Interview mit Frédéric Leclercq von Sinsaenum

We are talking about SINSAENUM today, but you can’t talk about this band without talking about Joey Jordison. Joey died four years ago. So when you remember that day, how did you hear about it, what were you doing when you heard about his passing?
I was on my bed, watching TV, and my phone started to beep quite a lot. I got a lot of messages from different people. That’s how I learned about it. There’s not much to say. It’s never an amazing moment when you hear about someone’s passing, so yeah, I just remember that and being extremely sad.

So for you as a friend and long-time band member as well, did this sad news come as a surprise for you, or was it somehow foreseeable, due to his illness?
Let’s say it was foreseeable, but that’s about it. That’s not my place to discuss. But yeah. Nevertheless, it’s a tragedy. He was young …

„He was just a great person.
He was a friend first and foremost.“

Definitely. I met him for an interview on tour with SINSAENUM in 2018. It was kind of frightening because he couldn’t barely walk – but he nevertheless played the drums. His spirit and his power was just incredible. What are your memories from that tour with him?
It was great! It was difficult at times but like you said: his spirit was there, and he’s always been very passionate about music, very enthusiastic, and he was just a great person. He was a friend first and foremost. We met on tour, we met through music, and that’s what made us bond, because we both shared the same passion for MORBID ANGEL. That tour had its ups and downs, but I cherish the time that we spent together.

It was incredible to see him play those extreme brutal songs, and that he made it despite of his physical condition. He also told me that he was still hoping to return to SLIPKNOT one day – but I guess he was the only person who really believed in that dream. Did you talk about that as well?
Never. I never touched that subject, because it’s never been my business. I know the other guys as well, we all toured together, and whatever happened … like I said: I was always there if he needed to talk about it, but I would never bring up the subject. And when you’re with one band, you just need to focus on that, otherwise you just like to mix up too many things. So when we were together, we were SINSAENUM, and there was no room to bring up anything else.

The fans were quite surprised how unemotional SLIPKNOT reacted to his death. Later, Joey’s family even accused them of lying in court, saying that they had only claimed to have condoled with the family. Do you have any feelings on that?
None of my business. Absolutely none of my business. Grief comes in different forms, and you don’t have to be … you know, you say what you have to say, and I’m sure everybody was sad about Joey’s disappearing. So I never had to do any judgment about their reaction.

How did it come about that you founded a band with him in the first place? So how did SINSAENUM find together?
I always wanted to do death metal. That’s a genre that I love, and I wanted to do a band with people I like. I happen to know a lot of musicians, so it’s easy for me to find good musicians. I was just mentioning it to people here and there. I wanted to do something with Stéphane from LOUDBLAST, he was the first one who said: yeah, that could be a cool idea. I had songs written, or half songs, but nothing was too serious. And then I just came back from Australia, I was on tour there, and got a message from Joey. We used to greet each other with „MA“, which stands for „Morbid Angel“, because we were both fans of the band. He just hit me up randomly, and I was like, oh, that’s funny, I was just thinking about you, because I’ve got those songs, and they do actually sound a bit like Morbid Angel. We talked about it in the past, and I’ve been developing them, would you like to listen to them? And he said yeah and gave them a listen, and then he was just like, that’s fucking awesome, who’s the drummer? and I said, well, I don’t know … you? and he replied: yeah! and then that was it! From there on, it took a different, more professional turn, because I was just like, okay, Joey’s on board, Stéphane’s on board, me on board, I’d like to work with this guy and that guy and I opened many doors … and that’s how it happened.

“ This is my baby, but Joey
came up with the name“

Did you question the continuation of SINSAENUM after his death – and if so, when did you decide to go on?
Well, first, when you lose a friend, or when you lose someone, music comes second. So I was not even thinking about SINSAENUM when I heard that, and then, when I started to talk with the other guys, reaching out and sharing memories, obviously the subject came, and we said, we’re just going to carry on, and dedicate the next album to him. That seemed to us like the normal thing to do. Like I said: I created the band, I wrote the music, and this is my baby, but Joey came up with the name of the band, so this is a part of him that lives through what we do, so it makes total sense – at least to us.

So when did you actually restart the band activities?
I started to write those songs before we lost Joey and before I lost my dad, so that was in 2019. That’s when I started to write a good portion of the songs. I was also joining KREATOR at the time, and, you know, there was no pressure, no agenda, it was just like, we’ll make a third album, we’ll take our time. I didn’t expect any of that to happen. Losing my father left me pretty empty, as far as inspiration goes, there was none of that … and less than a year after that we lost Joey.

And when did you decide to involve his former drum-tech André Joyzi as the new drummer?
When we started talking about the band again, I wanted to finish the songs. So we started to think who’s going to play drums, and it became clear that it would be nice to have someone from the family, and because Joyzi is family – like you said, he was the drum tech on the tour for SINSAENUM, so he was with Joey all the time, it just made total sense. So that’s why we carried on with him.

“ It’s dedicated to whoever left us,
or whoever’s left behind“

There’s a song on the album called “Last Goodbye” which I guess is a quite personal one for you. Could you just give us a few insights about your feelings for this song, and what was your idea behind it?
Well, it’s about grieving, so obviously it’s dedicated to my father, to Joey, to Fred, our lighting guy, who died last year. But first and foremost it’s about grief. So it’s dedicated to whoever left us, or whoever’s left behind, and also about the pain that you have to endure when the person you loved is no more – so that’s what it’s about. Not very happy …

Well, I wouldn’t expect a happy song on a death metal record anyways, but most often death metal is more superficial, more the splatter and gore approach when it comes to death as a topic. So it’s a way more personal approach on that topic here, isn’t it?
It depends – I think some take it very seriously. The fact that the album is dedicated to them makes it all of a sudden serious and whatnot. But the reality is: Just one song deals with that aspect – but because the album is dedicated to them, which makes total sense, it puts the whole thing in a different light. But hadn’t we mentioned that this album is dedicated to them, maybe people would see that differently, so it’s also the power of just a few words, just the fact that you dedicate it to someone.

„My life has been changed
since I lost people I loved.“

SINSAENUM is my baby, it’s very personal, and my life has been changed since I lost people I loved. So, obviously, whatever I do, not only musicwise, is touched by these losses. This is what I put inside, but I don’t think it’s necessarily what people need to feel or what they feel with a song like „In Devastation“, for example, which is quite uplifting! Or „Shades Of Black“, or any of the songs on the album … it’s quite aggressive and catchy and has a lot of melody. Mentioning that it’s paying tribute to the people that we lost, could also give someone the wrong idea that the music is very depressed. It’s surely not meant to be happy, because it’s death metal. But it deals with more than just one aspect of life or death in that matter.

Also, music-wise, the album is more diverse compared to your earlier albums. What inspired you or what gave you the confidence to try this and make SINSAENUM more versatile this time?
The lack of boundaries. I didn’t feel the need to… I’d say the first album was the first one, it was also my entering into the genre, so you want to get it right. It’s a style that I love, but people knew me from being the bass player of DRAGONFORCE, so I knew for a fact they’d be like, oh, the guy from the power metal band playing death metal? So I was like, it better be right. And also, it was just my love letter to the genre: I’ve been listening to this for years, I wanted to make the perfect classic death metal album.

Then on the second one, I was pissed off at everything in general. I was turning 40, so you have midlife crisis … and I was angry! There were touches of PANTERA as well, some of the most evil, angry, aggressive music that I can think of. That’s what I had in mind. And for this, I was just like: OK, I’ve done two albums, I’ve got nothing to prove, the band exists, I’m going to take my time, because I had to work on a DRAGONFORCE album, I had to work on the AMAHIRU album, I just joined KREATOR. So there was no pressure, I was just like: I’m going to write music for SINSAENUM!

With the lineup in mind, I knew the voice is going to be like this, I knew the style will be like this … but within those parameters I’m just going to do what the fuck I want. So it came very naturally, without imposing myself any boundaries, which is why we have clean vocals, because I was just like, well, that song requires clean vocals, so here we go. This song, I want to have a long, melodic solo section with different parts and whatnot, which is something we had touched on in the previous albums anyway, but just like, do it more. That part would be cool with a sitar. All right, fuck it, let’s use a sitar. And a cello. I want to sing on „Obsoleste And Broken“ with Sean and harmonize, because that part requires to calm down … OK, let’s fucking do it. So that’s how it happened.

„This album is way more personal
and free of limitations.“

Doing shows with SINSAENUM showed us what people liked and what not, and which songs „work“, and that obviously influenced me to an extent. There are categories: People like „Army Of Chaos“ and „Final Resolve“, which are straightforward. But also people like „Inverted Cross“, which is quite technical and whatnot. So I guess in the back of my head, that must have been somehow forging what it is. But if anything, this album is way more personal and free of limitations in any form. I just wrote the music I wanted.

Yeah, I think that’s something you can hear when you listen to it. You just mentioned that you played in DRAGONFORCE for more than a decade. In how far did that influence your way of writing music, maybe also when it comes to death metal?
Yeah, it were 13 years. But I don’t think it influenced my way of writing. But everything and anything does influence you in a way. It’s not something I do on purpose. It’s not like I’ve found a formula. Like, aha, this is cool, what we do here in DRAGONFORCE is great. I’m going to use that for SINSAENUM. But with DRAGONFORCE, for example, I’ve learned to use Pro Tools, like a home studio. So I’ve been using it after with SINSAENUM. With DRAGONFORCE we toured, I improved my English … all of that changed me as a person and obviously in turn does influence me as a person, and me as a person does influence the music in SINSAENUM.

„I like to put things in the correct ‚music boxes‘.“

So I don’t think there’s like any aspect musically that I took from DRAGONFORCE, that I put into any of the other bands. I like to put things in the correct „music boxes“. That’s the image I’ve always been using. But that’s how I feel like. Something I write for SINSAENUM would never be on AMAHIRU, for example, or a melody part of KREATOR would not end up in LOUDBLAST and vice versa. So it changed me as a person and it’s been a great ride and an amazing experience. But I cannot pinpoint something that made the music of SINSAENUM what it is due to DRAGONFORCE, other than the external elements like personal growth.

Yeah, I think your musical journey it’s very interesting because a lot of musicians start with playing death metal or any other extreme form of metal, and later on they found projects in more melodic genres. You did it quite the opposite way. So you’re coming from the Power Metal with DRAGONFORCE and now you are doing all the heavy stuff with KREATOR and SINSAENUM.
I guess it’s just the way people see it at the time. I’ve always been listening to this, I started listening to heavy metal when I was 12 and I started with MANOWAR, IRON MAIDEN, MOTLEY CRUE, METALLICA … and then METALLICA led to SLAYER, SEPULTURA, KREATOR and then to MORBID ANGEL and whatnot. I’ve always enjoyed a lot of different styles. In 1998, I was very much into SYMPHONY X and DARK FUNERAL.

„The people know me as that power metal guy,
but it’s never been the case.“

So it’s always been broad, but I guess once people see you with a particular band and if that band is successful, then for them, that’s it – you are that guy. So people know me as that power metal guy, but it’s never been the case. It is a part of me, but I’m also the SINSAENUM guy. I’m the KREATOR guy. I’m the guy who wears all those MORBID ANGEL shirts and carved an inverted cross into his arm as a teenager, like a branding. (laughs) So, yeah, it’s always been a part of me. I guess sometimes it’s difficult that you have to try and justify yourself and people put you in a category. But that’s the way it is. In a way, I’m glad that I’m going like backwards where, like you said, people tend to get more mellow as they get older and I’m just like taking the different route. But I’m also listening to mellow stuff at home, you know, I’ve got mellow! (laughs)

Yeah, that’s cool, I think. As we already have spoken, the line-up is quite international and all of them are involved in a lot of bands and have tight schedules. So could you maybe just sum up the production process of the new album?
Well, nowadays it’s easy to do that, with sending files and whatnot via the internet. That was how we worked before already, and it’s been the case with DRAGONFORCE. You send files and this is fine – especially because I‘m extremely busy with KREATOR and also being extremely depressed. But I’m the driving force in the band, which means that everything goes around my mood swings and I’ve had quite a few. So it’s a good thing that we could go remote and just do the drums, then the drums are recorded, then I can take a break because I have to go somewhere or because I don’t feel like it. And then, you know, get the guitars done.

Once I get my nose into something, if I start the rhythm guitar, for example, I will not stop before the rhythm guitars are done. But then maybe I have to go on tour or maybe I feel like a little down and just I need to take time. So that’s how it happened. However, I don’t think you can hear it on the album because everybody’s motivated and capable of picking the stuff where it stopped. Lasse Lammert, who’s been mixing the album, has been very good as well, at helping with the consistency of the whole thing. So it took a while, based on busy schedules and mood swings and whatnot, but I think the final result is quite compact and makes sense. That’s what matters in the end. It doesn’t matter how long it took to make a good cake as long as it tastes good.

„He’s in the background and no one knows …“

But besides the obvious it’s the same lineup as on the last album?
Yes. Apart from Joey, we have Sean [Zatorsky], Heimoth, Stéphane [Buriez] and Attila [Csihar]. Well, Attila always comes and goes. He’s in the background and no one knows … he is on the picture in the album, he’s not on the promo pictures … and then we like it that way. People are just confused. But the fact is: Attila is very busy with his own career, so he did step back on the second album, but he’s part of the family. It’s not even like he’s a member of the band, he’s just a member of the family. And because we made this album and we said we wanted to dedicate it to Joey, obviously it was just like, yeah, fuck yeah, I’m in. So he’s on all the songs. He’s not the main singer, but he’s doing all those voices left and right. So he’s on board. Apart from [André] Joyzi being the new drummer, it’s the same lineup.

And what about your plans for playing live? So are you planning to go on tour with the new album and who will be on board then?
We do some shows in October, but just a small run due to schedules. I needed to figure out, what the schedule with KREATOR was, so if I was free or not. And by the time I found out, most of the venues were already fully booked. It’s very hard, you need to do that way in advance. But we’re going to do UK, France, Spain and Portugal in October. And then we’ll see … the album is not out yet. We’ve been away for seven years.

„Hey, this is SINSAENUM.
Remember us?“

So it’s not easy to get the ball rolling. You call the promoters, you call them late, and you’re like, hey, this is SINSAENUM. Remember us? Yes. Seven years ago. We’re going to have a new album. We’d like to book a tour! – OK, well, what’s the new album? What does it sound like? – Can’t tell you, it’s not out yet! … You know what I mean? (laughs) But still, it feels like people didn’t forget about us. Our name still exists. And we could see on the streaming platforms that people were still listening to us. That‘s actually a good feeling. And hopefully people will dig the new songs and then we’ll see how it goes! But one step at a time.

Before that you’re on the „Demonic Summer Tour“ with KREATOR …
So yeah, we’re right in the middle of it. We did Sweden Rock and Metal Fest in Czech Republic – and on Friday I’ll be playing at Copenhell. So there’s that in between.

The setlist contains some surprises, like „Renewal“ and „Total Death“ – songs the band didn’t play for a really long time. What are your highlights from that setlist so far?
The setlist might change again, we don’t know. We’ll see … we’ll keep trying them. I like to play the old stuff. But the funny thing is: As much as you can see the old school guys on the internet asking for this or that song, you know, the most obscure songs they can think of … but when we play festivals, you can tell that people actually enjoy the most recent stuff. Which is great for the band, that people really enjoy songs like „Enemy Of God“ – which are also like old-ish, but you know. And obviously, when you’re on stage, you like to see like people’s reaction.

„‚Renewal‘, that’s my generation!“

It’s interesting … because if you base it only on those 10 or 20 guys on the internet, you know, saying please play this, play that … where are they when you are on stage? You know, none of them are there. People just love to mosh to „Phantom Antichrist“ or our most recent albums. With that being said, I really enjoy playing „Renewal“ because „Renewal“, that’s my generation! (laughs) It sets the mood, it has a particular vibe, and I think it’s a great song! It reminds me a lot of childhood memories, but also I think it translates well on stage. So I’m happy that we play „Renewal“. I’m also happy that we brought out „Ripping Corpse“ because „Pleasure To Kill“ is fucking cool. And yeah, there’s more songs coming. We’re still trying to figure it out.

From the old stuff to the new stuff: What about a new album? As far as we have seen on Instagram, KREATOR have been in the studio?
Yeah, yeah, yeah … it’s in the making, but we’ll talk about that in due time. First, it’s the movie that’s coming out, with the premiere and whatnot and everything will be revealed at the same time. But there’s been hints of us being like, you know, in Germany rehearsing or in Sweden, doing some recordings. But we will announce all of that in due time!

Publiziert am 31. Juli 2025 von Moritz Grütz

Fotos von: Afra Gethöffer-Grütz