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| This interview was made in collaboration with Last Cathedral Records |
For this interview, Christoph Jakobs of PIECE discusses the band’s approach to songwriting, the importance of riffs, energy and distortion, and their contribution to The Final Witness compilation. He also talks about Berlin’s underground scene, the role of repetition and groove in doom metal, and what he sees for PIECE’s future.
Asmoth: There is something quite immediate about PIECE’s sound: the riffs don't seem to need much explanation before they make an impact. Is that directness something you consciously look for when putting a song together?
Christoph Jakobs: Maybe not something we consciously look for, but for sure a way to keep the energy high from the start, and that is definitely a goal with our songs. Most of the band have their roots in the hardcore punk scene, and in that music, it’s all about energy. Being a metal band, PIECE are still looking for that same energy and rawness, and we feel the best way to achieve that is by starting with a riff. Most of the time, the songwriting also starts with the main riff, and then the rest of the song is built around that.
Asmoth: If you took away the distortion, the volume and all the weight from a PIECE song, what do you think would still remain at its core?
Christoph Jakobs: Actually, I write a lot of material for PIECE at home, either on an acoustic guitar or an unplugged electric guitar. For sure, the music lives from the distortion and the sound, but I feel the core songwriting and riffs would work either way.
To follow up on the question above, without all the weight and volume, there would be an immense loss of energy in our songs, though. So, to answer the question: PIECE without distortion would be possible, but totally senseless.
Asmoth: Let’s talk about “Demigod”, your contribution to The Final Witness. Was there a particular reason you wanted this song to be heard through the compilation rather than another PIECE track?
Christoph Jakobs: To be honest, the song “Demigod” was specifically requested for the Final Witness compilation. If it were up to me, I might have picked a slower or doomier song like “Serpentfolk” for the compilation.
That being said, I think “Demigod” works really well within the compilation itself. Having a more straight-up and upbeat song in there makes absolute sense, and it sits well alongside the other songs. So we definitely have to give credit to Michael for the curation.
Asmoth: Once you heard the complete The Final Witness, with its twenty different interpretations of Doom Metal, did the compilation make you discover something about the underground scene that you hadn't noticed before?
Christoph Jakobs: It is said that this collection showcases a diverse range of doom metal, and that is exactly what it does. For me, when thinking about doom, I kind of automatically think of traditional or funeral doom, but in fact, the genre is way wider than that.
I wouldn’t necessarily consider us a doom band, at least not all the time, but this compilation shows that doom is more of an atmosphere and mood that can be woven into songs, even when the outer shell might be more heavy, death, or whatever other genre of metal.
There’s nothing in particular that I newly discovered about the underground scene through this compilation, but listening to all these songs reminded me that I’m actually a big fan of heavy-metal-influenced doom, haha
Asmoth: Berlin has its own musical ecosystem, with countless bands and very different scenes crossing paths. Does living and playing there actually affect PIECE, or could the band have developed in pretty much the same way anywhere?
Christoph Jakobs: Living and playing in Berlin does, of course, influence our music and how we approach it. Everyone in the band has been part of the Berlin underground scene for years, and we really do love it here. We go to shows, we know a lot of people here, and we’re well connected, which helps a lot with booking shows and stuff.
You’re absolutely right that Berlin has a lot to offer and has so many different scenes. Sometimes I wish the scenes would cross paths more, actually. Sometimes it feels like everybody stays in their lane a bit too much. I mean, this city is huge, and I pretty much know all the faces that will show up at a doom show.
There are, of course, people like our friends in Swamp Conspiracy who are always booking cool lineups with different genres of heavy bands, but the scenes themselves still stay in their lanes too much. Maybe the worst example would be death or black metal in Berlin. If a show of either of those genres is happening in the city, you better be prepared to not see any mixed bills.
Musically, though, I actually don’t think Berlin has influenced the sound of PIECE that much. I feel like we found what we want to play, and that is pretty much in the DNA of the members of PIECE. I mean, I definitely get influenced by seeing other bands play, and living in a city where there are a lot of shows going on does help with that.
The best thing is when I go see a band play and it makes me want to go home and write something of my own.
Asmoth: There is often a fine line between a riff that is simply heavy and one that becomes memorable. What makes you keep returning to a particular riff during the writing process?
Christoph Jakobs: Yeah, finding that fine line is maybe the hardest thing. In the songwriting process, usually I’ll write a riff at home. If it sticks, I’ll record it real quick and dirty and listen back to it countless times. If it still sticks, I’ll bring it into the jam room and we’ll try to make a song out of it.
In the end, it’s all about what feels good when playing it with the band. If a riff feels natural and we can figure it out quickly as a band in the room, there’s a good chance we’ll use it in one of the songs. If we already have trouble finding the groove as a band, maybe that’s a sign to throw the riff away.
Either way, we’ll all be on the eternal hunt for finding the perfect riffs.
Asmoth: Do you prefer the moments when a song suddenly takes an unexpected turn, or when everything locks into a groove and stays there until the end?
Christoph Jakobs: It really depends. A song with a locked-in groove would be “Demigod,” I guess. That song just worked really well and felt very natural, so we stuck with it. In a live situation, I’d maybe prefer a good, locked-in groove.
For listening at home, an unexpected turn or more complex songwriting can significantly increase the replay value. That would also be a fine line, though, since I’m not the biggest fan of overly complex or progressive music.
Speaking of doom, repetition is often a feature of the song rather than a flaw.
Asmoth: Imagine PIECE five years from now: would you rather hear the band sounding more extreme, more experimental, or simply more like itself?
Christoph Jakobs: For playing live, we’re often told to go more extreme or more doom to fit better into the different scenes. We’re not going to do either of those things. PIECE is a DIY band, and we play exactly the music we want to hear ourselves.
For the future, I’d like PIECE to become a bit more experimental, with interludes on the records and more heavy metal in the songs themselves. Since LP3 is pretty much done, I already have a vision of how that will turn out.
But PIECE in five years will most likely still be pretty much what it is now.