Hailing from Alicante, Spain, progressive metal trio Chemosphere have recently unleashed their debut full-length album, Atropos. Blending extreme metal riffs and melodic depth, Chemosphere, who are opening our Progotronics XLVI compilation, explore themes of identity and the end of humanity, using music as an outlet for introspection and philosophical reflection. In this interview, the band discusses their songwriting approach, their influences—from classic ’80s rock to modern prog—and the creative process behind Atropos. They also share insights on their journey as a band and their perspectives on live performance intensity and audience connection.
Chemosphere blends extreme metal riffs with melodic sections. How do you approach balancing these contrasting elements in your songwriting?
For us it is innate, it comes naturally. When we write songs, we write viscerally; although we work on perfecting the riffs, we don’t tend to plan the compositions too much.
Your debut album Atropos explores themes of identity and the end of what makes us human. What inspired this concept, and how did you weave it into the music?
Well, we think human identity is one of the things that is in crisis in the world today. Even when we don’t consciously think about it, it is reflected in our actions. That condition ends up driving us to very extreme emotions, as much as some of the riffs that appear in Atropos‘ songs.
You mention influences ranging from ’80s rock and metal to modern prog. How do these influences shape the sound of Atropos, and can you give us some specific examples from the album?
Our influences are within us, and we assume that this marks the style we make, but it happens unconsciously. Nevertheless, in the middle parts of songs like The laws of war or Astral projection there are parts where we loosen up the intensity a bit and dive into classic rock sounding parts, sometimes to sound more melancholic, but sometimes to play around. That way we vary the soundscape.
As a power trio, how do you manage to create such a rich and layered sound in your music, especially when working live?
We try to make the most of our possibilities as musicians. There are three of us, and two of us actively participate on vocals. Miguel always tries to fill as much as possible with his riffs, using chords with richness of sound, but always trying to sound full-bodied, and when we play live, the music sounds more raw, less produced. We don’t think it’s better or worse, just different.
The title Atropos refers to one of the Fates in Greek mythology, known for cutting the thread of life. How did this mythological figure inspire the overarching theme of the album?
The lyrics of the album were not written as a thematic unit. However, once the work was finished, we realized that all the themes are about endings, about things that come to an end, that’s why we chose the moira that cuts the thread of mortal life to title the album.
Chemosphere’s music reflects different emotions, each with its own beauty. How do you translate these emotional shifts into your music, and do you have a particular process for doing so?
As we said before, songs are not the result of a rationally planned process. We go where the music makes us go.
Your music appeals to fans of bands like Tool, Opeth, Enslaved, and Muse. What is it about those bands’ approaches that resonate with you, and how do you incorporate their influence while maintaining your unique sound?
It’s very difficult for us to classify ourselves, and those great bands you mention are the ones we’ve been compared to. That’s what other people have told us when they’ve heard our music. However, although they are bands that we like and we think they are very good, we don’t particularly take influence from them.
Atropos is your first LP. What challenges did you face during its creation, and how did you overcome them to bring the album to life?
Atropos is an LP that we have worked on very personally. We have been in charge, obviously, of the composition of the music, but also of the recording, the mixing, the mastering, the design of the digipack, the editing of our videoclips… Pretty much everything that’s out there about us has been done by the band. The real difficulty is to keep a constant work in Chemosphere in order to keep growing.
Can you tell us about the band’s formation and how your chemistry as a trio has evolved over time?
The band came about as a side project to other bands we had, and we founded it as a means to further explore our musical ideas. After years of playing together, we understand each other very well when it comes to working on new material.
Chemosphere’s music has a powerful emotional intensity. How do you maintain that intensity during live performances, and how do your audiences respond?
On November 8th we will make our debut on stage, but as musicians, our main goal is to enjoy what we do and for our audience to participate in it.
The themes of Atropos are quite introspective and philosophical. Are there any books, films, or personal experiences that influenced the lyrical direction of the album?
The main influence on the lyrics are the experiences we have had throughout our lives. We believe that this is what makes people connect with our music. In general, we like to keep an abstract style in the lyrics, rather than being direct, because that way everyone can identify in their own way and be part of the songs.
Looking forward, how do you see Chemosphere’s sound evolving? Are there any new elements or directions you’re excited to explore in future releases?
Right now we are focused on Atropos, on promoting it so that it reaches as many people as possible. As for the future, we will continue to work as we have been doing so far. We don’t set a goal or a place to reach, but, as we said before, we let ourselves be carried away by our life and our feelings when it comes to working on our music.
Atropos is out now via Maldito Records and is available here. Follow Chemosphere on Facebook and Instagram.
