Frederik, who recently joined as bassist after years of working as a roadie, shared how he’s transitioned into the band full-time following the end of his football career. While he didn’t participate in the writing of the band’s recent single “Fool Me Twice,” he’s become actively involved in live performances and in shaping the band’s current sound. His background in old-school thrash brings a different flavor to the group, complementing the more progressive and post-metal influences of other members.

The band emphasized how excited they are to be playing at Alcatraz Festival this summer. For them, it’s a major milestone, both as musicians and as fans of the festival. They’ll be opening the La Morgue stage, a spot described by many other bands to us as ideal for drawing in new listeners thanks to its position near the festival entrance as basically the first stage people come across when they enter the festival grounds.

They’re preparing a tight, energetic 40-minute set, designed to leave a strong impression. While they joked about adding fire pits and BBQs to the stage show, their focus remains on delivering a powerful performance and connecting with the crowd. They’ve also been upgrading their live setup with in-ear monitoring to improve sound and coordination.

They mentioned several times how crazy it is to be on the same line-up of some of their favorite bands and are excited about the chance to catch some of them over the weekend. They mentioned being particularly stoked for Obituary, Whiplash, Machine Head, and Mammoth Grinder. While their own set overlaps with Between the Buried and Me—a band several members love—they were happy to make the trade-off for the opportunity to play. Beyond thrash, they also expressed appreciation for more melodic and progressive acts like Evergrey and Vola, and even some classic names like W.A.S.P. They praised Alcatraz for its balanced lineup, which includes both legendary old-school acts and rising modern bands, and noted how rare it is for festivals of this size to give newer or local acts a prominent platform.

As Ruben put it, “Every year, I look at the lineup and think: that’s where I want to be.”

Beyond their upcoming show, the band is working on new material, with an EP or full album on the horizon once the summer festival season winds down. They expressed appreciation for how Alcatraz supports local Belgian acts, giving smaller bands a real platform, something they say sets it apart from a lot of other major festivals.

The interview closed with a promise: they’ll be giving everything they’ve got when they hit the stage, and they hope fans will come early to kick off the day with them.

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