Metal Blessing Radio
2009 Band of the Month Archives
December 2009
October 2009 - Rackets & Drapes
This month we are bringing you a double dose of music! There will be two featured bands for December to make up for the lack of one in November. First off we have Ancient Plague, an ambient black metal project who's debut is scheduled for an early 2010 release on Sullen Records. If your a fan of the ambient style then this is definitely a band to watch.
The 2nd band interviewed is the new black metal band War Frozen, so be sure to keep reading after the Ancient Plague interview.
Below is my interview with Ancient Plague
You can check them out at www.myspace.com/bandancientplague
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MBR: Hey, how are things this time of year for you guys? Any special plans for this Christmas?
Gedaliah: Christmas for me is pretty much the same each year, spend it with my entire family, which is easy cause there's only 11 of us! haha
Alexis: I have been very busy this year with university and stuff but thanks to God I’m almost done. For this Christmas I just plan to do the usual thing and spend some time with my family.
MBR: First off, tell us a bit about Ancient Plague for those who may not be familiar with your music.
Gedaliah: For me Ancient Plague was an idea that i started which didn't really fulfill what i wanted in a project, i was inspired by Azazel from bands such as Dusk, Absum, Funeral Silence. I worked with him a lot in Holy Night and i really loved what he was doing musically, and i wanted to do something like that, unfortunately my attempt wasn't as good! haha. Im a drummer, and a vocalist, not really much you can do when you want to create a dark ambient project! haha. But i gave it ago and it sort of went from there. I left it alone for a long while because i was busy with Holy Night projects, but then i heard some songs Alexis had done, and he was creating what i wanted to be doing! so i begged him to join me and he did and now we make sweet music together! hahah
MBR: I understand you are currently hard at work on your debut album. How is the progress coming along?
Alexis: It’s coming along pretty well. We have some crazy ideas we plan to include on future songs.
Gedaliah: Yes we do as much as we can with our time. I let Alexis do all the work of course! haha but seriously i am pretty excited on how everything is turning out!
MBR: Now Gedaliah, being a graphic artist yourself do you feel you have a greater freedom and flexibility on your album artwork? I imagine it probably makes that stage of your album flow smoother. As opposed to letting someone else interpret your idea for a design.
Gedaliah: Oh yes very! to be honest being the way i am with designing it has got me in a lot of trouble in my old band! im very very very picky with artwork, and in my mind, im always right! but im getting better with that problem, cause Alexis likes what i do, so im happy! haha.
MBR: When did Alexis become part of Ancient Plague, and what role does he play in the band?
Gedaliah: Alexis joined this summer 2009. And he plays all Keys in the band .
MBR: Upon his joining Ancient Plague did Alexis bring anything unique and new to the band, as opposed to it previously being a one-man project?
Gedaliah: Well the reason why i wanted Alexis to join was because of his talent in Keys playing, the thing i totally lacked originally, so he brought exactly what Ancient Plague was suppose to have in the beginning, an amazing keys section.
MBR: Since Ancient Plagues conception how has the music evolved? Have there been any major changes?
Alexis: Judging from the demo and from what we are doing now, there’s definitely an evolution on the sound without leaving the ambient thing forgotten.
Gedaliah: Yeah just to repeat on what Alexis has said, now we were are able to incorporate more unique styles which before i couldn't alone.
MBR: What is the title of your upcoming release? And how many tracks are going to be included on the album?
Gedaliah: Ohh thats a tough question really, we haven't fully decided on the name yet, but the way the album is shaping out, something to do with Ancient Cultures, but i won't say anymore, not to throw away the surprise haha. And the number of tracks, we are planning on around 10-11, maybe more, we are just seeing how everything pans out, picking the best of the bunch.
MBR: You are also involved in a grindcore project called “Infectious Apostasy,” is there a release being planned for that band as well?
Gedaliah: Yeah i hope so in the future, but we have had to put Infectious on hold for now due to personal reasons.
MBR: Alexis, do you play in any other bands or musical projects?
Alexis: Not at the moment. But I’m dying to form a Gothic Metal band in the vein of (old) Tristania, Virgin Black and Trail Of Tears.
MBR: As far as your work in Ancient Plague goes, where do you both draw your musical influences from?
Gedaliah: I would say my main influences have changed over time, in the beginning of Ancient Plague, my main influences were. Dusk, Absum, Suspiria Profundis, which was my inspiration really. But when Alexis joined i opened up to other styles such as: Admonish, Dimmu Borgir, Ecthirion, Phanerosis, Xasthur, Turisas, Kult ov Azazel. Mainly more guitar driven artists, but not for the guitar parts but for the vocal styles. My main influence for vocals has to be Admonish, i just love that rawness. I obviously don't sing like that! but it has been a big influence for me.
Alexis: For this project my influences come from Gothic/Doom bands like Draconian, Virgin Black. DSBM like Austere, Coldworld and some Darkwave / Neoclassical bands like Ophelia’s Dream and Dark Sanctuary as well as classical music like Chopin and Satie.
MBR: Where did the idea for Ancient Plague come from? Also what is the meaning behind your name? If I were to take a wild guess I would say “Ancient Plague” represents sin, and how it is a plague in our lives that has existed since the Garden of Eden, making it “Ancient”.
Gedaliah: Well you have pretty much nailed it on the head there! another meaning for me is the "black death" plague that circled the globe really, the wiped out 30-60% of europe in the 14th century. We are very very lucky not to have lived through that! haha
MBR: Typically, how involved is the song-writing process for you? And how do you normally get started with writing? Do you write the music together, or do you each write separately and collaborate your ideas later?
Alexis: I usually start with the idea of a song, then I send it to Gedaliah and he adds other effects, lyrics and the drums. Then he send it back to me and we discuss what we like, what we could add, etc.
MBR: When should we expect your album to be available to order?
Alexis: Hopefully next year.
MBR: Is there anything else either of you would like to say to those reading this interview?
Gedaliah: Just to say thank you for the interview! and we pray that you will be blessed in God!
Alexis: Thanks for the interview. And remember that all things are possible through God.
MBR: Thank you very much for your time and I will be looking forward to the debut album.
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Some of you may have had the fortune of already discovering this new and promising solo-black metal project, but up until now very little information was know about War Frozen. The only member, known as "CHRISTHAMMER" pretty much blasted his way into everyone's speakers when he launched the War Frozen myspace page with the mind-blowing song "Ashes of Burning Human Souls".
Below is my interview with CHRISTHAMMER of War Frozen.
You can check them out at www.myspace.com/warfrozen
MBR: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, any big plans this year for Christmas?
WF: Hey MBR, thanks for asking me to be a part of this. No big plans for me this year, just hanging out with friends and family.
MBR: War Frozen seems to have generated quite a buzz among Christian metal fans. How do you feel about the positive response to your music? Was it expected?
WF: I am pretty happy with the response I have had, I know my exposure has been very limited, I have not been promoting or anything like that, but, the song I have posted on the internet has been received very well. I was expecting it to be a breath of fresh air, I know WAR FROZEN is not the "melodic/triumphant" style that is very typical of Christian black metal. I feel the style I play is something that is lacking in the Christian scene, and I feel people want to hear it.
MBR: Bands come to me by the truckload on the Metal Blessing Radio Myspace page, but I was absolutely amazed when I heard your music. Two things in particular surprised me, firstly you are a solo-project and do everything yourself which you have done very well. Secondly your first and only song at the time was very well put together. Have you played in any previous bands?
WF: Thanks, I appreciate it! I chose to do it by myself for time issues. I have a very serious band that I play in, it takes up most of my personal time, and it is a lot easier for me to do it this way. The song I have recorded was written, arranged, recorded and mixed in about 8 hours. I had the guitar riffs, but not in order. I had never attempted to play the song on drums, as it is pretty hard to do when you don't have any band members to jam with. My friend recorded it, at my jam spot, I arranged the guitar riffs during the 10 min drive. When I recorded the drum tracks, I hummed the guitar in my head, I did the drums tracks on the first take, then I recorded 2 guitar tracks, a bass track, and wrote the lyrics during the level adjustments after all the instruments were recorded. I wish I had more time to put into the song, but the time to record was available.
MBR: How many songs have been written so far? Any idea when we will have an album release?
WF: "Ashes of Burning Human Souls" is the only song that is complete. As I said earlier, I have a very serious band who is trying to finish writing our second album so we can tour on it this summer. After the writing/recording process is complete for my other band, I will be able to focus on WAR FROZEN. I am hoping to have an album out by the end of next year.
MBR: Now the name “War Frozen,” does it have any Christian or Biblical meaning? Why did you choose that name?
WF: Sadly, no, WAR FROZEN has no special meaning. I was planning on changing it, but after thinking about possible new names, I decided to just stick with it. I could not think of a name with a meaning that I would feel happy with.
MBR: What bands do you draw musical influences from? Also what albums frequent your cd player in your spare time?
WF: I have always preferred Christian black metal over secular black metal, death metal on the other hand is quite the opposite. For WAR FROZEN, my musical influence are DARK FUNERAL and BELPHEGOR. Again, as i said earlier, I feel this style of black metal is lacking in the Christian metal scene, and this is one of the reasons I fell out of the scene years back, the lack of music that appealed to me. I love Antestor, Vardoger, Vaakevandring etc... but I always wanted to hear the fast, grim dark sounding style, and I couldn't find it. As far as my favorite music goes, it would have to be Extreme Death Metal. Bands like, Disgorge, Defeated Sanity, Severe Torture, Inveracity, Deeds Of Flesh etc. On the less brutal side of metal, I am always listening to Rhapsody and Luca Turilli.
MBR: If you were only allowed to own one album what would that be? What is your absolute favorite CD?
WF: As of right now, Defeated Sanity "Psalms of the Moribund" is my favorite album to listen to.
MBR: Lyrically, what sort of topics or themes do you like to cover in your songs?
WF: I am planning on having lyrics for the purpose of encouraging other Christians.
I am basically going to cover all the issues that I wanted to see in Christian black metal, the things that I felt I didn't get from bands when I was 100% in the scene.
MBR: As I said previously I was blown away by your first song, because generally a band’s first song doesn’t show off their full potential and isn’t always that spectacular, but this was not the case with War Frozen. How long does it usually take you to write a single song, and about how much time was put into the song “Ashes of Burning Human Souls”?
WF: My next song I record will have a very good amount of time and thought put into it. If you like the song I have now, which was EXTREMELY rushed, then you will be stoked on the future music from WAR FROZEN.
MBR: Are you currently looking for a record label or do you plan on staying independent?
WF: I have been talking with a few labels, I think I have something pretty solid going with one. The label will be announcing the signing when it happens, until then, I guess it's supposed to remain a secret, THOUGH.... I will be releasing a 3 song promo through "Unblack Metal Scene" who is releasing a compilation "Demolishing Diabolical Strongholds". This compilation features WAR FROZEN's "Ashes of Burning Human Souls".
MBR: Do you have a favorite scripture or passage you would like to share with us?
WF: Anything that encourages me to stand up for what is right and defend what is still good in this world.
Joshua 10:25
"Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight."
Isaiah 41:10
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
MBR: Do you have anything you like to do in your spare time when your not writing music?
WF: Friends, Video Games, Movies, Camping.
MBR: Do you have anything you would like to add to the interview?
WF: WAR FROZEN FULL LENGTH AT THE END OF 2010!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!!
MBR: Thanks for doing this interview, I hope the recording process goes smooth and I’ll be watching for a release.
WF: Thanks again man!!! God Bless!!
-CHRISTHAMMER
October 2009 - Rackets & Drapes
This month I am bringing you something special in time for Halloween. Many of you remember at the turn of the millennium when Rackets & Drapes started to surface and gained popularity with their Gothic metal infused brand of shock-rock. After a number of stellar releases the band unfortunately stopped recording music. I have had the pleasure of interviewing Kandy Kane this month, and hopefully we can not only learn some things about the band, but also learn about Kandy’s latest projects and what the future may hold. So essentially you will find out, “What is Rackets & Drapes doing now?”
Also don't miss this month's podcast, it will include songs from various Rackets & Drapes albums as well as an audio interview which was recorded back in 1999 on their now rare "The Sick and the Beautiful" EP
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MBR: Its great to have this opportunity to interview you, I’ve been looking forward to this interview. How is everything going for you in Denver?
KK: Things are great and very, very busy. Life is great and it’s my favorite time of year here. Fall is just absolutely gorgeous in Colorado.
MBR: Now there are a lot of things I want to ask you about in this interview. I’ll be asking questions about the band, as well as about what you are doing now, but lets start at the beginning. I have read elsewhere that the band was originally called Human Soup, is this true? Also how different was the music compared to the sound we are used to in Rackets & Drapes?
KK: You are well informed. We were originally Human Soup (which is a description of people in a mosh pit) but there were already about 50 bands called that, so we switch in January 1995. It was the same style, not as dark, but had the same principals. With the name change we added more synths and that’s what really gave us our sound for the future.
MBR: I have heard multiple explanations for the meaning behind the name “Rackets & Drapes” but have never seen an official statement. One of the more popular ones I have seen is that it means you make a “Racket” about topics that were usually “Draped” (or covered up, etc). I have also heard that a “Racket” is a group of people and that in short it means “A group of people covered by Jesus”.
KK: That’s one thing about R&D. Everything from our name to our songs had different meanings to different people. I always thought that was pretty cool. For me, it was making noise about things that are brushed under the covers. Subject matter we just don’t want to address or talk about.
MBR: Looking back it seems you guys had a pretty awesome ministry going on with Rackets & Drapes. Did you have a good response at concerts? And did you incorporate any form of theatrics such as those used by Saviour Machine?
KK: We got to experience the worst and the best. From protests to people changing their lives. It’s really an interesting road we were on. Our theatrics were much different than Saviour Machine’s. Some similarities, but presented different. I guess we both just want to put on a great show and have everyone walk away with a feeling that it was worth the money.
MBR: It’s no secret that your music was met with controversy so I don’t want to spend a great deal of time talking about that, because I’m sure that’s old news to you. I never really understood the problem with face paint anyway. Clowns look a lot scarier than any black-metaler out there in my opinion. Did all the Marilyn Manson comparisons drive you crazy? How did you handle it when someone tried to accuse you of copying? Sometimes I think I was the only one who never could tell the similarity in the music.
KK: Honestly, I knew it was coming once Manson hit the scene. Mind you, we were doing the shock image at the time MM and the Spooky Kids were around. In a way it’s a love/hate thing. There always seem to be a “christian” version of something out there. I don’t care for that one bit. It’s like saying christian music to secular is like morphine to heroin. I think most people changed their opinion once they saw us live or really listen to us. I received a lot of email of people who changed their minds once they gave us a legitimate listen. My scream is much different than his, and our riffs were more about moshing than heavy. You have to remember, we had been around for 3 years before we were even discovered by the christian market. And when we did hit, it was right in the middle of the ska/punk wave. Goths didn’t like us, too heavy. Punks didn’t like us, too metal. Metal heads didn’t like us, too much keyboard. We were really stuck in no man’s land when it came to fitting in a scene. Try being us and playing between ska bands at a festival. Not pretty.
MBR: Recently I was lucky enough to find a copy of your “The Sick and the Beautiful” EP along with a Therapy Patient ID Card. After reading the card I have to say that was a great way to connect with the fans. How did you come up with the idea to include the ID cards?
KK: It was a newer card that more people could get. People who pre-ordered Candyland got the first card. There was only 300 of those made and it was before we went with MCM. Our old manager had the idea and we all thought it was a pretty good one.
MBR: On “The Sick and the Beautiful” the EP closes with “Storytime with Rackets and Drapes”. This is an interesting interview as it doesn’t really reveal much about the band, but seems to be just a bit of random fun (nothing wrong with that). Did you record this specifically for the EP?
KK: Yes, and we had no idea what was going to be asked. It was all on the spot and we kept recording no matter what happened. Listen closely and you can hear us trying not to loose it the whole time. It was really a lot of fun. I might do it again.
MBR: What are the other band members doing now? And are any of them in other bands?
KK: I haven’t the slightest idea. LOL. As far as I know, only Larvae has continued music but that’s all I have heard.
MBR: Now I’m sure everyone is wondering about this new song on your myspace page “DOA Only the Lonely”. Has this new project temporarily been put on hold or will there possibly be more music in the future?
KK: That is something I just decided to throw together a while ago thinking this might be the sound we were going to go with. But that was over a year ago and that sound is definitely not what I want now. Everyone knows that R&D albums change, and this time around it will be different again. I am in the works with possible musicians to do something soon. I’m not rushing anything, but it is in the works.
MBR: I notice there are some songs on your myspace page that don’t seem to have been released. These songs include “Murder Me” and an alternate version of “Rotten Apples”. Were these unreleased tracks or were they included on a foreign release or something?
KK: There were 3 songs that were pulled. Murder Me, Suicide Machine, and Kill Your Self. At the time, the Columbine incident was still on minds of many, so it was thought a good idea to not push the issue. With us being labeled “goth” and with titles like that, it was going to cause too much of an uproar, so we decided to hold them from albums and just do them live.
MBR: Now from looking at your myspace page it looks like you are working on some 3D animation. When did you become interested in 3D animation?
KK: Many years ago actually. I really love comics but can’t draw a stick person. So I got this program to do comics and it’s evolved into animating.
MBR: It appears you are working on two mini-series at the moment. “Candyland” and “Aladdin”. Do either of these have any Christian meaning or symbolism, or are you just trying to get your name out there in the animation industry?
KK: No allegorical meanings there, although Candyland does have twists in it. The Alladin thing is just something I am toying with, but then again it’s all about time. Doing full animated films take time and that’s something I don’t really have a lot of. If anything, in the near future I will either do 3D animated comics or mini-sodes on you tube. It would be nice to be noticed and get a chance to work with a large company but I’m not counting on it right now. Only time will tell on that.
MBR: Tell us a bit about the Candyland and Aladdin mini-series’ you are working on.
KK: Candyland is about the return of me. Years ago the message board on our website was called the Asylum. Crazy things went on there and really make a great story. I don’t want to say too much and give it away. You will just have to stay tuned for it. I have a comic done right now, but am trying to make it an animated mini-series. So much more can be done movie style versus comics. Again, it’s about time. Alladin is a remake of the Disney story, only with my vision to it. Lago and Abu are people and Abu is mute. I plan on redoing 3 Disney stories. Alladin, Peter Pan, and Sleeping Beauty. Hopefully it might get my name out there, if not, I will just put it out myself for now.
MBR: Do you have plans on trying to develop video games, or are you sticking with movie-style animation?
KK: I’m not much of a gamer, although I really like the Assassin’s Creed style game. If I had a chance to get into it I think I could do it well. My animation is much like a video game style, but that’s all you can do without spending millions on programs and computers. What I use is perfect and can put out quality things in HD, but that’s as big as I can do right now.
MBR: Do you have a tentative release date for any of your projects?
KK: Starting in 2010, it will be one after another. I will be spending the rest of this year getting it done, promotion, and working on the album. I will have all the info on the myspace page. I’m still casting characters for Alladin and doing voice acting tryouts. Anyone interested can send me a message on Myspace and I will get back to you.
MBR: Well Thank you for doing this interview, its been a pleasure. Is there anything else you would like to say to anyone who reads this?
KK: I’m am very blessed to have had the support over the years from the greatest fans a band could have. The Therapy Patients are what fueled it, so I think it’s time for something new for them. Shock on and thank you for your time and interest too.
September 2009 - Seventh Reign
This month at Metal Blessing Radio we bring you Seventh Reign, a power metal band hailing from Canada. Below you can read my interview with them.
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MBR: Hello, how are things in Canada? If you don’t mind, would you introduce the band members?
Seventh Reign: Things are fantastic here in the Great White North. The band is from the province of Ontario and we all in different areas but are within 3 hours of one another.
Our line up is:
Marios Panayiotis- Guitars
Adrian Robichaud- Bass
Jared Tomlinson-Keyboards
Johnny Roberts- Drums
And myself Brian Soulard- Vocals
MBR: I am surprised I had not known of you guys previously before receiving your material, how long have you been writing music as Seventh Reign?
Seventh Reign: Marios and I established the band in January of 2005. He had tons of material written from the past. We incorporated some of that material into songs for the 1st and 2nd album but there were also many brand new songs created specifically for 7th Reign. Our debut self titled album was released in April of 2007
MBR: I have not had a chance to hear your previous release, but I was impressed by “Fallen Empires”. Has the album release been met with as much success as you hoped?
Seventh Reign: The feedback for the material has been excellent. Of course being independent means that the music is not reaching as many people as you would like. But, this album has definitely been a stepping stone towards possibly having the band signed and seeing the music distributed properly. We feel that the music is very strong and the overall album can compete with anything that is currently out and signed to major labels.
MBR: You know, its easy to think to yourself, “if you’ve heard one power metal band…you’ve heard them all.” I had felt this way before listening to “Fallen Empires”, but I was proven wrong. In your opinion, what do you feel sets your music apart from other bands in this genre?
Seventh Reign: Well, good question! We really don’t consider ourselves as being restricted to power metal only. We are just trying to create passionate music through the forum that we Seventh Reign: know best, which is Heavy Metal. There are so many classifications under that umbrella and we don’t feel like we need to be stifled by one or the other. The music is varied as is our musical influences. Every musician tries their best to be original and unique but that is becoming harder and harder to do. I feel we are lucky to have a writer like Marios who to me writes very original material that sounds fresh with every new song.
MBR: You closed your new album with two nice epic songs; Deliverance, and Requiem for the Dead. Out of curiosity though why did you choose to have a child speak the spoken portion in Requiem for the Dead? No complaints here, I thought it was a different, but nice touch.
Seventh Reign: I am sure you know that the child speaking in Requiem is my daughter! This was Marios’ idea all the way. This particular song holds a strong amount of emotion for him and he was able to write the beautifully poetic speech. My daughter has that naturally sympathetic voice that just fits perfectly over the music. She did a great job…one take for those lines by the way!!
MBR: I have to say my two favorite songs on your new album are Unbeliever, and 7th Reign. I hear this was the 2nd time the 7th Reign song has been recorded. Why did you choose to re-record it, and were you pleased with the result? I have not heard your original version.
Seventh Reign: Haha, oh boy, 7th Reign, yes we have actually recorded that tune and mixed it etc numerous times. This was actually the very first 7th Reign song that was every written and worked on between Marios and myself. It helped us to establish an identity for the band. At the time though our recording and post production capabilities were just not at a high enough quality to properly release this song. Holding back on releasing this song on our 1st album was very difficult. We knew it would be well received and would help us obtain our goals. But, even though we knew people outside of the band would enjoy the song, we were not totally satisfied and that is what really matters. We need to be happy.
In the end we finally did the song justice and gave it the production value it deserved. In the future this will be a good reference point for us to work with as we write and record new material.
MBR: Do you guys do a lot of touring in Canada? Is there a usually a pretty good response from the audience?
Seventh Reign: No touring happening at the moment. However, when we have played the material live it is always met with a great reception. Our music resonates strongly live even to people who have never heard us before. As a band we have some unique individuals who make a live performance exciting and fresh to watch.
MBR: How is the metal scene in Canada? I don’t know of many Canadian metal bands in the Christian scene. The only band that comes to mind is Sympathy.
Seventh Reign: The Metal scene is probably the same as always, it is small but mighty. We put out some great bands up here. I am really not familiar with any “Christian” bands as a classification. We really don’t classify ourselves that way. We are just trying to write music that we believe in and write lyrics that inspire and send a positive message.
MBR: Where do you draw influences from and what bands inspire you to play music?
Seventh Reign: We like to say that our musical foundation is built on the roots of Metal, the godfather’s of the genre that created something unique; Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Black Sabbath etc. We are also very influenced by the European scene with bands like Startovarius and Nightwish at the top. There are so many artists and bands that can have a positive effect on you from around the world and from time past. We are all heavily influenced by classical and myself theatrical music too…….the list goes on and on.
MBR: Have you already started writing material for your 3rd album?
Seventh Reign: Marios has enough cool ideas floating around for 10 more albums!! Seriously though, Marios has been slowly constructing material and as well Jared has some created pieces that I am sure will find their way to the album as well. I have been writing lyrics and themes a bit as well. It will probably start taking some shape during the late fall.
MBR: Is there anything you can tell us about the next album yet? Do you have any surprises in store for us?
Seventh Reign: We will be keeping close the same format that we have established with epic like tunes and meaning to the lyrics. All I can say about the theme is that the “Gate is Narrow”.
MBR: I enjoyed the vocal layering near the end of Unbeliever, will we be hearing anymore of that in the future?
Seventh Reign: Thanks and yes I believe we will do some more experimenting with harmonies in the future. I actually love layered thick vocals but as it turns out the melodies are strong enough to stand on their own and we end up scraping ideas or tracks and just have me as the one voice narrator! Some of my favourite vocalist of all time are presented in a similar way.
MBR: Do you have any plans on touring outside of Canada anytime soon?
Seventh Reign: Not really at this point. Obviously that would be great as I believe there are many markets that would love to hear this band. But without some proper support we really couldn’t tour. There will likely be opportunities for playing smaller festivals and such though in the future.
MBR: Do you have a favorite Bible verse or passage you would like to share with everyone?
Seventh Reign: As was hinted upon earlier, right now there is focus on the gate and what we need to ensure we are on the right path.
MBR: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, is there anything else you would like add for any of the readers?
Seventh Reign: Nothing really to add, good thought provoking questions and we really appreciate the opportunity to showcase our music with this great station.
Take care and God Bless,
Brian
Seventh Reign: Things are fantastic here in the Great White North. The band is from the province of Ontario and we all in different areas but are within 3 hours of one another.
Our line up is:
Marios Panayiotis- Guitars
Adrian Robichaud- Bass
Jared Tomlinson-Keyboards
Johnny Roberts- Drums
And myself Brian Soulard- Vocals
MBR: I am surprised I had not known of you guys previously before receiving your material, how long have you been writing music as Seventh Reign?
Seventh Reign: Marios and I established the band in January of 2005. He had tons of material written from the past. We incorporated some of that material into songs for the 1st and 2nd album but there were also many brand new songs created specifically for 7th Reign. Our debut self titled album was released in April of 2007
MBR: I have not had a chance to hear your previous release, but I was impressed by “Fallen Empires”. Has the album release been met with as much success as you hoped?
Seventh Reign: The feedback for the material has been excellent. Of course being independent means that the music is not reaching as many people as you would like. But, this album has definitely been a stepping stone towards possibly having the band signed and seeing the music distributed properly. We feel that the music is very strong and the overall album can compete with anything that is currently out and signed to major labels.
MBR: You know, its easy to think to yourself, “if you’ve heard one power metal band…you’ve heard them all.” I had felt this way before listening to “Fallen Empires”, but I was proven wrong. In your opinion, what do you feel sets your music apart from other bands in this genre?
Seventh Reign: Well, good question! We really don’t consider ourselves as being restricted to power metal only. We are just trying to create passionate music through the forum that we Seventh Reign: know best, which is Heavy Metal. There are so many classifications under that umbrella and we don’t feel like we need to be stifled by one or the other. The music is varied as is our musical influences. Every musician tries their best to be original and unique but that is becoming harder and harder to do. I feel we are lucky to have a writer like Marios who to me writes very original material that sounds fresh with every new song.
MBR: You closed your new album with two nice epic songs; Deliverance, and Requiem for the Dead. Out of curiosity though why did you choose to have a child speak the spoken portion in Requiem for the Dead? No complaints here, I thought it was a different, but nice touch.
Seventh Reign: I am sure you know that the child speaking in Requiem is my daughter! This was Marios’ idea all the way. This particular song holds a strong amount of emotion for him and he was able to write the beautifully poetic speech. My daughter has that naturally sympathetic voice that just fits perfectly over the music. She did a great job…one take for those lines by the way!!
MBR: I have to say my two favorite songs on your new album are Unbeliever, and 7th Reign. I hear this was the 2nd time the 7th Reign song has been recorded. Why did you choose to re-record it, and were you pleased with the result? I have not heard your original version.
Seventh Reign: Haha, oh boy, 7th Reign, yes we have actually recorded that tune and mixed it etc numerous times. This was actually the very first 7th Reign song that was every written and worked on between Marios and myself. It helped us to establish an identity for the band. At the time though our recording and post production capabilities were just not at a high enough quality to properly release this song. Holding back on releasing this song on our 1st album was very difficult. We knew it would be well received and would help us obtain our goals. But, even though we knew people outside of the band would enjoy the song, we were not totally satisfied and that is what really matters. We need to be happy.
In the end we finally did the song justice and gave it the production value it deserved. In the future this will be a good reference point for us to work with as we write and record new material.
MBR: Do you guys do a lot of touring in Canada? Is there a usually a pretty good response from the audience?
Seventh Reign: No touring happening at the moment. However, when we have played the material live it is always met with a great reception. Our music resonates strongly live even to people who have never heard us before. As a band we have some unique individuals who make a live performance exciting and fresh to watch.
MBR: How is the metal scene in Canada? I don’t know of many Canadian metal bands in the Christian scene. The only band that comes to mind is Sympathy.
Seventh Reign: The Metal scene is probably the same as always, it is small but mighty. We put out some great bands up here. I am really not familiar with any “Christian” bands as a classification. We really don’t classify ourselves that way. We are just trying to write music that we believe in and write lyrics that inspire and send a positive message.
MBR: Where do you draw influences from and what bands inspire you to play music?
Seventh Reign: We like to say that our musical foundation is built on the roots of Metal, the godfather’s of the genre that created something unique; Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Black Sabbath etc. We are also very influenced by the European scene with bands like Startovarius and Nightwish at the top. There are so many artists and bands that can have a positive effect on you from around the world and from time past. We are all heavily influenced by classical and myself theatrical music too…….the list goes on and on.
MBR: Have you already started writing material for your 3rd album?
Seventh Reign: Marios has enough cool ideas floating around for 10 more albums!! Seriously though, Marios has been slowly constructing material and as well Jared has some created pieces that I am sure will find their way to the album as well. I have been writing lyrics and themes a bit as well. It will probably start taking some shape during the late fall.
MBR: Is there anything you can tell us about the next album yet? Do you have any surprises in store for us?
Seventh Reign: We will be keeping close the same format that we have established with epic like tunes and meaning to the lyrics. All I can say about the theme is that the “Gate is Narrow”.
MBR: I enjoyed the vocal layering near the end of Unbeliever, will we be hearing anymore of that in the future?
Seventh Reign: Thanks and yes I believe we will do some more experimenting with harmonies in the future. I actually love layered thick vocals but as it turns out the melodies are strong enough to stand on their own and we end up scraping ideas or tracks and just have me as the one voice narrator! Some of my favourite vocalist of all time are presented in a similar way.
MBR: Do you have any plans on touring outside of Canada anytime soon?
Seventh Reign: Not really at this point. Obviously that would be great as I believe there are many markets that would love to hear this band. But without some proper support we really couldn’t tour. There will likely be opportunities for playing smaller festivals and such though in the future.
MBR: Do you have a favorite Bible verse or passage you would like to share with everyone?
Seventh Reign: As was hinted upon earlier, right now there is focus on the gate and what we need to ensure we are on the right path.
MBR: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, is there anything else you would like add for any of the readers?
Seventh Reign: Nothing really to add, good thought provoking questions and we really appreciate the opportunity to showcase our music with this great station.
Take care and God Bless,
Brian
August 2009 - Dbeality
This month at Metal Blessing Radio I had the pleasure of interviewing none other than David Benson of Dbeality. I was able to ask David many interesting questions not only about his music, but also about himself. David Benson is currently working on finishing his new upcoming live Dbeality album, so be sure to keep up and don’t miss its release!
David Benson is known for his signature vocal style which is often compared to that of Ozzy Osbourne. Do not be fooled by the comparisons though! David is not a carbon-copy; his vocals although similar to Ozzy’s still retain their own style and unique sound.
What are you waiting for? Read the interview and find out more about David Benson!
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MBR: Hi David, It’s quite an honor to have the chance to interview you. How is South Carolina this time of year?
David: It is very warm and humid as you expect South Carolina to be, I love the Summer.
MBR: My fiancé grew up in Lancaster, and she has told me many good things about the area. Do the Carolinas have a strong metal scene?
David: Yes there is a small scene, but the artist such as secular Band Nile and myself and Rob Cassels. Thing are pretty good.
MBR: When did you become interested in recording music?
David: Its just something that has always been inside of me since I was a kid, It is my destiny and calling, To serve my Savior through music, dispelling the lie of the evil one, and his deceptions.
MBR: You previously recorded albums under the name “David Benson,” but your new material is being recorded under the name “Dbeality.” What was the reason for the name change? Or are they both considered to be separate projects?
David: The vision for Dbeality was to be a band moniker, but evolved into being just another David Benson release. David Benson and Dbeality are one in the same, hence David Benson's Dbeality!
MBR: Has the Dbeality album been received pretty well?
David: It has been well received, it is not that far off from my other albums, I have released, still just good Doom Oriented Hard Rock.
MBR: Is there a meaning behind the name “Dbeality”? If I had to make a wild guess I would say maybe it means that you deliver a message of reality through sound (decibels), but I could be completely wrong.
David: You are exactly right in your assumption, it is my initials added to reality, but the db in dbeality is also not only my initials but decibel . That was the idea when me and Robert (Sweet) were brainstorming while recording this album.
MBR: It’s no secret that your vocals are often reminiscent of Ozzy Osbourne. But do you welcome these comparisons, or does it have a tendency to get a bit irritating?
David: No, I take it as a compliment, I think it a blessing, not irritating at all!
MBR: Have you ever considered covering any Ozzy or Black Sabbath songs? “After Forever” is commonly viewed as a very Christian influenced song.
David: The thought has crossed my mind a time or two...But we will see.............
MBR: Who are some of the more influential artists in your music? And also what are some of your favorite things to listen to?
David: Of course there is the obvious Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Uriah Heap, Stryper, Rob Cassels, Mylon Lefevre. And alot of cool 70's and 80's bands.
MBR: I have really enjoyed listening to your Dbeality album. I notice that Robert Sweet is credited as contributing to the drums. How did you become acquainted with him?
David: Thanks very much Bro, for your support and compliment. I got hooked up with Robert, through a mutual friend in Nashville.
MBR: Just out of curiosity, what made you decide to write the song “C.o.S.”? Did you have any past experience with Leveyan Satanism before becoming a Christian? If so, how did God bring you out of it?
David: No, I actually grew up in Church. As I said in the beginning of interview, I have been called to dispel the lies and myths. And hopefully challenge someone who life is driven by this belief or ideology. To hopefully show them the lie and the other side of the coin.
MBR: I understand you are working on a live album at the moment. How is that coming along, and can you give us an estimate of when it may be available?
MBR: In addition to the live album, when is the next official Dbeality release planned? And is there any information you can give us on the next album yet?
David: The new studio album will be released in 2010 sometime.
MBR: I see you recently toured in Europe, did it bring good results? Also when do you plan on doing your next U.S. tour?
David: Yes it was great, We are looking at touring in the States next Summer.
MBR: Out of all of the songs you have ever recorded which song is your personal favorite or has the most meaning to you, and why?
David: That is a tough question to answer, because each song is meaningful in and of its self. But if I had to pick one it would be "Holy Psychotherapy". I wrote this song to encourage a school friend of mine that was going through detox.
MBR: Is there any chance that we will someday see some re-releases of your earlier material?
David: Yes, you will see that very soon. The re-issue of all my older material.
MBR: I want to thank you for doing this interview, it’s been quite a privilege, and best of luck on your upcoming live album. Is there anything else you would like to add for the readers?
David: Thanks very much for all of your support of fans , Both old and New! I look forward to meeting all of you on the road.
July 2009 - Within The Torn Apart (W.T.T.A.)
Drone is a taste that must be acquired, and hopefully you will acquire a taste for WTTA!
Click Dave's picture to visit the WTTA myspace page and hear some more drones.
Dont forget to listen to this month's podcast! The Podcast of Doom!
www.metalblessingradio.podomatic.com
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MBR: Hey Dave, I hope all is well with you. Can you tell us a bit about WTTA and what you do?
WTTA: Wtta is a doom drone band I’ve been working under since 2007, it started under the name “In Emptiness” and made a 2 track demo that is no longer available, although I did include one of the demo tracks on the e.p i just put out, as for what I do I make 90% of the music, Elan makes the other 10, but this will change as soon as the second album gets started on, by then Elan will be making 30% of the music since he will be incorporating drums into the mix, I handle all bass, guitars and drones, and some vox, Elan handles drums, ambience and soundscapes, and some vox, then we have Fire whom is our session vocalist and Mikey Erasmus whom will more than likely do session vox anytime as well
MBR: Now WTTA is a Drone project, which of course is not the most widely popular genre by any means. How would describe drone to a new listener, and what tips would you give to help someone acquire a taste for this genre?
WTTA: First and foremost turn your lights out, sit back first against your sub speaker, turn the bass up full and volume up full, and drone out, thats how our music should be listened to, as for people getting into drone theres no real way to explain it, its all about the (((vibrations))))))), its all about the riff, drone is not meant to be technical or pretty, its about being taken to another realm, or as Greg Anderson puts it its like an audio massage, its about being able to feel the music, not just hear it, but this genre is very hard to accept, so the average music fan cannot nor will not feel at home here, if you have a scene mind then you definitely will hate this music, but if your an open minded and id even go as far as to say spiritual minded person then you will be able to appreciate drone.
MBR: If you will, give us a brief history of WTTA and where you are now. I understand that Sullen Records will be releasing your next full-length album; how does this make you feel?
WTTA: WTTA started out in 2007, under the name “In Emptiness” as I previously stated, after I found out a satanic band had the name first i dropped it, Mr Morder helped me come up with Within The Torn Apart, it has a double meaning, the first being the Lord living within my torn apart past, wiping it away, making me whole again, and the other meaning is a tribute to one of my all time favorite bands Napalm Death, which has ties to a couple of different drone influenced bands, including Scorn, Lull, and Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine, and of course one of the greatest doom bands of all time, Cathedral, as for Sullen releasing my debut that is sweet, and I really thank James for that, as for future releases we will see eh?
MBR: I have to be honest, I am not yet educated in the way of drone, but I am working on it. What are some of your influences, and what artists would you recommend to people who want to find a good example of what drone is all about? I’ve heard you talk about Sunn, but I still haven’t got a chance to check them out yet.
WTTA: I would say your first stop should be Earth 1 and 2, then Sunn o))), listening to Earth's first 2 albums you will hear the birth of doom drone, and listening to Sunn you will hear it perfected, these 2 bands surpass all others, well Earth did with their first 2 albums, now they play drone influenced sludge/stoner doom, if I were to recommend just 2 albums to really get someone into drone I would say Earth 1 and Sunn o))) Alter, or Black 1
MBR: As I write this interview, my dog and myself are listening to your “Drone In – Blood Out” album. If I understand correctly this album is more of timeline of WTTA, is there a change in sound or direction on the new material being released on Sullen?
WTTA: Yes it is, and yeah there is a huge difference in sound, to get the best idea listen to the first track and then the last track, and the last track is only a taste of what the new material sounds like,lol
MBR: What are a few of your favorite albums of all time? Also who are some of your personal favorite bands/artists?
WTTA:
1.Faith No More-Angel Dust
2.Sunn o)))-Alter or Black 1, and White 1, sorry, cant pick just one
3.Napalm Death-Fear Emptiness Despair
4.Earth-1
5.Saint Vitus-Born Too Late
6.Paramaecium-the first 3 albums, sorry i know i cheated,lol
7.Megadeth-Killing is my Business
8.Metallica-Master of Puppets
9.Argyle Park Misguided
10.Circle of Dust-Brainchild, and the Brainchild project as well
MBR: So how did you acquire your taste for drone and ambient? And when did you become interested in creating this type of music yourself?
WTTA: I first got into ambient by listening to some live Pink Floyd with my dad as a kid, 7 or 8 years old, as for drone I got into it in the early 90's after first hearing Earth, doom i got into in 87 when i fell in love with Saint Vitus, Born Too Late was my first favorite album, as for making ambient I’ve been making it as far back as 93, my dad has always been in bands, and always had a recording studio in our house, so I learned early since he always trusted me not to break his instruments and recording equipment, I first started making noise drone with a 4 track, a bass and guitar and a lot of effects, then I moved on to ambient a couple years later, by this time I had a live doom band which was influenced by Saint Vitus and Black Flag, so it was a fast doom,lol, I made over 30 tapes worth of material from my ambient project which was nameless back then, as soon as I can figure out how to transfer them to my computer I will be using them for a project, the material ranges in age from 93 to 2003, as for my noise drone I have 2 tapes worth of that, but I don’t know if I’ll ever release it, I love it personally and listen to it alot, this being the main reason I make my own music, really and truly its for myself, so I can listen to what I want to hear, if I make it then it will be exactly that with no filler,lol, and if people dig my music along the way then its just a blessing
MBR: I will be featuring some of your new music on the July podcast, is there anything you would like to tell people before they venture to listen to WTTA?
WTTA: Take a dump first,lol, inside drone joke, um make sure your not busy, you can’t just listen to a track for a minute or 2 and leave and come back to it, the whole point of the song will be lost, if you can’t listen to it from the first tone to the ending tone then you’re missing the point and I’d rather you not listen to it at all, this is not to be rude but I put my heart and soul into this music, and if it’s not taken seriously then i take that personally, point being drone is not just a radio friendly venture into a 3 minute track,lol most intros in drone are double that, you will rarely hear a track under 7 minutes in drone, most go over 10 though
MBR: What kind of things do you like to do in your spare time? Do you have any hobbies?
WTTA: Music is what i do 75% of the time, when im not working on music i am a pro wrestling fanatic, basball fanatic, i try and catch as many drillers games as possible, and im a video game fanatic, and my 3 kids, they are a part of everything I do, they are my life, and then there's my time with God, one hour a day reading my bible and learning the word of god and 4 hours on Sunday since i don’t go to church, and 15 minutes at night praying to our God for peace in my life
MBR: How does the song-writing process normally go for you, and how do you usually go about creating some of the unique soundscapes that we hear within the music of WTTA?
WTTA: Well thats a hard one to answer, usually I will spend a couple weeks making the very base of the tracks, which starts with alot of ambience which is usually lost during the completion of the song, but it fills in all the cracks along the way, then I lay down the bass lines, and then the guitar tracks, then mold all of that together, then lay down the vox, and then throw some effects over the mix and then master it, usually a typical song can take anywhere from a week to a month to create, but sometimes alot longer,lol it took me the better part of a year to get the sound to where it is now, but i also have to factor in my kids being here, and alot of other things that effect the recording process
MBR: And as far as lyrics and subject matter are concerned, where do you draw most of your lyrical influence from?
WTTA: The bible and my personal life, the second album will be alot more biblical themed, but the debut deals alot with my divorce and my depression, and God’s eternal love, and how he fixes everything
MBR: Has the drone scene responded well to your music?
WTTA: Very well, the secular scene knowing it’s a Christian project has embraced it as well as the Christian scene, WTTA is doing very well, God has blessed me
MBR: What does the future hold for Within The Torn Apart?
WTTA: Not sure, I know the second album will be started on in December but from there only God knows
MBR: Thank you for doing this interview, is there anything else you would like to say to any one who is reading?
WTTA: Thank you eternally for listening to WTTA, God bless you
June 2009 - Dysfunctional Rotout
Dysfunctional Rotout is a raw death metal band from Tennessee. These two brothers play a unique brand of death metal, and I had the pleasure to interview the band recently. Dont forget to listen to the podcast which features their entire demo as well as some extra tracks from the upcoming full length.
Visit Dysfunctional Rotout on myspace!
MBR: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, if you would, please introduce yourselves for the readers.
DR: Hello everyone, we are Dysfunctional Rotout! First of all we would like to thank Metal Blessing Radio for having us on the station and for this interview.
MBR: What made you guys decide to start a band? And why did you choose the name Dysfunctional Rotout? What is the meaning behind the name?
DR: Well, we are brothers and we have been playing music together for nearly three years now; it is something that we both have a passion for. Our name "Dysfunctional Rotout" means that our sin is a dysfunctional cycle, and we describe it as a "rotting out" process. We like to relate this to Romans 8:10 - "If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."
MBR: You currently have a seven song demo out, which you are giving away for free. How has the response been to this offer? Have you had a lot of requests for your demo and have you received a lot of positive feedback?
DR: We believe that spreading the word of Christ is something that shouldn't be paid for. Giving away our demos for free is our way of demonstrating that. We have had several people from fanzines to websites who were interested in receiving copies of our demo for reviews and such. We've also had a lot of metalheads who wanted copies too. Surprisingly enough, a lot of people enjoy our stuff. This was a big shock to us because we never thought that our music would appeal to people this much! Of course, we have people who can't stand our music, but that's cool.
MBR: Which one of you did the cover art on the demo? And what is the meaning behind the artwork?
DR: The artwork on the front cover was done by me (Zack). It was originally a college project that I later decided to turn into our demo cover. It has a corpse on the front of it with the hand of Christ above its head. The wound in Christ's hand is dripping blood on top of the corpse, giving it flesh. Beside the corpse is a dove taking flight, which symbolizes forgiveness.
MBR: Obviously not everyone has a taste for raw death metal, so will your upcoming full-length be recorded with a better production quality or will it be of the same quality as the demo material?
DR: Our new material has a lot of differences in it; it has a more passionate approach. Keyboards and high-pitched screams are a new addition to our music, which gives it a "black metal" sound, however we still retain our original sound with elements of death and thrash metal.
MBR: Where does your musical inspiration come from when writing your music? Do you write the lyrics first or do you begin with the musical portion?
DR: Our inspiration for writing comes from some of our favorite bands and musicians. Usually, we record and mix our music first. We write our own lyrics separately and apply them to our music after it's complete. We are about to start having bible studies together for lyrical inspiration.
MBR: I ask most bands this question, but lyrically what do you typically prefer to write about? Some bands take the preaching/teaching route similar to Mortification, while others may be a bit more metaphorical, or talk about life situations.
DR: Basically, we are straightforward with our lyrics. We usually write music about God's love, struggling as a Christian and the corruption of our society.
MBR: Just curious, but on the song “Ritualistic Monastery”, what is the opening sound clip from?
DR: The opening sound clip from "Ritualistic Monastery" is from the movie The Gift. The story follows the life of a fortuneteller who is seeing a woman who is abused by her husband. Her troubled husband confronts the fortuneteller and threatens her family with a voodoo doll.
MBR: You have incorporated an interesting element in your music that I have not heard before, although I feel it is a welcome touch. What made you decide to use a cowbell sound within your songs? Personally I like the cowbell, it gives it a “fun” touch, if that makes sense.
DR: Hahaha! The cowbell effect is our way of applying a little sense of humor and personality to our sound. We wanted to try something different with our music and it seemed to click for us. We are really exited to see that people accept the drums, considering the fact that they are simplistic and played from a keyboard.
MBR: Regarding your upcoming full-length, will there be more cowbell?
DR: Oh yeah! You betcha! Hahaha!
MBR: Do you have any idea when your album will be released, or is it too early to tell?
DR: It is kinda too early to tell at the moment. We are pretty sure that we will finish it before the year is over.
MBR: What are some of your favorite things to listen to in your spare time? And do you have any hobbies?
DR: We listen to way too much music! We both buy nearly two to three cds a week. We like to listen to bands like Becoming The Archetype, Corpse, Demon Hunter, Frost Like Ashes, Impending Doom, Living Sacrifice, Mortal Treason, Mortification, O, Majestic Winter, Pantera, Sleeping Giant, Stryper, Testament, Tourniquet, War Of Ages, Whitecross and many more. As brothers, our main hobby together is making music. We like to endlessly browse up and down the aisles of music stores and hang out with our friends.
MBR: What are your favorite albums, and what upcoming albums are you most looking forward to this year?
DR: It would be too difficult to name some of our favorite albums. All together, we have about 360 cds and there are A LOT of good ones! This year we are looking forward to releases from For Today, Living Sacrifice, Sleeping Giant, etc.
MBR: Do you see a possibility in the future of Dysfunctional Rotout becoming a full band?
DR: Dysfunctional Rotout is a brotherly relationship. Both of us have been playing music together for quite a while now and it would be too much trouble to have a band. Whenever we have time, we just get together for a few hours and make a song; it's an easy schedule for the both of us.
MBR: If you guys were to eventually becoming a touring band, what bands would you most like to tour with, and why?
DR: If we were going to tour, we would love to tour with Frost Like Ashes, Mortification, O, Majestic Winter, Saviour Machine, War Of Ages, etc. because we would love to know the musicians and have an AWESOME fellowship!
MBR: Are there any memorable moments as a band or during the songwriting process that you would like to share with us?
DR: Well, we are stuck in Matthew's HOT room for three to four hours a song. We are using a crappy 10-year-old Dell computer with 36 viruses on it to mix our music (hence the poor production). In the middle of recording our music we usually get these CRAZY pop-ups, 30 to 40 of them at least! So we have to reset the computer and pick up where we left off! So there are plenty of "great" moments in the "studio."
MBR: What are you favorite scriptures or Bible passages?
DR: We love Romans 8:10 and Isaiah 40:31!
MBR: I closing I want to thank you for taking the time to do this interview and I will very much be looking forward to your full-length album. Do you have anything you would like to say to anyone who may be reading this interview?
DR: Thank you very much! In closing we would like thank anyone who has supported us in any way! Christ has plans for this world and we are living in His awesome construction. Never be discouraged, never falter, and never doubt. We encourage everyone to praise God in his or her own way! Thank you all and God Bless!
May 2009 - I Built the Cross
I am excited to announce that the Metal Blessing Radio band of the month for May 2009 is none other than I Built the Cross! IBTC has gained quite a following over the internet recently, and for good reason. Their killer brand of brutal technical death metal has been getting lots of deserved attention lately. IBTC's debut album titled "Bridging the Gap Between Mind and Heart" is scheduled to be released within the next few months through Open Grave Records. This will definitely be a release you wont want to miss!
Visit I Built the Cross on myspace!
I had the opportunity to interview the band and here is the full interview below:
MBR: Hey guys, thanks for doing this interview. If you would, please introduce yourselves, and your roles in the band.
IBTC:
Gare - Vocals
Reed - Guitar
Jason - Guitar
Zak - Bass
Steven - Drums
MBR: Your debut album “Bridging the Gap Between Mind and Heart” is scheduled to be released very soon through Open Grave Records. How many songs are planned for this release?
IBTC: According to the contract it'll be a full ten songs!
Just under 40 minutes. Party on.
MBR: I seem to remember reading that you had used a drum machine for the benefit of better recording quality. Are your songs going to be re-recorded for the actual album?
IBTC: What you've read remains true. Better recording quality wasn't the only motive though, however. We actually did it in the first place due to lack of a real drummer. Yes, the four songs we have on myspace will be re-recorded and released on the full length. Hopefully we'll be able to give a fresh breath of air to the older songs and keep them enjoyable to the fans.
MBR: What can you tell us about the cover art for the new album? Can you explain the intended meaning behind the artwork?
IBTC: No problem. The original concept we used as a rubric was to get a design that shows the torso of a body opened up, and a bridge leading from the mind to the heart. As you can tell, the actual album art isn't exactly what we were looking for verbdum, but we were well pleased with what we recieved. The meaning behind the imagery is that intellectual acceptance of the validity of christian beliefs must be connected with a personal desire to have a relationship based on love with the big guy upstairs
As I've once heard it worded "What I belive in my heart must first make sense in my mind."That's the concept we were trying to get at.
MBR: There is no question that I Built the Cross is a ministry oriented band, but what is the preferred focus of your lyrics? By this I mean, do you prefer to teach, preach, or relate to real-life situations?
IBTC: Great question. We try to do a little bit of everything. I do have a heart to talk about things that other christian bands (not that I'm some spiritual giant that can take on what other christians are in fear of talking about or anything, haha) might not wanna go near, such as pornography and it's addictive and deceptive qualities (To Deface Grace). As a whole, we want to uplift and Glorify Jesus through our lyrics, regardless of the underlying content. We definitely do try to scream about "real life" topics though.
MBR: Have you received a lot of criticism due to your boldness and devotion to Christ? I’ve always said that as a Christian, if we are being criticized for our ministry efforts then that must mean we are doing something right! If you get hate mail just remember what Jesus said in John 15:18.
IBTC: Oh man, ahaha.
Since the start of IBTC about a year ago our faith has been challenged and criticized on a level we had not yet experienced. Every day a new kid would start the "stump the christian" game with us and point out certain bible verses (taken very out of context, like usual) attempting to get us to sound stupid. However, I'll be the first to tell you that we could not be more grateful! The amount that we've grown and learned due to people calling us out is not even explainable. For those of you that don't know, the verse says "If the world hates you, you should realize that it hated me before you", and boy does it ring true!
MBR: I like how you seem to have a good relationship with your fans. Not many bands take the time to commune with, and teach their fans Biblical truths. Do you think your blog posts have helped you bring your fans closer?
IBTC: Without a doubt. We've recieved plenty of messages telling us how much we've encouraged people and strengthened spiritual walks (don't take me wrong, I'm saying this in humility). It's been pretty amazing though. Even though we were the ones that typed the original blog subjects, we've learned so, so, so much through the debates that go on in the comments section.
MBR: Have you received a pretty positive response to your music in both the Christian and secular music scene?
IBTC: To our music? Absolutely. As a whole, people seem to be pretty interested in our style. Having said that, you'd be surprised by how many people judge our music based on how they judge our lifestyle. Take a look at the comments on our EP on itunes, and you'll see my point, haha. The quote "minus one star for christianity" sums it up.
MBR: You recently replaced your drummer, how is he working out for you? And has he been able to learn all your songs?
IBTC: Wouldn't know yet!
He's actually flying out here from Florida in about a week.
We have heard him play in his ex-band, and he was pretty darn good. I'd send the link so you could hear for yourself, but they took the music down since the broke up!
MBR: I see you are going to be playing at Cornerstone this year. Will this be your first performance, or have you been playing shows locally in Nevada?
IBTC: Hopefully that won't be our very first! haha. We're already scared enough as it is. To answer your question though, we havne't played any shows as IBTC yet. We're planning on playing at least a few smaller local shows before hitting up the stage at cornerstone.
MBR: What are some of your major musical influences, and what are some of your favorite things to listen to in general?
IBTC (Gare): well, my vocal influences are mainly Impending Doom and Whitechapel. I love how "powerful" their vocal style sounds.
As far as what I listen to on my ipod, I don't even know. I love Snow Patrol and Input.
IBTC (Reed): Anything from Andy Mckee,John mayer, and Erik Mongrain, to Between the Buried and Me, Beneath the Massacre, and Conducting from the grave.
MBR: If you could play a show with any three bands who would they be, and why?
IBTC: (Gare): Impending Doom (inspire us like no other), Whitechapel (Brutal), and Plea for Purging (their funny as heck).
IBTC: (Reed): I would like to second Gare.
IBTC: (Jason): Origin because I would like to see how they play live, Necrophagist because I would like to experience their technicality, and Cannibal Corpse becuase they have great stage presence.
MBR: Now lets find out a bit more about the band members. What are some things you guys like to do in your spare time? Does anyone have any hobbies?
IBTC: Well, aside from IBTC (and things involved in the ministry, like bible study), we don't really do anything! haha. We love to eat (for fun or comptetitively) and play video games till we can't see straight. That's honestly about it.
MBR: Off the top of your head, what is the one thing as a band that stands out as your most memorable moment or experience?
IBTC: When we first started the band, we typed the "why would a loving God..." blog, and when we woke up the next morning, there was a lot of negative (hostile, mostly) feedback and arguments against christianity that we'd never heard. It was really shaking and quite the trial.
MBR: Do you have any favorite scriptures, or passages from the Bible? If so would you mind sharing them with the readers?
IBTC: Galations 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
MBR: Lastly, I want to thank you for doing this interview. Is there anything you would like to say for anyone who may be reading this interview?
IBTC: Carefully examine your beliefs before dogmatically defending them...Oh, and GO HORDE OR GO HOME!
April 2009 - Gondolin
The Metal Blessing Radio band of the month for April this year is none other than Gondolin!
With a release scheduled sometime in 2009 through Sullen Records, Gondolin plays a type of ambient black metal.
Visit Gondolin on myspace
MBR: Hello, I hope you are doing well. Why don’t you introduce yourself to the readers.
Angsar: Well hello, my name is Angsar, I am a college student, and I am now the owner of Christian Metal Fellowship.
Ethan: I am Ethan Boyd, a high school student residing in Northeast Indiana.
MBR: How long have you been making music in Gondolin?
Angsar: The idea came up during the summer of '08, then sometime in the fall we begun the writing and recording process.
MBR: You have an album coming out soon on Sullen Records, how is everything coming along with that? And how many songs are planned for the final product
Angsar: Well, overall, its been coming along somewhat slow, but lately we have been trying to get more done with it. The CD will have seven tracks, and I will actually show you guys the tentative tracklist:
Opening - A Hasty Departure
Crossing of the Open Sea
Awakening to New Lands
Discovering Runes of Old
An Ode to the Most High
Set Sail, the Portage Awaits
Closure - Lost at Sea
MBR: Were you pretty excited when you discovered your album would be released through Sullen Records? And will the Gondolin album be a limited pressing as with other Sullen recordings?
Angsar: It was pretty awesome to find out when James had said he would like to release it. As for amounts, since its a Sullen/OGR split release, it will be limited to 1000 copies. I'm not completely sure if it will have special package deals like other OGR releases though.
MBR: You play a sort of ambient black metal, but how would you personally describe Gondolin?
Angsar: I, personally describe it as a sort of epic ambient black metal.
Ethan: I would describe it as more of an Ambient Doom Metal project, I take a lot of influence from Ambient when writing the music and I incorporate the crushing heaviness of Doom Metal as well.
MBR: Where did the inspiration for Gondolin come from? Also why did you choose the name Gondolin?
Angsar: The name came from J.R.R. Tolkeins world of Middle Earth, Gondolin is a hidden city of the Elves.
Ethan: The inspiration for the music comes from the natural world that God has formed.
MBR: You are also in numerous other musical projects, would you care to tell us about those as well?
Angsar: I am also the main man behind Maugrim, a dark ambient project. The debut will be coming out on EEE recordings within the next few months, so keep an eye out. I have been involved in other musical projects as well, some that will probably never see more light, unless things get straightened out, Sergius is one for example. I am also in a joke-esque grindcore project called Vomitcrew Cancercore, with a college buddy.
Ethan: Honestly, I probably get involved in more projects than I can handle. It's fun though. My main focus at the moment is Vikarbyrgi, an Unblack Metal band, which will be recording a full-length come Summer. I expect it to be released sometime in Autumn. Another band I am heavily involved in is a Thrash/Black Metal project by the name of Petroglyphic Omen. We expect to be playing shows this spring and hope to have a demo avaliable shortly. There are many other projects I am working on that I do not wish to make known just yet.
MBR: Any idea when we will see albums for any of those other projects?
Angsar: As I said, Maugrims debut will be out on EEE soon, and then there will also be a split from Maugrim later in the year, which is a lot darker then the debut. Sergius may have some stuff down the road, but right now, nothing is being planned. And Vomitcrew has a few things planned out, but its all just for fun, if it gets serious, then awesome.
MBR: What are some of your sources for musical influence? Also what other bands have directly influenced your work in Gondolin?
Angsar: I am personally influenced a lot by many different bands, but I guess none of them actually form an influence for the music I participate in making.
Ethan: While I do not personally look to bands to influence me while writing music for Gondolin, I do think that some influence from some bands shines through. Shape of Despair might be seen as a similar band, and I'm a huge fan of their work. Ahab might have influenced me at one point as well. All in all, I just write what sounds fit for the atmosphere I'm trying to convey.
MBR: As far as personal taste goes, what are some of your favorite bands or musicians to listen to?
Angsar: Some of my personal favorites are: Austere, Swallow the Sun, Doom:VS, Crimson Moonlight, Agalloch, Vanguard, Antestor, Eulogium, Suidakra, Eluveite, Trenches, Aurora Black, Virgin Black, Shadows of Paragon and many others.
Ethan: My favorites as of late include: Negura Bunget, Flaskavsae, Blut Aus Nord, Njiqahdda, Temnozor, Old Wainds, Leviathan, Kathaaria, Alcest, Deathspell Omega, The Elemental Chrysalis, Iskra, Trancelike Void, Hellhammer, Ephel Duath and the newest Darkthrone albums, which have been getting many plays from me.
MBR: What releases are you most looking forward to this year so far?
Angsar: I was really looking forward to Austere's "To Lay Like Old Ashes", and I must say, it was not a disappointment at all, I am also looking forward to Eluveities "Arcane Dominion" and Eulogiums "Transcendence of Hope"
Ethan: I usually don't know about new releases, but there are a couple on my mind. I am trying to get a hold of the new Xasthur cassette release, but it seems as if it's sold out already. I'll have to wait for the CD release. Blut Aus Nord's new album is incredible, I wouldn't expect anything less from those masterminds. It would be a lie to say I'm not looking forward to the new Zao album. If Virgin Black releases Pianissimo soon I will without hesitation pick that up. Finally, there's plenty being released on EEE Recordings that I'm excited about. Flaskavsae's new full-length, new Njiqahdda, new Light Shall Prevail, new Elan as well as all the rereleases they're doing. My wallet will surely be empty for the majority of this year.
MBR: Ambient black metal is certainly one of those genres that is an acquired taste, much like grindcore or drone. How did you become interested in ambient?
Angsar: I actually was not interested in ambient music until I started working on Maugrim, then I kind of got more interested into it. And it is quite an acquired taste, which is why it surprises me that Gondolin has gotten such good feedback from the secular and Christian scenes.
Ethan: I think once you aquire a taste for the less-accessible forms of Black Metal, you can easily delve into the Ambient genre. Many characteristics are similar. Burzum's "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" comes to mind.
MBR: Besides churning out tons of music, what are some of your other hobbies if you don’t mind sharing?
Angsar: I listen to a lot of music, I love to sell band merchandise and attend shows, I don't have too many hobbies right now though, since college takes priority.
Ethan: School is also a biggie for me, but now that Spring weather is coming I will putting aside time for biking, a big hobby of mine. I also enjoy camping and travel. This summer I will be traveling to Seattle, which is exciting.
MBR: That is a really cool looking logo you have for Gondolin, who designed it? And is that CGI or hand-drawn?
Ethan: My good friend Alastair from Australia designed this logo. You might know him from the grindcore project Engravor. He is an incredible artist, and has done logos for bands such as Vikarbyrgi and Hallowed Butchery. His album art is also top-notch, as you can see from bands like Vikarbyrgi (Concealed Hour) and Theonymic (Cry of Creation) as well as his Engravor releases.
MBR: Thank you very much for your time in this interview, best wishes with the Gondolin release. Is there anything else you would like to tell the readers?
Angsar: Keep an eye open for the release, I do hope you enjoy it, and may the Lord bless you all
March 2009 - Ecthirion
The Metal Blessing Radio band of the month for March is Ecthirion!
Ecthirion was the winner of the Alpha Omega Christian Metal band contest, and combines a mix of black metal with classical and opera.
You can visit them on myspace and hear "Warmageddon" as well as other songs at:
http://www.myspace.com/ecthirion
MBR: It's a privilege to have the opportunity to do this interview, how are things going for you in the UK?
Gab: All is great apart from the weather. Things for this EP are continually getting better.
MBR: If you don't mind, would you introduce the band members and their roles?
Gab: Im Gabriel Neale, I play the guitar and do some bass parts and write most of the stuff as well as do the artwork and myspace and stuff like that.
Simon: Hi, I'm Simon Treasure, I help orchestrate and write some parts but mainly play guitar.
Dom: plays drums
MBR: You recently changed your name from AxioM to Ecthirion. Can you tell us about this change, and why you decided to do this? I must say the new name has a better ring to it in my personal opinion.
Gab: Well there are a few hundred bands called Axiom, as well as companies, and the name isn't great either. So we decided to make up our own word, which could be associated with the band and nothing else. This makes it possible to google search us and find every single thing written about us very easily.
MBR: I see you have had a few guest musicians on this record, including Azahel of Frost Like Ashes. How did you become acquainted with Frost Like Ashes? And should we expect any more guest musicians or is that a secret?
Gab: Well I always wanted a big variety of singers, especially because I find it dull when an album is just one tone all the way through. I emailed about 50 singers in the underground metal industry, and Az and Eugen replied and were up for it. I must say a very big thank you to Eugen who has done all the mixing on the metal tracks.
As for the album, I have now made many friends at uni, many of whom are very talented. One is the lead singer for a melo death band called Jorvik, he will be on the album as well as some of the classical singers.
MBR: I've enjoyed what I've heard so far, Warmageddon has been playing regularly on Metal Blessing Radio and it has steadily been one of my favorites. When should we expect to see your EP released?
Gab: The 4th of may is the date soundmass are planning to release it, you will all have to check back on the myspace very shortly to see if this is confirmed. Thanks so much for playing our stuff, it's very awesome to be on a radio. The release date is later than I expected though the promotion is far better than I expected. The pre-order for the EP will be up soon as well as t-shirts if we can get them done in time.
MBR: How many songs are planned for your EP release?
Gab: The EP will consist of 5 tracks, 3 orchestral metal tracks and 2 classical tracks, this doesn't mean a lousy classical intro and outro, the classical tracks have been just as much work as the metal tracks.
MBR: Ecthirion plays a nice blend of black metal, classical, and opera that flow together very well, but what inspired you to fuse these musical elements together?
Gab: I am a person who strives to be different so I can be identified, and through listening to power metal I have realised that many bands these days are stealling other band's identities and often getting more credit for it themselves. Ecthirion aims to be like nobody else. We were originally going to take a more viking metal approach, but as things went along Simon and I decided it was a bit narrow and staying within those boundaries would have just made us another Turisas. We are a band who don't care at all about how hard it will be to categorise us, and I write music about big subjects which I can't just use guitars, bass and drums to express other styles and instruments help us stand out a little.
MBR: What are some of the band members' favorite things to listen to? And where does some of your musical influence come from?
Gab: I love all true metal, yaarrrr! I also love classical, soundtrack and folk music which have an obvious presence in certain Ecthirion songs. My favourite artists in these genres are Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, Dvorjak, Enya, Celtic Woman, Helium Vola, Vangelis and Howard Shore. Recently I have been trying to listen to more music from other cultures such as Spanish music and Eastern music (you can hear some influence on the song up on myspace called "lost souls..." which uses the algerian scale for many parts). I also listen to Trance, Techno, Electronic music, Turntable music, Rock, Nu-metal, Reggae, Jazz, Punk, Ska and Blues. In the future Ecthirion will have more varied influences, which I particularly hope to bring through in the album. I hate pretty much all radio-friendly pop.
I'm also influenced by nature and the beauty of all things, as well as the one who created them. This can be seen in all the EP artwork: most of the photos were taken from my auntie's farm in the mountains in Switzerland. Another great influence on me is medieval re-enactment group, where I have learnt how to fight with many medieval weapons - this is so cool!
Simon: I try to listen to everything, including rock, metal, jazz, blues, funk, pop, soul, reggae and more! In terms of my guitar playing, I like neoclassical guitarists such as Jason Becker, Marty Friedman and Paul Gilbert, but I try to show a more experimental fusion side too, influenced by Steve Vai, Guthrie Govan etc. I play drums in a jazz trio and guitar in various rock bands, and hopefully the influence of these is evident in my playing. Within the classical genre, I enjoy Vivaldi, Bach, Debussy, Samuel Barber and Handel amongst others.
MBR: What were your favorite album releases of 2008?
Gab: Well I'm very far behind on everything and am still getting a lot of old music, though some albums I really enjoyed that came out last year or around then are Sonata Arctica - Unia, The Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath, Nightwish - Dark Passion Play and Turisas - The Vangarian Way.
Simon: I also enjoyed these and releases in other genres, for example: Coldplay - Viva La Vida, Kings of Leon - Only By The Night and Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs.
MBR: What sort of topics are usually portrayed in your lyrics?
Gab: Well with the EP I have chosen to focus mainly on end times, mainly because I find those type of things very interesting. Also the song Anthem for the Brave is mainly about nature and how the human race is destroying it, as well as the hiden meanings behind the words "heart of the lion", which I'm sure you can work out, it's not just unpersonal junk about fairy tales. The track Immortality is about our faith and why it gives us hope which wont abandon us even when we're six feet under. As you can obviously hear we are trying to be subtle with our lyrics so we dont put people off, I hope people will respect that so we can move forward.
MBR: I noticed there doesnt seem to be a designated vocalist in Ecthirion. Are you seeking a lead vocalist or do you plan on using primarily guest vocals?
Gab: The main reason we don't have a vocalist is because there isn't anybody suitable who we know in this country at the moment, and so the band will stay a studio band until we find a vocalist or two. I like the idea of not being stuck with one vocalist: it gives a nice contrast from song to song, so we can choose a voice to fit with the mood of each section.
MBR: Besides writing music, what do you guys like to do in your spare time?
Gab- I'm into art a lot and often spend the time I can't sleep working on photoshop doing Ecthirion art. I also do medieval re-enactment, which is crazy - I always come home with scratches on my arms, haha. I also used to be into flying remote control planes and fishing and I'm planning on getting into them again when I've got time. I also love socialising.
Simon: I do art too, and also like watching movies and going out with friends.
MBR: Throughout your time together as a band what is your most memorable moment?
Gab: Seeing as we are basically a virtual band and have never played live together or even had one band practice there haven't been any crazy gigs to report back on, but winning the Alpha Omega competition has been very good and has come at perfect timing. Also the recording stage was very fun, and we had many laughs often related to Monty Python or some other hilarious comedy act.
Simon: Yeah, definitely epic recording sessions interspersed with Monty Python quotes!
MBR: I cant wait to hear your EP, will you be posting any new songs on your myspace page before the release date?
Gab: Soundmass have said that because there are 5 tracks it might be a bad idea to put any more than one song up from the EP. I think this is wise, though I wish I had put the song Immortality up instead because I'm very bored with Warmageddon - maybe we could get away with a short clip or teaser of it or each song on the EP. You may hear some new samples for the album which we are working on. Also the artwork and pre-order will be up very soon.
MBR: I want to thank you for doing this interview and I wish you the best with your upcoming releases. Any thing you would like to say to anyone who is reading this interview?
Gab: Thank you so much, I'm so grateful for your support, it has been a pleasure answering your questions.
For the fans I'd like to say STAY METAL!
Simon: Check out the EP and the album when they come out, and I would encourage readers to listen to anything and everything - you'll be surprised what's out there!
February 2009, Part II - O, Majestic Winter
This month not only am I giving you a double-dose of metal with two different interviews, but I am posting them early. This 2nd portion of the February update is focused on O, Majestic Winter. Below is my interview with O, Majestic Winter (referenced as OMW)
Be sure to check out their music on their myspace page:
www.myspace.com/winterslamentmusic
MBR: Hey guys, thanks for letting me interview you, would you mind introducing yourselves, and your roles in the band?
OMW: Hails brother! Thank you so much for the opportunity! O, Majestic Winter is Gorlim and Mormegil and we do all instruments and vocals.
MBR: Were you involved in any other projects prior to O, Majestic Winter? And what made you decide to form O, Majestic Winter?
OMW: Four years ago we were in a Christian hardcore band called Seventimesfallen. We were all still in high school and it didn't really work out. We had musical differences and spiritual differences so we called it off. We wanted to start a black metal project and just kicked the idea around for a while. It wasn't even something serious in the beginning. But a few months ago the idea came up again and we realized we had the means and the drive to do it.
MBR: What is the significance of the name “O, Majestic Winter”? Why did you decide to use this name?
OMW: For us, winter is one of God's most magnificent creations. We have a deep spiritual connection with the cold; we find it very pure and cleansing. We chose this name to represent the majesty of God and His creation.
MBR: Your debut album is scheduled for a February 2009 release on Sullen Records. Have you enjoyed working with James on this release?
OMW: Absolutely! He is doing a great thing in the underground metal realm. Sullen is a professional and serious label and we are blessed for having the opportunity to work with them. We are on the label with some bands that we have looked up to for a long time and that makes it all the more amazing.
MBR: You play a unique blend of music that can only be described as “O, Majestic Winter”, which has received both positive comments as well as some criticism. Its obviously impossible to please everyone’s musical tastes, do you think that the multitudes of varying genres and sub-genres cause more confusion than it does help identify a band?
Mormegil: Well, sadly it seems to lean more towards confusion rather than help with identity. O, Majestic Winter is trying diligently to broaden the spectrum of Black metal, and so far it has definitly been a difficult task. I think if listeners would take our music at face value instead of magnifying things so much, then our identity and intentions would become much clearer.
Gorlim: As for us, black metal is our foundation. It's at the core of what we do. But we do not play straight-foward black metal. We have, from the very beginning, wanted to play a very experimental form of metal. The black metal ties seem to have only confused people as to our intent. We welcome all comments, positive or negative.
MBR: Some have mentioned that you do not sound like any of your "influences" listed on your myspace page. Personally I dont think a band should "sound like" their influences, there would be no point in making music if you were just rehashing whats already out. there What do you have to say about some of the comments?
Gorlim: I agree completely! I have such a broad range of influences that there's no way that it would all come out in our music. Also, I don't want to sound like anyone or anything. We try to stay true to our own vision for our music and we let God guide us.
Mormegil: Well said brother. Our music would struggle in sounding like Crimson Moonlight or Horde, but they are definitly major influences in what we do. Personally, I am very heavily influenced by a power metal band called Dragonland, but you're not going to hear anything of the sort on Defiling the Serpent's Temple... I promise. lol
MBR: How many songs are planned for your debut album?
OMW: As of now, it looks like there will be 10 songs on the album.
MBR: What are some of your favorite things to listen to in your spare time?
Gorlim: Well, in general, that's much too long a list to put here. But recently I've been enjoying Coram Deo's Evangelion, Evroklidon's Flame of Sodom, Theocracy's Mirror of Souls, Becoming the Archetype's Dichotomy, and just pretty much anything that catches my eye. We also love Gondolin and Erasmus.
Mormegil: I would have to say Vanguard's Erek and Ivor album, anything by Immortal Souls, Crimson moonlight, and videogame soundtrack music is always nice.
MBR: After “Defiling the Serpent's Temple” is released what are your next plans as a band? Are you going to start writing new material?
OMW: We are definitely going to start writing new material. We actually already have some small parts written for new songs.
MBR: What are some of your lyrical themes in your music?
OMW: We try to convey the sovereignty and grace of Christ. But we also use alot of battle themes. We like to describe our daily life as a battle against the evil that would tear us down.
MBR: I like the descriptive nature of your lyrics, where does most of your inspiration come from in the lyric department?
OMW: Alot of our lyrics come straight from the Bible. We feel that the words from the Bible have an amazing power to them. Other than that, we just get inspiration from our minds. We also get some inspiration from the Lord of the Rings and other fantasy writing.
MBR: What is your favorite scripture or Bible passage/story?
Gorlim: My favorite scripture is Psalm 91. I've also always loved the story of the centurion's faith in Jesus' time. His faith has always seemed to be an example in my opinion.
Mormegil: My favorite scripture is Micah 5:9. My favorite story is when God stopped the sun in the sky to give Joshua more time to defeat the Amorites.
MBR: Is there anything in particular you would like to tell everyone about yourselves? Anything that fans may find interesting?
Gorlim: I am happily married and have been for going on 4 years. I am pretty much a geek and I read just about non-stop. I love fantasy and science fiction but I'll read anything that I find appealing. And I am an absolute music fanatic.
Mormegil: I too am happily married for almost a year now. I play Lord of the Rings Online just about every day. And I love having candles lit while I do just about anything...
MBR: Lastly I want to thank you for doing this interview, is there anything else you would like to say to the people reading this?
OMW: Seek out the truth. Don't get caught up in religion and rules. Find God and let it mean something to you. It's all about the relationship. Have courage and never back down to any opposition. And thank you so much for this interview. May you all be blessed!
February 2009, Part I - Erasmus
This month I interviewed TWO bands to make up for the lack of a January update, I also decided to post them early for you to read. There will be two separate threads for each interview.
Firstly, I interviewed Mikey of Erasmus. Be sure to visit Erasmus on myspace where you can listen to two songs.
www.myspace.com/erasmustn
MBR: Thanks for giving me the opportunity to interview you, would you mind introducing yourself to all the readers?
Mikey: No problem, I love what you do. I'm Mikey, I do everything in Erasmus.
MBR: You recently released your latest EP, “Sanguinus Nocturnus” through EEE Recordings. Did it seem to be received well?
Mikey: I think there was a lot of initial hype with record. It sold well as far as I can tell and got a few great reviews. Honestly, I've yet to get much criticism about it other than lyrical content....i.e. there isn't a lyric sheet, the bits of lyrics in the liner notes are vague and questionable...if anyone else needs clarification on that, ask Winter's Dawn, they've gotten my entire lecture hahaha.
MBR: Have you enjoyed working with EEE Recordings?
Mikey: Absolutely. They have an incredible catalogue and great roster. In my opinion, EEE is the most artful and interesting label out right now....secular or Christian. Lots of daring releases, great bands with fascinating concepts and sounds...I feel honored just that I'm even associated with EEE.
MBR: This was the first time I had heard Erasmus, but from what I understand, wasn’t the title-track previously released on an earlier recording? It’s very atmospheric and an enjoyable piece, its hard to believe that after listening to the song that nearly 17 minutes had passed.
Mikey: Sanguinus Nocturnus was released as a demo with just the full Sanguinus Nocturnus track on it. I think I made about 25 copies and only "sold" them at Mankind shows. I gave most of them away, really. The EP is just a rerelease of the demo combined with a new demo.
MBR: Most of the song titles on the EP are in another language, what language is this? And is there any reason why you chose not to have the lyrics printed in the booklet?
Mikey: The titles are in Latin and are excerpts from a prayer on the Benedictine Crux Sacra. I didn't want to print most of lyrics because A) They wouldn't fit on the album insert and B) They're a distraction from the overall feel of the album. I would rather a listener only be able to pick out a few lyrics while paying full attention to the music than follow along reading the lyric sheet.
MBR: I’ve wondered this for awhile, what does the name “Erasmus” mean?
Mikey: Erasmus is a saint. His story was something that really struck me as interesting and scary...wikipedia him, very very interesting.
MBR: What are your main influences in Erasmus? Also what are some of your personal favorite things to listen to?
Mikey: I'm influenced by plenty of bands also history, literature, art, etc. I think the new full length will be most likely based on Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot, for example. Lately I've been listening to a lot of abigor, wedard, frostmoon eclipse, chaos moon, and emperor. But outside of black metal, i've been listening to bands like Grouper, Fleet Foxes, Rotten Sound, The Anniversary, Cursive, blah blah blah.
MBR: I absolutely love the artwork for “Sanguinus Nocturnus.” Who did the artwork, and does it have any connection to the themes for the album?
Mikey: I'm not sure where the art came from. Joe Burgers (bass player from Mankind) did the lay-out for me. The maritime theme is prevalent in the track "Sanguinus Nocturnus" which is a song based loosely on "Rime of the Ancient Mariner".
MBR: I see your full-length album is scheduled for a release sometime in 2009, is it too early to give us any info on it? When will we get to hear something from it?
Mikey: There's not too much to report about the new record. I have 3 songs completed and am working on more as much as possible. If you go to the Erasmus myspace, you can hear "...lifeless as a means to ignore the Truth" from the new record.
I'm also going to start work on an ambient and experimental companion album. Hopefully to be released on EEE.
MBR: Your also in a hardcore punk band called Mankind, would you care to tell us anything about Mankind? What do your other band-mates think about Erasmus?
Mikey: Mankind has been around for maybe a year and half now, i just joined the band about 2 months before we played Cornerstone last summer. Mankind has plans to record a new split 7" with Wrench in the Works soon...the recording will be done in North Carolina. The rest of the guys in the band are pretty into erasmus and from time to time will contribute things (Greg will most like play a little on the new record...definitely on the ambient companion release. Thad does some vocal work and writes with me occasionally. Joe did the pressing and layout of Sanguinus Nocturnus.)
MBR: Do you see the possibility of Erasmus becoming a full band in the future?
Mikey: Erasmus will most likely play a few shows as a full band, although that won't be a full time thing. Expect to see us play Cornerstone this summer with a very very very awesome surprise guest line-up.
MBR: Aside from making music, what do you like to do in your spare time? Lets hear about the man behind the music, any hobbies?
Mikey: Well, I paint a lot. Mostly illustrations for children's books. When the weather's nice, I love to go to the city skatepark and carve around the bowls. I spend plenty of time hanging out with my beagle, my Chihuahua, and sometimes my wife hahaha.
MBR: I appreciate you taking the time to do this interview, I pray that 2009 will bring many new blessing to both Erasmus and to you and your family. Is there anything else you would like to say to anyone who may be reading this?
Mikey: Take sometime to go to Divine Metal Distro, EEE's online catalogue, and Sullen Records and try to buy something! Support your scene and the people that are making it happen. Thank you for your support of Erasmus and Be BLESSED.
