Interviews About Albums: Beyond The Pale - Monument In Time (2024)

In this new interview, we sat down with the Dutch Metal band Beyond The Pale to ask questions about their album "Monument In Time".

1. What can you say about this new EP/CD?

'Monument in Time' marks both our studio debut and our come-back. The EP honors Jeroen's memory and his extraordinary talent for soul-purging riffs, as reflected in all six tracks.

'Monument in Time' was recorded at Mass Audio Studios (Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy, Charlotte Wessels of Delain, Bloodgod, Mark Jansen of Epica and Mayan, Daniël de Jongh of Textures and Karmaflow, Metropole Orchestra, etc) in Utrecht. Studio engineering was done by Folkert van Blom and Marieke Koedijk, and mixed by Arnout Leene.

It was mastered by Tony Lindgren at the renowned Fascination Street Studios (At the Gates, Sepultura, Amon Amarth, Carcass, Kreator, Sakis Tolis, Dark Tranquility, Devin Townsend, and many more) in Sweden.

2. What is the meaning of the EP/CD name?

Like a photo visually captures a moment frozen in time, this release is an aural monument, a tribute to our lost comrade Jeroen van Donselaar. We tried to capture and eternalize Jeroen’s songs as best as we could.

The artwork was designed by Boudewijn de Kraaij. The monument is visualized by the clock tower, and the time shown on the clock is the moment of Jeroen’s death. The figure standing next to it is indeed reminiscent of Jeroen, also because of the white flying V. Whether it’s really him, is up to you, the viewer.

The tower stands in a bit of an urban wasteland. When or why it happened is not clear, but civilization has obviously collapsed. That’s partly because we are concerned about today’s state of the world, and those concerns are reflected in our music and lyrics. And it’s partly because it’s how we felt after Jeroen’s death: like something was broken in the world. As if everything around us collapsed. Jeroen was a huge fan of graphic novels and comics, so Boudewijn designed the artwork with a similar vibe.

Overall the artwork symbolizes Jeroen’s legacy being caught in the eternity of time. He may be gone, but he is never forgotten.

3. Which one is the composer of the CD/EP?

All the guitar music was written by Jeroen. Of course, current guitarists Boudewijn and Geoffrey gave their little signature touch to them, but in its essence, they are very much ‘JeroenMetal’. All lyrics are written by Janneke, except ‘Storm en Drift’, the only track with lyrics in Dutch, which was written by Johnny.

Jeroen and Johnny had created a tradition that dates back to the time they were in a band called Nuestros Derechos: With every release, at least one song would be in Dutch.

4. If you had to pick one song, which one would you pick?

This is a very hard question because it’s like asking to pick your favorite child – basically impossible. If we really had to choose, it would probably be The Age of the Pariah because that finally reached its full potential while recording it in the studio. Plus Payback is a Bitch because it has the most epic outro ever.

5. Is there a special message in this release? If there is, what it is?

We like to believe that our music has multiple meanings and bears significance on many levels. Perhaps the most important message of this release is that music forges unbreakable bonds. This recording serves as a cathartic expression of loss and resilience.

6. Are there some lyrics that you'd love to share?

All lyrics are printed on our gatefold vinyl, in the CD booklet, and on Bandcamp (digital album). If you’re interested in doing some exercises, feel free to check them out. In case you wonder what the songs are about, here’s a brief overview:

Liberation for the Damned talks about narcissists and how they act like they own the place, as if they were kings, manipulating those around them in any way they feel is necessary. But when push comes to shove, they are nowhere to be found.

The Age of the Pariah is about how confused the world seems to be these days and how, more importantly, nobody truly listens to one another anymore. Everybody has an opinion and feels like they are entitled to voice that opinion, no matter what. With the downside of not listening to others and nobody else listening to them. Resulting in everybody believing that they are right and the rest of the world is wrong.

Walk The Plank is our only pirate song. And it is based on a Marlies Dekkers lingerie collection haha. Janneke: “I wrote it around the time I needed new bras and I didn’t know where to shop. Somehow, I stumbled upon Marlies Dekkers and ordered two bras from there. When they arrived, a beautiful catalog was also in the box, showing the entire collection, based on female pirates. That’s when the inspiration hit me to write Walk The Plank and it is still one of my favorite stories to tell.“

Storm En Drift is the only song with lyrics in Dutch. It’s our declaration of love to the independent, underground venues like dB's in our hometown Utrecht. Fun fact: Storm en Drift was previously recorded for the “Plagued - Decibels for dB's” compilation album, released in 2021.

Facts And Figures talks about the COVID-19 pandemic and both sides: the ones saying it was a hoax and the ones saying it wasn’t.

Payback Is A Bitch is about a former bandmate of Janneke who really screwed her and other former bandmates over (different band, different time). Janneke: “About someone who promised us the world, made us believe that this person was genuine about his intentions of where to take the band, only to find out afterward that those intentions were fake and all this person wanted to do, was to stick it to another band. I am not as pissed off about it nowadays as I was before. Writing this song also helped me in the process of letting go of the anger and just focusing on the future. Better to leave the past where it belongs, in the past.“

7. Which inspirations have been important for this album? Like musically or friends, family, someone you'd love to thank especially?

Like we said before, 'Monument in Time' honors Jeroen's memory and his extraordinary talent for soul-purging riffs. We channeled our grief into art, releasing ‘Monument in Time’ as a poignant tribute.

8. Something to add?

Don’t forget to check out the powerful music videos that accompany the music, and the honest and authentic behind-the-scenes footage. No spin, just riffs. Plus shenanigans and laughs despite the past tragedy. That’s who we are. We don't let adversity hold us back. Like a phoenix, Beyond the Pale is forged from fire. Reborn from flames and ready to take the world by storm.