Uninhibited, the German death metal duo, has burst onto the extreme metal scene with their debut album, Reign of the Unholy. Formed by Basti (vocals) and Marco (guitar and composition), the band combines old-school brutality with a fresh and immersive approach to songwriting. In this interview, the duo delves into their beginnings, the influences that shaped their sound, and the creative process behind their latest release.
Serial Metalbums: Could you tell us a bit about how Uninhibited came into existence? How did you two meet, and what sparked the idea to form this project dedicated to death metal?
Uninhibited: First of all, thanks a lot for giving us the opportunity to introduce UNINHIBITED to the readers of the SERIAL METALALBUM blog! It’s an honor!
UNINHIBITED consists of Basti (vocals) and Marco (music). Basti and I met in the 2000s for the first time. A good friend introduced Basti to me, since I was searching for a singer for a Hardcore band back then. And this is basically how we started making music together!
We used to play in that Hardcore band for many years. We released some records and we did some extensive touring all over Europe. Now, talking about Death Metal - we were always sharing the love for Metal and especially for the more extreme styles in Metal Music. It was the sound of our youth, you know!
Many years later, in May 2023 Basti and I decided to start UNINHIBITED as a Death Metal project. The idea to record some extreme music was around for a long time and it took us a few years to really start it! Finally it worked and I sent a few demos to Basti. Basti immediately started adding some vocals. We both loved the results and UNINHIBITED was born.
Serial Metalbums: What are some of the primary musical influences that shaped the sound of Uninhibited, both individually and as a band? Are there any specific bands, albums, or even moments that inspired you while crafting the music for Reign of the Unholy?
Uninhibited: As influences we like to mention bands like MORBID ANGEL, ENTOMBED or CANNIBAL CORPSE. Those bands are just great, they shaped the whole genre and we grew up by listening to their music! Of course those influences are present during songwriting, but not in a way that we are trying to clone those old masters.
I can give you a few examples: Pete Sandoval from Morbid Angel in my opinion has the best style of playing blast beats. It is exactly that organic but aggressive way of playing that style of music which we take as a benchmark sometimes. In the song “Whisper your Farewell” you get some OBITUARY vibes, which is because of a specific chord shape they are using. In a song like “Widow Maker” you can hear that rolling groove that we all know and love from BOLT THROWER. Basti (vocals) is a huge fan of older CANNIBAL CORPSE stuff and to my ears sometimes I can hear similarities although I think his voice is pretty unique and complements our music very well.
When it comes to the overall sound I would rather describe it american and rather influenced by the whole Florida Death Metal scene from the early 90ies.
Serial Metalbums: Since the release of your debut EP, Ascend the Plank in 2023, how would you say your sound has evolved? What do you see as the major changes or growth between that first EP and the release of Reign of the Unholy?
Uninhibited: We did not change too much for “Reign of the Unholy” in comparison to the “Ascend the Plank” EP. However writing an album is different to just recording a few songs. For us it was important that we can tell a story musically and when it comes to the lyrics too. We were aiming for a mixture of having both super fast and aggressive songs and rather groovy and heavy songs.
With respect to the production this time we wanted to add some own character to how the record should feel. “Ascend the Plank” already sounded awesome in our opinion but this time we wanted to even make it sound more old-school and brutal! The sound is very dense and thick and we scooped the mids overall which really gives it some old-school vibe.
Serial Metalbums: Was there a specific vision or concept you wanted to achieve with the album that maybe wasn't present on Ascend the Plank? How do you feel this new release represents Uninhibited in a way that the EP didn’t?
Uninhibited: We wanted to push deeper into the dark soundscapes that define our vision. While the EP was raw and relentless, the new release dives into more layered, atmospheric, and intense territory. Our goal was to create a journey, something brutal yet immersive, where every track feels like descending deeper into an abyss. The album, however, represents a fuller, more unrestrained version of UNINHIBITED. We took the space to experiment, to add more complex themes and textures that we couldn’t fully explore in a shorter format. We think it captures our identity in a way that’s truer and darker.
Serial Metalbums: Could you walk us through the writing and recording process of Reign of the Unholy? How long did it take to develop the album from initial concepts to the final recording? Were there any challenges or surprising moments during the recording?
Uninhibited: We started working on “Reign of the Unholy” in December 2023. Basically there are guitar riffs first which I sketch on my computer in order to have some first arrangement of a song. Some ideas work and some I drop, it is trial and error - at least for me. Once I think a certain song would work musically I send it over to Basti, who then will figure out lyrics and some vocal lines. Then we are in a loop of listening and adapting. We try to create a certain atmosphere both musically and of course via the lyrics and the message of a song.
I can tell that some songs were finished very quickly like within one day for example the title track “Reign of the Unholy” whereas other songs like “Death Machine” took a bit longer until we were fully satisfied with the results. All tracks were recorded at home and we had Ilarion (Ukraine) who again helped us out with Mixing & Mastering. He really knows what knobs to turn and working with him is just awesome although we are living in different countries. There is one funny story about the song “Invocation of Eternal Suffering”. I was really suffering from a strong fever when I had the idea for the final part of that song. That part is pure mayhem and probably not suited for the allround Heavy Metal fan. You really can feel some fever hahaha!
Serial Metalbums: When it came to working together in the studio, did you discover any new ways of collaborating creatively? Did you find any particular techniques or sounds that really defined the essence of this album?
Uninhibited: Nowadays it is very easy to record and release high quality music at home. Being able to already produce high quality demos at home makes it very easy to explore the right sounds before you start with the final mixing and mastering process in the studio. Working like that for sure has the advantage that you are insanely quick when it comes to creating new music. In a home-studio you can focus 100% and you can record any idea right away in order to share it via MP3 with your bandmates. Talking about recording techniques we record multiple guitar tracks to make the sound bigger, which is actually a standard for heavy music. In the final phase of recording we usually start playing around with some effects to create a certain atmosphere or to just emphasize a certain part of a song. Also adding leads or solos for us is rather a tool to add even more expression. At the end Basti and I are sharing new versions back and forth until we are fully satisfied with a song.
Serial Metalbums: Now that your first album is out, have you already started thinking about future projects or new musical directions for Uninhibited? What can fans expect from you in the coming years?
Uninhibited: We are already working on new songs. We will stick to our style however during the writing process many things can happen. Our approach is to not have a masterplan, everything is possible as long as it fits to the atmosphere of a song. However, don’t expect a Blues record from us. It will still be Death Metal - UNINHIBITED style.
Serial Metalbums: What’s your perspective on the evolution of the global extreme metal scene? Are there any emerging bands, specific scenes, or trends within extreme metal today that you find particularly interesting or inspiring?
Uninhibited: I mean, listen to the new BLOOD INCANTATION album. It will smash boundaries in Death Metal for sure. Blending Death Metal with other styles of music is great art in my opinion. I really hope that there will be more bands who are brave enough to try out new things. In general, looking at Extreme Metal there are so many subgenres, which can be really confusing sometimes. A few decades back there was mainly Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal and probably Hair Metal (to name a few). Now there are so many more categories of extreme music, the whole genre became more colorful which is a good thing in our opinion. As a fan you can totally identify with the style and culture you are really into. There are plenty of awesome new bands who are also celebrating the classic Death Metal style.
Serial Metalbums: As musicians rooted in the death metal genre, do you feel the genre is evolving in a direction you resonate with, or do you see it needing more innovation or change?
Uninhibited: The whole scene is alive! Old bands are still releasing awesome records and there are so many new bands as well, which put out amazing records. Just listen to new Death Metal releases on bandcamp these days and you will know what I mean. As UNINHIBITED we are not actively following trends in order to adapt our music. We consider ourselves rather as old school, hence latest trends play a minor role in our writing processes. As long as the fans love the sound of a cranked Marshall stack with some heavy growls and fast drums we can be happy!
Thanks a lot for the interview!