Intercepting Pattern started as a side-project when Marte’s and Clemens’ band Cerebric Turmoil went on hiatus in 2016. Having played in various metal bands before, we were kind of drawn to modern jazz and fusion records at the time and wanted to challenge ourselves with a more complex and improvisational approach to music. Of course, being the metal kids that we are, we couldn´t totally hide from our roots, but overall we tried to emphasize extended harmonic concepts and recurring rhythmic motives common to a Jazz/Fusion context.
After months of sharing ideas between ourselves and also our friend and producer Tom, Marte composed a rough ‘skeleton’ of the track that featured the basic rhythmic patterns and chord changes as a building block for further soloing and improvisation.
Lille Gruber, one of our “metal-friends” that also has a soft spot for jazz related music, was asked to join on drums for the recording session. After we practiced the material together for a couple of months, the drums were tracked at Tonbrauerei in Berlin in two days, January 2018. For the fusion-parts especially, Lille went for long improvised takes over the chord changes of the different sections and then we picked a favorite. Those drum tracks then formed the basis for Marte and Clemens to overdub guitars, synthesizer and bass - prewritten for the metal parts, (semi-)improvised in the fusion sections.
We decided to add the specific vocal concept only after the music was basically finished so we had a clear picture to build lyrics upon. Dan´s vocal style seemed to fit the final concept very well and we asked him to session the job. Which he did at Tom´s homestudio (FountainheadHQ) in Berlin in summer 2019? The project was finalized, mixed and mastered at FountainheadHQ in Feb 2020.
It only occurred to us to cut the track into pieces for the purpose of a digital release. We recommend to listen to the whole album as a single song, as this is how it was intended.
"The Encounter is a joy to listen to and, even better for me, a pleasure to write about. It’s on par with this year’s most creative death metal records but more virtuosic and harder to categorize. I’ve looked forward to listening to it over and over again, and am sure to return to it often. There’s nothing much more that I want out of this record than for it to be heard and enjoyed." -
AngryMetalGuy.com/intercepting-pattern-the-encounter/
"The number of bands who truly blend jazz and metal at a fundamental, compositional level (e.g. more than “metal with a saxophone solo”) is smaller than you might imagine. Joining the ranks of Merkabah and Cleric is this remarkable project, whose thirty-minute single-track “The Encounter” recalls such monolithic creativity as Meshuggah’s historic I EP. When I first heard this, I listened to it four times back-to-back, the rare mark of music that simultaneously creates and fills a unique void in one’s listening experience. The textural foundation lies in old-school djent (closer to Meshuggah themselves than to their myriad derivatives), but the vast scope and direction of the song unfolds like a balletic jazz improvisation. While I’d always prefer greater length in my releases, this is as pristine a half-hour of music as anything released in 2020, and its shortness and density makes it eminently re-listenable." -
canthisevenbecalledmusic.com/matts-albums-of-the-year/#respond
"The music delivers a panoply of changing sensations as it ebbs and flows — and as it changes course without warning. The music jolts and jars, locks your body into irresistible movement, becomes eerie and disturbing, reaches heights of freaked-out extravagance, spins your mind through engrossing labyrinths, and hypnotizes in spellbinding fashion. Over and over again, it’s also a joyful experience to hear these talented musicians operating at a high level of skill, and giving themselves the freedom to go exploring at the same time." -
NoCleanSinging.com/2020/08/31/an-ncs-album-premiere-and-a-review-intercepting-pattern-the-encounter/
"...as this occasionally bewildering half hour draws to a close it is difficult not to be impressed by INTERCEPTING PATTERN‘s ability to have created a sound which draws few parallels in the world of metal today." -
DistortedSoundMag.com/album-review-the-encounter-intercepting-pattern/
"It has the rhythm and technical prowess of an instrumental album without the limitation of being an instrumental album, or even a metal album. Guitar and bass enthusiasts will have a great time with The Encounter." -
NoobHeavy.com/album-review-intercepting-pattern-the-encounter-8-5-jazz-death/
"At only about 30-minutes, The Encounter does a good job of getting to the point, even if it does have an almost improvisational feeling that powers it. The space-y atmosphere never becomes dull, due to the exceptional guitarwork, and they keep the songs tightly packed with content. Intercepting Pattern should offer some strong appeal to progressive metal fans that are seeking some sci-fi riffing that tickles that jazzy itch without overdoing it." -
DeadRhetoric.com/reviews/intercepting-pattern-the-encounter-rising-nemesis-records/
released September 5, 2020
Marte Auer – guitars, synths
Clemens Engert – bass
Lille Gruber – drums
Daniel Sander – vocals
Jimmy Pitts – guest solo on keys at 22:40 (on Fuga Finalis)
crewshouts by Alexander Kerski, John Turner, Daniel Sander, Marte Auer & Clemens Engert
Produced, mixed & mastered by Tom ‘Fountainhead’ Geldschläger at FountainheadHQ
Drums recorded by Thies Neu at Tonbrauerei Berlin
Cover Artwork by Niklas Sundin
IP Logo by Benno Meijer/Viral Designs
Preorder merchandise at
www.risingnemesisrecords.de
