In a candid and revealing interview on the Garza Podcast, Sven De Caluwé, frontman of Belgian death metal band Aborted, shared his thoughts on a tumultuous period in the band’s history when he nearly gave up on music altogether. Hosted by Suicide Silence guitarist Chris Garza, the podcast delves into the personal and professional challenges that nearly led De Caluwé to abandon his music career.
Recalling a difficult phase around 2008, De Caluwé revealed: “There was a moment when I almost [arrêter la musique]. I thought, ‘That’s enough.’ And we took a break for 2 to 3 years, I would say.” He elaborated on the circumstances that led to the hiatus, citing issues within the band’s lineup and a general dissatisfaction with their creative output. “The band wasn’t really in a good place. People were getting hooked, which didn’t sit well with me. And we put out an album that I didn’t really believe in. And it just went downhill.”he explains. The situation led De Caluwé to take a decisive decision: “At one point I fired everyone.”
The turning point came with the arrival of drummer Ken Bedene, who rekindled De Caluwé’s passion for the band. Garza highlighted Bedene’s positive influence, to which De Caluwé responded: “He really helped me. But at the beginning, it was Dirk [Verbeuren] from Megadeth who helped me out. He was in a band called Scarve, and he played drums on a couple of EPs we did. When I was ready to quit, I called Dirk and he told me I shouldn’t do it, that I would regret it and that I was an idiot. He told me to find other people and he agreed to play drums with us for a while. Then Ken came along and the band was rolling from there. Thanks, Dirk, for pushing me not to quit.”
The podcast, which runs for over an hour, covers various facets of De Caluwé’s career and personal life. It traces Aborted’s journey since its inception in 1995, the influence of black metal versus death metal, and the singer’s vocal influences and techniques. Other notable segments include De Caluwé’s strong stance against drug use, his atypical upbringing with a butcher father and his first job performing animal autopsies, as well as his early touring experiences.
De Caluwé also discussed his side job creating illustrations for bands like Despised Icon and Suicide Silence, as well as some memorable moments from his early gigs. You can watch the full episode below.
