Zubzero are a Dutch metal/hardcore band from The Netherlands, active for more than 25 years and now on their sixth vocalist. Ferdinand joined in 2020, after the band already knew him from their rehearsal space and from his work with Dimaeon. Perverseverance is his third release with Zubzero, and the band describe it as their strongest work with him so far.
The EP’s title came from bassist Herman, who joined “perverse” and “persevere” into one word. For the band, it fits both the songs and their own history: ugly music, social frustration, and a line-up that has kept going through changes. The songs deal with greed, power, hypocrisy and the damage people do to one another in the name of getting more.
“We are destroying the Earth.”
The new EP is called Perverseverance, a title that feels both defiant and self-aware. What does that word mean inside the history of this band?
We were looking for a title that covered the themes of all the songs on the CD. Our bass player Herman came up with this combination of “perverse” and “persevere”. It is really ugly how we, especially in Europe and America, always crave more: more money, more power, more stuff to show off. But it is a dead-end street. We are destroying the Earth. On the brighter side, you could also say that we play loud, perverse music and, even though I am already the sixth vocalist, Zubzero is still here to rumble.
After more than 25 years as a band, what did Perverseverance allow you to say about Zubzero now that you could not have said in the earlier years?
We are not very good at bragging, but I dare to say that Perverseverance is the absolute best thing we have done since I joined the band, both sound-wise and in the songwriting. The EP has received positive feedback internationally and even led to a gig with our all-time heroes, Prong. When Tommy Victor himself came out to meet us, we were starstruck for a moment. That surely did not happen before [he laughs].
You joined Zubzero in 2020 and this is now the third release with you on vocals. How has your presence changed the way Zubzero writes, performs and carries its aggression?
The guys already knew me as the bartender in our rehearsal room and as the vocalist of the prog death doom metal band Dimaeon, so I guess they knew I would fit in. I think I am three previous Zubzero frontmen in one: the mad performer Yge, the aggression of Wytze, who is now in the brutal death metal band Braincasket, and Ynse lyrically. I write most of the lyrics myself, which makes the songwriting easier. Live, you can see me bouncing up and down the stage, screaming my lungs out. Never a dull moment!
“The Essence Of Our Existence” is described as “straight in-your-face groovy downtuned death”. What were you trying to capture in the sound and pacing of that track?
Dirk, our guitarist, came up with most of the riffs for the song. I can imagine he was listening to Lamb of God a lot at the time. It is rather up-tempo during the verses, relentlessly smacking you in the face. The chorus is much slower and utterly groovy, ideal for Herman on bass to join in with some gang vocals. I had already had the lyrics lying around for years, but they fit the vibe of this track perfectly. It is about all the horrible things we do to other humans to enrich ourselves, and the hypocrisy of condemning foreign leaders for it while celebrating our own as heroes for the same kind of behaviour. When we presented the recordings of Perverseverance to our label, Sjouke, the graphic designer, came up with the tag “groovy downtuned death”. I think it sums up our sound pretty well.
“This is who we are, what we are, and what concerns us.”
The songs on Perverseverance deal with human failure, greed, brutality and hardcore tradition. What connects those themes for you across the EP?
Authenticity. This is who we are, what we are, and what concerns us. We do not have to dress up to pretend we are metal. No gimmicks, no backing tracks, no pre-rehearsed bullshit. Just four old-school farts rubbing it straight in your face. No fillers, just killers. Or as one critic put it: “every song is a classic”. So be sure to check us out. Enjoy!
Stream/Buy Perverseverance on Bandcamp.
