Interviews: Supreme Conception

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Technical Death Metal band, Supreme Conception, from the Czech Republic. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you plan it or come out just like that?

We came up with the name so many years ago, that I no longer remember how exactly that came about :-). Especially as the project/band was on a hiatus between 2010 and 2019, while we were busy with other musical adventures. I do recall that I had initially wanted to call the project INHUMAN SUFFERING as I thought it was fitting the musical style I wanted to pursue with it. When we crafted the first EP, the music was still based on brutal death metal, but landed in a bit more technical space and the lyrics ended up being somewhat spiritually charged rather than the usual gore/violence stuff common at the time. So the initial name was no longer fitting and the other members did not like it much either. And so while still in the studio, we came up with the new name, SUPREME CONCEPTION. I think it came from the same source of ideas as the lyrics on “Liturgy Of Spiritual Disturbance”.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

We initially wanted to play brutal death metal in the vein of DISGORGE, DEEDS OF FLESH or DECREPIT BIRTH. I really liked the intensity and the unmatched brutality of that style. It’s important to remember that around the year 2000 death metal was undergoing a fast evolution – bands were really pushing it in terms of technical skills, speed and brutality. That’s what I personally found very appealing and wanted to come up with an own version of this. And that’s what you can hear on “Liturgy Of Spiritual Disturbance”.

SUPREME CONCEPTION then evolved towards a more contemporary tech death, mainly because of two things. One being a major change in the lineup and the other a certain evolution in my own musical taste over the years. But the same driving force and aspiration remained – the need to keep pushing the boundaries and moving forward. I no longer found those things in brutal death metal after 2010-ish, but the new tech death bands filled that gap for me. Also, at that time I started listening to prog metal too, so tech death was a natural landing spot for me personally. And Marty, the new guitarist and song-writer, comes from the tech space background, so all felt into the right place as a consequence.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Yes, we all did. The three of us who formed the early incarnation of SUPREME CONCEPTION, came from the Czech death metal scene and I was a big fan of what Frank (guitars) and Jirka (drum programming) had done in their prior bands, such as INTERVALLE BIZZARE or GARBAGE DISPOSAL. It was really amazing then to be able to do some music with guys like them.

Marty, who is the current SUPREME CONCEPTION guitarist and the mastermind behind the music of our new era, came from another Czech death metal band, HEAVING EARTH. I had been a member of HEAVING EARTH before he joined the band, so we naturally got to know each other through the gang of people around the band, even though we were not members of HEAVING EARTH at the same time. When I met him for the first time, he already had quite a reputation for his technical skills. And he also had his own musical ideas that did not quite fit HEAVING EARTH but resonated with my vision for SUPREME CONCEPTION, so I had no choice but to suggest we revive SUPREME CONCEPTION together :-). And I am glad he agreed.

Tomas Ledvina (bass) has been the latest joiner to the band. Marty and I knew him from HEAVING EARTH (again!) and based on his performance on that band’s latest album, “Darkness Of God”, we knew he was the right man to help us enrich the sound of SUPREME CONCEPTION too.

4. Each band member's favorite band?

There would be too many to name. Marty has been into the wave of tech death that started with NECROPHAGIST, as well as into other newer metal that had sophisticated guitar work. Or into the more technical deathcore bands. I listen to a range of music, from noise/industrial via black metal and death metal to prog metal and prog rock. Depends on the mood really, but I have my darker side as well. Tomas is the one who likes really experimental and sometimes weird music, especially where the bass guitar is prominent.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

I guess both Marty and I have the desire to create and perform music. Someone once said that music is food for the soul, and I totally subscribe to this statement. New ideas keep emerging in our heads and we need to let them out via new songs. We both are fans of music in general, and I guess hearing the various great bands and seeing the various amazing musicians onstage is one of the factors that makes us want to leave our own mark. But the inspiration comes mainly from within rather than from external sources. The music that we like may transpire in the style we play with SUPREME CONCEPTION, but we prefer to come up with our own ideas rather than to copy or emulate someone else.

6. Where was your last gig?

SUPREME CONCEPTION has been a studio band up until now, so we have not yet played any gigs with SUPREME CONCEPTION. We do want to turn it into a live act because the songs are fun to play and we believe they deserve to be brought onstage and in front of an audience. But sadly, not many drummers over here are capable of playing this stuff. And those who are tend to be busy with multiple other bands and projects. But we are in the process of searching and when we’ll find the right drummer to play with us live, we’ll hit the stages for sure.

On a separate note, we all are involved in other bands (HEAVING EARTH or ALTARS ABLAZE) and those have been live acts for a while, so I’d say we all are pretty experienced when it comes to live shows.

7. Where would you like to act?

If you mean live performances of SUPREME CONCEPTION, then the answer is pretty much anywhere. I think our music fits clubs as well as metal festivals. And becoming an internationally playing band will be the priority when we get to the point of having a full live lineup.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

No specific preferences, to be honest. The cool thing about SUPREME CONCEPTION is that we can fit well into the bills of extreme metal events as well as gigs with more prog-oriented acts. It would be great to play with some of our favorite bands, such as BEYOND CREATION or ARCHSPIRE, but I would not say we have any specific dreams on this front.

9. Whom not?

Again, no specific preferences. I’d rather think about the audiences though – and from that perspective, I don’t think that for example black metal or punk audiences would enjoy SUPREME CONCEPTION. Black metal is almost on the other side of the metal music spectrum in terms of musical principles and emotions the music conveys. And our music is too complex and too serious for punks and HC kids, I think. I would not want to play for audiences that are not interested in this kind of music, or who won’t appreciate it – not good for either side. Based on my personal values, I would not want to play at political events or events associated with a church or religion.

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?

Not as of late, but I am sure I had that in my early days. I think it’s important to understand what drives stage fright. Is it being afraid of the situation of being in the spotlight and others looking at you? And is it the fear of messing things up in front of others? Or appearing ridiculous? Some of this cannot be 100% controlled and can only be managed via getting as much as experience as possible, but many other aspects are within our control. I practice heavily to ensure the songs are literally flowing through my veins, so that I don’t have to worry that I won’t remember a part on the stage. I also focus on the parts that give me issues during rehearsals, until I become comfortable with those parts, so mentally they no longer represent an issue. Such tricky or uncomfortable parts can become the source of stress, because our minds can be our biggest enemies. And then the usual stuff for vocalists – getting the breathing right and automated, getting proper warm ups, keeping the voice in good shape via practicing, staying fit physically, sleeping well, not drinking too much… All these things create a foundation and making sure this foundation is solid and reliable helps tremendously, with confidence as well. So practice regularly to avoid unnecessary surprises. Then you can focus on the “softer” aspects of your stage presence without having to worry about the basics.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

These days we don’t really have bands that would be direct inspirations for our music. Our ideas for the music and lyrics are based on inspirations that stem from within our minds. But in general, we like bands that had or have their own thing going, who have come up with new distinct styles – like NECROPHAGIST, early ORIGIN, SPAWN OF POSSESSION, or ARCHSPIRE, if we want to talk about tech death. I personally like many prog bands because of their technical skills, complex compositions, and theme-based lyrics. Bands that are not afraid of evolving. Or bands that have something to say.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

To be honest, I don’t recall many weird interactions with fans, not even from the early days. I do remember a guy wanting my sweaty t-shirt after a show – which I myself would not want to touch :-). And there is one recent thing, though that one is not weird but rather sweet – a fan wanting a signed photo of us (which we still owe to him). I find it astonishing because we’re literally a no-name compared to bands that produce signed photos for their fans. Yet there is someone who wants ours :-).

13. What do you think of your fans?

I think they are cool people with so much passion for music.

14. What do you think of our site?

I really like it – and think you are doing an amazing job, especially in helping lesser-known or upcoming bands to get in front of people who are hungry to discover new music.

15. Something to add?

Thank you very much for your interest in SUPREME CONCEPTION and your support. We hope you have enjoyed “The Post-Humanist Delusion” as well as our earlier works. Stay tuned for the full-length album that we are currently working on.