With last year’s release of Cerberus, Swedish melodic metalcore band Lethality took a bold step forward, embracing mythological themes and pushing their musical boundaries further than ever before.
After their previous album, When We Enter the Void, leaned into groove-heavy metal, Lethality felt the need for reinvention. “We wanted to do something different,” the band explains. “So, we decided to write more melodic riffs and really take advantage of having two guitarists. Before, we rarely played different riffs or leads, but on Cerberus we experimented with that, and it gave us a much wider sound—more engaging and fun to listen to.” Thematically, the band also took a fresh approach, shifting away from raw anger and exploring historical mythology, drawing inspiration from Greek, Norse, and Egyptian legends.
The band’s ability to balance melody and aggression lies in their collective love for both melodic death metal and metalcore. “All of us enjoy these genres, and everyone is involved in the songwriting process,” they say. “We strive for dynamic contrasts—fast and slow, melodic and straightforward, simple and complex. This allows us to feel each song out and decide what direction the next part should take.”
When it comes to their creative process, collaboration is key. “Typically, we sit down together with a riff—either something spontaneous or something pre-recorded. From there, we build on it, adding drums and bass digitally. Once we feel like the structure is complete, we move on to vocals.” The interplay between harsh and clean vocals is another crucial element of Lethality’s sound. “It really depends on the groove and emotion we want the listener to feel. Clean vocals often set a more heartfelt or melancholic mood, while growls bring out anger and rage. We also use them to represent different characters in the lyrics. In ‘Hellfire,’ for example, the growls take on a storytelling role, while the clean vocals embody an individual character within that story.”
Given Sweden’s rich history in melodic death metal, one might assume the Umeå scene played a major role in shaping Lethality’s sound, but the band sees it differently. “Musically, the local scene hasn’t influenced us much since our genres aren’t as common here. However, we do feel inspired by the success of bands that have come out of Umeå, like Meshuggah and Refused.”
Recording Cerberus proved to be a challenge, pushing the band both technically and creatively. “This EP really tested our musicianship. We wanted a broader sound and pushed our limits, writing faster and more technical parts than ever before. It was also our first time having a third party handle mixing and mastering, which changed the production process for us.”
Their influences range from melodic death metal pioneers to modern metalcore acts. “Orbit Culture, At The Gates, and Killswitch Engage were big influences on ‘Cerberus‘. For our upcoming album, we’ve drawn inspiration from bands like Boundaries, Parkway Drive, and Fit For An Autopsy.”
Translating their studio sound to the stage is a priority for Lethality, though they embrace a raw, unfiltered live experience. “We don’t have the budget for playback samples, so our sound is more stripped-down and authentic. The ‘Cerberus’ chant in the chorus is always a crowd favorite, and the main riff of ‘Eclipse’ gets metalheads headbanging every time.”
One of their proudest moments as a band was playing House of Metal, one of Sweden’s biggest indoor metal festivals. “In Umeå, this is the event for metalheads. Going from attending the festival to playing on its stage was a huge step for us. The feedback we received really motivated us to push further.”
As for what’s next, Lethality is already hard at work on their debut full-length album, projected for a 2025 release. “It’ll feature 9-10 tracks of melodic and heavy riffs, pushing our limits even further.”
For newcomers to Lethality’s music, the band recommends starting with “Crimson,” the first single from Cerberus. “It encapsulates everything we do best—soothing clean guitars and vocals, fast melodic riffs, violent growls, and heavy breakdowns.”
Check out Cerberus on Bandcamp. Follow Lethality on Instagram.
