Was there a particular moment when you knew you were going to be more than just an upcoming band? It was probably after the release of our 2011 LP, ‘Isolation’. The response that record received was something we were not expecting. It put us on a lot of people’s radar and we began getting some really awesome tour offers. We began to realize we could use the band as a vehicle to go to travel to places we never even imagined, and also as a medium to connect with people across the planet.
How did you end up signing to Metal Blade Records, and what have they been like to work with so far? We first connected with Andy from Every Time I Die regarding their interest with the band. He was doing A&R for them at the time and we began conversation with the label through him. Apparently, Brian Slagel became a fan of us through his friend and famous chef Chris Santos. To this day, this still blows our mind. Anyway, in 2015, shortly after the release of ‘Rust’, we were on tour with The Black Dahlia Murder. Associates from the label ended up flying out to several shows on that tour, checking us out, and just hanging. We kept in communication with the label and when the time was right, began negotiating a deal to work together. So far the relationship has been really cool and supportive. We’re excited to see where ‘Posthuman’ can take us.
Can you elaborate on some of the main themes and influences that run throughout 'Posthuman'? The album came to be from a general understanding of posthumanism and transhumanism. After assessing the album lyrics, general themes, and overall place the band was in during the writing process, the album title just fit. To us, posthumanism is about transcendence, progression, adaptation, and pushing beyond the confines of what it simply means to be human. Thematically, one can find critiques on human nature and the absurd state of reality that we currently find ourselves in. This is implied in many different contexts on the record, from simply the self to society as a whole, especially on a technoscientific level.
So what made you want to release 'Human Carrying Capacity' first, and can you tell us a bit about the meaning behind the track? We felt the song hits hard, has high energy, some electronic components, and conveys elements that could appeal to your traditional Harm’s Way fans and new folks alike. The track doesn’t take as much of a departure from our previous releases as say other tracks on ‘Posthuman’ do, but it has elements that display the progressive nature of the record and what one may expect could follow. Lyrically the song looks at how humans, industrialized development, and overt resource consumption has altered and continues to alter the earth’s natural landscape at an alarming rate and impacts our planet negatively. It also looks at overpopulation and the limits to the life-sustaining resources we have here on earth that are continually exploited and wasted in the west. It questions whether or not we can continue in the direction we are heading and highlights the consequences we face in a pretty bleak way.
How did you end up working with Will Putney, and how would you say he helped shape the album? Will initially expressed interest in working with us after we signed to Metal Blade. We had a few other names in the mix as well and started opening up conversations with producers that we were interested in. After having conversations with Will about the ideas and vibe we were putting together for the record, we felt he was a good fit to record and produce it. He was very helpful in making our vision for the record come to light, all the way from pre-production to post-production. I feel he helped us get out of our comfort zones and brought out the best performances in us on an individual level.