Interview Joey Jordison et Sean Zatorsky (face to face)

Arrived early for the interview, I make my way through joking lads who try to make me believe (for one second) the metal show is taking place on the next boat. I’m meeting Joey Jordison and Frédéric Leclercq but Fréderic is late so we got started with Joey alone.

Hi, I’m with “Aux Portes du Metal” a French webzine dealing with metal stuff ranging from Rainbow, Black Sabbath up to Cannibal Corpse and beyond. I know you’re a band with already two albums and one EP. How about introducing us to Sinsaenum, for people who may not know about you yet.

Joey : Me and Fred were touring together back in 2008. He was with Dragonforce and I was with Slipknot. We hung around a lot and somehow one night we got onto the topic of just music in general. And I didn’t realize what a big fan of death metal he was. I played in Satyricon and other death metal bands before. We got onto he subject and I had mentioned it in interviews. I was looking for a counterpart, someone I could meet and form a real healthy relationship and get a band together. I didn’t realize… (Fred barges in and apologizes since he’s not gonna be able to join in for the interview, instead he offers Sean to step in). When I got off tour, he instantly started to send me demos. We kept in contact as we had other things to do. Eventually, I would send back notes like “we should try this here, and stuff like that”. When we started talking about a vocalist, I suggested Attila. On his end, Fred found Sean. Fred was like “we need two vocalists”. And when he mentioned Sean, I was totally sold. There’s no better vocalist for what we do. He’s absolutely brutal.

Sean : When Fred told me he had a band with Joey and Attila. I was the last guy to come in. He showed me the demos and I said “I’m in”. I was with Chimaira at the time and I had nothing else going on. The rest is history. It’s a great experience, flying in here, learning the culture.

Did you get to enjoy yourselves here?

Sean : France is central to Sinsaenum so we often end up spending a couple weeks here. We get to try the cheese, the bread, all those nice things. I’m very lucky, these guys presented me with such quality material. I ripped through all of the demos in just one day. Obviously there’s a lot of back and forth between us. But when I got them all, I sent them back in less than one day.

So it’s your second album. Can you share with us what is so special with this one?

Joey : The main thing is it shows growth. In a weird way, it feels like our first record. The first two, they’re stellar but it was different. We didn’t record as a band previously, we would send files over and there’s nothing wrong with that. This time we all got to be in the studio together at the same time.

Do you still live in Iowa?

Joey : Yeah, I don’t move.

Sean : Des Moines, the Monks (laughs).

What about you Sean?

I live in Atlanta, Georgia.

Is it the first time you fly over here as a unit?

Joey : Absolutely, as far as touring is concerned.

Can you tell us about your style of death metal?

Sean : I have some crazy influences. I do listen to a lot of hip hop but nobody wants to hear that. Actual rap from Atlanta. That’s what gives me the flow and enunciation that transpires back into my vocal style. I do fast words. Metalwise, I dig Cannibal Corpse, Chris Barnes has been my all time idol. Slipknot molded my screams as well.

Joey : For me it goes a long way. The real first death metal for me, they’s actually not known, they’re of a local band, they’re called Ritual of Agony. This is even before I started gigging. But of course, later on, I was into Morbid Angel, (Sean shouts “Hiow could I leave that out?”), Cannibal Corpse of course and also a band which I believe is still around, Resurrection with an album called "Embalmed Existence", you kind of got me on the spot, there’s a ton of bands I like.

Mostly brutal death metal? Not Cynic, Death?

Joey : When you compare old Cynic to when they came out

Malevolent Creation?

Joey : There you go, right on! "Retribution" is one my favorites. "The Ten Commandments", that is fucking killer. Obituary, "Cause of Death", this album is unbeatable.

I like the sound of your last album. Who produced it?

Joey : That’s more of a Fred question actually. On the first album, I recorded my drums in Iowa at the same studio I did "All Hope is Gone", the last Slipknot album I’m on.

I didn’t pay enough attention to your tour dates. Did you tour with this album before this current tour?

Sean : No, this is it. We’re going to Asia, Russia, Australia, China. But we’re starting here!

A question I like to ask is : is there is one song that currently represents what you guys are about with this band?

Sean : Two songs (ok two songs)

Joey : It’s like trying to pick a favorite kid. It’s gonna sound like an easy answer but I’m gonna go with "Army of Chaos" which is kind of an anthem for us.

Sean : I would say "Ashes", just the meaning of the song, the lyrical content, it sounds like a lot of people had a new beginning with this. The whole song rises from ashes. It is kind of cliché but it represents us well.

I didn’t notice which label you’re with...

Sean : We’re with EarMusic.

Sinsaenum is the contraction between Sin and Insane?

Joey : Yes, I came up with the band’s name. I don’t remember and don’t want to know how I came up with it. I just know that some day, I wrote it down. I went through my notes after a while I suggested it and sent it to the guys. It’s easy to chant, it’s got three syllables. I think it says everything we’re trying to do. They went Ok with it, so they made the decision, I just found the name.

I am still wondering why you went ahead with two singers.

Joey : Here’s how it happened. When I did the very first incarnation. I came up with the suggestion of Attila. Since we were playing mostly brutal and not only black metal, we’re a little bit of both, Fred hit me back with Sean. Sean is perfect, I’m a fan of Daath (Sean fronted this one too).

Sean : When I toured with Dragonforce, Fred was the same “we should do a band, call me sometime, well he actually did and the rest is history”.

Aside from this release and this touring, do you have something else going on?

Joey : Well, right now, we’re concentrating on Sinsaenum. We got a lot of touring to do. Of course, aside from that Fred has Dragonforce, I have Vimic. We’ll get to that once Sinsaenum’s commitments are fulfilled. Right now, this is this and this only.

No videos?

Sean : Actually we just posted "Hooch", a Melvins cover. We did it yesterday!

Do you have a regular day job or is full commitment to music?

Joey : As for me it is full commitment to music, I haven’t had a regular day job since 1998… Basically, I’m at my day job.

Sean : I took some time off since I run night shifts in a security gig. It’s easier for musicians : 10PM to 6AM.

Joey : It’s actually funny you mentioned that since I’d go to rehearsal at 6PM, rehearsed till 9, have a band meeting from 9 to 9:30, would work from 10PM to 8AM, I loved working like that.

Sean : People call this the vampire shift (laughs)

Do you guys have a question you would have liked to answer?

Joey : Hum, what time is it? No I think you did a great interview and thank you for your time!