NOVEMBER 29th 2021
IN SOMNIA EXCLUSIVE
Metaltitans had the opportunity to chat with drummer Dominic Granegger, for the band IN SOMNIA, a Progressive Modern Metal Quartet band from the picturesque Tyrolean mountains. Smoothly blending modern metal with hints of darker elements. Check out our exclusive interview below for more:
Interview By Metal Mom
Line up is:
Simon Andreas Brunner - Vocals, Guitars
Andreas Wibmer - Guitar
Florian Bacher - Bass
Dominic Granegger - Drums
MT: Tell us how you came to name yourselves IN SOMNIA?
DG: To quote our mastermind, Simon:
In Somnia is a successor band of "Darkest Mile". "Darkest Mile" was founded by me in 2009. After the band had a complete personnel rochade behind itself and with the drummer at that time, Mattias Girstmair, something like a new start took place, we renamed the band in In Somnia and realigned. Young and acting with blinkers we were not aware at that time that a successful band from the north had an almost identical name. But since all the printed material and graphics were already in place at that time, we decided to take the plunge and kept the name anyway, only the spelling was changed
MT: You have 4 members in the band, how did they all come to be in it?
DG: My entry into the band was in 2016, when their then drummer Mattias had left the band.
In 2018 there were some lineup changes with:
Andi on rhythm guitar and Christoph on bass.After a few live shows, we had some rest to dedicate ourselves to our new album. Unfortunately, our former keyboarder Dominik Senfter had to leave us for professional reasons and Christoph stepped in for him. And then Florian Bacher came in as our new bass player. We had to part ways with our keyboarder Christoph in 2021, but he is still involved with the band.
And now we are here in as a four-pack.
MT: Did anyone have an influence in your sound?
DG: There are some influences that have contributed to our new album.
My personal influences are more metal & deathcore as you can see from my drum tracks.
MT: What year did you start as IN SOMNIA?
DG: In Somina went out in 2012 from the previous band the Darkest Mile.
MT: How did you pick Rollercoaster as your first music video from your latest album "Harlequin"?
DG: It was clear from the beginning that ROLLERCOASTER would be the first song on the album.
If I recall correctly, it was also the first song that got written when Simon came back from his “For the Harvest” (the previous album) break in late 2018. We even performed that song live on a regular basis on our 2019 live production, so we kind of knew that some would dig it.
This song opens the album with a force, without any pre or intro. It is just a cymbal scratch and then it hits without any compromises.
MT: You have a total of 9 tracks on your album, do you personally have a favourite? And why that one?
DG: One of my favorite songs from HARLEQUIN was "Something Ends, Something Begins"! Writing this song on the drums was very easy for me and it was just a pleasure to do this. I had the flow right away in my mind's ear and knew immediately what I had to play to make the song special for me. Of course, there were a few tweaks in the studio but that's what makes this song special. I remember, there was a thunderstorm going on the day I laid the drums on the unfinished track, and we were listening to it repeatedly while having some booze and watching the rain fall – We knew that there was something special in it, even at this state. The main reason why this became one of my favorite songs though, is because it is dedicated to my daughter, Lia, who was born during the recording of this song.
MT: Tell us the process of putting your video together. .
DG: Corona threw a spanner in the works of some of our video plans.
Of course, we had to react immediately and rework the entire concepts because we worked out everything on our own. Some scenes of "ROLLERCOASTER" were shortened to a minimum to keep the effort as low as possible, which was possible in times of Corona. But the prouder we can be of the result and those who will still follow.
MT: I see that the album was released Nov 11, I know it is early, but have you had some reactions to it so far?
DG: So, the range is already considerable, not groundbreaking but worth talking about.
Since we have produced and marketed everything on our own this time, every single sub or like comes with some extra joy. It is also nice to see some sort of progress, even without being signed to a label anymore.
MT: Do you plan on any tours to support it, or is covid still bad there that those plans have to be put aside for now?
DG: As for now, the crisis strikes back again, so I don’t think you can actually “plan” anything a.t.m and this is not for us only, it affects everybody, I guess. I must admit that it gets harder to catch the right time for the sake of a tour, since we all work fulltime in a day job and some of us (including me) have families. Nonetheless, we really would like to hit the road if we got the chance to, or at least play some shows in 2022.
MT: Who creates your lyrics, and where do the ideas come from?
DG: Mastermind Simon Brunner is responsible for our lyrics and most of the topics can be found in the everyday life of our band members, be it the birth of a child or the loss of a loved one.
Such events often provide a good breeding ground for our songs and bring the corresponding mood.
Because I think that's one of the best ways to process things, especially as a musician/artist.
MT: Tell us something about IN SOMNIA, that we might not know. . .
DG: As in each of our albums, there is again a hidden puzzle. Solving the thing leads to a passphrase which can be entered in our webstore to receive some serious discount. In the bands history, there where only two people solving one of these, since we usually don’t tell that there are hidden puzzles.
MT: Is there anything you would like to add to this interview?
DG: Finally, thank you for your interest and for the interview and last but not least, check out our online store and buy our new album at https://store.in-somnia.eu
NOW ;D
Thank you for taking the time to do this, and we wish you much success on your new album "Harlequin."
DG: Thanks for having us!
Website: https://www.in-somnia.eu
Store: https://store.in-somnia.eu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InSoMusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/InSoMusic9
NOTE: Words, views and opinions expressed in answers are those of the authors and do not reflect necessarily the official position, attitude or position of đ đđ§đđđ đđŚđŚđđđ ᴳᴸᴟᴎᴏᴸ