Interview with doom death metal band from Netherlands - MOUFLON.
Recenze/review - MOUFLON - Eros & Thanatos (2026):
Ave MOUFLON! Greetings to the Dutch underground. I hope everything’s going well over there. It should be you’ve released the third fantastic full-length album of your career this year. I have to admit, it literally pinned me to the wall. It’s dark, energetic, and cuts like a sharp knife. It’s very clear that you’ve done a great job and brought a lot of talent to the table. How do you see the new album in relation to your previous work? Where did you want to take things, and in what ways do you think these recordings are different?
Thanx for the compliment. The new album is a huge step up from previous recordings. Working with Ronny Kessels and Brad Boatright was the right choice to take it to the next level of filth and debauchery. They delivered the perfect sound for us. Everything sounds harder, voilent and filthier. We took more time to work on the songs and rehearsed them till everything was right. Lyrically it went deeper into the subjects of paraphilia and the collages in the booklet displays the lyrics in images. Artwork and the concept of the album are now more in line with each other then with the older releases. We wanted to take things to a next level of brutality and violence with the music and lyrics and we think that we accomplice this with the album.
“Eros & Thanatos” embodies all the attributes of good death and doom metal. For me personally, it’s an album I love coming back to. How did it come together? How does MOUFLON compose new material?
It's almost like a reverse decomposition process. Instead of tearing things apart, we slowly let them take shape. During rehearsals we always leave room to jam, experiment, and see where new riffs lead us. That's how the first track on Eros & Thanatos crawled out.
In 2024, we locked ourselves in the studio for an entire weekend with nothing but our instruments and these rough ideas. By the time we walked out, four more songs had emerged. From there, everything evolved organically. The lyrics gave each track its own identity and themes, the arrangements became more refined, and the solos finally found their place.
By 2025, the material had fully matured. We entered the studio and recorded the entire album over two long, intense weekends. There wasn't a master plan from the beginning—just riffs, atmosphere, and a shared vision that gradually grew into what Eros & Thanatos has ultimately become.
Who handled the recording and mixing? I have to say, the sound is absolutely killer. It keeps making me turn up the volume on my stereo. You’ve created a sound that’s brutal, raw, and at the same time dark and primal. How was it working together, and which studio did you record in? How did everything go? The sound is truly gritty, massive, and cuts like a knife.
Ronny Kessels at Overdose Audio handled the recording, while the album was mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, the guy who did also bands like Obituary and countless other metal acts.
Our approach is pretty straightforward. No fancy tricks, no overproduced bullshit. We use old-school amps, simple distortion pedals, a four-string bass, and a stripped-down "cut the crap" drum kit, no triggers or any of that. The vocals come straight from the guts—raw, powerful, and honest.
When we enter the studio, the songs are already about 95% finished. We don't work with a producer telling us what to do or pushing us in a certain direction. We write our own material and record it exactly the way we want it to sound. That's what death metal is about for us.
We've known each other for a long time, so working together feels completely natural. Everyone knows their role, and the chemistry is already there before the red light comes on. Recording weekends are always a blast, even though we keep ourselves on a tight schedule to capture that aggressive, uncompromising energy and put it on tape.
We're really glad you picked up on the sound. We wanted the album to be brutal, dark, raw, and alive not polished to death. If it makes you crank the volume every time, then we achieved exactly what we set out to do.
An integral part of the release and a sort of bonus for fans is the CD. You released it on Iron Fortress Records, and it features a deathly, mysterious cover. Who designed it? How did you choose the motif, and how does it relate to the music on the new album?
The artwork was created by Joost De Bruijn from The Bone Collector Tattoos. We've known Joost also for a long time and over the years he's done several designs for the band. He's more than just an artist to us he understands who we are and what our music stands for.
When it comes to the artwork, we give him complete freedom. We don't hand him a detailed concept maybe a direction but we dont’t tell him what to draw. He knows our sound, our lyrics, and the atmosphere we're trying to create, so we trust his vision completely. Every time he comes back with something that feels like a natural extension of the music. The collages on the inside of the booklet are made by RJ (singer)
I’ve been wandering through the underground scene for over thirty years now, and when it comes to music, I always turn to the Netherlands it’s a sure bet. I think we have similar personalities and tastes when it comes to metal. I really like your bands and follow your scene closely. Maybe I even envy you a little we only have a few death metal bands back home that are worth checking out. How do you explain why death metal is doing so well in your country in particular? How do you perceive your scene, fans, and labels?
We do not have an explanation on why death metal is doing so well here. There is a big metal scene and a lot of shows through out the week. Lots of bands, fans and labels that are committed to the scene.
You play old school influenced doom death metal. These days, a band can’t really avoid comparisons, but I’d be interested to know how the idea to form MOUFLON actually came about, who your role models were and are, and where you want to take your band? Are you tempted by big international festivals, for example? Would you be willing to go on tour with a more famous band?
MOUFLON was formed in 2012 out of a shared love for the old school. The bands that shaped us were Entombed, Autopsy, Bolt Thrower, Gorefest and Asphyx. The riffs, the atmosphere and the sound came naturally because that's the music we grew up with. It's part of our DNA, and that's what eventually surfaced.
Of course, comparisons are inevitable, but we don't chase trends or try to reinvent death metal. We'd rather write honest metal that feel authentic than force ourselves to sound "modern." As long as the music is heavy, memorable and comes from the right place, we're satisfied.
As for the future, we're happy to play wherever people want to hear us. We enjoy club shows just as much as festivals, and we've played outside our own country whenever the opportunity presented itself. Playing larger international festivals would be an nice, and if the right tour with the right band came along, we'd certainly be interested. But touring takes a lot of preperation and planning.
When I started my website ten years ago, my vision was to support bands that I felt weren’t getting enough attention to let the world know about them. I think I’m doing pretty well at it, at least judging by the feedback. How do you approach promotion? Do you leave it to the label, or do you send CDs out yourselves for reviews? For example, I buy albums that I really enjoy. How about you? Are you also fans who like to support your peers often? Do you go to concerts? Do you party?
Promotion never stops. We handle our own social media and keep the communication direct. Our label has its own way of spreading the word, and we support that by providing photos, quotes and whatever is needed. It's a joint effort, and that's how it works best.
And yes, we're fans first. We buy records, and show up at concerts and festivals whenever we're not on stage ourselves. The underground only survives if bands support each other instead of competing over scraps. We like discovering new music, meeting old friends, drinking beers and celebrating death metal the way it was always meant to be—loud, honest and without bullshit.
On the one hand, every band today has plenty of ways to get their name out there, but on the other hand, there are so many bands that fans get lost in the crowd. A lot of people just download MP3s from the internet and, instead of going to a concert, prefer to spew venom on Facebook. How does modern technology affect you as MOUFLON? What do you think about downloading music, Google Metalists, streaming music, and so on?
Originality always survives. We've downloaded music ourselves in the past, so we're not going to preach about it. Technology is simply another tool, and we use it to spread our music as far as possible.
For MOUFLON, modern technology has been more of a weapon than an obstacle. It allows us to reach listeners all over the world, stay in direct contact with our supporters, and release our music without depending on the old machinery of the industry. We're definitely not nostalgic for the days of mailing CDs to promoters and waiting weeks for a reply.
Sure, streaming and downloading may have their financial downsides, but that's not why we make music. We'd rather have our songs infect someone on the other side of the planet than have them gathering dust on a shelf. If people connect with what we create, come to a show, or support us in whatever way they can, that's what really matters.
I like to ask musicians what death metal means to them. How would they define it—is it more of a philosophy and lifestyle for them, or “just” a way to relax? What does it mean to you? How do you perceive and experience it?
That differs from person to person. We're all coming from different backgrounds, so death metal means something slightly different to each of us.
For some of us, it's an outlet a way to channel everything that builds up beneath the surface. For others, it's simply where we feel most at home, doing what we genuinely love. It isn't about playing a role or living some stereotypical lifestyle. It's about honesty and expressing something real through heavy music.
At the same time, you have to keep your balance. Passion is essential, but if you let it consume every part of your life, it can destroy you. Some of us have experienced that firsthand. That's why MOUFLON is about creating music with conviction, while keeping both feet on the ground.
Finally, a classic but important question. What does MOUFLON have planned for the coming months? Where can we see you in concert? If you have a message for fans, labels, or promoters, this is the place…
Check out the website for coming shows and news. Euro version of cd and vinyl will be out soon. No further messages.
Thank you so much for the interview. I wish your new album every success and hope your fan base grows as much as possible. I look forward to seeing you live somewhere, and I wish you all the best both musically and personally. I’m off to blast “Eros & Thanatos” in my head again!
Recenze/review - MOUFLON - Eros & Thanatos (2026):
Recenze/review - MOUFLON - Pure Filth (2022):
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