Pigeon Spins Featuring an Interview with Hyperdump

Hyperdump - Weird stories from Dumptown

Hyperdump is where bold metal meets experimental madness — imagine Faith No More colliding with Devin Townsend. Their new album, Weird Stories from Dumptown, is a wild, immersive ride through strange and unforgettable stories. Each track blends catchy hooks, heavy experimentation, and unpredictable twists.

To tell their story and universe in an original way, the band also launched an online comic, which chronicles Hyperdump’s history, their beginnings, inspirations, and the adventures that shaped their music. This multidisciplinary approach allows fans to dive into the band’s universe, both musical and narrative, for a complete and unique experience.

With every project, Hyperdump continues to push the limits of metal, combining sonic power with compelling storytelling to surprise and captivate its audience.

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Interview with Cindy Lawson

1. What inspired the concept behind Weird Stories from Dumptown?

Our previous release was a concept album introducing the city of Dumptown.

It told a story of vengeance with Lovecraftian inspiration, featuring guests who each represented a character or concept within that fictional world. This time, we took a more straightforward approach; each track focuses on a specific event in the same universe. Musically, it comes across as something more direct and somehow darker.

2. How do you blend experimental elements with metal without losing intensity?

When we write songs, we always keep in mind that they should work on stage. We experiment a lot, but only keep the ideas we feel will make sense live. For example, this time the samples are more subtle, while the riffs are catchier.

It’s also the first time we’ve used 8-string guitars; we wanted something intense and modern.

3. Can you talk about the influences of Faith No More and Devin Townsend on your sound?

Speaking of intensity, Devin Townsend and Strapping Young Lad are, for us, the very definition of it. We’ve always been huge fans, so it probably comes through naturally in our music.

As for Faith No More, it’s mostly Julien, our singer, who brought that influence. Someone once told him his voice sounded a bit like Mike Patton’s. He didn’t know the band back then, got curious, and we all ended up loving it!

4. How does the album’s narrative connect with the world of your online comic?

Julien has always loved drawing characters and monsters with that 80s horror-movie vibe.

That naturally influenced the development of the Dumptown universe and its storytelling.

5. Which track do you feel best represents Hyperdump’s universe and experimental approach?

Good question, I’d probably say Until Death. That opening track blends all the elements that define our style: atmospheric choirs and layered guitars, catchy riffs, samples and effects.

6. How do you balance catchy hooks with complex, unpredictable song structures?

It kinda happens naturally during the writing process. We all have very diverse influences, and we’ve been writing songs together for years.

The key is to keep things natural; we never force weird structures or riffs if they don’t serve the song.

7. What challenges did you face pushing the boundaries of metal on this album?

I think this joins the previous question. We like to sound original and have our own signature, but the music still has to feel smooth, natural, and enjoyable to listen to.

So the main challenge is finding the right balance between catchy, accessible sounds and complexity or originality.

8. How important is storytelling to your music, both in lyrics and broader concepts?

We see it as a whole. Storytelling comes through the lyrics, of course, but also through atmospheres and sound choices. For us, even an instrumental track should tell a story.

At the same time, we like leaving room for the listener’s own interpretation. That’s why we keep a bit of abstraction in our concepts.

9. How do you want listeners to experience the immersive world you’ve created?

We love it when listeners keep discovering new details every time they play the album.

Maybe a choir they hadn’t noticed before, a subtle bass or drum fill, a whispered voice in the background... Something that sounds catchy and simple at first, but turns out to be deeper and more surprising.

10. What’s next for Hyperdump in terms of expanding your musical and narrative universe?

We’re already writing new material, and we’ve got some new band members too. We’re really excited to try fresh ideas; we don’t set any boundaries as long as we’re happy with the result.

And of course, we plan to play live soon. We can’t wait to bring these songs to the stage!