Glacial Tomb Talk Influential Philosophers & Recording New Album ‘Lightless Expanse’

Earlier this month, Denver death metal three-piece Glacial Tomb returned with their new album, Lightless Expanse.

Combining in-depth themes of mental illness and philosophical pessimism (inspired heavily by True Detective muses Thomas Ligotti and Peter Wessel Zapffe) with multi-layered melodicism and catastrophically heavy death-doom songwriting, the band, inspired by new bassist David Small, have created an unflinching examination of the horrors of existence, captured with authenticity and meticulous attention to detail.

For this latest interview, V13 sat down with guitarist/vocalist Ben Hutcherson to discuss influential philosophers, the new album, and how Hutcherson found his role in producing the album.

You describe yourselves as sludge-corrupted death metal; how would you explain your sound to people who are perhaps unfamiliar with either genre and new to Glacial Tomb?

Ben Hutcherson (guitar/vocals): “I love that descriptor, but I can’t take credit for it. I believe Chris Korvatin, who used to write for/run MetalSucks and The Pit, used that phrase to describe us. The inclusion of “corrupted” as part of the description implies something insidious lurking just beneath the surface, and I think that is more appropriate than ever given the music and aesthetic of our new album Lightless Expanse.

For those looking for a more straightforward–if somewhat reductive–description, try this: “Combine equal parts Morbid Angel’s Covenant, Cannibal Corpse’s Bloodthirst, Gorguts’ Colored Sands, and Wolfbrigade’s In Darkness You Feel No Regrets. Mix thoroughly, add a shot of Crowbar, and serve over ice.”

Who are your biggest influences on the Lightless Expanse? I noticed you’ve cited several philosophers as being informative to the album.

Ben: “Our individual musical influences are incredibly varied. Mike is a huge fan of Sepultura and Converge. Dave worships at the altars of Cannibal Corpse and Godflesh. I am as likely to be found listening to unsettling dissonant death metal (e.g., Gorguts, Immolation, half the roster of Transcending Obscurity Records) as I am the first couple of John Prine records. Of course, we all listen to many, many more artists than just those, but the point is simply that our sludgy death metal is born of myriad seemingly incompatible influences.

As for the lyrics and general concept behind the album, I was equally influenced by weird/cosmic horror and pessimistic/nihilistic philosophy. Thomas Ligotti’s writing, both fiction and nonfiction, is the most consistent influence throughout the songs but the underlying philosophy is most directly shaped by the writing of Philipp Mainländer.”

What is the story behind the name of the new record?

Ben: “The universe is unfathomably large and coldly indifferent to our lives. Every dream, every fear, every kindness, every horror wrought by humankind affects nothing and is recorded by no being beyond this planet. The suffering guaranteed to every sentient being–the only thing we are guaranteed–is a reminder of our own inconsequential place in the cosmos. That is a terrifying truth, but it’s also one in which I have found some degree of comfort. I wanted the album title to encapsulate both the horror of that inevitable suffering and the serenity of surrendering to our own inconsequential position in the universe.”

Glacial Tomb ‘Lightless Expanse’ Album Artwork

Tell us about your experience of making the album. What went on behind the scenes in the practice room and studio?

Ben: “We spent years writing, rehearsing, demoing, and (eventually) recording this record. We didn’t plan on taking six years to release another album after our first one, but that’s how long it took for us to wrangle these songs from ephemeral concepts floating in the aether into the documents of existential horror they are today. I produced and engineered the record, which was not a decision I made lightly. There are so many amazing producers and engineers out there, but I had a very clear idea of how we could commit these songs to tape in a way that was an honest representation of the aforementioned years of work we put into crafting them.

This wasn’t my first time helming with the recording process, (e.g., I previously engineered my other band Khemmis’s cover of Alice in Chains’ ‘Down in a Hole’ and engineered + mixed our More Songs About Death Vol 1 EP), but I still approached this project with great reverence because it encapsulated such a sizable part of all three of our lives. We tracked the drums over the course of three days at The Band Cave here in Denver, a fantastic studio with a great live room and a truly stellar selection of gear. Everything else was recorded at my home studio.

Once we turned our thoughts toward the mixing process, I immediately knew I wanted us to work with Arthur Rizk. I’ve known Arthur for a few years at this point; in addition to being a fantastic human, his approach to mixing extreme music feels complimentary to our own approach to writing and tracking. We wanted these songs to breathe, to feel natural and organic rather than processed to the point of sterility, and Arthur’s mix allowed that to happen beautifully.”

Any notable moments that stand out from those sessions?

Ben: “I have to give a HUGE shout-out to my brothers Mike (Salazar – drums) and Dave (Small – bass) for not only trusting me to engineer this record but also for being willing to trust my ideas as a producer. Whenever I suggested a change to a section of a song, they were both always willing to give it a shot, even if we wound up sticking with the original form. Because of this, the intro to “Worldsflesh” became a roiling, kinetic mass of drum fills, and we added a subtle-yet-elegant harmony line beneath Dave’s bass solo in ‘Sanctuary.’”

Which do you enjoy the most: writing, recording, practising, or playing live?

Ben: “No contest: playing live. For me, it is all about being on stage performing these songs with two of my best friends and connecting with the audience. The stage is, for lack of a better phrase, my church.”

With your upcoming fall North American tour, what songs can fans expect to see in the setlist? Which ones are you looking forward to playing most?

Ben: “We’ll be playing a lot of the new album, but there will be some older tracks in there as well. We’ve been rehearsing relentlessly in preparation for the tour, and I am particularly excited to play ‘Stygian Abattoir’ and ‘The Lightless Expanse’ on this run.”

What’s next for Glacial Tomb after the tour?

Ben: “More touring! We’re already working on more North American dates for the spring, and hopefully, we’ll make it over to the UK and the rest of Europe next year(ish). We also have a series of playthrough videos that we’ll be releasing after the tour. Want to learn how to play these songs? Keep your eyes peeled for those videos.”

Is there anything you’d like to say to fans or something you’d like to shout out ahead of the album release and tour?

Ben: “Thank you. Thank you to the longtime fans for not forgetting about us after years of hibernation. Thank you to the new fans for finding meaning in our art. Thank you to Steve and EJ at Prosthetic for everything. Thank you for asking great questions. And, hey, thank you to the readers for reading.”

To pick up your copy of Lightless Expanse, head over to the Prosthetic Records Webstore.