feel that you'vesurpassed yourself and created a
new standard vocally?
Iris Goessens (14:20):
Yeah, the same issue, I like"Golden Cage" the
most, and after that,"Venom." Sothese are my two favorite songs
on the album.
I really explored my vocal rangethere, added some different
effects, so that's something youheard well in that song, and I
really like the build-up to thechorus.
(14:41):
So yeah, that was a newstandard, I guess, for myself.
Metal Maven (14:45):
Not only do you refine your own craft– as you
said,"Golden Cage" is yourfavorite, where you've made a
new standard for yourself andplayed around with the strengths
of your voice– you also helpother people improve their
skills as a professional vocalcoach, as you stated before.
You're currently based inMaastricht, Netherlands at Vocal
Center, and you focus on theMetal genre with grunts,
(15:08):
screams, distortions– and youalso do other types of music as
well, but Metal is your focus.
You began as a student there, sowhat made you want to return
after your training to be ateacher?
Iris Goessens (15:19):
Well, I had a workshop at Vocal Center from my
colleague, Marcel years ago.
So when I was 15, I got in touchwith the company.
After years, I just landed ontheir website again and I saw
that they were looking for vocalcoaches.
So then I sent a lot of SpoilEngine stuff to them and I told
(15:40):
them,"Yeah, I can do this stuff,but I don't know exactly what
I'm doing, but I know that I cando this for hours without
hurting my voice." And then theycalled me immediately like,
"Yeah, we can explain to whatyou do and teach you how you can
explain it to other people." Sothen I had a training of five
months with them in Amsterdamand after that I started
(16:04):
teaching myself.
So we have our own method also,It's called Vocal Essence®– it's
actually for clean vocals, but Iadded a lot of grunts and
screaming stuff there.
So we all use the same method inthe team, it's just the way that
the company teaches and looks atsingers– we look at singers like
(16:28):
athletes, basically.
So that's how we train them, howwe support them.
It's not only like a vocalclass, it's really a coaching
triactant when you work with me.
Metal Maven (16:39):
So what is the secret to not completely
destroying your voice singingthe way you do, because it seems
to require a lot of agility andcontrol?
Iris Goessens (16:48):
Yeah, control is the right word.
If you're not in control whileyou do this, you're going to
fuck up.
So what I always try to teach mystudents is to relax the throat
area, because if you put toomuch pressure on your vocal
cords, you're going to damagestuff.
So the trick is to relaxeverything and then push from
(17:08):
your body to produce the soundand not use your normal vocal
cords.
You have something called falsechords in your throat that are
going to vibrate when you do thegrunting.
So yeah, you really have tolearn how to control this
because when you speak or whenyou do like normal clean
singing, your vocal cords, theyclose.
And when you do the gruntingparts, or the aggressive parts,
(17:31):
they have to open up and theyhave to be relaxed.
Metal Maven (17:34):
If you did damage your voice, that's not a
permanent thing or does it takea while to recover?
Iris Goessens (17:41):
Yeah, it depends on what you have.
You know, sometimes you have togo to a doctor and you need
surgery, as many singers in thescene have if they tour a lot
and they have a wrong technique.
The first signs when yourtechnique is not 100%– it's
raspy, weak, or some peoplecannot talk for hours
(18:03):
afterwards, so then you knowyou're fucking up.
And in the long- term, you'regoing to have to go to a doctor
because you cannot do thisforever.
Metal Maven (18:11):
So what is your teaching style?
What makes learning from youunique?
Iris Goessens (18:16):
Well, at Vocal Center we all work with the same
methods.
So we also call each other whenwe don't know something.
Like if someone is in Amsterdamand I'm in Maastricht and they
have to know something aboutHeavy Metal, they call me.
If it's the other way around, Icall them.
So I also train people who dolike Pop or Rap, Hip-hop vocals.
What makes us unique is that weask our students every lesson
(18:40):
again and again,"What can I dofor you today?" So we work on
what they want, every lesson.
So it's not like,"Okay, you comein and you have to do like
exercises with a piano for 20minutes, and you can sing for 10
minutes, and then it's,'Bye, seeyou next week.
'"No, it's really every lessonyou decide what you want to
learn and what you want to do.
Metal Maven (19:01):
What is the most common improvements people
request your help with?
Iris Goessens (19:04):
Yeah, there are many people who cannot do the
grunts for 30-minute shows,1-hour shows– so then they come
to me and then I check,"What areyou doing wrong?"– and I teach
them how they can apply theright technique.
And there are also people whocome to me who are just starting
out, they don't know how to dosongwriting, or they don't know
(19:26):
how to do proper stage presence,and then I just guide them
through that.
So yeah, they choose what theywant to work on.
Metal Maven (19:34):
Before even this, and I'm not sure if this is
before you were a student atVocal Center or if it was after,
but you're also involved in Popin Limburg.
Iris Goessens (19:42):
Yeah.
Metal Maven (19:43):
This year, I saw on your Facebook, you announced
that you're a panelist as wellas a judge.
So I feel like it's a bit of ahomecoming and a proud moment
because I know you were involvedas a contestant in 2014.
Iris Goessens (19:54):
Yeah, I was a contestant in Pop in Limburg.
They have many contests forlocal bands, so everything that
happens in Limburg theybasically support it.
I'm a judge for Nu of Nooit andthe winner, the winning band of
Nu of Nooit, they can open avery big festival around here,
it's called Pinkpop, I don'tknow if you ever heard of it.
Metal Maven (20:15):
Yep, I have.
Iris Goessens (20:17):
Yeah, but it's huge.
So a local band gets the chanceto open up for their favorite
bands on Pinkpop.
So that's a very nice prize ifyou're just starting out as a
band, it's very cool.
So, there are five evenings,where they'll play five bands.
And me and two other judges, wechoose who are the five best
(20:40):
bands, and then they go to thefinals, and then they choose a
winner from that, and they canplay at Pinkpop, and they get a
lot of coaching, just like, verygood stuff for a band who just
starts out.
Metal Maven (20:54):
That's amazing.
Yeah, it's so awesomely strangethat this is where you are now,
returning to this event in thisway.
So this opportunity at Pop inLimburg, did that help motivate
or prepare you for Spoil Engine?
Iris Goessens (21:08):
Yeah, sure, because I also had lots of
coaching from them.
So I started a band in highschool, and from that point we
had just local gigs at cafes.
But when we joined Pop inLimburg's Popsport, it's called,
the contest, we really couldplay in better venues, bigger
(21:31):
venues, I got lots of coaching.
We worked with Sander Gommansfrom After Forever, so he could
tell us lots of stuff aboutHeavy Metal scene and how things
works, and so I already kind ofknew what was happening.
And then I joined Spoil Engine.
Metal Maven (21:47):
Well, next month you guys are having your release
show at the Trax Concert Hall onthe 16th in Roeselare, Belgium.
You've stated previously, it'sthe energy at concerts that made
you love Metal music.
So how are you feeling about thenew album and the upcoming
performance?
What do you want your music todo for listeners and fans?
Iris Goessens (22:08):
Yeah, the same I think., I just want one, the
audience to feel the energy, tofeel the message and have a good
time in general at our concerts.
I think many people go toconcerts in their weekends to
just have a good time, beentertained, have some beers
with friends.
Yeah, and just support thecommunity.
Metal Maven (22:28):
So this is the first show of 2019 for you guys.
And everything's new, from theset down to how the live show is
performed.
What should fans expect fromthis kick-off and new era of
Spoil Engine?
Iris Goessens (22:43):
Yeah, well we just built a bigger show.
So there's going to be a lot ofawesome stuff on the stage– I'm
not going to say much aboutthat.
But y eah, it's really a newstart for us, we have new
energy.
They should all just come enjoythe new songs and join our new
journey with the RenaissanceNoire.
Metal Maven (23:05):
Nice.
Well good luck with everything.
I know it's going to be anamazing night for you guys and
I'm just happy that you guys areable to start this new album in
such a positive way.
Iris Goessens (23:16):
Yeah.
Thank you.
Metal Maven (23:17):
Yeah, of course.
So, why Metal music?
You live and breathe it, screamit, sing it, teach it.
It's ingrained in your life andyour identity.
What's the deeper appeal thatmakes this genre essential to
your lifestyle?
Iris Goessens (23:34):
Well, I started listening to Metal when I was in
high school and the first thingthat I loved about Heavy Metal
is the energy, and Istill love.
I can find it in some othergenres, but not as in Heavy
Metal.
The people are friendly, theenergy that that comes from a
(23:55):
stage when a band is playing,just the whole scene around it,
it's just lovely.
And that's why it will alwayshave a special place in my heart
because you know, if you grow upon something, it's never going
to leave you.
Metal Maven (24:09):
So my last question for you Iris, is what else do
you want to do?
Like full bad-ass, maybe toocrazy to say it.
Iris Goessens (24:18):
Oh, I want to travel a lot, even if it's not
with Spoil Engine.
I really like traveling.
I've been to New Zealand a yearago and I loved it so much just
being able to travel around thecountry, get to know different
culture, see different places.
I think that really changes youand makes you richer as a human.
So that's my thing– I want totravel, I want to guide more
(24:41):
musicians, and I want to do morecollaborations with other
artists, musicians, maybe evenoutside the Heavy Metal genre
because I just love music ingeneral.
So I'm open to anything.
Metal Maven (24:54):
What's your hope in the future for Spoil Engine?
And I know you really want tocome to the US and tour.
Iris Goessens (25:01):
Yeah, we would love to do that.
We just want to play lots ofshows, bigger shows, but also
the smaller shows because I lovethem.
So we just want to grow as aband basically– we want to to
see new places, reach newpeople, and just come to the
United States.
That would be really, reallyawesome.
I've never been to the States.
Metal Maven (25:22):
Well, we have lots of fun over here at Metal shows,
so expect me there when youguys, and I know you will, get
over to this side of the ocean.
Iris Goessens (25:31):
Yeah, it would be awesome.
All right, well that's all thequestions I have for you today.
Thank you so much Iris fortaking time out of your evening
to join me and answer a fewquestions.
Yeah, thank you so much and hopeto see you soon in the States.
Oh, of course.
For more information on SpoilEngine's new album, Renaissance
Noire, out November 15th, and topurchase tickets to their album
(25:54):
release show, visitspoilengine.com.
Visit metalmavenpodcast.com forlinks to Iris's, social
profiles, videos, and read thefull transcript of this
interview.
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explore and discover the processand passions of artists in the
Metal music and art community.
In episode nine of metal MavenPodcast, I'm joined by Iris
Goessens, lead singer of BelgianMetal band, Spoil Engine.
Thanks for being here, Iris.
(00:22):
How are you?
Iris Goessens (00:24):
Yeah, I'm fine.
Thanks for having me today.
Metal Maven (00:26):
Yeah, I hope I added enough[guttural H sound]
on your last name there.
Iris Goessens (00:29):
Yeah, perfect.
How are you?
Metal Maven (00:33):
I'm doing great, and I'm so happy that you're
here to join me and talk aboutall the new things that are
happening with you and SpoilEngine.
There's been a lot of excitementbrewing.
You guys are close to releasingRenaissance Noire on November
15th through Arising Empire andNuclear Blast, so
congratulations on that.
Iris Goessens (00:50):
Thank you.
Thank you.
Metal Maven (00:51):
You're welcome.
This is your second album.
Since joining the band, withyour first display of metal
prowess being 2015'sStormsleeper.
Compared to the prior album, howdoes Renaissance Noire continue
to redefine Spoil Engine?
Iris Goessens (01:06):
Well, we moved on as a four-piece, so at first we
were with five, so we are nowback as a four-piece band.
So that's– I think that's verydifferent from Stormsleeper.
So our lead guitarist, Steven,he did most of the songwriting,
most of the rifts.
From the rifts we started to adddrums, add bass, and then, in
(01:28):
the end we added vocals.
So it's mainly his and the bassplayer's influence, and they
listen to bands like Pantera andMachine Head.
So it's more riff-based, moredirect than Stormsleeper I
guess.
Metal Maven (01:43):
So when you guys produce albums, it seems
everyone records in their homestudios, and then final mixing
and refinement happens atHenrik's studio in Sweden.
What is your favorite part ofthe recording process?
Iris Goessens (01:57):
I like the songwriting actually.
So creating a song from nothinguntil it's 100% that's my
favorite part.
The recording process itself?
It's just, yeah, I do enjoy it,but I like the writing process
more.
Metal Maven (02:11):
So what are your personal influences and
inspiration regardinglyric-writing or songwriting?
Iris Goessens (02:17):
Oh, a lot.
I listen to many kinds of music,many genres.
So I think my influences arefrom Metal bands, I'm a huge
Bring Me The Horizon fan, tolike, Taylor Swift stuff.
I listen to so many things thatI think my influences are very
wide.
Metal Maven (02:36):
All right, cool to know.
I was just wondering how thatall worked out for you guys.
I also want to talk about thevisuals for the new album.
The artwork for RenaissanceNoire was created by Adrian
Baxter based in the UK.
How did that collaborationhappen?
Iris Goessens (02:49):
Well, I think our bass player, he went on a big
search for artists on Instagramactually.
And then he found Adrian Baxsterthrough Gojira and he sent us a
few pictures of his work andyeah, we all really liked his
style, really liked the detailhe puts into his drawings.
So we were convinced that he wasour man.
(03:11):
So we messaged him and we senthim some basic ideas.
We wanted the Renaissance themeto come forward in the
paintings, and after that wegave him just a carte blanche
because he's so talented.
He just has to do his thing andthen the magic happens.
So yeah, that's how thathappened.
Metal Maven (03:30):
Okay, because I was looking at it and I was just
like, I see Leonardo da Vinci's"Vetruvian Man" in there– the
torso of him.
Iris Goessens (03:37):
Yeah.
Metal Maven (03:37):
And there's a lot of that Renaissance-style
flourishes– it almost has atarot card appeal too with the
two daggers.
Iris Goessens (03:44):
Yeah, yeah.
And I was also wondering, isthat checkerboard frame
surrounding the central figure–does that hint at a game being
played?
Yeah, the political games thatare played in this world.
So that's a good catch to seethat.
So yeah, some of our songs arepolitical like"R!OT", like
"Warzone".
So yeah, that's a part of that.
Metal Maven (04:03):
Well this plays into my next question with music
videos.
So for"R!OT", the aesthetic isvery clean with surveillance and
events of change as subjectmatter.
So the common thread or patternI'm seeing is revolution.
It's like each album– this isjust me, I always just come up
with my own theories for bands.
But for me, it seems like eachalbum takes place in an
(04:26):
alternate reality where we'restill fighting for freedom.
So how does this topic ofrevolution play into your music?
Iris Goessens (04:33):
Yeah, indeed.
In Stormsleeper there were alsohints in the lyrics about
revolution, about standing upfor your rights, standing up for
other people's rights.
It's a topic that keepsevolving.
So I write about it a lotbecause I think it's important,
and it's important to supportlike the climate movement that's
going on around the world.
So, we just wanted to do ourpart in that, and as an artist
(04:58):
you have a stage to speak up.
So yeah, you should use that inmy opinion.
Metal Maven (05:02):
That's awesome.
I also see a futuristic,post-apocalyptic vibe happening
too.
So,for me, it may not be theband's intent, but when I listen
to"Doomed To Die"–
Iris Goessens (05:13):
Yeah.
Metal Maven (05:14):
For me, it's like a spell that takes you into these
other worlds, these alternaterealities– like you're inviting
others to join you in what is afight for the future?
Iris Goessens (05:22):
Yeah.
Metal Maven (05:23):
I go hardcore when I listen, I try to see what the
common thread is.
Iris Goessens (05:27):
Yeah, you're very good at this.
Metal Maven (05:30):
It's fun to do.
Iris Goessens (05:32):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Metal Maven (05:34):
So, you guys have a new music video out and single,
"The Hallow".
And I was just wondering whythis song for the second single
and music video?
Iris Goessens (05:43):
Oh, well, because we had this great collaboration
with Jeff from Carcass, so wereally wanted to use this song
to show the people that we did acollaboration and we're very
happy with the end result ofthis song.
I think the chorus is one of thecatchiest that's on the album.
So yeah, it was a logical choicefor us to put that out as a
(06:04):
second single.
Metal Maven (06:05):
So how did this collaboration happen?
Iris Goessens (06:08):
Oh, well we have the sound engineer called AK.
He also does sound for Slayerand for Carcass.
And Jeff was in his studio doingsome pre-production vocals for
Carcass at AK's studio inBelgium.
And Steven knew this, so he wentthere and talked to Jeff and he
asked him if he was interestedin laying down some vocals on
(06:30):
our track.
And then he showed him the song,"The Hallowed"– it was already
recorded at that moment– and hetold Jeff,"Just do whatever you
want to do on it." We had somelyrics and he recorded it in a
few takes and that's how ithappened actually.
Metal Maven (06:46):
That's fun.
Featuring other people and kindof having their style infused
into your work.
Iris Goessens (06:52):
Yeah, yeah.
I know Steven and Dave, they arehuge Carcass fans so it was a
dream for them to have Jeff onthe album.
So when the opportunity came,they grabbed the chance.
Metal Maven (07:05):
So for the music video, what was the idea behind
the concept for it?
Iris Goessens (07:10):
Well, it was me doing a music video on my own
because our drummer, Matt, hewas in Australia for a few weeks
and I did the video for"Disconnect," I did the video
for"Black Sails," I did thevideo for"Singing Sirens"– so I
do a lot of video stuff.
I studied Media Design for a fewyears.
(07:33):
So yeah, I had to be kind ofcreative in, I only had myself
because Matt was not here.
It's weird to only put Dave,Steve, and me in it.
So then we decided, okay, it'sjust going to be me and we're
just going to make some psycho,weird, glitchy vibe in it.
And it's kind of a long song,it's four and a half minutes.,
(07:54):
so yeah, it was a challenge tofill the whole song with shots
with only me and a few fromJeff, of course.
But I had two friends who helpedme out with this, with the
filming process.
Yeah, I'm really happy how itturned out.
It took some hours but yeah, wedid it.
Metal Maven (08:12):
Well.
I've also read that this albumis part of a rebirth for you
guys with a lot of heavyemotions and subject matter.
So the title basically means"dark revival" or essentially"a
comeback," and I just wondering,what was that trigger, that
driving cumulative force, behindRenaissance Noire?
Iris Goessens (08:31):
Yeah, we had a lot of stuff going on through
our Stormsleeper run, like wegot robbed in Milano when we
were on tour– stuff like that.
So there were personal things ofevery band member that happened
to them in that period.
And we were kind of unlucky atthe end of our Stormsleeper run.
So we were kind of down, butthere was a lot of frustration
(08:56):
and just anger in general.
So we had to write this albumand just put everything in it,
and I think that went very well.
So yeah, that's how RenaissanceNoire became how it is today.
And we went from five people tofour people.
That's also kind of a rebirthagain as a band.
Metal Maven (09:14):
So do you think this kind of provides a bit of
closure to all of that?
All of those things thathappened in the past and forge a
new future, a fresh start foryou guys?
Iris Goessens (09:23):
Yes, definitely.
We look forward to the future.
We're all very happy with thenew music.
So we are very positive now.
So it's like the opposite of theend of our Stormsleeper run.
So now we just have new power,new force, and we want to go for
it.
Metal Maven (09:41):
Nice.
I definitely know you will,yeah.
Iris Goessens (09:44):
Yeah.
Metal Maven (09:44):
So how has assuming the role of lead singer, and
that transition, been for theband, for yourself, and for your
fan base?
Why did Spoil Engine choose youover all the other candidates
vying for this coveted position?
Iris Goessens (09:59):
Yeah, they had like 30 auditions before me, so
that's quite a lot.
They searched for over a yearfor a new lead vocalist because
they wanted to grow bigger anddo it very different from the
previous singer.
So they didn't want someone whocould do what he could do.
They were looking for a newsound and they found that in me.
(10:22):
So that's how that h appened.
Metal Maven (10:25):
You've been doing this for four years as the lead
singer.
I want to go back basically toyour beginning with this is
you're"Introducing Iris" video.
Your style of singing isgenerally a male-dominated
arena, so I was just wonderinghow is this emergence has been
for you in this regard, becauseif you read the comments– like
the second comment on"Introducing Iris" is,"I could
(10:48):
fap to this," and then anotherone is like,"Metal is so
completely dominated by malevocalists that hearing a woman
behind the mic is refreshing."So it's like you have this
polarity with how people regardyou as a front person of a band.
So I was just wondering how youfeel about that?
Iris Goessens (11:07):
Yeah, you know, sometimes it's, you know, if
you're a female in the musicindustry in general, they always
try to push you into that roleof"sexy front lady" and it's not
really my style.
So I'm just, you know, I don'tcare showing off some skin, but
it's always on my terms, and ifI don't feel comfortable doing
something, I won't do it.
(11:27):
And you always have guys, males,who want it more sexy, want it
more this, or that, and blah,blah, blah.
But yeah, I'm just not goingwith it, so I think you have to
stand up for your gender in thatcase.
We should get away fromsexualizing women in general, I
think, because that's a paththrough history that we maybe
(11:51):
can end in our generation.
I don't think so, but I like todo my part in that.
Metal Maven (11:56):
Let's hope so.
Iris Goessens (11:58):
Yeah, we have a long, long way to go.
But, yeah.
Metal Maven (12:04):
Did that inspire you to– because I know you said
that you got into Metal vocalsbecause you just wanted to see
if you could do it– was that alittle bit of the reasoning
behind it as well?
Did you want to be a woman inthe scene to kind of stir it up
a little bit?
Iris Goessens (12:19):
Yeah, I just discovered that I could do
grunts and stuff and I didn'trealize that,"Oh I'm a woman,
now I'm special in the scene,"because I hang out with guys all
the time.
I think 80% of my friends,they're all males, so I'm
surrounded by guys all the time.
So when I started, I didn'treally realize this.
But now, when the band becomesmore popular, you see that it's
(12:42):
like,"Oh, it's special," andthey have certain expectations
from you, and you have to lookcertain ways, and everyone has
their opinion.
But when I started out doingmetal vocals, I didn't really
think about it.
Metal Maven (12:54):
So in that regard, just doing what you want to do,
what has your evolution beenmusically and professionally
since 2015?
How has your presence andexpertise fortified the band's
sound and overall appeal?
Iris Goessens (13:08):
Stormsleeper was my very first album that I had
to do.
I did some stuff in local bandsbefore, but that was not
comparable with what I had to dowith Spoil Engine, so my skill
level had to go up in a fewmonths because we were recording
very fast at that time.
And I'm very happy that I had somuch guidance from the guys and
(13:31):
from the producer that we workedwith in that time.
So it gave me a chance to growreally quick.
Then I started to do vocalcoaching for other students.
Yeah, and that's what I'm stilldoing today.
So I'm teaching other people howto do it, how to apply metal
vocals, and that's a lot of thestuff that I learned along the
(13:53):
way, so in my first, I think,first two years of Stormsleeper.
Metal Maven (13:58):
Well, I've been listening to the new album, I
was lucky enough to get a chanceto preview it, and I really
enjoyed it, particularly thepolarity of range and style.
My favorite song is"GoldenCage." I was just wondering if
you have a new favorite songfrom this album and if there's
any song you feel that you'vesurpassed yourself and created a
new standard vocally?
Iris Goessens (14:20):
Yeah, the same issue, I like"Golden Cage" the
most, and after that,"Venom." Sothese are my two favorite songs
on the album.
I really explored my vocal rangethere, added some different
effects, so that's something youheard well in that song, and I
really like the build-up to thechorus.
(14:41):
So yeah, that was a newstandard, I guess, for myself.
Metal Maven (14:45):
Not only do you refine your own craft– as you
said,"Golden Cage" is yourfavorite, where you've made a
new standard for yourself andplayed around with the strengths
of your voice– you also helpother people improve their
skills as a professional vocalcoach, as you stated before.
You're currently based inMaastricht, Netherlands at Vocal
Center, and you focus on theMetal genre with grunts,
(15:08):
screams, distortions– and youalso do other types of music as
well, but Metal is your focus.
You began as a student there, sowhat made you want to return
after your training to be ateacher?
Iris Goessens (15:19):
Well, I had a workshop at Vocal Center from my
colleague, Marcel years ago.
So when I was 15, I got in touchwith the company.
After years, I just landed ontheir website again and I saw
that they were looking for vocalcoaches.
So then I sent a lot of SpoilEngine stuff to them and I told
(15:40):
them,"Yeah, I can do this stuff,but I don't know exactly what
I'm doing, but I know that I cando this for hours without
hurting my voice." And then theycalled me immediately like,
"Yeah, we can explain to whatyou do and teach you how you can
explain it to other people." Sothen I had a training of five
months with them in Amsterdamand after that I started
(16:04):
teaching myself.
So we have our own method also,It's called Vocal Essence®– it's
actually for clean vocals, but Iadded a lot of grunts and
screaming stuff there.
So we all use the same method inthe team, it's just the way that
the company teaches and looks atsingers– we look at singers like
(16:28):
athletes, basically.
So that's how we train them, howwe support them.
It's not only like a vocalclass, it's really a coaching
triactant when you work with me.
Metal Maven (16:39):
So what is the secret to not completely
destroying your voice singingthe way you do, because it seems
to require a lot of agility andcontrol?
Iris Goessens (16:48):
Yeah, control is the right word.
If you're not in control whileyou do this, you're going to
fuck up.
So what I always try to teach mystudents is to relax the throat
area, because if you put toomuch pressure on your vocal
cords, you're going to damagestuff.
So the trick is to relaxeverything and then push from
(17:08):
your body to produce the soundand not use your normal vocal
cords.
You have something called falsechords in your throat that are
going to vibrate when you do thegrunting.
So yeah, you really have tolearn how to control this
because when you speak or whenyou do like normal clean
singing, your vocal cords, theyclose.
And when you do the gruntingparts, or the aggressive parts,
(17:31):
they have to open up and theyhave to be relaxed.
Metal Maven (17:34):
If you did damage your voice, that's not a
permanent thing or does it takea while to recover?
Iris Goessens (17:41):
Yeah, it depends on what you have.
You know, sometimes you have togo to a doctor and you need
surgery, as many singers in thescene have if they tour a lot
and they have a wrong technique.
The first signs when yourtechnique is not 100%– it's
raspy, weak, or some peoplecannot talk for hours
(18:03):
afterwards, so then you knowyou're fucking up.
And in the long- term, you'regoing to have to go to a doctor
because you cannot do thisforever.
Metal Maven (18:11):
So what is your teaching style?
What makes learning from youunique?
Iris Goessens (18:16):
Well, at Vocal Center we all work with the same
methods.
So we also call each other whenwe don't know something.
Like if someone is in Amsterdamand I'm in Maastricht and they
have to know something aboutHeavy Metal, they call me.
If it's the other way around, Icall them.
So I also train people who dolike Pop or Rap, Hip-hop vocals.
What makes us unique is that weask our students every lesson
(18:40):
again and again,"What can I dofor you today?" So we work on
what they want, every lesson.
So it's not like,"Okay, you comein and you have to do like
exercises with a piano for 20minutes, and you can sing for 10
minutes, and then it's,'Bye, seeyou next week.
'"No, it's really every lessonyou decide what you want to
learn and what you want to do.
Metal Maven (19:01):
What is the most common improvements people
request your help with?
Iris Goessens (19:04):
Yeah, there are many people who cannot do the
grunts for 30-minute shows,1-hour shows– so then they come
to me and then I check,"What areyou doing wrong?"– and I teach
them how they can apply theright technique.
And there are also people whocome to me who are just starting
out, they don't know how to dosongwriting, or they don't know
(19:26):
how to do proper stage presence,and then I just guide them
through that.
So yeah, they choose what theywant to work on.
Metal Maven (19:34):
Before even this, and I'm not sure if this is
before you were a student atVocal Center or if it was after,
but you're also involved in Popin Limburg.
Iris Goessens (19:42):
Yeah.
Metal Maven (19:43):
This year, I saw on your Facebook, you announced
that you're a panelist as wellas a judge.
So I feel like it's a bit of ahomecoming and a proud moment
because I know you were involvedas a contestant in 2014.
Iris Goessens (19:54):
Yeah, I was a contestant in Pop in Limburg.
They have many contests forlocal bands, so everything that
happens in Limburg theybasically support it.
I'm a judge for Nu of Nooit andthe winner, the winning band of
Nu of Nooit, they can open avery big festival around here,
it's called Pinkpop, I don'tknow if you ever heard of it.
Metal Maven (20:15):
Yep, I have.
Iris Goessens (20:17):
Yeah, but it's huge.
So a local band gets the chanceto open up for their favorite
bands on Pinkpop.
So that's a very nice prize ifyou're just starting out as a
band, it's very cool.
So, there are five evenings,where they'll play five bands.
And me and two other judges, wechoose who are the five best
(20:40):
bands, and then they go to thefinals, and then they choose a
winner from that, and they canplay at Pinkpop, and they get a
lot of coaching, just like, verygood stuff for a band who just
starts out.
Metal Maven (20:54):
That's amazing.
Yeah, it's so awesomely strangethat this is where you are now,
returning to this event in thisway.
So this opportunity at Pop inLimburg, did that help motivate
or prepare you for Spoil Engine?
Iris Goessens (21:08):
Yeah, sure, because I also had lots of
coaching from them.
So I started a band in highschool, and from that point we
had just local gigs at cafes.
But when we joined Pop inLimburg's Popsport, it's called,
the contest, we really couldplay in better venues, bigger
(21:31):
venues, I got lots of coaching.
We worked with Sander Gommansfrom After Forever, so he could
tell us lots of stuff aboutHeavy Metal scene and how things
works, and so I already kind ofknew what was happening.
And then I joined Spoil Engine.
Metal Maven (21:47):
Well, next month you guys are having your release
show at the Trax Concert Hall onthe 16th in Roeselare, Belgium.
You've stated previously, it'sthe energy at concerts that made
you love Metal music.
So how are you feeling about thenew album and the upcoming
performance?
What do you want your music todo for listeners and fans?
Iris Goessens (22:08):
Yeah, the same I think., I just want one, the
audience to feel the energy, tofeel the message and have a good
time in general at our concerts.
I think many people go toconcerts in their weekends to
just have a good time, beentertained, have some beers
with friends.
Yeah, and just support thecommunity.
Metal Maven (22:28):
So this is the first show of 2019 for you guys.
And everything's new, from theset down to how the live show is
performed.
What should fans expect fromthis kick-off and new era of
Spoil Engine?
Iris Goessens (22:43):
Yeah, well we just built a bigger show.
So there's going to be a lot ofawesome stuff on the stage– I'm
not going to say much aboutthat.
But y eah, it's really a newstart for us, we have new
energy.
They should all just come enjoythe new songs and join our new
journey with the RenaissanceNoire.
Metal Maven (23:05):
Nice.
Well good luck with everything.
I know it's going to be anamazing night for you guys and
I'm just happy that you guys areable to start this new album in
such a positive way.
Iris Goessens (23:16):
Yeah.
Thank you.
Metal Maven (23:17):
Yeah, of course.
So, why Metal music?
You live and breathe it, screamit, sing it, teach it.
It's ingrained in your life andyour identity.
What's the deeper appeal thatmakes this genre essential to
your lifestyle?
Iris Goessens (23:34):
Well, I started listening to Metal when I was in
high school and the first thingthat I loved about Heavy Metal
is the energy, and Istill love.
I can find it in some othergenres, but not as in Heavy
Metal.
The people are friendly, theenergy that that comes from a
(23:55):
stage when a band is playing,just the whole scene around it,
it's just lovely.
And that's why it will alwayshave a special place in my heart
because you know, if you grow upon something, it's never going
to leave you.
Metal Maven (24:09):
So my last question for you Iris, is what else do
you want to do?
Like full bad-ass, maybe toocrazy to say it.
Iris Goessens (24:18):
Oh, I want to travel a lot, even if it's not
with Spoil Engine.
I really like traveling.
I've been to New Zealand a yearago and I loved it so much just
being able to travel around thecountry, get to know different
culture, see different places.
I think that really changes youand makes you richer as a human.
So that's my thing– I want totravel, I want to guide more
(24:41):
musicians, and I want to do morecollaborations with other
artists, musicians, maybe evenoutside the Heavy Metal genre
because I just love music ingeneral.
So I'm open to anything.
Metal Maven (24:54):
What's your hope in the future for Spoil Engine?
And I know you really want tocome to the US and tour.
Iris Goessens (25:01):
Yeah, we would love to do that.
We just want to play lots ofshows, bigger shows, but also
the smaller shows because I lovethem.
So we just want to grow as aband basically– we want to to
see new places, reach newpeople, and just come to the
United States.
That would be really, reallyawesome.
I've never been to the States.
Metal Maven (25:22):
Well, we have lots of fun over here at Metal shows,
so expect me there when youguys, and I know you will, get
over to this side of the ocean.
Iris Goessens (25:31):
Yeah, it would be awesome.
All right, well that's all thequestions I have for you today.
Thank you so much Iris fortaking time out of your evening
to join me and answer a fewquestions.
Yeah, thank you so much and hopeto see you soon in the States.
Oh, of course.
For more information on SpoilEngine's new album, Renaissance
Noire, out November 15th, and topurchase tickets to their album
(25:54):
release show, visitspoilengine.com.
Visit metalmavenpodcast.com forlinks to Iris's, social
profiles, videos, and read thefull transcript of this
interview.
Thanks for tuning in, and besure to subscribe to Metal Maven
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Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.