New Enemy of the Sun Album Helps Singer Deal With Bandmate’s Death

When Waldemar Sorychta isn't working on his muti-textural band Enemy of the Sun, chances are he's busy in the studio producing. He has already worked on new albums by five bands, including Therion and Tristania. And he has other projects lined up. In other words, to keep Enemy going he's had to learn to juggle with more skill than a circus clown.

But persevering with Enemy has been more than a labor of love, it has been a personal catharsis, an outlet to help him cope with the death of his former Grip, Inc. bandmate Gus Chambers, who mixed alcohol with prescription medication in October 2008.

"The whole idea, as well the title, 'Caedium' (which means to kill) goes deep into the problem of death," Sorychta told Noisecreep. "After the suicide of Gus, a big sadness came to my life. This tragedy brings you, of course, new views and a deeper way of thinking about death, the end and loss. You think you have many questions, but then you see there are way more. Most of them will stay with no answer. This feeling is the base of 'Caedium.' There are many songs on the album with this emotional atmosphere about killing, suicide and death overall."

The heavy subject matter lent itself to heavier music than that on Enemy of the Sun's 2007 debut 'Shadows,' which deftly mixed melodic death metal thrash and even funk. "The new album sounds more brutal, but also with many variations and surprises," Sorychta said. "The main atmosphere is deeper and visits a few more extremes then 'Shadows.'"

Sorychta started working on 'Caedium' in 2009, and while most of the material was written that year, the album -- which comes out June 22 -- also features older songs. "This album includes even a Grip, Inc. song which was never released," Sorychta says. "We never recorded it, but Gus and [Grip, Inc. and Slayer drummer] Dave [Lombardo] liked it a lot. There are even two lines Gus wrote before he died, and the title is a line Gus made [in 'The Golden Horizon.'] Besides this, there are also two other older songs. [One of them,] 'Chasing the Dragon,' was written in 1992 when I was 12."