Have you ever heard of … kraut death metal? Well, probably not, so it is time that you should take a listen! Xenotrone fuses thrash/death metal with kraut rock, ambient and jazz and came up with their fantastic debut album, “Into The Void”. Dazled by this amazing band from Dnipro, Ukraine, Myth of Rock came in contact and here you can read our small but very interesting chat!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
How was Xenotrone formed? What were your initial goals as a band when you started out in Dnipro?
We seriously started playing in the summer of 2022, but before that, it was just for fun—jamming with different musicians from our city, Dnipro. In summer 2022, Danylo (Soulreaper) and I recorded our very first demo.
You recently released your debut album, “Into the Void”. Which are your feelings about it?
We’re really happy that we took our first step into the serious metal community. Our album has been appreciated by American, European, and also our Ukrainian scene. We’re thrilled with the feedback and glad we made it happen.
How much has Xenotrone progressed, since your first EP, “Queen of the Night”?
We’ve changed almost everything—only the vocalist/guitarist remained from the previous lineup. We’ve completely reworked the band’s concept.
Your sound masterfully merges progressive thrash and death metal with kraut rock and ambient elements. How did this unique fusion come to life?
I guess it all comes from the subconscious—our tastes. We really love jazz, fusion, of course thrash metal and death metal. Our goal is to create interesting and non-standard music that goes beyond the boundaries of the typical death metal scene.
The album’s title, “Into The Void”, evokes imagery of cosmic horror and existential exploration. What conceptual themes lie at the heart of this debut?
We’ve built a cosmic atmosphere that runs through every song. Our lyrics are inspired by horror stories and philosophical works.
Kelly Schaefer’s appearance on “Stone Cross” is a major highlight. How did this collaboration come to be, and what did it mean to have him involved?
Kelly was really friendly—he happily agreed and was genuinely interested. For us, that’s even cooler than a photo with a star! A collab track is seriously awesome.
Covering Nirvana’s “Territorial Pissings” is both unexpected and bold. What drew you to this track, and how did you approach reinterpreting it through the lens of technical death metal?
Haha, a lot of people ask about that one! Nirvana is a band we grew up on—what can we say, we’re still obsessed with that first album. We wanted to surprise people with an unexpected cover!
There’s an intricate balance between chaos and control in your music – complex time signatures, abrupt tempo changes, swirling riffs. What does your songwriting process look like? Is it more intuitive or meticulously calculated?
We usually start by writing the lyrics for a song, then the structure and concept come together, and after that it’s all about letting the imagination and music theory fly.
As a Ukrainian band, how has the current socio-political environment affected your music and the way you see your place in the metal scene?
It’s complicated… At first, we probably wanted to get some anxiety out of our heads by writing our own music. But it also holds us back—it’s terrifying to tour the country and very stressful when Russian missiles fly overhead…
Can you introduce us to the individual members of Xenotrone and talk about their musical backgrounds? How do these different personalities contribute to your collective sound?
Of course! Kostiantyn Roskosenko – vocals, guitar, Vlad Vattghern – bass (backing vocals live), Danylo “Soulreaper” – guitar (used to play drums), Artem Burchenko – drums (you’ll hear him soon). The guys have played in many bands of different genres, from stoner to melodic black metal.
The guitar work on this album is particularly elaborate and intelligent. Who are your guitar heroes, and what inspires your approach to riff writing and soloing?
Our guitar heroes are Chuck Schuldiner, Kelly Shaefer, Paul Masvidal, Allan Holdsworth, and others. Coming up with solos is the cherry on top of each track!
The production of “Into The Void” manages to stay clean enough to highlight technicality without sacrificing aggression. Tell us about the recording process and the whole production of the album.
Honestly, this was a real challenge, but we managed! We used a Mesa Boogie Rectifier with a boost and different delay effects for the solos.
Which track on the album do you feel best represents Xenotrone’s identity, and why?
“I Have No Mouth but I Must Scream” — it’s the most aggressive and most technical one.
Do you consider yourselves part of a broader Ukrainian metal movement or scene, or do you feel like you’re building something more independent and self-contained?
First and foremost, we play what we love. But finding new fans is always awesome. We’d love to play in Europe!
In terms of genre identity, would you say Xenotrone is pushing toward the creation of something entirely new? In my review, I wrote that you play “kraut thrash/death metal”!
Yeah—kraut death metal—sounds super cool! It’s like Pestilence meets Blood Incantation, but no one in Ukraine had done something like that before us.
Do you have any plans to make a tour? And if so, how do you translate those ambient/atmospheric sections into the live setting? How do you sound live?
For live shows, we pick the grooviest and fastest tracks—ones people can really slam to and enjoy!
How do you see the evolution of Xenotrone going forward? Will you continue to have cosmic/ambient elements in your music?
Definitely—our identity and style mean a lot to us
In a landscape often saturated with repetition, how do you stay original and avoid falling into familiar genre tropes?
I don’t even know… We just play what we have and how we feel it.
Finally, what would you like your listeners to feel or think after they’ve experienced “Into The Void” in its entirety?
We want our songs to get stuck in your head and leave an impression—emotionally and musically!
Please send your message to the fans!
Listen to good music and support the musicians in your local scene!
