With the release of The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been , French nu-metalcore giants LANDMVRKS have firmly planted their flag as one of the most powerful creative forces in all of heavy music. The album blends elements of metal, hardcore, and hip-hop flows, while also telling a riveting, terrifying story. This is the genre at its peak. So of course, there has to be anime involved somewhere, right? I had the chance to speak with LANDMVRKS frontman Florent Salfati about pushing the limits of their sound, anime fandom in France, and the ways that anime has affixed itself into his creative mind. To start things off, it’s been about four years since your last album! It seems like your fanbase has grown a lot since then, so how does it feel to have such a sense of anticipation for a new release of yours from fans around the world? Florent Salfati : It feels incredible, honestly. Our last album was written during the COVID-19 pandemic, so when it came out, we were even more blown away by the amazing response it received online and at the shows! We really took our time writing this new album because we felt the need to push our music and creativity further. We hope the fans will connect with this album as much as we do. RELATED: Spite's Ben Bamford on How He Fell Hard For Anime Could you tell me a little bit about the new album, The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been , and anything new you tried this time around? Salfati : This album's central story revolves around a creature, a manifestation of human fears and anxieties. This creature evolves throughout the album, revealing various aspects of its story and the experiences it encounters. We experimented with a lot of new approaches on this album, aiming to evolve our sound into something slightly less polished, while still maintaining a texture and mix that is both modern and aggressive. We kept our signature guitar sound and riffs while adding touches of hip-hop production, which led to sung/rap sections in French scattered throughout the album. Were you able to watch any anime or read any manga during the writing or recording process? Salfati : Of course, I’m constantly watching or reading manga. Over the past three years, I’ve managed to finish some series like Attack on Titan and Tokyo Revengers and started others I’ve wanted to read for a long time, like Akira and VAGABOND . As for anime, I was blown away by the animation in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and JUJUTSU KAISEN , just like everyone else, and I revisited some classics like Ghost in the Shell and Fullmetal Alchemist . And of course, I have to mention Berserk which is my favorite manga to read. Can you tell me a little about your anime journey? How it started and where you are now? Salfati : It all started with Dragon Ball Z , of course. It was a real wave in France when I was a child, and it still is today; it's constantly being aired. There was a show that aired all the great classics from the '90s, like Saint Seiya , Dr. Slump , Dragon Ball Z , Cat's Eyes , and City Hunter . Today, I continue to follow the new releases while also catching up on the ones I missed, like Cowboy Bebop , for example, or some films from Studio Ghibli! RELATED: Ankor on Learning Music Through Anime Openings and Endings It seems like the anime fandom in France is massive and very passionate! Have you noticed that or participated in it much? Salfati : I’ve indeed realized that France is a major consumer of manga and anime! One example that has always stood out to me is how French rappers often reference manga in their lyrics. Each of them has at least mentioned Naruto or Dragon Ball Z once in their songs. And this isn't exclusive to rappers — many French artists or public figures make it clear how much Japanese culture influences them. What is your favorite anime series or movie of all time? Do you have a genre you tend to gravitate toward? Salfati : My favorite films remain the early Dragon Ball movies and OVAs, like the one with Janemba and the fusion into Gogeta, or the Broly OVA. I feel like that was the peak of Dragon Ball , when the designs and the atmosphere were at their best. But I admit that the animation in Ghost in the Shell blew me away when I was younger, and I guess that’s why I love The Matrix so much, haha. As for my favorite series, it’s hard to choose. I’m a big Naruto fan for example but I’d say you can’t go wrong with Fullmetal Alchemist . Did you get into music around the same time as you got into anime? Were they separate interests for you or does one inform the other? Salfati : I started watching anime at a very young age, long before music came into the picture, but I’ve always grown up feeding both passions. The AMV’S with Linkin Park music over Naruto or Dragon Ball Z footage were everywhere back then! RELATED: Baths' Will Wiesenfeld: My Life and Music Would Be Nothing Without Boys' Love Art What do you think it is about your style of music, and heavy music in general, that draws anime fans to it? Salfati : Geek culture has always been closely tied to rock and metal music. It's just how it is — both are for passionate people, just like gamers or manga fans are passionate. It’s something that pairs really well together, and certain high-energy or more intense anime match perfectly with extreme music. Do you find your interest in anime influences your approach to songwriting or lyrics at all? Salfati : Anime and manga are a big part of who I am, of my cultural capital. They definitely influence me, especially when I sing in French, as I allow myself to make references and wordplay with those influences. Beyond that, it's the overall imagery that reflects in LANDMVRKS — whether it’s in the music videos, visuals, stage setups, and so on. Does anime influence or inspire your graffiti art at all? Salfati : I don’t draw characters in graffiti, only letters, so unless I learn to tag kanji, it’s a bit hard to see the direct connection. My graffiti is more influenced by American and French hip-hop culture, which is also a huge inspiration for me. RELATED: Anxious: Cowboy Bebop is Infused in the DNA of Bambi Is there anything you’d like to plug or say to the Crunchyroll audience out there who may not be familiar with your music? Salfati : I have a lot of fans who talk to me about manga after shows. It’s a really supportive community where we just get each other. If you’re not into metal music, try experiencing it live at least once — you’ll never be disappointed. The energy is unlike anything else! Listen to The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been now ! Follow LANDMVRKS here . Catch LANDMVRKS on tour this year .
