INTERVIEW: COMBICHRIST IN CONVERSATION WITH ANDY LAPLEGUA
Interview by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
Photo Aaron Heather
No Barriers caught up with Andy LaPlegua lead vocalist from the nu-metal dark electronic experimentalists
The first thing on hearing Combichrist is that their music is so great to listen to: there are heavy dance beats, a fantastic singer with a great heavy metal voice and terrific lyrics about the human condition. The band have been around for over twenty years, and their “aggro-tech” industrial music truly opened my ears and I cannot wait to see them live. I think Andy LaPlegua will have the crowd eating out of his hand.
CombiChrist is an American “aggro-tech” industrial metal band formed in 2003 by Norwegian vocalist Andy LaPlegua. The band consists of Andy LaPlegua (vocalist/songwriter), Eric13 (guitar/backing vocals), Elliott Berlin (keyboards/percussion/bass/ backing vocals) and Jamie Cronander (guitar/keyboard/percussion). Their sound has a heavy dark electronic dance music beat that underscores the full-on alternative metal guitar with some dark gothic sonic flourishes. CombiChrist has released a new song the wonderful dark ‘Desolation’ and it’s the first new song of a coming set of new music that will fill a new album due in 2026.
“We are going to be releasing new music over the next few months. ‘Desolation’ came out in June. There is a new single next week and then other song coming out in November,” says Andy LaPlegua. “Then, the new album will come out. I am unsure how it will fully finish up. Every album has its own life, its own songs and world. I am undergoing an organic process when I create music. I am trying to do as much as I can. As a songwriter, the music and songs come when they are ready. I am just a vessel in the studio. Inspiration passes my brain, through my heart, and out into the recording. And, I never know where it is going to go. But I love having creative freedom that CombiChrist gives me. Making and playing live music is my happy place”.
That happy place, in a few weeks, will be The Crowbar in Brisbane, before CombiChrist head to Sydney and Melbourne. “We are super excited to be coming back to Australia as we had such a great time there in 2019,’ stated Andy LaPlegua. “We are going to road test some of the new songs. Then, we are going to play a 50-50 mix of fan favourites and songs the band likes. We like to create a set that will connect with our fans. But stretch us and introduce fans to different songs”.
The connection with fans through their music is the CombiChrist way. The band’s 2024 album ‘CMBCRST’ has a fantastic array of songs underpinned with electronic beats, pulsating rhythms, samples, and a strong vocal performance in ‘Compliance,’ ‘Northern Path’, ‘Through The Raven’s Eye’s, and the epic ‘Not My Enemy’. The songs have wonderful instant hooks while retaining the unmistakable CombiChrist essence. “I want to make music that people like and can either dance to or headbang along to”, explained Andy LaPlegua. “I am still chasing that perfect song – I want to write it for CombiChrist. I try and balance the organic with the electronic. I want to maintain the best of both worlds and really feel both worlds in the music. The music has to all hang together and make sense for fans. Then when we play it live, we want to give fans the best experience. So, CombiChrist try to bring it all together”.
“It’s funny as a music maker and song writer. Sometimes you have to walk away before you can hear songs as they should be. I trashed a whole CombiChrist album once. I deleted it! And, lucky the trash can was not emptied on the computer because it held some of CombiChrist’s now classic songs like ‘Never Surrender’, and ‘Throat Full of Glass’. You have to know when to stop and step away. But never hit double delete,” clarified Andy LaPlegua. “I think the music we are making as CombiChrist is still developing. We are not whipping a dead horse. We have a voice and emotions and we want to express those in our music. I hope our fans have been growing with us. I look back at some of our early songs and think – oh that’s a bit chringey – but on the whole I think we still have that edge. We want to inspire fans and have them inspire us to create better music”.
Combichrist’s music resonates on a much deeper level with their lyrics telling you where you should be: “Let your blood flow, Get your body beats!” with their hypnotic and energetic aggressive sonic soundscapes. From the live footage I have seen, this band is also incredibly dynamic and I cannot wait to see them live.
Don’t be sorry, catch this extraordinary band live, as CombiChrist play at:
18 September – Brisbane – Crowbar
19 September – Sydney – Crowbar
20 September – Melbourne – Max Watts
Tickets are available now.
