Gore Force V (Belgium)

Interview with Dominique (bass)

https://www.facebook.com/GoreForceV

Belgian death metal outfit Gore Force V return with their new album Annus Porcus Oinkus. Less than a 24 hours since it’s conducted, we bring you this fresh interview with Dominique Michiels (bass) about the new album and single, playing death metal, live gigs, and on future plans for this experienced death metal force from Belgium. It was a pleasure speaking with Dominique, and I hope you will enjoy reading this new interview.

Metal Revolution: Hell-o from Denmark. How are things going in Gore Force V camp? What have you been up to lately?

Gore Force V: Yeah, it’s been non-stop lately—busy in the best way, though. We’re deep into finishing the new album while juggling everything that comes with it. At the same time, we’re locking in shows for the year, handling all the promo, and designing and ordering merch. We do about 99% of it ourselves, so there’s always something demanding attention.You really have to stay ahead of the curve—planning a year in advance for the bigger shows and several months ahead when it comes to merch. It’s a constant grind, but that’s just part of doing it our way.

MR: Can you tell us about the very beginning of your career? You’ve been active since 2007, right? How did the band meet, and why did you choose the band name? Is there a story behind it?

Gore Force V: The band actually rose from the ashes of grind outfit, K4B (Kumzzbunchbootiebitchbunch). Jan’s been there since day one behind the kit, while Jeroen and wesley came in during those early formative years. Our vocalist Senne was the final piece of the puzzle, joining in 2022, and I stepped in around 2016—so it’s been a steady evolution of the lineup rather than a sudden shift.

As for the name, it’s a bit of a nod to pop culture—we pulled that from the Jack Rabbit Slim’s scene in Pulp Fiction, where Mia Wallace talks about the pilot she did for Fox Force Five. Jan came up with that name after seeing the movie.

MR: What can you tell us about Annus Porcus Oinkus? I don’t expect you to introduce every of the seven tracks, but can you tell us about the main idea behind this record?

Gore Force V: We never really start with a fixed concept—we just don’t stop writing. It’s a constant flow of ideas. Even now, with the new album still waiting to be released, we’ve already got early concepts and even a few song titles lined up for what might become the 2027 record.

Annus is our sixth album overall and the third one with Senne on vocals, so it really feels like we’re hitting a new stride together. Most of that comes down to how we work in his own space, Soundhound Studios, where we can take the time to shape and refine everything properly.

For us, it’s all about continuously building on our sound—pushing it forward without boxing ourselves in. We want to grow musically with every release, but never at the cost of becoming predictable or stuck in a narrow lane.

MR: Probably too early to ask, but do you have any personal favorites from Annus Porcus Oinkus? Which song resonates with you personally the most and why?

Gore Force V: “Advanced Cripple Shaming” as the single, no question—it just hits like a sledgehammer every time. And a close second for me is “Dead Hooker Necromancy 101,” mainly because it’s just insanely fun to play on bass.

MR: On March 13th you released the aforementioned single “Advanced Cripple Shaming”. I’ve seen your new official lyric video for the single – can you tell us a bit more on this particular song? What inspired you to choose this title? Is it a metaphor for something else?

Gore Force V: Most of the time, we actually come up with a title before there’s even music. In this case, the title was a nod to our vocalist Senne. He deals with mobility issues—sometimes using a wheelchair, other times a cane and carbon fiber orthoses—so the name was really meant for him. It’s our way of acknowledging that part of who he is, while still keeping that raw, confrontational edge that fits the band.

MR: At the same time you also revealed the album artwork. Who created the band logo and artwork? How important is the visual aesthetic to reflecting your sound?

Gore Force V: I honestly don’t know who originally designed the logo—that all happened years before I joined. I’ll have to check with the others at the next rehearsal.

When it comes to the artwork and covers, though, that’s something we really put a lot of thought into. People say don’t judge a book by its cover, but it’s still the first thing you see, so it matters. Over the last three albums, we’ve been pushing it further each time—going bigger, bolder, and this time even brighter visually.

It’s not just about the album either—we always keep in mind how it’ll translate to merch after the release. The artwork has to work just as well on a shirt or a poster as it does on the record itself.

We work out an, as detailed as we can, idea and we go to Hanne Dewachter (Belgian Cartoonist) who (digitally) handdraws it.

MR: What’s the lyrical content on Annus Porcus Oinkus and what were you inspired by when composing this new record?

Gore Force V: That’s honestly one of the hardest questions to answer, because… I don’t really know. The music just comes from everywhere. We’ve got a death metal foundation, but from there it’s wide open—we throw in whatever feels right. That’s the beauty of not sticking to a narrow path. Some tracks lean more toward grind, others drift into more technical death metal territory. Then you’ve got curveballs—there’s even a hoompa-style dance part in “Circle Jerk,” and in the past we’ve messed around with things like elevator music in one track and even a power metal section in another.

Lyrically, that’s all Senne. He takes the song title and builds everything out from there. Because in the end, pretty much every song we write starts with just that—a title—and then we let it evolve into whatever it’s going to become.

MR: Where and under what conditions were you recording the new album? Who was in charge of sound, production and mastering?

Gore Force V: The last three releases have all been recorded at Senne’s own studio, Soundhound Studios. He’s basically the driving force behind everything on that side—engineering, producing, mixing—he’s the guy who really knows his way around the studio.

For this latest album, the process was a bit more collaborative:

– Recorded and mixed at Soundhound Studios by Senne and Sacha Blokland

– Mastered by Studio Blokland (Sacha Blokland)

– Edits handled by Red Left Hand Studios (Sven Janssens)

So yeah, still very much in-house, but with a few extra hands involved to really push the final result to the next level.

MR: What equipment do you use for recording?

Gore Force V: That’s really one for Senne, to be honest. I know he’s working in REAPER, and we all plug straight into his setup through an Audient iD audio interface. It’s all fully digital these days. I’ve seen the plugins he uses, but don’t ask me to name any of them—I’d be guessing.

What I do know is that he’s a massive Sennheiser fan. When it comes to mics and headphones, it’s pretty much Sennheiser or nothing for him.

MR: I could read that the physical copies of Annus Porcus Oinkus will be available through Rotten Roll Rex (Germany) and Rotten To The Core Records (Belgium). What do you look for in a record label, and how has the rise of digital platforms changed your approach to releasing music?

Gore Force V: RTTC Records only takes on a handful of releases each year, so we actually reached out to them ourselves. He was into what we were doing and happy to help, so it turned into a limited collaboration—which we’re honestly really grateful for. We handled all the recording and finishing on our end, and he mainly stepped in with his contacts to get us a solid deal on production and reproduction. All the promo, though, that’s still 100% on us. But that’s nothing new—we’ve been self-releasing everything up to this point, so we’re used to carrying that load.

At the end of the day, we’re an underground death metal band—we appreciate any kind of support we can get. Even something like lowering album production costs makes a big difference for us.

And it’s RTTC who contacted Rotten Roll Rex to see if they’d help us out, again something we’re very greatful for.

As for digital platforms, yeah, they’ve definitely changed things. Younger fans don’t really buy CDs anymore, and most new cars don’t even have CD players. That said, we’ve always kept our prices as low as possible, so physical CDs are more for collectors and promo now. Streaming barely pays anything—and yeah, it’s pretty outrageous how little musicians actually get—but for us, most of the income has always come from merch like shirts and hoodies, and from playing live shows.

It hasn’t hit us that hard, though, because as a band we never really experienced the era (as old farts we have obviously) where you had to buy a CD to hear something. Still, I don’t think CDs will disappear completely—there’ll always be collectors, or fans grabbing one at a show. Hell, I still buy CDs myself. You just can’t replace having something physical in your hands.

The biggest shift now is visibility—if you really want to get noticed on digital platforms, you’ve got to start putting your promo budget into that space and adapt to how things work today.

MR: How does your creative process work? I mean, what’s the creative process like when you make a new song? How do your songs typically begin – with a specific riff, a lyrical concept, or a drum pattern?

Gore Force V: Usually, we start with a handful of song titles floating around that we want to use. Jeroen (guitar) and I handle most of the guitar writing, and both of us have a pretty big stash of unused riffs. We piece those riffs together, trim them down, and shape them until a full song starts to emerge.

Then it goes to rehearsal—Jan adds the drum patterns, and Senne takes over from there, writing the lyrics and bringing the whole thing to life. It’s a very collaborative process, but it almost always begins with riffs and a title.

MR: How many copies of Annus Porcus Oinkus were released and which medium was used for this new edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)?

Gore Force V: The album is dropping digitally, which is just the way things are now. Through RTTC, we’re getting 300 physical copies pressed—25 of those stay with them, 50 go to Rotten Roll Rex, and we keep the rest ourselves. We’re also toying with the idea of a very limited run of 25 cassettes for this release. We actually tried cassettes for the first time on the 2025 EP, which was supposed to be digital-only, and it went surprisingly well, for collectors obviously.

As for vinyl, we’ve never done it—mainly because of the high costs—though the artwork would look absolutely phenomenal on it. Vinyl is definitely on the rise again, so who knows what the future holds.

MR: What are some bands that have influenced your sound?

Gore Force V: Honestly, our influences are all over the place. I remember Jeroen saying he’s been getting more and more inspired by Gorgasm. Jan’s more of an old-school Nasum fan, but he also digs Primus and drum and bass. Senne comes from a slam and beatdown background, which definitely shapes his approach. As for me, I’m all over the map—Nile, Archspire, Origin (a personal favorite), even Rhapsody or Blind Guardian.

When it comes to guitar riffs, I just write what comes out. Whether they’re directly inspired by someone else? Honestly, I couldn’t say—it’s just whatever fits the song.

And luckily we’re not boxed in to one influence so as long as is it hits hard ..it fits the song.

MR: What is your opinion on the current death metal scene? Who are some underground bands you think need more attention?

Gore Force V: It’s definitely getting older, yeah. Where are all the youngsters playing death metal these days? There are a few, sure, but too many of them are going down the deathcore or slam route for my taste. Logos all look the same, most bands sound the same, playing at the same rhythms with headless guitars and quad cortex digital rigs—yeah, I know, that probably makes me sound like an old fart and dont think i’m not jealous of people who’s entire amp rig fits into one small hatchback car.

It’s the same with the fans, too. Here in our country, the average crowd at our shows is basically our age—late 30s. In the Netherlands, you can shave off about 10 years, over there we play to audiences of 20-year-olds, which is kind of refreshing.

One band we really bumped into recently is Gutslasher—real whippersnappers playing death metal without overanalyzing a thing. That’s the kind of energy that gives me hope for the scene.

MR: Now, would you tell us what the next step is for Gore Force V? More live performances in support of Annus Porcus Oinkus? Any new projects in the pipeline that you can share with us?

Gore Force V: We’ve got around 12 more shows lined up this year, and we’re already setting the stage for 2027 when we hit our 20-year milestone. We’re looking to do more shows abroad for the anniversary, especially in the UK.

Knowing us, we’ll probably put out some kind of release too—which would make it four releases in four years. Keeping busy is kind of our default mode.

MR: How many gigs have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether it’s (clubs or festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best?

Gore Force V: Honestly, I couldn’t tell you the exact number, but if I had to ballpark it for the last years: around 18 shows in 2024, 7 in 2025 (we really needed extra time to finish the 2026 album), and this year, 2026, we’ll probably land at around 16 gigs or so.

I don’t really have a preference between clubs and festivals. Club shows are more intimate—you’re right there with the crowd, especially in the smaller 100–200 person spots. Festivals are huge and always a proud moment, though like our drummer says, “I’m sitting so far back on the stage I can’t see shit.”

Some of our best performances, just off the top of my head:

DB’s Utrecht (NL) supporting Kraanium

Tranzit Kortrijk (B) supporting Gutalax

Asgard Rock and Metal Fest 2024 (B)

Elpee Bar (B) supporting Deranged

By the end of this year, that list will definitely grow—we’ve got some real bucket-list shows lined up.

MR: How do you physically and mentally relax or come down after an intense, high-energy performance?

Gore Force V: Well, since we don’t have roadies, the first thing I do after a show is make sure all our gear is cleared off the stage—that actually helps me calm down a bit. After that, a quick smoke outside and finishing off a bottle of water usually hits the spot.

Then I’ll swing by our merch stand to check that everything’s okay, say hi to fans, hand out free merch, or sign the occasional autograph. That’s usually how the post-show routine goes for me.

MR: What’s your favorite part about being in a death metal band, and what is the hardest part?

Gore Force V: In this particular death metal band, the best part is definitely not having to take ourselves too seriously and being completely free with where inspiration comes from. Plus, since everyone already knows us as a “wacky” band, we can get as creative as we want with merch and design.

The hardest part? Probably just being an underground band. If you sit back and do nothing, nothing’s going to happen. I handle bookings, merch design, social media, promo, help write songs, edit videos… it’s a ton of work.

It eats up so much of my time, but honestly, it’s so worth it.

MR: Outside of music, what else (movies, literature, philosophy) has left a mark on your work?

Gore Force V: We actually start a lot of our songs with samples pulled from movies, memes, and pop culture. Literature isn’t usually a huge influence, but on this album there’s a little nod in Dead Hooker Necromancy 101: Correct Use of a Shovel. That title is a wink to Terry Pratchett’s Discworld—he mentions “the correct use of a shovel” somewhere in the books, and it just stuck with me because it was funny. Greatest fantasy writer ever by the way, after Tolkien offcourse.

MR: What is the best way people can support your band?

Gore Force V: Follow, subscribe, like, comment—do it on everything: Spotify, YouTube Music, Facebook, Instagram. Come to the shows if you can, grab a t-shirt, or even call your local metal booker and tell them to get in touch with us. We’ll take every half opened door we can find. (Laughing)

MR: Thank you for taking the time to do this interview! Would you like to add anything to the readers of Metal Revolution?

Gore Force V: If we can live without taking ourselves too seriously, so can you. Support your local metal bands!