You just released a new album on Nuclear Blast Records. Could you tell us more about the album and the production, where it was recorded, and the story behind it?
Yes, we released “The Vertigo Trigger” on August 18th and it has been received with overwhelming positive reviews! The recording process started during the pandemic and as Cyhra has members scattered all over Europe it was impossible for us to meet up in Hansen Studios with Jacob Hansen in Denmark due to the travel restrictions. I own a professional recording studio which I usually use for songwriting and production jobs for others. I have never “dared” to make my own productions for any of my own bands before. I have always had such a fantastic relationship with Jacob that it has been a no-brainer to always record my vocals with him. With members of the band located in different parts of Europe, we had to get creative. Fortunately, Euge Valovirta (guitar), had already begun to deep-dive into mixing before the pandemic started. This proved to be a lifesaver, as he was able to offer to mix the album. I was a decision that paid off. I was amazed when I got the final mixes back from him. We then had Jacob finalize the album, taking care of the mastering. Euge recorded guitars and bass in his studio in Switzerland, Alex recorded the drums in Germany and Marcus recorded in Stockholm as well as in my studio. Jesper recorded with me and all vocals were recorded in my studio, where I also took care of the songwriting and producing the ideas that we had. The recording process was a group effort, but there was no shortage of constructive criticism. Each member had a chance to critique and improve each other’s ideas, making the final product a true collaboration.

You’re relying heavily on Toontrack’s tools when writing. Explain how and where they fit into the creative process when making of your latest record.
I want to give a big shoutout to Toontrack! I believe that I was one of the first artists to have an endorsement with the company when it first started. It has been an honor to be a part of their incredible journey and see them grow into one of the most important plugin manufacturers for music creators worldwide! I cannot imagine writing songs without Toontrack’s products. When I start writing a song, I usually begin by finding a chord progression. EZkeys has been my best friend since its first release, and with EZkeys 2 it’s even easier to remodel ideas quickly. Once I have the chords, I move to EZdrummer, where I start by playing one bar of drums in the Tap2Find function to establish a steady beat. Now, with EZkeys 2, I can easily copy and paste the chords to EZbass, where I use the Heavy Metal EBX pack which sounds amazing. The endless playing style opportunities make it easier to get into a creative flow, and soon, riff ideas for guitar will start to come to mind.

As you’re a band with members scattered across Europe, how important are tools like EZdrummer, EZkeys, etc. for your collaborative writing efforts?
They’re essential. With Toontrack’s products I can deliver a full song and a 90% finished product with a full band, and show that to the rest of the guys!

The best part in all this has to be that you have your own drummer Alex Landenburg trapped inside your computer in the shape of the Duality EZXs, right? How great isn’t that to have?
The release of Duality couldn’t have come at a more convenient time for me! I was in the middle of the songwriting process when it dropped. It was incredibly amusing to send ideas to Alex, who initially didn’t realize that I had used the Duality expansions. Instead, he gave me compliments for programming the drums in a way that he would have played. With the Duality EZXs on my computer, it feels like I always have Alex with me. I even gave him songwriting credits on some of the songs I wrote because I started with his drum patterns.

What’s next on your own agenda musically and with the band?
As a result of the pandemic, we won’t be able to start touring for our new album until early 2024. However, we do plan on touring Europe, North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, we will continue to release new music soon. Even if it might feel close to the album we just released, the bitter truth is that the music industry has changed a lot over the years. Nowadays, albums have become less popular and artists and bands need to focus more on individual songs. Unfortunately, some metal record labels haven’t caught up to this change, so we’re taking it upon ourselves to lead the way. If you’re interested, we’d love for you to check out our music on platforms like Spotify, YouTube, or any other streaming service that you prefer.