Korn, Trivium and A Sinister Twist of Theatricality: An Interview with Chaoseum’s Valery Veings

Meet the Swiss band who have packed an energetic punch of flamboyance into their distinctive Metalcore Sound.

Following the release of their second album earlier this month, Chaoseum are already beginning to turn heads in the metal scene for their unique approach to the Metalcore genre.

From their eye-catching, insidious image, to the unorthodox and nuanced vocals of new frontman, CK Smile, the band are making a name for themselves with their latest release, becoming one of the top upcoming artists of 2020.

Earlier this month, Beneath The Surface spoke with Chaoseum guitarist, Valery Veings, following the release of the band’s latest album, Second Life.

Introducing the band in his own words, describing how they came to create their latest release and providing an insight into how 2020 has impacted them, check out the full transcript of the interview below!

  1. In your own words, how would you describe Chaoseum to someone who hasn’t come across you before? 

“Chaoseum was founded by [our guitarist] Loïc [Duruz] and I in January 2018. We play music between heavy metal and metalcore.”


2. Last year you experienced quite a significant line-up change with new singer, CK Smile, joining the band. What would you say he has contributed to your sound? 

“CK has a more aggressive and polyvalent voice, he also participated in the writing of music. [It is] his presence on stage that is also more captivating… he is the singer that we wanted.” 


3. Founded just two years ago, you have already had some incredible opportunities, including your Russian tour with Tarja and playing historic venues such as the notorious Whiskey A Go-Go and Namm. What would you consider to be the highlight moment of your career thus far? 

“Personally, the Russian tour was humanely very rich. Tarja and all the guys are really fantastic people and we met some really nice fans. We spent some time discussing with them and I’ll never forget those moments.”


4. Your latest album, Second Life, is out now! For those who haven’t yet heard the album, how would you describe it in comparison to your previous releases? 

“This one has a better sound and better songs… the kind of music is close to Korn and Trivium. Like the first album, it is varied and faithful to ourselves. The [impact of having] CK’s voice makes it more powerful and aggressive- all songs talk about a second life.”


5. What was the inspiration for the album? For instance, is there a particular message that you were wanting to send or a certain sound you were looking to capture? 

“Sometimes it’s our own experience like the song ‘Scream’ [in which we] talk about us on tour, and sometimes it’s just our imagination like Second Life. We also wrote about illness [as seen in the track] ‘Into My Split’ or death, [in the song] ‘Feel’.” 


6. Who are your main influences at the current moment? Which artists have you been listening to lately that have captured your attention and influenced the album? 

“All of us listen to a lot of artists. For this album, the main inspiration comes from bands like Korn, Trivium and Slipknot.”


7. The events that have unfolded this year came as a shock for us all. How would you say the turmoil in 2020 has affected Chaoseum? Has it changed the way you write? Allowed you to venture into new musical avenues? 

“Of course, this year is very special and hard, but health is our priority. Some people lost their job but not us- I think we are lucky for that. This pandemic has not changed our way of writing but our timing. Finally, our album is available and that was the main goal. Unfortunately, our European tour was postponed in fall 2021 and it’s the right decision.”

8. Looking ahead to future releases, what can we expect to hear from Chaoseum next? Are there any new routes that you’re wanting to explore… or are you focused on evolving the unique sound that you have already captured? 

“It’s a little bit early to find the answer right now. For sure we will quickly work to create new songs and we will see what evolution we will take! The sound will still be metal as we use a lot of different sounds and effects… it’s possible that it will be even more diverse.”



Chaoseum’s latest album, Second Life, is out now and available on all streaming platforms.

To check out our review of the album, click here!

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