BEYOND EXTINCTION Talk New Music, Musical Influences And More
Words by Glenn Sargeant
Photo Credit: Josh Wagner
Essex-based death metallers BEYOND EXTINCTION have their single ‘Reverse Life Support’ which is out now. Lead vocalist Jasper Harmer chatted to us about the band, their influences and more:
Who is in Beyond Extinction, what do they play and how did you meet?
I’m Jasper and I shout into the microphone, Niall is our Drummer and Jude plays Guitar. We currently have Danny Russell (Your Misery) playing live with us for this year too. We’re from Essex and play music downtuned to double drop D – lots of influences but its all stupid heavy. Myself and Niall met in school about ten years ago, Jude a bit later on.
You have your new single ‘Reverse Life Support’ which features guest vocals from Harbinger’s Dilan Alves. What is the inspiration/story behind the song and how did that collaboration arise?
I wrote the lyrics about my takeaways from a Hospital experience and some reading I’d done on pharmaceuticals. I’d had a really bad allergic reaction which has messed me about a lot, paired with a grim time in a hospital it created a pretty good set of lyrical ideas. Dilan is a great friend of ours and always has time for us, we love his work and hanging out with him. This won’t be the last of his voice on our tracks.
What is your earliest musical memory?
Personally, we had a big CD player and huge storage setup in my living room growing up. I can picture it all really well and there was always music on, my parents listened to a variety of stuff. I have the CD player itself, though it’s mainly death metal rather than Amy Winehouse playing now.
Who are some of your musical influences?
Thy Art is Murder and Black Tongue are big for us all but i can really only speak personally, and for me as a vocalist I’ve always looked to Winston McCall from Parkway Drive as a bit of an icon. Currently its people like Joe from Fit For an Autopsy and the last year or so I have been so impressed by the absolute legend Lukas from Mental Cruelty, who is just insane and a great guy too!
What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?
Met the standard of performance we set for ourselves and have given people at least one moment in the set which sticks with them. A close third is selling lots of merch, so big up Josh on the merch table.
Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?
We have a very frankenstein-esque rig for our IEMs, which is too boring to describe but always gets interesting looks from people with much better equipment.
Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?
Southend. ESSEX (Shouting x5)
You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?
Personally I’d love to do a soundtrack to a huge battle in Star wars. Hefty apocalypse tones and all that stuff, or a grim WW1 movie.
Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the single recording sessions?
We recorded at Monolith Studios with Charlie Wilson – it was a great time and the setup there is killer, we got a real nasty sound out of the sessions and Charlie is as easy to work with as it gets. Ate a lot of pop tarts and had some great Caribbean food over that weekend too, all in all just a top vibe.
Do you have any plans for live shows in Europe/UK in 2024?
Loads! Importantly we have NFYO in memory of Zach on August 17th. That’s going to be special.
Which of your new deluxe album tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?
We don’t do much reflecting – just hate and heavy! Both the new tracks are visceral and a deliberate step for us to explore our death metal kinks before our debut album.
How do you look after your voice?
So many things! I’m a vocal coach and have given / taken many lessons, my top 3 tips are below:
1. Sleep well
2. Stay Hydrated with water all day, not just when you perform
3. Stretch your neck, shoulders and upper body fully for 20 minutes at least before you play – ideally as part of a full body warmup
What makes Beyond Extinction happy and what makes you unhappy?
Being onstage is us at our happiest, probably least happy when our van call is before 9am!
Feature Image Photo Credit: Josh Wagner
BEYOND EXTINCTION’S single ‘Reverse Life Support’ which features guest vocals from Harbinger‘s Dilan Alves is out now.
In addition, an anniversary deluxe boxset of the band’s sophomore EP ‘Nothing More Wretched’ is out now.
BEYOND EXTINCTION also announced a poignant tribute show to their late guitarist, Zach Scott, who passed away in August 2023.
Raising awareness for the alarming rate of male suicide in the UK, this heartfelt event takes place on Saturday 17th August 2024 in The Underworld, London, and sees a line-up consisting of bands that Zach toured and worked closely with over the years, including BEYOND EXTINCTION, Godeater, Glower, Bitterwood, Existentialist, Dygora, How Long Have You Been Driving, and headliners Osiah.
Donations here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/never-forget-your-own-for-zach-scott
Alongside the bands performing, all proceeds and donations will go towards three charities chosen by Zach’s family to raise awareness and funds to support individuals grappling with mental health challenges: Young Minds, Help Musicians, and CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably).
