The NYC-based band Black Satellite has quickly made a strong impact in the alternative metal scene, despite being relatively new. Led by Larissa Vale, the band fuses industrial sounds with dark atmospheres and modern metal grooves, transcending conventional boundaries. Black Satellite released its debut album, Endless, in 2017, and since then, fans must have been eagerly awaiting its follow-up. The band announced the new album with the "Void" single in 2020, followed by the energetic track "Broken". In addition to its original music, Black Satellite has also released two Type O Negative covers and Rammstein's "Sonne", all of which gained significant attention. The Rammstein cover, in particular, has become a fan favourite and is frequently performed during live shows. The band continues to push new boundaries through hard work and relentless touring, showcasing its dedication both on and off the stage. A week before its performance in Ljubljana (19 November 2024, Kino Šiška), where the band was supporting the legendary bands Cradle Of Filth and Butcher Babies on its first European tour, I had the opportunity to talk with Larissa. Although we could not set up a live interview that day, we met nonetheless and, at least, recorded a jingle. Here's what Larissa revealed during our conversation.

Interview with: Larissa Vale
Conducted by: Tomaz
Edited by: Jerneja

Tomaz: Hello Larissa! How are you doing? If I'm not mistaken, you have a day off today.
Larissa: Everything is OK, and yeah, you are right, we do have a day off today. We are in Germany right now and have a pleasant time.

Tomaz: This is your first European tour and supporting a big name - Cradle Of Filth. How do you feel about it, and how is the tour going?
Larissa: It's been really great. We are just blown away since we've been very well received by fans. People are really into it, so it has been so great every night.

Tomaz: I find the combination of bands on this tour interesting: four bands of different genres. How does it work together, and how do people react to the show?
Larissa: It's really interesting. You are right; it's quite an unusual mix of genres. But, you know, we have certain things in common. Our presence, attitude,... And I feel that people like listening to different things throughout the night. It's not just black metal all night long. I think it's a really great line-up. It seems a bit unusual, but in fact, a good thing. I think it's exciting to see all these different bands in one pack.

Tomaz: I recently learned that guitarist and co-founder Kyle has left the band. What happened?
Larissa: Well, you have to sacrifice a lot if you want to do this. Everybody must have the same kind of attitude. For me, it's like a dream. It's all I want to do. I think, that this just wasn't for him anymore and that's completely fine. I have to respect that. This happened a few months ago.

Tomaz: It's been over seven years since your debut album. Your fans must be eagerly awaiting a new album. Especially since you announced it in 2020 already, with the first single, "Void". How come you haven't released it yet?
Larissa: We had plans to release it, but then Covid came and screwed everything up. We were supposed to go on a tour, but it got cancelled, rescheduled, and cancelled again. I saw that many bands were putting out albums right before the shutdown. It was an unfortunate thing because nobody got to tour and support those albums. So, we kind of just took the time and said that we would extend the album. We recorded more music last year, and we have some really great new songs that we can't wait to put out there. We did release another song from the record, "Broken", last year. We are continuing to put out new content, and with the Coal Chamber tour in the spring, you can finally expect some new music right before that tour. I just can't wait.

Tomaz: But the setlist on this tour consists of only new songs. Are these songs all from the upcoming album?
Larissa: They are, so anyone who comes to the shows will preview some of the songs early. We were playing a lot of the songs from our first album Endless, but since we've been on this metal tour, and since we toured with Cradle Of Filth and Devil Driver last year, we wanted to connect our heavier sound through the fans and other bands on the tour. We thought it would be more appropriate to play this kind of set.

Tomaz: Actually, if I compare your debut album with the new songs, I find a lot of differences. The new songs are darker, more energetic, stronger, more industrial,... How do you define the differences?
Larissa: I think that this is a really great question. You know, Endless was our first record, and we've learned a lot since then. I think that we are all better musicians now. I challenged myself much more as a vocalist. I pushed the boundaries of what I'm capable of doing, and I think that the new record is more confident. We were kind of exploring dark subject matters and darker sounds. I really like that, and this is the direction we are going right now.

Tomaz: And what about the lyrics? I've noticed that they're more personal than before. What's the inspiration for your lyrics?
Larissa: I like to think that each song is like a snapshot of my life and what I'm thinking and feeling at the time. I tend to gravitate towards writing music when I'm in those darker places. When I'm feeling really happy, I don't feel that I need to go and write a song. For me, that is like a kind of therapy or catharsis, you know. I'm also not afraid to be vulnerable about that kinds of things and feelings. I like to look into the darkness and see what's looking back. I like to write about it. I'm OK with feeling uncomfortable because those emotions are just a part of the human experience. I think it would be unfair to ignore the darkness within all of us.

Tomaz: I'm looking forward to hearing your new singles... Will they be in the style of "Void" and "Broken"?
Larissa: Yeah, It's definitely along those lines. I think that the new singles are really, really cool. I like them the most, and I also think they are the coolest thing we've done so far. I just can't wait any longer to share them with everybody.

Tomaz: You've done two Type O Negative covers in the past, but you don't play any live. How is that?
Larissa: I like to play a lot of my original music. We did the Rammstein cover, too. I don't want to play too many covers. Maybe one day, we will swap it up and play one of those instead.

Tomaz: You worked with producer Ben Grosse, who also worked with Marilyn Manson, on your debut album. Did you also work with him on the new songs?
Larissa: He did the mastering back then and also on new songs. For the singles, which will be on the upcoming record, we mostly worked with Kane Churko, who also did Papa Roach and Five Finger Death Punch, for example. He produced, mixed and mastered them.

Tomaz: You've also released some cool videos. Who's behind the scripts, and how do you enjoy making videos?
Larissa: Actually, I studied cinematography at university, and I'm very hands-on with all of our music videos, and I found the director that I really like. His name is Tom Flynn, and he already worked with many great bands. He's from New York as well, and we have been working with him for four years now. We have almost some kind of telepathic communication. Without having to speak, he already knows what I'm going for. He shows me what it looks like in the camera, and we say let's do this and that. We work really well hand in hand together. I like to build up our onset. For example, the video for "Broken" was all that alien set with all those black vines. It took me hours and hours to make them, all by my hand. We bought this foam and rolls in a hardware store and then wrapped black tape around them. I got ten gallons of black slime and poured it all over the place. Then, for one scene, we tied the rope around my ankles. They were pulling the rope and dragging me down, so it looked like an alien got me. Yeah, I like to go above and beyond with each new video and then see what else we can do.

Tomaz: What can people expect from your live performance?
Larissa: Extreme high energy right from the first song on. We just go nuts. We try to put out our best performance every night because it's not just a random show for us. We understand that this will be a night and show that people might remember for the rest of their lives. We do our best each time, no matter what.

Tomaz: Black Satellite's music is not so easy to categorize. There are elements of industrial metal, modern metal, alternative rock and much more. I hear it as a mix between Marilyn Manson, Rammstein and Pink. Do you agree?
Larissa: I can definitely see that. We must be somewhere between all of that.

Tomaz: And what are your main influences and inspirations, both as a singer and a musician?
Larissa: Well, I think it's pretty obvious. I grew up listening to Marilyn Manson and Korn and, you know, all these kinds of bands.

Tomaz: Many alternative music media outlets have praised your music as something everyone should listen to. Some even put Black Satellite among the ten bands you shouldn't miss, and you were one of the four bands of the month in Metal Hammer. How much do articles like this help the band? Does it bring more audience and consequently more popularity?
Larissa: I think it's really validating because we are just artists creating our art and seeing if it connects with people. So, when people find out about us by reading this kind of article, it just shows that whatever we are doing, we are doing something right, and we just need to keep going for it.

Tomaz: What is your relationship with Cradle Of Filth? You've toured with them in the US and now in Europe. There must be something...
Larissa: First of all, we share the same management. From the first tour, which we did with them last year, we already felt and sensed that we are kind of family. They are so very welcoming and nice to us. Then we did the second USA run with them, and at that point, we knew each other so much better. When we finally started this tour, we were already like old friends - it was like a family meeting. It has just been really great.

Tomaz: Who is the main songwriter in Black Satellite? Is that you, or was it Kyle?
Larissa: It was both of us. It will be a bit different in the future, with our producer having to put hands-on and check everything a little bit more.

Tomaz: Which label will release your new album, or will it be self-released?
Larissa: Right now, we are going through a couple of release strategies, and we will see which option we will go for. There's nothing that I can announce right now. We are figuring out what makes the most sense for this release.

Tomaz: Since you are from the United States, which has just elected a new president, I am interested in your opinion on the election.
Larissa: I would rather not talk about this. Let's just keep it about the music instead.

Tomaz: Thank you for your time, Larissa. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Larissa: We are looking forward to playing in Slovenia and meeting with many new fans. You can expect some new music from us early in 2025, followed finally by the album release.

Live photos by Tomaz

Black Satellite links: Official Website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube