In-depth interview with Max Enix

• Your upcoming album, “Beauty in Darkness,” promises a dark, gothic experience. Can you share more about the concept behind this album and what inspired you to create it? 

For the moment, it’s not all set in stone, as it’s due for release in the autumn of 2026! We live in a dangerous, obscure society governed by obscure, unscrupulous elites who only want power, unhealthy money and their own personal pleasure (And want to decide for us)! People who use and abuse you and others. The aim is to represent the horror of this world in a way that is apocalyptic and radical in certain respects! But also in a poetic and mysterious way, like in Beauty and the Beast for example! On the one hand, there’s the magnificent castle lost in the mist, the magnificent garden with the flowers and the sublime settings lost in time! Then there’s the meaning of the beast who, despite its repulsive aspects, is a being with a huge heart, full of love and who is hunted down by smug, arrogant, nasty people, locked up in their comfort, their turf wars, their unhealthy power and who hunt down people who are different without thinking about what they really are! The judgement of the innocent souls they crucify! And the Apocalyptic response against them!

• You’ve mentioned that “Beauty in Darkness” will be a violent criticism of society. Can you elaborate on some of the societal issues you aim to address through your music?

The songs themes will be the concentration camps and its nazis, the cancel culture, the fanaticism, the law of do or die, the slavery, the conditioning, the corruption of fools, the oppression, the media/masses control, the brainless sheeps who follows the worst idiots, the territories wars, the politicians, the rapes, Sequestration, the fake kindness and use of white pawn to better fool, the stupid sacrifices perpetrated by clowns, Bullshit and blackmail, Porn and its excesses, decadence, the Jokers, the hackers, the narcisstic perverts and their vicious behaviours (mythomania, disinformation, big lies, scams, traps and control over people), Abuse and thirst of power behind bloody statuts, Animals abandonment, the torture, the data/words manipulation and the networks of cowards, the suicide, the people left behind who suffer in silence, the ego of the self-centered who want to decide for us, the gratuitous violence and massacres, climate change and its storms, Sick people who don’t know they’re sick, Some Perverted doctors, mad psychiatrists/ /teachers/company directors, paedophilia in churches and those who cover their crimes (Vatican…), Schools in danger, with courses that don’t teach them the real issues of life and emotional intelligence, the ravages of certain medicines on health prescribed on a large scale, the pharmaceutical industry and malfunctions, the deplorable economic system, the bullying, dirty killings for money, the frustration and bitterness of jealous people, the sectarian aberrations, the crucifixions of innocents, black magic and voodoo for murderous purposes, forced prostitution, The gangs of idiots, unhealthy competition, people who want to crush, divide and rule/conquer ! Etc…

• The themes in “Beauty in Darkness” range from concentration camps to cancel culture and fanaticism. How do you approach writing lyrics for such intense and diverse topics?

The music will match the lyrics (parental advisory)! I’ll be writing all the lyrics and the 2 guests we’ll be talking about afterwards will be writing theirs! The death camps symbolise the ultimate horror of what humans are capable of! Cancel culture is omnipresent in our society, with thousands of haters on all sides (sometimes your closest friends) who want to destroy your career sneakily and constantly throw stones at you so that you fall over and die (worse if you no longer follow their ideals or unhealthy control)! Fanaticism is still very much alive in our society against people who step out of line or don’t follow texts that have been modified time and time again to serve the interests of the church, places of worship and the state (trafficking everywhere)! The separation of church and state is a sham! And the mafias and secret societies that try to oppress people and control them get in! Hence the fact that everything is reversed and that we can no longer distinguish between what is true and what is false! In any case, don’t trust anyone, least of all your friends! They’ll always be ready to stab you in the back or abuse you in one way or another sooner or later (especially when you’re no longer serving their unhealthy interests)! A lot of people are egotistical and stingy and only have a banknote and own pleasure in their head!

• One of the songs, “Sodomizing the Snakes,” is said to be provocative and shocking. What message are you hoping to convey through this track, and how do you balance its rawness with artistic expression?

I’ll be playing a character in a very hard, violent and provocative video clip (lots of blood, guns, horrors…) with a censored version (long erotic passage) and an uncensored version (porn) protected by advanced parental control where I’ll be playing myself with other girl(s) with a deep meaning behind it about today’s society and violence (to see like a Stanley Kubrick movie for exemple)! Note that this scene will take place with a gun to the head or elsewhere, the butt of the gun in the ass, the money in her mouth or others (and that the person will love it and enjoy it, rolling spades together with the tongue)  = The aim is to show the unhealthy society we live in! A reminder of a period of my past (where I have play porn movies) to exorcise my demons too even if here it will be far more trash ! The hard and deep sodomy of the society! “Sodomizing the Snakes” will be the name of the song ! Nothing shocks in this society so I’m going to shock! But it will be only a detail in the 2 Albums because so much more to offer ! I’ll be playing a character who gradually sinks into madness because of the world around us! This character will dissociate into several other characters that I’ll play (in the sulphurous scene I’ll play, for example, in a sort of transcendental dream, the completely mad Joker without any respect who will be hit by a mobster with more respect who’s not joking and will continue in a different way, then Batman who will shoot the gun and save the woman before taking her in his arms, they will kiss each others and in an other place also taking her the same way but with a deep consent and reciprocity, etc.). And then the main character continues down the path of insanity to the point of no return! Just the opposite of the bright and clear clip with a serene character who will live peacefully and love with unconditional love! Bruce Wayne and Batman as opposites (in one) and horror all around! I will wear black clothes in a sort of Batman/Matrix way (front cover of the Album by the way in an obscure/deep way = surprise)! Silent Hill/Stranger Things/Alien atmosphere ! An other anime (For the song about the Concentration camp will be made Etc…) !

There will be on vocals An apocalyptic guest and another rap/hip hop (already present in Far From Home Etc…)! A mix of film music, progressive rock, black metal, rap/hip hop etc… ! Parental advisory !

• The video clip for “Sodomizing the Snakes” includes both censored and uncensored versions. What drove the decision to create these two versions, and what do you hope viewers take away from each?

There will be a censored version for the general public, which will allow people to see the darkest aspects of society while hiding the worst atrocities! And an uncensored version, very hard and apocalyptic, which will show the absolute horror of this world, but with some beautiful passages that will light the way in a different way! Forbidden to under 18 year old and with specific access! But you know, in this society young people are always crossing borders to watch porn or whatever, so if anyone wants to see it, they will! In any case, it will be much more rewarding to watch than an X-rated film because the message will be very powerful and hard-hitting about the society we live in! And the pornographic aspect will be reduced! You won’t come away from this video unscathed, and the clip will raise a lot of questions after you’ve seen it, and will certainly dissuade people from doing certain things!

• You’ll be portraying a character in a Batman/Matrix style for the album cover. How does this visual representation tie into the album’s themes and your personal artistic vision?

It will represent the darkness, the solitude in the face of the problems of this world and the stakes involved! A sort of dark room where I’ll be sitting on a chair, posing and watching the screen! Candles will symbolise the mourning around me and a window opening onto a night-time society with its buildings (like in Gotham City), a sort of window opening onto an apocalyptic world in decay. The other album you will see me in front of the sea, feet in the sands (white and blue clothes) with some buildings at the horizon Etc..

• “Beauty in Darkness” features a diverse mix of genres, including progressive rock, black metal, and hip-hop. How do you manage to blend these different styles while maintaining a cohesive sound?

All these sounds (film music, Extreme/black progressive metal à la Opeth or Shining, hip hop rap among others) will form a unity and an actual materialisation of our society! I think we’ll be very close to the world we live in today! A sort of steamroller but with a lot of beauty and poetry behind it! All audiences will be able to identify with this music.

• Niklas Kvarforth and Michael Onetwenty are notable collaborators on this album. How did these collaborations come about, and what do they bring to your music?

These 2 guests will have an indispensable presence in the soul of this album! Niklas Kvarforth is unrivalled in his genre and in the power he can exude in his vocals, whether raw or clear! He’s completely inhabited by the music and brings an incomparable emotional dimension to it! Unlike a lot of people in black metal, he doesn’t pretend and lives each moment in a transcendent way! He’s the best in the business in black metal! Michael Onetwenty is also in a different league! He’s dazzling in what he can bring to the table and in his creativity! He’s head and shoulders above many artists in this genre! 2 extraordinary, highly intelligent artists who transcend human limits! With my vocal lines, which will be highly researched and varied, I’m sure we’ll create some sparks! What’s more, the music will be transcendent, highly emotional and powerful, with divine orchestrations!

• Your lyrics touch on very dark and controversial topics such as abuse, corruption, and societal decay. How do you prepare yourself emotionally and mentally to tackle these subjects in your music?

It’s not easy to enter this Universe because you have to draw on very intense resources within yourself! It can even be emotionally exhausting, but just like in a film role, the important thing is to be totally in tune with the themes and what people can or have endured! Yes, you have to penetrate the darkness of this world to bring out the light! Embody the very essence of horror on Earth and put yourself in the place of the victims and what they may have endured or are enduring! A kind of sacrifice!

• Alongside “Beauty in Darkness,” you’re releasing “Ocean of Light,” which showcases a more serene and luminous side. What inspired this duality, and how do these two albums complement each other?

Ocean of Light (2026), the other album, will be luminous and showcase the beauty of things! This time I’ll be playing in a video a calm, serene character in a bright video clip around the sea etc…! I will wear white/blue clothes (front cover of the Album by the way in a clear way aside the sea and horizon = surprise)! The themes/lyrics will be much clearer (Spirituality, Universe/Cosmos, Animals, Beauty of things, God/Satan/or others names (Union of people towards a goal) and the attached metaphor, natural medicine and medicine of the future = Gravitational waves as Einstein have predicts, black holes, Dimensions, string theory, other possible society, mondial concertation to have less inequalities, the prophets, pyramids and landscapes, The divine and its forces, LOVE <3 etc…)! Fusion of filmscore, progressive rock/metal, variety, electro, jazz, world, new age Etc… ! Some guests I have in mind already (Chiara di Mare, David Galas , maybe Krister Linder = I need to talk with him and to see…) ! The 20-minute finale will be apocalyptic, transcendent and spectacular (fusion of the 2 Albums) that will be a battle between darkness & Light before Light&Darkness fusion all together against the bastards/executioners of our time ! Before a new world (nuclear) war , the end of humanity, a new souls Era and perspectives/paths ! 1h 20 each approximatively with 21 songs for the whole (some epic, some radio) ! Original and orchestral versions ! Terrific, emotional, powerful and very varied vocals and huge orchestrations Etc… A few guests ! Quite a programme! Completely in tune with our time ! An atomic Bomb ! I’ll let you discover all that! Never seen/heard before !

• Can you give us a sneak peek into what we can expect from your future projects? You’ve mentioned filmic themes and collaborations – any specific ideas or artists you’re excited to work with?

Lots of very different and exciting ideas for future projects in various fields! Music for films, games, series… But also ideas for Albums (Fantasy à la Lord of the Rings, Vangelis à la Blade Runner, Africa, Halloween, Cartoon, Alien and its differents planets Etc…). Thousands of ideas, always with powerful, deep scenarios! Lighter or harder themes! Only epic or radio songs, it all depends! An album about my life, too, and what I’ve endured and continue to endure! More or less formatted albums. Do a musical or rock opera on Far From Home, for example, or something else! Make films in which I’ll also act! Various singing and composing collaborations! I’d love to collaborate with Akira Yamaoka , Devin Townsend, or Hans Zimmer for example (support act for his concerts… or others), or Danny Elfman amongst others! Lots and lots of ideas! As well as signing with a major international label, or even a major label, I’d like to create an international label for transcendent artists or groups in all genres too ! My future won’t be confined to one genre in particular, but just like David Bowie, Michael Jackson or, currently, Hans Zimmer and Devin Townsend, I’ll be fusing genres and making my mark on the world of music once and for all! Stop unhealthy communautarism and sectarism !  I’m counting on other people to help me do that too, and on their suggestions! The aim is to help music evolve and offer the music of the future (Avant garde)!

• With a big tour planned after the album releases, what can fans expect from your live performances? How do you plan to bring the complex and varied themes of your albums to the stage?

Transcendent concerts with images and visuals in the background, superb lighting, transcendent vocals and elaborate stagecraft! I have superb contacts in sound and visuals who work with the best! I’ve also got a tour manager who lives in England at the moment! I’ll be alone on stage, but with a singer for sure! Maybe Nikolette Olsson or Luciana Lys or others to see! Sequences in the background! In closed and enclosed places at night or even outdoors in the evening! For festivals we’ll be playing with other exemplary musicians to cover the needs of the stage and the space and to get a transcendent rendition! The songs from the new albums will lend themselves very well to this, as will those from Far From Home! It’s all going to be very elaborate! We’ll see what can be done for a 2026/2027 tour with a production company, certainly or to be seen!

• You mentioned a mix of great visuals for the tour. Can you share any details about the visual elements and how they will enhance the live experience?

We’re working closely with Mike St Jean, who’s one of the best in the business and who did the visuals for Devin Townsend (he’s one of his best friends)! The result will be very punchy and dynamic, and the colours will be wonderfully suited to the songs and themes, the tempos and bring a futuristic, avant-garde and deep dimension to the whole thing! Here too, the aim is to take things a step further and create something that’s virtually unheard of, as well as being very modern and innovative! Music of the Future and Evolution always everywhere!

• Finally, what message do you hope listeners take away from both “Beauty in Darkness” and “Ocean of Light”? How do you envision these albums influencing your audience?

They need to know that if they liked Far From Home, the worldwide acclaimed first Max Enix double album which is already considered a classic by some and which will be re-released with a big structure… Beauty in Darkness and Ocean of Light (Autumn 2026) will go much further in all areas and will erase all the faults of Far From Home! Everything will be even more varied and transcendent! I think they’ll allow my projects to reach yet another transcendental dimension and lay the foundations for the future just as Constellia / Secret Garden and especially FAR FROM HOME did! I hope from the bottom of my heart that these albums will strike a powerful chord with those who listen to them and allow us to expand an audience already won over to the cause of the previous one! We’ll be doing everything we can to leave an indelible and timeless mark on the minds of those who listen to them! Thank you for your support! Huge announcements to come! The Future is here! Take care and see you soon!