Drop / Kevin / Ben / Ales
Written By Metal Lair Mick
Sybreed is a unique metal band you won’t want to sleep on. We had a listen to their upcoming 20th Anniversary Edition of Slave Design last month, and coming up we will be interviewing the founders of the band, Drop and Ben.
If you haven’t heard of them, I’ll explain. Sybreed are based in Switzerland. They have a great reputation for seamlessly blending industrial metal, responsible (Like Meshuggah) for popularising djent, and establishing cyber-metal and deathwave.We reviewed their latest release and scored it a 9.7/10.
Sybreed emerged as a pioneering force in the second wave of industrial metal bands during the early 2000s. Active from 2003 to 2013, they toured extensively across the globe, captivating audiences in Europe, the USA, Australia, China, India, and beyond. With four acclaimed albums – Slave Design (2004), Antares (2007), The Pulse of Awakening (2009), and God Is An Automaton (2012)
Sybreed carved out a distinctive sound and left an indelible mark on the genre.
Before we talk some more about our love for the band, both Drop and Ben have given us time to chat and reflect on the first album. Sybreed fans are sure to love their answers as much as we do!
Metal Lair: Welcome, guys. Thanks for joining us for the interview. We’ve already named Slave Design 20th Anniversary Edition as Album of The Month.
Let’s start with the questions!
Metal Lair: What are your favourite nostalgic memories from 2004?
Ben (vocals): The whole year was a blast – and also a crucible. We were very young; we’d just released an album and almost immediately set off on tour in the United States. It was both exhilarating and exhausting. But honestly, there’s nothing better than an experience like that, and I wish it for every young musician.
Metal Lair: For fans it’s a very disputed topic to pick favourite songs on the album because they’re all groundbreaking, for you guys though, what are your own favourite songs from Slave Design?
Ben: Next Day Will Never Come, no contest.
Drop: Same here, Next Day Will Never Come stands out as one of my all-time favorites. For a long time, though, Synthetic Breed was my top pick from Slave Design. It had this groove heavily inspired by Meshuggah, almost like a magic ball bouncing off the walls. That track really nailed the vibe we were aiming for back then, which I used to call “Melodic Meshuggah”.
Metal Lair: During production of Slave Design, what Gear did you use to record?
Drop: For the guitars, I used a combination of the Line 6 Pod Pro and Amplitube 1. For 2004, the sound these tools delivered was amazing, really ahead of their time. I even used Amplitube 1 for the bass.
Metal Lair: After 20 years do you still use Logic and Ibanez?
Drop: Absolutely. I’ve been a fan of Ibanez guitars ever since I got my first one in the early 2000s. I still use them today, and they’ve never let me down: lightweight, easy to play, with great quality and sound. When it comes to DAWs, I write songs in Logic Pro, but for recording, mixing, and mastering, I rely on Pro Tools Ultimate.
Metal Lair: Also, a fan question who wants to cover your Slave Design tracks, what string gauges, tuning, Pickups, and Pick size do you use?
Drop: I use D’Addario strings, gauge 17-26-36-46-56-68, and I tune to Drop A#. As for pickups, I usually stick with whatever comes in the guitar, I’m not really a gearhead. As long as it’s keeps the tuning and makes sound when I play, I’m good!
I do know some of my guitars have DiMarzio, others have Seymour Duncans, but don’t ask me which models! My picks, though, are 2mm thick, that’s the one thing I’m particular about. Big strings and fat picks, that’s my style, haha.
Metal Lair: How did you get the tones for the staccato rhythms? Analog or Digital?
Drop: The rhythm itself comes from my playing: my brain, my hands, and my guitar. For the tone, it’s a mix; I’ve used both analog and digital setups over the years, depending on the project. Slave Design, as mentioned earlier, was 100% digital, as was Antares. For The Pulse of Awakening, we had Dino from Fear Factory lend us his Line 6 Vetta II amp, and for God Is An Automaton, we used a Bogner Uberschall amp.
Metal Lair: What are your go-to synths and how do you go about your incredibly unique sound design?
Drop: My approach has evolved over the years, but the synths I used on Slave Design and Antares, Native Instruments Absynth and Spectrasonics Atmosphere, are still part of my toolkit. Absynth is now in its fifth edition, and Atmosphere has been rebranded as Omnisphere, which remains one of the best for creating textures.
Over time, I’ve also started working with Serum, the entire Output collection, the Arturia analog suite, Native Instruments Komplete and a ton of smaller companies that produce amazing-sounding products in their own right.
Metal Lair: What was the inspiration behind the album as a whole? Were there any stand-out themes?
Ben: I’ve never tried to make concept albums as such, i.e. with a coherent narrative, but Slave Design is in a way the description of a society in which technology is used solely for the personal gain of a relatively cultured elite, albeit bordering on sociopathy and incapable of seeing beyond greed, and all the consequences that ensue: ecological and social collapse, normalization of warfare, individual alienation and atomization leading either to despair or hatred of the system, manipulation of the mass through polarization, policing of thought in all its possible forms by all the political players involved. And guess what? It’s basically the world we live in right now, in 2025, without the flying cars but with smartphone ads set to Ukulele music.
Metal Lair: The original artwork is very memorable. Is there any story behind the man on the album cover?
Drop: About the guy on the original cover, we never actually found out who he was. Eikasia, who designed the original cover, never mentioned it to us. Maybe he didn’t know himself either, hahaha. A lot of people have asked us about it.
When I asked Erik Kirchner to revisit the artwork for the 20th Anniversary Edition, I specifically told him not to include a human face, to keep the concept of “someone” on the cover but without any human features.
Metal Lair: What books/tv/news influenced your themes and lyrical ideas for Slave Design?
Ben: Some of my references for this album were William Gibson, Neil Stephenson, Maurice G Dantec, Blade Runner (both Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and the movie), Akira, Ghost in the Shell and the Matrix, to name a few. There’s also a mixture of ideas and writings, but it would take too long to list them all: basically, everything that have inspired the Cyberpunk culture in its early days. The zeitgeist also had a big influence, as did the persistent intuition that we were starting to veer off course on a global scale.
Metal Lair: Were there any significant events that relate to the song titles?
Ben: the release of the Matrix film, which obviously influenced the song ‘Take the Red Pill’. Incidentally, I was quite surprised, and dubious, to see a certain political fringe using the term ‘red pill’ years later, as it seems they’re just creating their own layers of wishful thinking and subjective narratives. But then, we do live in an age of storytelling where objectivity has little value.
Metal Lair: What are your favourite venues you toured after releasing Slave Design?
Drop: Sybreed’s very first tour took place in the USA, starting just three days before the release of Slave Design. While it was an incredible milestone for a young band like us, the venues were a bit on the empty side. I remember the Brass Mug in Tampa; it was probably one of the less empty venues of our first tour, and the people were really into it. When we returned to the USA in 2009, that club was still one of our best shows, along with Orlando the night before. Our first big stage experience came in December 2005 at the Green Christmas festival in Estonia. That performance is on YouTube if you are curious, and it was the first time we felt the thrill of a large crowd shouting “Sybreed! Sybreed!” It was a wild experience and the first moment where we thought, “Wow, we might have done something cool!
Metal Lair: Who or what driving force had the change in mind from changing the bands name from RAIN to Sybreed?
Drop: Summer 2003, after significant changes in our lineup, we decided it was time for a fresh identity. This is when the concept of the Cybrid emerged: an artificial organism or hybrid cell that can adapt and take on various forms. This idea perfectly represented our evolution and versatility as a band. By combining this concept with the notion of a Synthetic Breed, we arrived at the name Sybreed, which embodies both elements in a compact form. Thank you Ben !
Metal Lair: Sybreed’s music has a huge influence over many artists in the industry, right up until even today. I’d be curious if you are fans of any bands in the scene right now that are heavily influenced by Sybreed? Such as Conflict, The Interbeing, Cruentus, Sphere, Clawerfield, Mera, and Cypecore?
Drop: I really enjoy The Interbeing! I even created a remix for the Japanese version of one of their albums. As for Clawerfield, I recorded, mixed, and mastered all their releases. They’re a fantastic group of guys, and I genuinely appreciate their music.
I often tell industrial bands inquiring about production at my studio that their style is right up my alley.
I’m also a big fan of VOLA, Northlane, and Voyager. I don’t know if they were influenced by Sybreed in any way, but they definitely stand out and create something truly original, which I love listening to!
Metal Lair: Who are some amazing artists that have come to record at your recording studio in Vernier, Switzerland, ‘Downtone Studio’?
Drop: All the artists I work with are amazing! I always have a great time with my clients. Sometimes it can be challenging, especially when they’re not fully prepared or have written something that exceeds their current skill level, but we always manage to find a moment when everyone is satisfied.
Metal Lair: Now that it’s near the end of 2024, what’s something exciting/amazing you’ve experienced this year?
Drop: The preparation for Sybreed’s re-releases has been quite an experience, even if it started in 2022 to be honest. It was exciting to work on this discreetly, knowing for months that we were planning to release this new version, especially with the new single ‘System Debaser.’ Meanwhile, I was still engaging with people on social media, assuring them that nothing was happening. It added an intriguing layer to the process! I’ve definitely let the cat out of the bag a few times, never in writing, though, so no proof, haha! But I’m relieved that no one has shared the news too early!
Metal Lair: Ben, we’re big fans of Shadow Domain, Lucifer Ascending. Has any experience with Sybreed shaped your creative juices with your recent projects?
Ben: Sybreed is the prolegomena of my journey as a musician, as it allowed me to synthesize my ideas and musical influences in a coherent way for the first time.
Shadow Domain was a continuation of Sybreed in many ways, although the emphasis was on the industrial and cyberpunk elements. Lucifer Ascending, on the other hand, was a brief but worthwhile digression into the progressive side that can also be found in some of Sybreed’s works. I’m now working on a new project, very personal this time, but it will inevitably have hints of Sybreed.
At the end of the day, we created Sybreed out of our individualities and it shaped us in return, and still does today.
Metal Lair: Now that Drop and Ales are members of SAMAEL, have you guys ever considered covering a Sybreed song on a SAMAEL tour?
Drop: I can definitely say no to that. We’ve never really considered covering a Sybreed song, and I can assure you that it’s not something we plan to do.
Thank you for the interview!
A huge shoutout to our loyal fans worldwide for being with us all these years; your support means everything to us.
Metal Lair: Can you share where to buy your album?
Drop: Don’t forget to order the Slave Design (20th Anniversary Edition) from our shop at https://sybreed.net/store or on Bandcamp at https: sybreed.bandcamp.com
Metal Lair: Thank you, Ben & Drop for joining us today. We look forward to your future endeavours!
Slave Design 20th Anniversary Track List:
1.Bioactive
2.ReEvolution
3.Decoy
4.Synthetic Breed
5.Next Day Will Never Come
6.Machine Gun Messiah
7.Take The Red Pill
8.Rusted
9.Static Currents
10.Critical Mass
11.Bioactive
12.System Debaser
Here is a bit more about Sybreed.
On October 4th 2024, Sybreed re-released their seminal debut “Slave Design” on its 20th anniversary.
This special edition has been remastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studio. It features two bonus tracks : a re-recording of “Bioactive” and the previously unreleased “System Debaser”, which is among the earliest tracks Sybreed composed in 2003. It was initially shelved during the Slave Design pre-production and remained a demo. Finally recorded in 2023, this version reveals the track’s true brilliance, encapsulating Sybreed’s signature style.
With groovy riffs, industrial keyboards, a catchy chorus, and an emotional core, “System Debaser” captures the essence of Sybreed. This track is set to thrill both longtime fans and new listeners alike. Sybreed envisions a bleak future come true, the integrity of the individual is threatened by the unquenchable thirst for control by those in power. Songs of Slave Design have been featured on the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Hellboy Sword of Storms soundtracks.
Their music features powerful and complex guitar riffs, aggressive yet tasteful post-punk melodic vocals. They’re known for their excellent atmospheric synths, and thought-provoking lyrics that explore themes of dystopian futures, complexities of human behaviour such as war, greed, manipulation, and overcoming such issues.
Despite their unfortunate disbandment in September 2013, Sybreed’s music continues to resonate with a dedicated fan base, solidifying their status as a legendary band in the industrial metal scene.
Their 4 albums are all groundbreaking and ahead of their time in both their sound and messaging. “Slave Design” in 2004, “Antares” in 2007, “The Pulse of Awakening” in 2009, and “God Is An Automaton” in 2012.
Sybreed is a band that Metal Lair rate as one of the greats. Whether you’re a die-hard metalhead or new to the scene, Sybreed’ is a band that is sure to leave you a lasting good impression.