Words by David C. Obenour
Cannibal Galaxy explodes into existence with the force and urgency of creation. Where once was silence, guitarist/bassist Drew Ehrgott and drummer Rene Gomez now fill the void with cosmic metal. As an instrumental duo, there’s a cinematic cohesion to the songs on their debut. Metal riffs tear, ebb, and crest, as an undercurrent of percussion pummels and progresses. The Osmium Gate has been opened.
Off Shelf: Drew, you did the album illustration, can you talk about your inspiration and what made it feel like a good fit for these songs?
Drew Ehrgott: When designing, I always try to match the story of the imagery with the narrative goals of the music. Since this album explores earthly and cosmic phenomena, I wanted the artwork to reflect that scale. I was especially inspired by nebulae and the abstract power of their forms. Rather than create a literal depiction, I built overlapping textures that subtly reference each individual track. The cover is essentially a nebula built from the stories of the songs themselves. In doing that, I was able to create our own nebula-like image that ties the album together visually and conceptually.
OS: I was also excited to see you did the logo. Can you talk about some of your inspiration and how you came to the design you did?
DE: The logo began with hand-lettered sketches where I explored how the letterforms could interact. I knew early on that I wanted the structure to draw from blackletter typography because it carries a natural weight that works well for metal. From there I integrated the idea of a literal gate within the “A” of Gate and added tendril-like energy extending from the forms. Those elements give the logo a sense of motion and elemental power. I wanted the logo to feel like controlled chaos emerging from a traditional form. Once the lettering felt right, it was digitized and refined.
OS: How did the two of you connect musically? What did you connect with in how they played?
Rene Gomez: We connected through our shared love of extreme metal in the Salt Lake scene. On top of that, we live in the same neighborhood, so we naturally spent time hanging out outside of music as well. That made the musical connection feel really organic! Once we started playing together, it became clear we had a similar instinct for how heaviness and dynamics should move within a song. Sometimes you just recognize when someone speaks the same musical language.
OS: What made you want to go ahead as a duo?
DE: Ultimately the music was ready, and between the two of us we had everything needed to complete the album and release it rather than waiting to fill out a full lineup. We both felt it was more important to get the music into the world first. If the songs are strong, the rest of the band can grow around them later. My hope is that releasing the album gives other musicians something concrete to connect with.
OS: Going through the process of recording Cannibal Galaxy, what did you learn about the other you may have not known or appreciated before?
RG: Going through the recording process really made me appreciate the strength of Drew’s riffs. The guitar work has a great feel, so it was a lot of fun building drum parts around each section. He also gave me total freedom with the drums, which made the recording process feel really natural and creative. When the riffs are strong, the drums almost write themselves.
OS: What has your songwriting been like? Is it done live? Is there a usual seed that germinates the rest of the growth?
DE: With Cannibal Galaxy, I started with a core concept I wanted to explore and then went into my studio and started writing. Most of the songs came together in a kind of stream-of-consciousness process where I was riffing and trying to build drama and emotion as the ideas unfolded. Inspiration was unusually strong during that period, so the songs developed quickly. Once Rene was on board, he came over and we tracked everything out together in the studio as we rehearsed. Sometimes the best songs arrive before you have time to overthink them! Before long we realized we had a full-length album.
OS: Have you performed live before? Are there plans to and would it still be as a duo?
DE: Osmium Gate hasn’t performed live yet, although both of us have plenty of experience playing in other projects. René is very active with his main band Yaotl Mictlan, who are playing the upcoming Fire in the Mountains festival. Osmium Gate really started as a studio project between two musicians with shared interests. Right now the focus is building the world of the band through the music first. If the demand is there, we’d love to bring it to the stage eventually, ideally expanding the lineup into a four-piece.
OS: Can you talk about the meaning behind the album title, Cannibal Galaxy?
DE: A cannibal galaxy is one whose gravity attracts and absorbs smaller neighboring galaxies over time. Our own galaxy participates in this process, slowly merging with and consuming others as it evolves. I’ve always found that idea both fascinating and a little unsettling. On a cosmic scale, destruction and creation are often the same process. That concept felt like a perfect metaphor for the themes behind the album and the immense natural forces that shape the universe while remaining completely indifferent to us.
OS: How is it different approaching a metal song as an instrumental piece?
RG: When you approach metal as an instrumental piece, every riff and drum pattern carries more weight. Without vocals, the music itself has to drive the structure, intensity, and dynamics of the song. As a drummer it made it fun to really lock into the riffs and build parts that highlight each section of the guitar work. The instruments have to speak where a vocalist normally would.
OS: Without the guidance of lyrics, how do you think not having a vocalist affects the listener’s experience?
RG: Without lyrics, the listener focuses more on the details of the music itself. Every riff and drum beat becomes more noticeable because there isn’t a vocal line guiding the song. It also allows people to interpret the music in their own way and mentally go wherever the atmosphere of the songs takes them. Instrumental music leaves space for the listener to write their own story.