Blanket Hill: 'Kaizen means improvement, change for the better.'

The metallers from Luxembourg met up with the Hound and shared their thoughts with him, as well as their plans for the future.

Your debut EP is called "Kaizen". How did you land on that name?

'Kaizen means improvement or change for the better, and we wanted to take a stand against things like racism and sexism and offer a more positive outlook on things, once those phenomena have been rooted out.'

Who was the artist behind the cover and the artwork?

'Our dear friend Jonah Bache designed the cover and the artwork.'

The EP "Trenches Of Reality" was your second release. What's the meaning behind the title?

'We simply found ourselves in a world full of hate and hardship and we felt that this phrase captured it well. Like being at war with yourself and with the world just because of what reality and life mean in our world.'

Who created the EP's artwork?

'Once again, our friend Jonah Bache created the artwork. Go take a look at his Instagram!'

"The Courage of Hopelessness" was your first album. Can you tell us a few words about the tracks on the album?

'It's an album with a lot of variety. There are hardcore tracks, midtempo elements and a few surprises. Lyrically it deals a lot with personal and social issues and with the feeling that if everything is in ruins, maybe we can rebuild afterwards.'

In your opinion, which song or songs represent you most as a band?

'I think Defcon One, Eau Rouge and Out For The Count represent the band really well!'

"The Ash That Shall Remain" came out shortly after your Japanese tour wrapped up. Why did you choose to release it after the tour?

'We had a lot of momentum at the time and the record was ready, so we just figured we'd put it out and see how people would take it. The response was extremely positive, so we're thrilled that we can build on that. The songs also go down really well at our live shows, so that's fantastic!'

The band is having huge success all over the world. In your opinion, what's the reason for that success?

'I think we're just being genuine, we don't try to hide who we are and we have a lot of fun with what we do. We like it when things go wild at the shows, we enjoy writing hard-hitting songs and interacting with people. I believe that comes across everywhere!'