Disclaimer: This interview contains strong language and discussion of religion.
Devour started in late 2022 as a blackened death metal project, and it’s already been through a full reset with one constant: Schizo Fritz Apeland. He writes the lyrics, handles the visual side, and drives the core of what the band is trying to say.
Devour is meant to be provocative, planned, and loud about what it thinks, and they’re not planning to stop.
What kicked off “Unholy”?
Schizo Fritz Apeland (vocals): “Unholy” was actually written back in 2023, when the old lineup still existed. I sat on that song, and “Autopsy of Humankind”, alone for over a year. I was trying to get them released with zero production experience, so it was rough. In 2024, I showed “Unholy” to Bjarne (drums), and that’s when it got a new life. With new drums, the whole vision expanded. We changed some guitar parts too, and that’s how it became what it is now. It’s a single that really shapes what Devour is becoming.
“I hate the way religion can be used as a tool to control people.”
The song goes straight at religious hypocrisy. What were you reacting to when you wrote it?
All the lyrics and the artwork are my vision. I wrote the song thinking about religious stupidity, hypocrisy, and forced control. When I read religious texts, I see passages that, to me, justify violence and abuse. I think that stuff is outdated and dumb, and I hate the way religion can be used as a tool to control people. A lot of my anger right now is aimed at extremist religion and any kind of law or movement that tries to force itself onto people who didn’t ask for it. To be clear, I’m not talking about someone keeping their beliefs private. I’m talking about the people who want to push their rules onto everyone else, or reshape the culture and morals of a country by force.
I’ve had bad encounters with people like that, and I’ve had death threats because of how I look (long black hair and tattoos). So yeah, some of my opinions are shaped by personal experiences, and that can make things messy.
When you’re writing lyrics about heavy stuff, what’s your line between honest and cheap shock?
I don’t really have a line. I write however I want. I’m writing from my soul. I know what can come off as cringe, but I honestly don’t give a fuck. To me, it’s cool, and it’s honest.
How do you land on a Devour tempo? Who leads that decision, and what’s the process like?
Most of the time, the drummer decides the speed. We talk about it together, but he usually has the final say. At the end of the day, he’s the one who has to play it live, so it needs to be something he can actually deliver.
“Something big is coming.”
You’ve put out a run of singles over the last couple of years. How are you thinking about releases right now?
We’re definitely building toward an album. We’re working on it now, and we’ve also secured a label to help us. I can’t say too much yet, but there’ll be more news later this year. Something big is coming.
“People love to complain.”
Your bio leans hard into “hate” and “brutality,” but it also feels like you’re enjoying yourself. What’s the role of humour in Devour, and what do you take dead seriously?
Devour is basically Schizo Fritz when it comes to everything except the instrumentals. The band has a say in everything, but they let me do what I do. And yeah, I’m having a lot of fun with it. It comes from the soul. I’ve been around metal my whole life. What I write is honest, but I write it in a cheesy way, and I love doing it. It provokes a reaction. People don’t care when something is stale. People love to complain. So if I write something corny, people react to it. Then they tell someone else, “Look at this cheesy band,” and that person checks out what we’ve done. That’s fine by me.
Your lineup has shifted since the band started. What has stayed consistent through the changes?
Two things: Devour is death metal, and Schizo Fritz is still here. And the message is still the same: think for yourself, and fuck everyone else.
You’ve said an album is in the works. What are you trying to do on the album that singles can’t fully do?
Make a statement. Really show what we are. And I want to be able to give a message across multiple songs, not just one track at a time.
You mentioned working with Jens Bogren for mix/master. How did that decision happen, and what did you want from his ears?
We wanted someone experienced enough to make the drums sound right. Since the drums are real, mixing can be a challenge. That’s why we went with Jens Bogren, even though it’s costly.
Are there any African extreme metal scenes or bands you’ve been paying attention to lately?
The only African band I really know is Vulvodynia, and I like them a lot. Great band. I don’t know much about the African scene beyond that, but I’d genuinely love to hear more.
What’s one detail on “Unholy” that you wish more people would notice?
For me, as Schizo Fritz, I want people to make up their own minds. But one detail I’m proud of is a lyric: “Fuck the angel till it’s fallen.” I remember being so psyched when I came up with that line.
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