Interviews: Eaten By Sharks

This is a new interview with the Deathcore band Eaten By Sharks from Canada. Check out the entire interview and give them a follow on their FACEBOOK PAGE. 

1. Where did the name Eaten By Sharks come from, and how does it reflect the band’s identity today?

The name originally came from wanting something that felt visceral, something that immediately paints a picture of a violent, almost cinematic death. At the time, it matched the style of extreme music we were playing and the energy we wanted to put across.

Since then, it has evolved into something a lot deeper. We have started leaning much more into the nautical imagery behind it, building out a broader concept and narrative. What began as a striking visual has grown into a theme we can explore on multiple levels, a story within a story that now shapes the band in its current state.

2. How would you describe the evolution from Eradication to The Undertow Of Hate in terms of sound and mindset?

In terms of sound, this record is a lot more guitar-driven, with a defined production that feels like it could explode if pushed any harder. We used a blend of active and passive pickups at the same time, along with multiple layers of guitars on each song, to really beef things up. We also took different approaches to get the most out of each take, and that carried across every instrument. There was a lot more intention behind how everything was captured this time, and it really stands out.

There were a few moments in the studio, even just listening back to rough mixes, where we knew we were onto something stronger than before. It felt deeper and more beastly.

Working with Christian Donaldson again made a big difference. Since it was our second time together, we already understood how each other worked. That made it easy to get right into it, stay creative in the moment, and have some fun experimenting with the songs.

3. What pushed you toward a more composition-driven and concept-focused approach on this new record?

I feel like this time around we were starting from scratch, whereas the last album was made up of songs written at different times and spread out over a longer period. With this one, I wanted to lean more into a central theme and build something cohesive from the ground up.

At first, it was about chasing a specific concept, which is a great idea in theory, but it can also box you in if you force it too much instead of letting things come naturally. The turning point came from thinking about that scene in Jaws where Quint talks about the shark attacks after the sailors are left in the water, describing the shark’s eyes like a doll’s eyes. That stuck with me. I started thinking about what that experience must have actually felt like, the fear, the chaos, the helplessness, and that’s when everything clicked.

From there, the concept just kind of birthed itself and gave us a foundation to build the entire record around.

4. “Capsized” feels like the beginning of a descent. What is the story or moment you were trying to capture with this track?

“Capsized” centers around that first real installment of fear. The ship has just come through a violent storm that finally forces it over, and in that moment, everything gives out. It is water, bent metal, exploding windows, and fire all at once. The vessel is finished, and it throws its first sailor into the ocean. That is where the descent truly begins.

5. The album is described as a cinematic journey through calm, chaos, and transformation at sea. Where did that concept originate?

Conceptually, the album opens with a clean guitar melody and layered samples that set the scene of a perfect day on the pier just before setting out. Birds are chirping, the water is gently hitting the side of the vessel, and everything feels calm and right.

That calm doesn’t last. It quickly descends into chaos, and from there the music, lyrics, and samples follow the different stages of that fall into panic and horror. It builds toward a violent, blood-soaked ending, and then shifts back into a strange sense of calm. The sea settles again, almost like nothing ever happened, but there is still a body floating there as a reminder.

That contrast is a big part of the concept. Life can feel the same way. Things can be good, then fall apart fast, and eventually settle again. Nothing is ever guaranteed to stay perfect. In my experience, anyway.

6. How important is it for you that the music, lyrics, and artwork all function as one unified experience?

I don’t think it’s necessary, but it definitely adds to the overall appeal. I’ve always loved the experience of looking at the artwork and reading the lyrics while listening. When a band puts effort into those details, it gives the listener more to connect with.

That said, the music still has to stand on its own. It needs to flow and sound great, because that’s the foundation for everything else. Even though I had the concept before we started tracking, I didn’t try to force it. I let things happen naturally, and it ended up coming together more subconsciously than anything.

7. You work with producer Christian Donaldson again on this record. What does he bring out of the band in the studio?

Like I mentioned before, this time around we were able to put a lot more into it because we had already worked together and knew what to expect. Christian Donaldson knows how to bring the best out of a mix, and he brings a great vibe that naturally leads to strong ideas.

There were moments where it didn’t even take words. We’d just look at each other, and I’d ask what he was thinking, and he’d already have an idea for a harmony or a different vocal approach. It went both ways, too. I could throw something at him while we were tracking guitars or vocals, and we’d try it out. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, but either way it pushed the songs further.

We learn a lot every time we go through the process as a band and as players. He’s incredibly talented, has a great ear, and is just a super down-to-earth guy to work with.

8. How do you balance technical complexity with making sure the songs still feel cohesive and memorable?

This is a tricky process, and one I try to refine every time I write. A big part of it is chasing that feeling where everything makes sense, and nothing feels too jarring when a change happens. I’ll sit on a section and keep working it until it feels right, then move on.

A lot of the time, I need to step away from it. I’ll think I’ve got it nailed, then come back after grabbing a bite or a coffee and realize it doesn’t work at all. That reset is important for being honest with the material.

I also try to build in repetition with returning riffs, because that helps give the songs something memorable to latch onto. At the same time, I think each song still has its own identity, or its own soul, with different standout middle sections, groove parts, and transitions that set them apart from each other.

On top of that, the lyrics are great, and Matt has really evolved both in concept and in the timbre of his vocals. There’s a deeper weight to how he delivers everything now, and it really locks in with the riffs. The vocals don’t just sit on top of the music; they feel like they are part of it, and they help bring the intensity and atmosphere of the songs together in a stronger way.

9. Your sound blends progressive death metal, groove, and deathcore elements. How do you decide what stays and what gets stripped back in a song?

When writing songs, it usually starts with just plugging in and riffing until something comes out of the air. Once we land on a strong starting idea, everything builds from there. A lot of the different styles come naturally from how my mind works, which can be all over the place at first. Once it locks into a groove, that’s when a part gets settled, and I start thinking about what could come next and how to build in that direction.

A lot of the riffs develop on their own rather than being forced to follow what came before. I tend to write riffs that run quite long before they complete a full cycle, which I actually wasn’t fully aware of until Christian Donaldson pointed it out at one stage.

Things only get pulled if they don’t fit, not because of a specific stylistic rule. For me, it’s pretty simple; it’s either good or it doesn’t sound good, and that’s what decides what stays.

10. What bands or records have influenced the direction of this new material the most?

I am not sure there is one specific influence that defines the songs, but there are definitely bands and styles that have always been part of my writing language. Meshuggah will always be at the top of that list in terms of how I think about rhythm and structure.

I also think The Acacia Strain has had its moments in there, along with a lot of listening to Cryptopsy’s last couple of records. Converge was also something I was really into during the writing process, especially in terms of intensity and emotion.

On top of that, I started taking lessons from an incredible guitarist who completely shifted how I think about phrasing and structure. That really opened things up, and I think it comes through, especially in some of the solos on this album.

We also listen to a lot outside of extreme music. Everything from synthwave and 80s and 90s music to hardcore and folk. Stan Rogers is someone who always gets played at the jam spot when we are just hanging out, cracking a couple of beers.

11. Was there a particular moment during writing or recording that made you realize this album was something different?

There were a few moments, but one in particular stands out. I was sitting in the control room listening back to a track we had just finished, and in that moment, a friend texted me asking how things were going in the studio. As the down-picked chugs of a song called “Becoming Chum” were ripping through the speakers, I replied, saying I genuinely thought this might be the best material I have ever done.

For a split second, it felt like everything was aligned and things were good in my world. Then it was right back to the grind, diving into the next takes and pushing through the tracks with as much intensity as I could muster.

12. How do you approach writing polyrhythms and odd time signatures without losing the emotional core of the music?

That’s the part that always brings me back to Meshuggah. They have this ability to make off-time grooves hit in a way that still feels heavy and natural. That’s really the goal for me too. It has to groove, it has to feel like it hits you in the neck, even if the time signature is something unusual.

Sometimes, after a while, the “off” time doesn’t even feel off anymore. It just becomes the new normal, almost like straight 4/4 once you lock into it. Metric modulation also plays into that a lot for us, and it’s a really fun tool to make sections shift in a way that feels unexpected but still flows.

“Capsized” is a good example of that. It has a mix of off-time ideas and polyrhythms throughout it. When I was adding solos, I actually ended up choosing one of the polyrhythmic sections as the backing rhythm, and surprisingly, it fit really well.

13. What role does atmosphere play in a band that is otherwise so rhythmically intense and aggressive?

Atmosphere is a big part of Eaten By Sharks’ writing, particularly with this album. It is used as a way to set the tone in different parts of the story, whether that is a clean ambient guitar passage or the sound of thunder and explosions signaling catastrophe.

It also works as another layer in how the songs are shaped. Much like a polyrhythm or a transition, the samples and lead textures create an additional path for the listener to follow. It gives the music more depth and dimension, so it is not just about the riffs, but the environment everything exists in.

14. If The Undertow Of Hate had a visual or film influence, what would it be?

Simply put, Jaws is a pretty on-the-nose and predictable answer for this question. Where it gets more interesting is taking a specific scene from the movie and imagining a story off of that, then building from that influence to create a full narrative direction.

It is very similar to how we approach songwriting. We start with a riff that speaks to us, then build outward from there and let it evolve into something bigger.

15. Where do you see Eaten By Sharks sitting in the modern extreme metal landscape right now?

I see Eaten By Sharks as a modern extreme metal band with our own take on the genre. We could be considered technical in some ways, but we are definitely not the most extreme when it comes to speed or pure technique. We tend to stay in a lane of groove and variety, while still keeping a sense of flow from riff to riff, somewhere in between structured songwriting and technical progression.

When you wrap that into an overarching aesthetic of nautical horror, it gives us a lot to offer the listener both musically and visually.

16. If you could collaborate with any band in extreme metal, who would it be and what would that look like?

I think collaborating with Cattle Decapitation would be unreal, especially having Travis Ryan on an Eaten By Sharks track. We’ve been big fans of what they do for a long time and try to catch them pretty much every time they come through town.

We would also love to branch outside the genre a bit. I’m a big fan of synths and the atmosphere they can create, especially when paired with really heavy music, so something along those lines would be exciting to explore.

Spite would be another great fit. I’m a big fan of their vocalist and the intensity they bring. And of course, on a personal level, Meshuggah would be at the top of the wishlist.

17. Is there any musical direction you would refuse to follow, even if it became a trend in the scene?

Short answer, no. If something comes out naturally from being a fan of a new approach and it still fits within what we do, then it is all good. As long as it does not feel like a complete departure from the foundation of the band, which is rooted in extreme music, we are open to it.

At the end of the day, if the five of us in the band like it, then that is what matters. That has always been the approach to writing. Trends come and go, and I have seen styles blow up and fade out more than once, only to come back around again later. Because of that, it makes more sense to just do what we enjoy and stand behind it.

18. What has been the most intense or memorable live reaction to your new material so far?

We played one of the newer tracks, “In Tidal Chaos,” at a show earlier this year just to see how people would react. It’s one of the more challenging songs for us to play live, especially for me. There’s a big difference between sitting down and playing something versus standing up and actually putting on a show, and that definitely affects how it feels in the moment.

Right from the start, the room went off during some of the fight riffs, which was sick to see. What stood out even more was watching an Instagram story back afterward and hearing people in the background talking about how tight it sounded. That honestly surprised me, because in my head, while I was playing, I was questioning everything, like whether people were into it, if I was playing tight enough, if we were still delivering a good show.

It just goes to show that when you are stuck in your own head, you are not always experiencing what is actually happening in the room.

19. How do you want listeners to feel after experiencing “Capsized” and the full album?

It’s funny you ask that because we were just talking about it. Is it selfish to want the listener to see it exactly how we see it, or is it better to let people draw their own conclusions from what we present? We try to leave room for both.

There’s a lot packed into the album, and “Capsized” is just one part of an eight-track journey that touches on a lot of those elements. It shows a wide range of what we do. It’s heavy, fast, plays with off-time sections and polyrhythms, and has leads, solos, and a heavy ending with some strong hooks. Lyrically, Matt paints a vivid picture, and one of the lines, “dragged beneath the undertow of hate,” is actually where the album title came from. The first time I heard it, I knew that was it. Same with the “anchor of despair” line over the ending riff, that was an instant stank face moment.

Across the record, from the samples at the start of songs to little Easter eggs in the lyrics, cinematic guitar parts, and the visuals that tie everything together, we really tried to capture the feeling of experiencing horror at sea. At the end of the day, whether people fully pick up on all of that or just connect with the music itself, that’s what matters. If they get something out of it, then it’s done its job.

20. What comes next after this release cycle for Eaten By Sharks?

After the release of The Undertow Of Hate, the focus shifts immediately toward the next evolution of Eaten By Sharks. Writing is a major priority, but this time with the intent of pushing forward rather than looking back. The material that didn’t make this record is being left behind, and the goal is to build something new from the ground up that reflects where we’re heading next.

This album took close to four years because we were committed to getting the right songs and not settling. Moving forward, we want to tighten that timeline and stay more consistent with releases while still maintaining that same level of intent.

On the live side, we’re planning to lock in as many shows as possible. There are already plans for a few runs toward the back half of 2026, with more to follow into 2027. The goal is to hit new markets while also returning to places we’ve already played to keep building and spreading the word.

We’ll also have post-release content lined up to keep momentum going after the album drops, including additional singles and videos tied to the record. The aim is to stay active, keep evolving, and carry this release forward into whatever comes next.

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