BMS: Hello Citizinsane, I’ve got to say that I really like your band name, it’s got plenty of wordplay.

Steven: Yeah, I love playing around with words and puns. The name Citizinsane is a reference to the iconic film Citizin Kane (yeah, it was either that or Rosebud). In addition, you can also hear “this is insane” or “shit’s insane” in our band name.

BMS: Speaking about Citizinsane, you currently brand yourselves as Citizinsane 2.0. What has motivated you to call yourselves like that?

Jeroen: Recently we added Kevin Depoorter and Roberto Devos to our ranks to do guitar and drums respectively. And we’re very happy to have them on the team as they don’t just do their jobs within the band but they also actively contribute to our band’s songwriting.
Steven: When we began with Citizinsane all songs were written solely by Jeroen, Wouter and me. And although we enjoyed playing the songs we had back then, we felt there was something missing. We were aiming to produce a sound that strikes a fine balance between mainstream hard rock and more progressive elements but we weren’t there yet. Until Kevin and Roberto came in and provided us with the missing link in the Citizinsane chain. And now the five of us feel like a true team! Now we all stand behind the music we make and we now have the chance to make our creative ambitions come true. A modern and accessible heavy and groove metal sound!

BMS: So, what are the future plans for Citizinsane 2.0?

Jeroen: Since our lineup we’ve focused most of our efforts on improving our current material, both the recorded and non-recorded stuff. After that, we’re going to work on a successor to our 2013 EP, Unleash The Madness.
Steven: Currently we’ve got a bit of a dilemma regarding our future songwriting. Like I said earlier, we now got a lot of new creative possibilities and aim to make our upcoming songs more complex and technical. However, many of our fans don’t want us to stray too far off the track of our current style which is straight-on metal in the style of Pantera.
Jeroen: We’re pretty strict as to what material we put on record and what not. So our current objective is to evolve our Citizinsane sound that remains familiar yet feels deeper and refreshing.

BMS: I’m sure you’ll be able to strike that fine balance between simplicity and complexity. What other things do you have in life aside from Citizinsane?

Jeroen: Making a living and spending time with my wife. We’re expecting our first child!
Steven: Same for me, expect I don’t expect any children I’m aware of! I also love reading crime novels, especially those dealing with serial killers. You see the number 666-213-01 on my shirt? Well, you obviously know about 666 but 213 refers to the apartment number where the notorious American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer lived and committed most of his horrendous crimes. Which included murder and severe mutilation of his victims. One of our newest songs, Sickening Stench (The Smell Of Dead Meat), deals with this infamous murderer nicknamed the Milwaukee Cannibal. Aside from that, I admit that I’m very grateful to be part of this band. I’ve got a lot of energy that I need to unleash frequently. So standing on stage, banging my head and shouting along as my mates here play their instruments is the ultimate adrenaline rush! And not only do we feel each other creatively but we’re close friends with each other as well. True brotherhood is the key element of Citizinsane! On stage, backstage, bar stage and in every stage of our lives!

BMS: That’s a beautiful speech! Tell me, why should we all check out Citizinsane?

Jeroen: It’s simple, really! When you come see Citizinsane you can expect a damn good time for you and your friends! Our music isn’t very technical or original and we’re fully aware of that, but we know where our strengths lie in and that is to go out and play a thrash and groove metal sound that sounds and feels energetic and passionate. You may think of ourselves as generic and you may be right, but we believe good music is more a matter of passion and commitment rather than raw talent.

BMS: I completely agree with that statement! When I see a band live on stage I’m more interested in the energy and charisma that they portray on stage than their sound quality or technical prowess. Although I can also seriously appreciate a true guitar shredder! Overall, I can say you’ve done a good job today, the crowd and me had to regain our finesse after the moody doom metal from Loose License but by the latter parts of your show I did quite some spontaneous headbanging!

BMS: So, it there anything else you want so say before we take the picture?

Steven: We want to thank Ann and Didier for organizing this awesome charity festival as well as everyone who’s come over to see us. And that of course includes you!
Jeroen: I’d like to give a shout-out to youth bar the Comma in Bruges. They organize tons of activities like workshops, sports and music events including the RGMC event that takes places every second Friday of the month. The event stands for Rock, Gothic and Metal Club and, as the name suggests, showcases awesome bands from those aforementioned genres. For only 3 Euros entrance fee (if you arrive before 8 o’clock in the evening, after that the fee is 5 Euros) you get an evening full of bang for just a little buck!

BMS: Very interesting, I’ll be sure to visit that monthly event. Thanks for the shred, guys!