After 13 years of squalling, raging metalcore, Ithaca will cease to be in 2025. But while it's a heavy blow to the UK metal scene, the fact they leave behind an immense legacy with two spectacular albums - 2019's The Language Of Injury and 2022's They Fear Us - and many fond memories of chaotic live shows - including the time they ended up in a hostage situation - they've left an immense impact on the UK metal scene.
To commemorate their passing - and celebrate their chaotic brilliance - Hammer caught up with vocalist Djamila Azzouz.
Hey Djamila, how are ya? We can’t believe Ithaca are splitting up…
“I still feel quite emotional! I didn’t really know what to expect; what the reaction would be, if people would be sad or angry about it, or even just like, ‘Boo, you suck!’ We’ve known for quite a long time this was happening, and it’s been really hard to not be able to talk about it and let people know what’s going on. In a way I feel better, but sad.”
What prompted the decision to end the band?
“There’s a whole bunch of reasons, and a lot of it is – a tale as old as time – we can’t afford to be in a band. The point of success we reached with our last album was so amazing, beyond what we ever thought we could achieve, but in order for us to reach the next step up, we would have to sacrifice more than we can. Had this happened when we were in our early 20s, great, we could drop everything. Of course, we never could have written They Fear Us in our early 20s! But we also don’t feel like we are able to put the time into the band that people deserve, and to invest the time we’d need to make another record.”
What band breaking up hit you the hardest?
“It’s funny, a lot of the bands I was really upset about actually ended up getting back together. So firstly, My Chemical Romance – I was devastated! Then, there was this band called Beecher. They were a metalcore band from the UK, and broke up in 2006, which is a really long time ago! They were such a criminally underrated band – all the good bits of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Every Time I Die. They had the potential to be absolutely massive, but never got there, unfortunately.”
We’re going to have to correct you there – 2006 was only a few years back, and not, as a flier we still have for a long-gone under-18s night suggests, nearly 20 years ago.
“Ah, do they still do those?! We had this under-18s club night once a month at the Underworld in Camden. We went every single month, and would see all the UK metal bands that were coming up – The Eyes Of A Traitor, Azriel, Your Demise… all these 2000s bands! It was really amazing – a real community. Without nights like that, I probably wouldn’t be here! I wonder if nights like that still exist for kids, or if they just worry they’ll all be bussing ketamine in the toilet.”
Ah, the decline of youth culture…
“Do they even know about [drinking games] Edward Ciderhands? Amy Winehands? There are some things AI and TikTok can’t replace, and that is drinking two two-litre bottles of Frosty Jack’s and pissing yourself in a field. I think it’s responsible for why I am the way I am!”
You’ve got one more song coming before the band officially call it quits. What can you tell us about it?
“If you tried to encapsulate all of the music Ithaca have written over the years, all of the emotions and sentiments into one song… it’d be this. I can’t listen to it without crying!”
Your Instagram is full of fun snaps from tours. What’s your favourite tour memory?
“Sam [Chetan-Welsh, guitars] will hate me for this, but there’s one we called ‘pizzagate’, before pizzagate became associated with something else! We were staying at someone’s house up North while on tour, and had a pizza the night before. We loaded the van up and Sam put what was left on top of the roof and forgot. He drove away, realised, then tried to reverse and went straight into a tree, totalling our car, and we had to cancel the remaining shows.”
What song do you hope people remember Ithaca for?
“They Fear Us. It’s so difficult to pick one, but it’s the one most people hear first, and was the song that kicked things off on that album cycle. Or if you’ve been following us for a long time, you’ll always remember us for the one time we did a very, very bad Hatebreed cover on one tour. If you were there, you’re very special.”
Ithaca play ArcTanGent in August. The new issue of Metal Hammer is on-sale now, featuring Spiritbox on the cover. Order it online and have it delivered straight to your door
