Melbourne blackened death metal band Ame Noire have delivered a seriously heavy debut

The blackened death metal sub-genre is a tricky one to navigate, get either the death metal part or black metal part wrong and everything suffers. Melbourne blackened death metal band Ame Noire have nailed both parts with their debut EP The Tree That Bears Rotten Fruit. Forming only 10 months prior to its release, they’ve successfully delivered a really tight and seriously heavy debut that they will be able to build from in the future. We chat to drummer Aaron Hernyak.
So you have just released your debut EP, which has received a really positive response, what are the ideas behind it?
If I had to boil it down to a single word, that word would be unique. We wanted to create something that captured our own personal influences and style, such as Alex Hill’s [vocalist] love of horror movies. The result was an EP which can be seen as a story rather then a collection of five songs, with each song adding a new chapter in the story of a broken family. As for song structure, Alex Bell [guitarist] aimed to find a balance with keeping a somewhat regular structure with unique dynamics which I feel he has done extremely well, with ‘The Wayward Home’ being the perfect example in my opinion.
To establish both an entire band and album in less than a year is very impressive; how have you all balanced music making and daily life?
Finding that balance can be tricky, and we’ve all got our own way that we have found ours. We all share a similar view in regards to this band which I feel has been crucial for us working together so productively. We understand each others daily situations, so by planning the writing/tours well in advanced it keeps everything as organised as possible. This way we know when we need to prioritise work/study, and when the band needs extra attention. The key is balance though. Collectively we all haven’t stagnated at any point, granted we still are a reasonably new band. Personally though, when I spend too much time prioritising one aspect of my life I may burn out and lose motivation. At that point I mentally and physically rest for a few days, even weeks because I need that clarity to reset. The positive though, I usually come back better then I left so sometimes it is a welcomed break.
With a number of you having previously played in Athenas Wake, what prompted the change to Ame Noire?
It felt as though Athenas Wake had been pushed as far as it could, and so it was time to start fresh. I never played in Athenas Wake, but to this day they still remain as the band I’ve seen live the most because I loved the way their EP was written. By creating Âme Noire, we could learn from our past mistakes and successes to push this new line-up as far as it can go, whilst holding onto the parts of Athenas Wake which helped to put that band on the map.
What are your future plans and hopes for the band and what can fans expect in the upcoming future?
An international tour is definitely a future goal for us to achieve. For the meantime, we’ll keep bettering our live performance and writing to create a memorable and enjoyable experience, all in the name of making something unique for the fans of death metal, and metal in general. The new material will again have a concept, and one thing I can promise is that it’ll have those powerful riffs, blasts and slams that was well received in out the EP, but with several new ideas that will leave a lasting impression!
Release: The Tree That Bears Rotten Fruit is out now.