Meet the Belgian metallers, Shock Treatment!

Months after the release of their new EP “Set the Record Straight”, Belgian metallers Shock Treatment took some time to unveil more details about this release. Learn more about the writing process and the inspirations behind this record in our new interview! [caption id="attachment_203855" align="alignnone" width="700"]
Picture by Alessia Fretto[/caption]

Hello Shock Treatment. Thanks for your time! Would you mind introducing your band to our readers?

Hi, we’re Shock Treatment, a Belgian heavy/thrash metal band, active since 2022. Our influences include bands as Judas Priest, Anthrax and Celtic Frost. While keeping it old school, we’re aiming to deliver a live oriented music, with a touch of modernity so that it won’t sound as one more tribute to the past. We launched our first EP in April 2023 and are coming soon to the end of our first tour, that took us about everywhere in Belgium.

How's the heavy metal scene in Belgium?

The current Belgian scene seems very dynamic with incredible and very diverse bands like Evil Invaders, Carnation and Brutus. They really carry the flag on the international scene and draw the light to other deserving bands from all over the country.

As you've previously mentionned, you've revealed, back in April 2023, your “Set the Record Straight” EP. How long have you worked on this release?

When Max, our singer, joined us in August 2022, we had already written most of the songs, but we decided to take our chances with an EP around October. Most of the recording was homemade. We recorded the instruments over several weekends, over about 2 months. For the vocals, we’ve been helped by 2 friends of ours who work in a professional studio. To avoid the inherent costs, it was made without the owner being aware of it. So we had to deal with the agenda. They also took care of the mix and mastering. Let's say everything was ready to be launched in February 202
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How would you describe your usual writing process? How do you split the roles within the band?

It’s quite a collaborative process, spiced up with some moments of tyranny. Most of the time, Corentin (guitar) and Boris (bass) bring riffs and a global idea of the song to the band. We exchange our ideas and the songs build themselves. Zoran (drums) adds his parts and also comes with some arrangements. The songs that aren’t recorded yet keep evolving, depending on what we feel while playing them live.

Is there one song that best describes the overall spirit of this EP? If yes, which one and why?

As we wanted to show the different influences of the band on the EP, they all have their own identity. But if we have to go for only one song, it would be Retribution, the first song we’ve made. It represents the original idea of the band, being straightforward, groovy and melodic. That’s why we chose it as our first single and judging by the live reactions, it was a good choice.

Who's the artist behind the artwork of your EP and what were the main inspirations for the visual?

We’ve asked our friend Aurel Lerapt, a professional graphic designer. We wanted an old school visual and already had the concept of the artwork. We gave him some guidelines and as he knows us very well, he directly came with the perfect visual. He also created our logo.

As a band often playing live shows… What’s the thing you like the most about concerts?

When we put Shock Treatment together, it was clear that we wanted our music to be made for liveshows. We’re all tired of concept bands like the ones we've been seeing for the last 10 years. We play the kind of songs we want to hear when we go to a concert. Something that directly makes you stamp your feet and bang your head. Live, we love seeing people have fun and give all they’ve got in the pit. It’s also very cool and kind of rewarding to see that every age category is able to enjoy our music.

Last but not least. What other plans have you got in store for 2023?

We are reaching the second half of our Retribution tour, which until now brought us all around Wallonia, and we will make our first two gigs in Flanders, in Antwerp and Leuven. We also will start working on new music in the aim to record a second EP next winter so that we’ll be back on the road in 2024!