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1. Congratulations on the upcoming release of The Undertow Of Hate! What emotions are you feeling as release day gets closer, and how does this album represent where Eaten By Sharks is today?
Now that we’ve finally released the album, it feels great to get it out there and into people’s ears so they can experience it as a whole. Releasing the singles was awesome, but we always felt the full album was the best way to experience what we created. A lot of hard work went into crafting the songs, recording them, and preparing for the entire release cycle, so it’s rewarding to finally share it. The reviews and feedback have been amazing so far. It’s been really cool to hear that listeners have picked up on the themes and narrative we were weaving into the riffs, while also hearing their own interpretations. That’s one of the best parts of releasing music.
2. Your new lyric video for “IN TIDAL CHAOS” is visually intense and perfectly complements the music. What inspired the concept behind the song, and why was it chosen as one of the key singles from the album?
“In Tidal Chaos” was an easy choice for a single because it showcases a lot of what this album is about. It has some of our favorite lyrical moments, a great mix of heavy riffs and shifting tempos, and it takes the listener on a journey. It starts off crushing, becomes increasingly chaotic, and then builds into a melodic ending with one of our favorite guitar solos on the album. We felt it represented the different sides of Eaten By Sharks really well.
3. The album follows a nautical horror storyline from beginning to end. How did this concept develop, and were there any books, films, mythology, or real-life events that helped shape the narrative?
The storyline follows a journey that begins calm and peaceful before descending into terror, eventually returning to where it started. The difference is that the trauma remains, serving as a reminder that things can change in an instant. We all love horror movies, and it’s no secret that Jaws has been a huge inspiration. In particular, Captain Quint’s speech about the USS Indianapolis really stuck with us. The fear and helplessness in that story sparked a lot of ideas about what it would have been like to experience something so terrifying, and that feeling helped shape the narrative of the album.
4. You describe this record as your most focused and intentional release. What changed creatively between your previous work and The Undertow Of Hate?
Our previous releases focused more on each song standing on its own with its own imagery and story. This album still allows every track to stand alone, but now they’re all connected through a larger narrative. For example, “In Tidal Chaos” can represent those overwhelming moments in life where everything feels like it’s crashing down and you have to find a way to fight through it. We’ve all experienced moments like that. At the same time, within the album’s story it serves as the chapter where the skies open up, the sea becomes violent, and the journey takes a darker turn before leading into the next track.
5. Christian Donaldson once again handled engineering, mixing, and mastering. What does he bring to the table that makes him such a valuable collaborator for Eaten By Sharks?
Christian is the man. We were incredibly lucky to work with him on Eradication, and coming back together for The Undertow Of Hate allowed us to build on that relationship. This time it became much more collaborative, with ideas flowing back and forth throughout the tracking and mixing process. We honestly believe that made the final product even stronger. His production skills are unreal, and when you combine that with his knowledge and experience as a musician, it’s a killer combination.
6. Your sound blends technical death metal, progressive elements, and crushing groove. How do you balance technical musicianship with writing songs that remain memorable and emotionally impactful?
It’s definitely a process. We usually start with an interesting seed of an idea and build around it, constantly refining transitions, rhythms, and grooves until everything flows naturally. One thing we really focused on this time was letting the riffs breathe. In the past we were probably a little guilty of musical ADHD, always moving to the next idea. We still write that way to an extent, but now it’s a little more… medicated. (laughs) We let the best parts sink in before moving on.
7. Many listeners compare your music to bands like Fit For An Autopsy, Gojira, and Cattle Decapitation. Which artists have had the biggest influence on your sound, and where do you feel Eaten By Sharks stands apart?
We all listen to different styles of music, but there are definitely a few bands we all love. Meshuggah has been a massive influence, especially with the way they use odd time signatures while keeping everything incredibly catchy. Classic death metal bands like Death and Cannibal Corpse are huge influences when it comes to brutality. Bands like Despised Icon and The Acacia Strain have also had an impact, while Devin Townsend inspires us from a songwriting and atmosphere perspective. Then you can even throw in a little Stan Rogers to capture that feeling of standing on a Halifax pier before everything goes horribly wrong. I think what sets us apart is combining all of those influences with our nautical horror concept and trying to tell a complete story instead of just writing heavy songs.
8. Extreme metal often pushes musicians to constantly evolve. Were there any new techniques, tunings, songwriting approaches, or production ideas you experimented with while making this album?
We switched to seven-string guitars for this album and tuned them down another half-step, which immediately opened up a lot of new ideas while writing. We also improved our demo process, making it much easier to experiment and stay inspired. Matt expanded his vocal range, developing a much deeper low and an incredible mid-range growl that really filled out the sound. Justin and Chap also spent a lot of time dialing in the drums to make them sound more human instead of like an impossible machine. We also wrote more songs than actually made the record, so choosing only the strongest eight tracks meant there was less filler and more killer.
9. The title The Undertow Of Hate is incredibly powerful. What deeper message or themes do you hope listeners take away once they’ve experienced the album from beginning to end?
We actually struggled for a while to come up with an album title because we didn’t want to simply use one of the song titles. While Matt was recording vocals for “Capsized,” he sang the line “The Undertow Of Hate,” and we all kind of stopped and looked at each other. It just felt right. We loved how open it was to interpretation. What it means to us might be completely different from what someone else hears, and we think that’s one of the coolest things about music. Once you put it out into the world, it belongs to everyone.
10. How important is the visual side of Eaten By Sharks, from lyric videos and artwork to branding, in helping tell the story behind your music?
The visual side is incredibly important to us. We try to make sure the nautical horror theme carries through everything we do, from the album artwork and lyric videos to our shirts, logo, and merchandise. It actually makes creative decisions easier because we already have a direction to build from. We’ve been lucky to work with some incredibly talented artists who immediately understand the concept and then add their own creative spin to it. They’ve absolutely crushed it every time, and I think that’s one of the reasons our merch connects so well with people.
11. Once the album is released, what are your plans for touring and bringing these songs to the stage? Are there any dream festivals or bands you’d love to share the bill with?
We’ve actually come full circle by getting the opportunity to open for Cryptopsy, which is pretty surreal. They’ve always been one of the greatest extreme metal bands to come out of Canada, and with our connection to Christian Donaldson, it makes that moment even more special. Beyond that, we’d love to share the stage with bands like Meshuggah, Dethklok, Despised Icon, Fit For An Autopsy, or Gojira. For the rest of this year, we’re focused on hitting the road across Canada, playing markets we already know while expanding into new ones, and next year we’d love to take things even further.
12. Finally, what would you like to say to both longtime supporters and listeners who will be discovering Eaten By Sharks for the very first time through The Undertow Of Hate?
First of all, thank you to everyone who’s been with us from the beginning. We honestly feel lucky to have such passionate supporters who continue to believe in what we’re doing. Getting to write the music we love and then share it with all of you is something we never take for granted. And to everyone discovering Eaten By Sharks for the first time, welcome aboard. If you’re ready to become a chum, we’ll welcome you with open jaws. We hope The Undertow Of Hate pulls you under and that you’ll bang your head along with us through every crushing riff.