BLACK METAL OF THE AMERICAS VOL. V
Transcription
BLACK METAL OF THE AMERICAS VOL. V
BLACK METAL OF THE AMERICAS VOL. V august 28, 2013 this issue was a struggle. ed. lost his job, patrick lost his computer, all in all, there are a lot of reasons why it took us almost six months to craft this follow up. we are already in the process of creating vol. VI, so do not expect this level of tardiness from us again. hold us to this compact, etc etc. this issue we have our first interview conducted in person, and our first contribution from an outsider. we are grateful for those involved in making both of those things a reality. Interviews from aksumite, chrome waves, deafheaven, dressed in streams, and yellow eyes. that's a pretty good cross-section of black metal in america right now, if you ask us. Also, a metric ton of reviews. As always, patrick takes the photos, ed. photoshops old books. the photo of deafheaven is from deathwish's promo kit. ed. gussied it up a bit. thank you for your support. hail, ed.&Patrick Dissecting Brotherly Love: Correspondence with Sam and Will Of Yellow Eyes i'm writing this while the boxset version of “hammer the night” by yellow eyes sits in front of me on my desk. it's an immaculate construction, much like the music contained within. their new album straddles the line between thrilling and blistering, sitting somewhere between the motion of the space-y brands of USBM and the melodic and thematic coldness of the second wave. it's quite frankly, one of the best albums i've heard all year. we were lucky enough to chat with them, and the results of that chat LIE BEFORE YOU, DEAR READER. DO YOU DARE TO READ ON?! what was the origin of yellow eyes? how did you guys get interested in black metal, how did you meet, what was the spark behind the band? Sam: First of all, Will and I are brothers. We grew up in the same room. He got into metal in high school and would play it on the stereo every night while we were falling asleep, which I was simply forced to accept as the younger brother. I don’t think I understood it beyond the basic soothing feeling of hearing it, like those people who listen to white noise generators. Years later, we spontaneously moved to the Czech Republic together. One of the first nights there, before we even had a place to live, we went to a black metal show in the outskirts of Prague. It was a really misty night, so thick you could hardly see the streetlights. We walked into the club just as a corpse paint band was starting their set, and I remember standing in the middle of the room wondering how I was going to find a job, feeling the kick drum pummeling me. Somehow the disorienting minor chords were exactly what I needed to hear. That was the moment I started to love black metal. We stayed in the Czech Republic for a year. Yellow Eyes was officially formed when we moved back to New York and started playing with our drummer, our high school friend Jon, but I would say it was becoming an entity over the course of that year, one black metal show at a time. It was always our goal to be able to come back and play at the same clubs. according to your last.fm profile, yellow eyes was conceived in connecticut. what prompted the move to new york? Will: We’re originally from New York, but Connecticut was where we started writing Yellow Eyes songs. We have a small cabin in the forest with no heat or water. We moved to Brooklyn about three years ago but still go to Connecticut several times a month to light a fire and figure out new riffs. what is the story behind your name? maurice sendak reference? a warning against jaundice? Will: Yeah, if you search our name you'll find a lot of people worried about their kidneys. But no, our band is not a platform for jaundice awareness. Sam has a side project and he wrote a song called “Yellow Eyes.” It was about riding his motorcycle through the woods and feeling watched. The name fit. all of your previous output was released through sol y nieve. can you discuss the decision to self-release this album? how did dead section records get involved? what happened to your involvement with broken limbs recordings? Sam: Working with Sol y Nieve was excellent. Noah takes his releases seriously-- to the point of being impractical. He hand-stitched a patch around every Silence Threads The Evening’s Cloth tape, which was exactly the kind of thing we had envisioned. A release should be an object. It should be something you take care of. While we were working on Hammer of Night, we had been planning to release it with Broken Limbs, but when our impractical ideas looked like they were going to cost more than they had anticipated, we decided to take the weight on our shoulders alone. Will is a violin maker, so he volunteered to make 30 wooden boxes that would ship with the special edition tapes. I started designing graphics. At the same time, Lasse from Dead Section contact us about releasing all of our material on vinyl in Denmark. That was good timing because we were looking for a way to do vinyl for Hammer. "hammer of the night" is your first release with printed lyrics, if I'm not mistaken. why release them this time? Will: Our first album was originally released as a mediafire link on our myspace page. We included a lyrics document in the file. When it ended up being a tape, the thought was that lyrics already existed on the internet and anyone could find it if they really wanted to. But now that we’re thinking of new ways to enhance the packaging, a lyric sheet is another element to work with. It’s an important part of the package. It’s also an important part of the music. We want people to read them. what differentiates this album from your previous work, in your mind? are there things you think you do better as a band now? Will: The major difference is that this album was written from late fall into winter. It’s a big, bleak, and austere album, full of the late November spirit. I believe our other albums were written as winter was ending, and recorded on beautiful days in the spring, whereas this one was recorded in a small cabin during the coldest week of February. We had to take in our gear on a sled because the snow was so deep. Also, the first two albums were recorded before we had played any shows. Getting ready to play out forced us to practice a lot and keep up our speed. It allowed us to write better, faster songs, and still record live. i can't help but think of the donner party when reading the lyrics to "cabin filled with smoke And flies". the idea of being trapped by immense amounts of snow, of watching your supplies dwindle and knowing that death is closer than help is a terrifying image. is history part of your lyrical inspiration on the new album? where do you draw lyrical ideas from? Sam: I wrote the lyrics while we were recording in the cabin. There isn’t a historical element. Most of the songs have surreal moments, but they’re linked together by a single image, which is simply a narrator wandering the forest in the middle of the night. He doesn't want to spoil the landscape, or "crush webs into the marble." But then why is he out there? It’s very cold, but he doesn’t seem to want to go home. All of the lyrics are about that. new york city exploded with black metal bands a couple of years ago(2007 - 2008). krallice, liturgy, tombs, the howling wind, yourselves all seemed to burst onto the scene around the same time. what was it like attempting to break from the pack at that time period? was there a sense of competition among the various metal acts springing up, or did you find yourselves in different circles? Will: We never attempted to break out from the pack because we were never in a pack. We’ve been to a lot of local shows, befriended some of the guys in the bands you mentioned, and like a lot of their music, but we always did our own thing. If there was competition, we were never aware of it. I wonder if it was a bit more chaotic in 2008, before we were living in New York City. our friends in vattnet viskar speak highly of your soup chef skills. what is your favorite soup recipe? Sam: It was probably a butternut squash soup with a bunch of vegetables. Here's the recipe: Put something in a bowl. Serve to a bunch of hungry guys on a black metal tour. It will be the best thing they've ever eaten. CRYPTIC TEENAGE DIARY Intersections of Discontentment in Black Metal and Emo By S.Czerwinskyj When comparing the black metal and emo genres, there doesn’t seem to be any parallel between, respectively, unkempt heathens and sensitive, politically correct naïfs. Upon closer inspection, the aesthetics, presentation, and embarrassingly bald emotional outpourings of both certainly draw a bond between these two seemingly disparate genres. The aesthetic kinship between black metal and ‘90s emo/screamo begins with the attempt by both to evoke intangibles. Not content with merely being the soundtrack to, but striving to be the sonic embodiment of darkness, depression, nostalgia, loss, alienation, and general malaise: this is the forlorn attempt of both emo and black metal music. While the emo genre has many splinters, the focus here will be on the messy, hardcore-influenced ‘90s version: screen-printed manila envelope 7-inch covers, singers spending much of the set on the floor, and a general celebration of glorious amateurism. When using the term “black metal,” I’m referring to the kult, raw, grim etc. bands--bands with little regard for sonic quality and a dead serious emphasis on dramatic confessionals. The modern American mutations of traditional black metal are especially relevant to the discussion. As deviations from dominant art forms, second wave emo and black metal have a lot in common. Both were reactions to the staunch traditionalism of their parent genres. Emo wanted to break out of the lockstep of jackbooted hardcore formalism, and black metal sought to cover the typically sterile, technically proficient metal genre in grime and dirt. With both emo and black metal we see an emphasis on untidy catharsis rather than exacting talent. The emotional aspect has always been a hallmark of both genres, as many black metal bands seek to create a mood rather than a song. (The insert in Israeli one man black metal band Animus’ Poems For The Aching, Swords For The Infuriated reads “No words, no musical notes- emotions”.) And emo exposes its heart-on-sleeve tendencies in the genre’s very name. Emo bands of the ‘90s were constantly declaring that they were not merely “bands,” but vessels for emotional expression. (The vocalist for emo-metal mess Puritan once stated during a live show “This is my therapy.”) Was the shoddy production of ‘90s emo born out of necessity or intention? Most likely the dawn of the easily accessible four track played a huge role in the garbage recordings of many bands, but just as black metal bands’ resolutely shoddy production lends much to the overall grim feel of the music, ‘90s screamo recording aesthetics complement the raw, emotionally unstable mission of these bands perfectly. The scrappy/crappy recordings of both are as much statements of intent as conditions of necessity. Immediacy is paramount to earnest expression, not leaving much time—or desire—for a pristine studio recording Anonymity and a subversion of rock star celebrity is also a common thread running through both emo and black metal. ‘90s chaotic emo band Jerome’s Dream took this stance to a fantastic extreme. Completely eschewing microphones altogether, the group’s “singer” screeched his angst into the void; the band preferred to play on the floor rather than a stage, and kept their backs to the audience while performing. Another prominent emo band, Indian Summer, didn’t title any of their songs and never listed any of the members’ names in their records, usually printing a cryptic quote or poem instead. Modern day American black metal band Fell Voices is a direct descendent of these bands’ anonymous aesthetics. The vocalist howls sans microphone, their first three records are bereft of both titles and song titles, and personnel are never listed. We do, however, in Fell Voices’ second untitled full-length--with echoes of fanciful emo record art--get a poster of a swan in outer space, accompanied by a mysterious, dark inscription. Many other black metal bands negate personality (and by proxy, celebrity) by presenting their music without assigning authorship or titles. And of course, both genres are rife with depressive alpha-sad sacks. The proliferation of one-man black metal bands is directly in line with the inward-looking, anti-celebrity stance of ‘90s emo, and echoes the many solo artists and singer/songwriters that sprung out of the bands and scene of the time. In what is the apotheosis of the anti-rock star approach, Milwaukee-based emo band Ten Boy Summer (featuring Davey Von Bohlen, later of Cap’n Jazz and The Promise Ring) commanded the audience not to clap after songs during live performances, only played benefit shows, and refused to play bars —the premier hub of American socializing. Even Swedish purveyors of satanic black metal Watain bring their Halloween prop candles and animal blood to established rock clubs. American black metal in particular has deviated from the corpse paint + Satan + nationalistic/anti-Semitic tendencies equation, subscribing to ideals which have a strong correlation to ‘90s emo and hardcore. The so-called Cascadian black metal “scene” (Wolves In The Throne Room, Ash Borer, Fell Voices) has integrated issues of the environment and the worship of the natural world into the genre. New Hampshire black metallers Vattnet Viskar are unabashed vegans, and Michigan one-man black metal group A Pregnant Light vociferously promotes animal rights. Austin Lunn of Panopticon is pagan and anarchist, bringing radical politics to the forefront of his music. Emo was completely immersed in personal politics relating to lifestyle choices and the collateral damage of harmful behavior (to the Earth, to each other etc. etc.). Nature was fetishized through artwork and lyrics—a popular black metal activity—and a sometimes vague, inter-personal political approach was infused with the music (Indian Summer’s Native American imagery and quotes, Still Life’s animal rights ballad, pictures of trees on Closure and Julia records). While not strictly emo (but certainly influenced by the genre), Philadelphia’s Ink and Dagger created a self-mythology through vampiric metaphors in their lyrics and the ghoulish make-up they wore during live performances. We see this attempt at a homespun personal philosophy and selfmythologizing in the interviews and lyrics of Wolves In The Throne Room, who live on a self-sufficient farm and have been labeled “eco-fascists” by the more alarmist sectors of the public due to their stance on environmental activism. Perhaps the one American black metal band that is obviously and self-admittedly influenced by emo is Lonesummer. Using mopey film samples, and many of the musical cues of emo, but with a black metal bent, Lonesummer is the modern link between black metal and emo. Looking back to emo bands that share musical commonalities with black metal, Honeywell and Eurich are certainly relevant. Honeywell’s unhinged cacophony was as chaotic, sloppy, and high-pitched as they come. And Eurich dealt almost exclusively in blast beats, with buzzing, melodic guitars accompanying the nearly weeping shriek of the vocalist. The dark thematic tones, shambolic instrumentation, and melodramatic purging are where we see a substantial intersection between black metal and emo. However, the 90’s emo/hardcore sound is worming its way into many US black metal acts (Deafheaven, Woe, Bosse-De-Nage, even pariahs Liturgy). As a specific strain of American black metal moves further away from their Norwegian forefathers, they get closer to the domestic art form of ‘90s emo. The pure/true gene pool is being diluted, and the legions of naysayers will become exhausted from proclaiming what is and isn’t black metal as the genre continues to mutate. We’ve already begun to see black metal taint other forms of music outside the metal genre, and the constant exchange of ideas and influence between metal and non-metal genres in the information age will reap new, exciting, and decidedly inauthentic (according to the purists) musical permutations within the sphere of black metal. listening to chrome waves while riding the el through the loop at 3 in the morning is a nice way to end yr night. there's a delicacy in these songs, a tenuous but urgent motion that blends nicely with exhaustion and city lights. jeff wilson is in eight thousand bands, but chrome waves is his brainchild, and we were lucky enough to briefly discuss the project with him. he makes mention of a possible full length on the horizon, which we are incredibly excited about. what makes three people with full time bands decide to start another project? can you discuss the genesis of chrome waves? Bob and I had done a couple tours together with another band and had discussed doing a project together at some point. Once I was no longer involved in said project, the decision was made to start collaborating on material. Stavros came along a little later, there was only one other candidate, but I kept hearing his vocals in my head for this. Luckily, he agreed. according to your facebook page, jef whitehead has recently joined the band on bass. how did you decide to include him in the band? Jef and worked together on a record in early 2010. Jef, stavros, and i share alot of the same interests musically and from past experiences, we all seem to write really well together. Although he hasn't necessarily been involved in the writing process thus far, that will be changing in the next month or so. the release of your ep on vinyl was notoriously fraught with issues. can you talk about this experience? To be honest, I'm not sure what those issues were as i never received a copy. i can tell you that josh Eldridge (gravedancer) is a complete scam artist. The sooner that guy is a stain on the pavement, the better as far as I'm concerned. Fortunately, i got out of the contract and there will be a reissue at some point this year or next. I'm hoping that fixes any issues anyone may have had with it. acolytes of shoe gaze have become more and more prevalent in black metal these recent years. as your band name is presumably an homage to Ride, can you delve into the impact shoe-gaze has had on your musical output, especially Chrome Waves? Do you have any thoughts on why the sonic palette of bands like My Bloody Valentine have had such a following in black metal circles? You know, I just kind of write how I write. Bands like Slowdive and MBV are obviously regulars on my playlist. I wear my influences on my sleeve, I guess. from most of the interviews available, it seems that your ep was written and recorded piecemeal, when band members had available time. is your upcoming full length going to involve more practicing/recording as a group? which method do you generally prefer? The majority of the material was written in a short period of time, like a month. The actual recording on the other hand took about a year and a half. Bob and I live about 4 hours apart, we both started doing a lot of projects all at once, personal drama, etc etc. This time will be smoother I think. We just set a tentative date to start recording and will be releasing it ourselves. No waiting around on a budget for this or that. I would assume it will be completed late this year. What are your feelings on being referred to as a "supergroup"? was there ever any sense of pressure or expectations based on previous projects, both internally or externally? I don't really look at it as a supergroup. This band was started just like any other band was, a few friends that wanted to do a record. the chicago metal scene seems to be very tightly knit, with most people doing double or triple time in projects, with a relatively stable rotating cast of characters. what are your thoughts on the environment of chicago versus the twin cities? if you had to highlight a band or two from each location, who do you think people should be paying attention to? Honestly, I've been so busy working on my half a dozen bands, label and print company that I really haven't had time or interest in paying attention to the scene or it's politics. what can we expect from chrome waves in 2013? any final words? Hmmm. We should have a record done in 2013. As for anything else, it'll happen when it happens. There's over a dozen projects between the 4 of us. Scheduling is a bitch. reviews. lord time - drink my tears universal consciousness, 2013 here's a radio. it only receives one station, and it never shuts off. songs will wind in and out around each other. some of them will be catchy little numbers with inquisition style croaking and grim buzzing guitars, and some of them will be chanted, and some of them will be repetitive piano parts played too close to the microphone. it's your radio now. i do not know how to turn it off. -ed. dressed in streams – the search for blood colloquial sound recordings, 2013 another leap forward for this group that continually impresses with each new release. horror movie synths(jc, jc, jc, name-check, name-check) drone and burble behind blistering rage. while the usage of synths as an underpinning is sometimes reminiscent of the more spacey black metal bands(see: patrick's fell voice's review later on in this issue), the songwriting on display is of a more traditional bent, blending mournful guitar leads with catchy riffage. while “no atonement” is blistering, “history vanishes” offers a more roiling anger, a extended and punishing shanty, with moments of quiet reflection before the howling storm. -ed. wreck & reference – live at the burlington, chicago, il live performance, 7.31.13 wreck & reference are a fucking monolith. like athena, they(and their music) appear to spring fully-formed out of the air, with no seams or cracks. people talk about live rituals, but this felt like a manifestation of something beyond the two people on stage. it probably seems overblown to describe their performance as an inevitability, but it was. from the moment the title splashes across the screen, you know everyone will be dead by the time the credits roll. the slow build and resulting destruction of songs like “a lament” translated perfectly, creating an environment where no-one spoke for forty-five minutes. hushed comments of “jesus fucking christ,” and long exhalations broke the silence at the end of the set, and looking around, one could see the exhalation on all faces. -ed. hexer – s/t gilead media, 2013 chicago is the worst place in the world to circle pit. listening to this release, i imagine that philly is a beautiful place where jean jackets and ratty black t-shirts maelstrom forever, never getting old, never getting tired. this is excellent thrashy black metal, the kind you can imagine being chopped and re-contextualized in some industrial warehouse for apocalyptic dance parties(see: the usage of 'angel of death' by kmfdm). hexer seems like they'd be equally at home in your scuzzy friend's basement, howling for the apocalypse, and asking for gas money later on over shitty beers. -ed. botanist – live on KFJC unreleased, 2013 it's 2 am in chicago, and i am listening to botanist live on the radio. is this their first live performance? yes. a am trying to picture the instrumentation. a piano? guitars? the addition of drums makes the offkilter dulcimer runs seem even more sea-sick. otrebor's vocals are lower for the first two songs, but rise to a desperate howl by the third. i am desperate to make it to the west coast, wishing to see the invocation of these songs in the flesh. you can probably find this for download online somewhere, but there's always something magical about the radio. -ed. wreck & reference – content flenser records, 2013 drones and rumbles, despondent cries, the menacing roar of far-off but ever present machinery. “absurdities & echoes” is a strange little piece, a calm atmosphere only broken by slobbering vocals, echoing howls and military drums. “abhorrence” opens with horror movie scratchings, and builds into a tortured sprint, drums and vocals competing in intensity, until the bottom drops out. After a brief moment of weightlessness, w&r is off again, sprinting into the void. -ed. surachai – embraced self-released, 2013 for years, i thought my dad was the coolest person because of how much he knew about music. i remember sitting in the bucket seat of his '57 chevy, watching him sing along to the radio, clicking his wedding ring on the windowsill, and just being in awe of how many songs he could sing along with flawlessly. i wanted to be just like him, with a collection of battered records, and the knowledge to talk about how influential bands were. just to be this font of information, tossed out easy as breathing. anyway, this is a long way of saying sometimes dreams come true, and I can tell you that surachai sounds like krallice at their densest, with the high pitched shimmering of liturgy and the most interesting drums on a black metal release i've heard all year. there's a circular motion to the drumming that almost mirrors the wash of tremelo picking, and it is really fucking cool. the glitchy electronic intros and outros are delightful as well. i wish my bike was as cool as my dad's car, but at least I know a lot about dumb heavy metal. -ed. the howling wind – vortex self-released, 2013 it's worth noting that all the shit started with heavy metal, not drones, not the encroaching blackness, but guitars and long hair and the horns. sitting somewhere between the first and second wave, the howling wind provides a delightful reminder of how fuckin' fun black metal can be sometimes. -ed. hate meditation – scars indie recordings, 2013 azentrius is the type of human who will throw out tidbits like “hail the mushroom cloud” in interviews. he is also known as blake judd, the heart behind long running chicago black metal band nachtmystium. however, those expecting anything along the lines of the drugged out industrialisms present nachtmystium is known for will be sorely disappointed. those looking for a grim dose of traditional scandinavian style black metal, keyboards and all, will be overjoyed. i'm shocked no-one seems to be releasing this on tape, as this begs to slowly degrade over repeated listenings. -ed. vattnet viskar – sky swallower century recordings, 2013 this is exactly what you would have expected, a well-done update and expansion of the quasi-cascadian sound vv showcased on their debut ep. channeling more isis than agalloch, vv is at their best when they let their fangs out, like the vicious ending of “breath of the almighty”. “mythos” is maybe the best example of the blending of teeth and mountains, providing open spaces swirling with nick's snarls and the pummeling drums of seamus. -ed. moonknight – senmorta rising beast recordings, 2013 i cannot get enough of the ragged blackened punk/thrash aesthetic lately. moonknight used to be a bit more up in the sky atmospheric, but on this release, are completely comfortable rolling in the gutter. vocals tend toward the guttural, and the guitars generally skitter in the murk and grim, only shining briefly in the form of rusted steel style solos. the gazingmoonward opening to “a dying star” provides a respite from the motorcycle tempo of the rest of the tape, but the feral snarl at the end destroys any pretense towards beauty. -ed. Fell Voices - Regnum Saturni Gilead Media, 2013 The album begins with almost two and a half minutes of droning harmonium, which had me thinking I had put on a Nico album by mistake. Once the blasting white noise kicks in though there is no denying what I am listening to, though the harmonium does act as a welcome breather between the three ultra dense tracks. This is their most solidly defined, structured, and produced record to date. It is no coincidence that this Fell Voices album contains actual song titles and an album title to boot! I enjoyed all the band’s work before this; they just seemed indebted to their influences and frankly, just plain anonymous with no individual character. The rhythmic undertow that kicks in around the six-minute mark of the opener ‘Flesh From Bone’ is catchy as all fuck, it is this newfound sense of rhythm (not melody) that gives this particular album, power. Similar to the new Altar of Plagues album, the band has gained a greater grasp of ambiance, sense of space, and dynamics. - Patrick Woe – Withdrawal Candlelight, 2013 ‘Quietly, Undramatically’ was released in 2010 to great acclaim from critics and fans alike, the new album dropped with very little fanfare. Though to be fair, that album was a bit more melodic and label probably figured that they could push it a bit more. Withdrawal definitely represents the band at its darkest and heaviest, while at the same time exploring other parts of their sound. ‘Sound of My Undoing’ starts off with band’s hardcore roots in full display before going into a Katatonia/Anathema section, before ending on some retro thrash. The solos in ‘Exhaust’ definitely recall classic Metallica. Perhaps not as consistently strong as the last album, it is worth checking out as the band makes small steps outward. -Patrick Locrian - Return To Annihilation Relapse, 2013 I’ll be honest, the last Locrian albums I heard were ‘The Crystal World’/’Territories’ back in 2010. I was pleasantly greeted with the first track that starts off like John Carpenter at his most haunting, before filling the air with airy, dreamy, warm drones. The next track sounds like Locrain of yore but with a very menacing sense of restraint and purpose. ‘Two Moons’, features clean acoustic guitar (gasp!) against a dreamy backdrop that recalls Popul Vuh at his most serene. The title track is downright anthemic for fuck’s sake. I don’t know what happened but I am digging this album big time and I’m really looking forward to catching up on all the albums I have slept on. - Patrick aksumite first came to our attention as a result of their inclusion on a yearend list published by NPR. lars gotrich waxed enthusiastic about their fulllength “prideless lions”, and that was enough for the combined ears of black metal of the americas to perk up. aksumite play a stark and unforgiving kind of punkish black metal, with a clear affection for the first wave. we e-mailed CSR about an interview, and this was the result: both members of the band have taken the names of herbivores. this seems an interesting decision since your band sings about "all the things that the most extreme fringe black metal hates, rolled into one"(http://ravishinggrimness.blogspot.com/2012/03/interview-withcolloquial-sound.html) and named your second tape "prideless lions". a clear attempt to indicate a break from the "herd", so to speak. what made you choose these pseudonyms? This is Dukula Menelek speaking on behalf of Aksumite. Well, “interesting” is of course subjective. Why do you find it interesting? Sorry to start the interview with a question, as answering a question with a question is endlessly irritating. Didn’t you kind of answer your own question? Does black metal hate herbivores? I’m not aware of the dietary concerns, restrictions, enforcements or ethics of the genre at large. The second album is titled Prideless Lions which makes note of two things: one, obviously a group of lions is called a “pride” much like a gaggle of geese, a murder of crows, school of fish etc. So in saying we are prideless lions we are indeed noting a break from a herd mentality. What is that herd, or what it means? That’s not really up for discussion. The second notion of being without pride refers to a rejection of the self. Becoming an empty vessel, but of course all good things take the shape of the vessel. We think we’re providing a good conduit for the music. We’re not a terribly original band, but I do think we’re a good band. I’ll take quality over originality any day. Like Frank Zappa... totally original. Totally unlistenable. despite being considered as impressive as the roman empire at one point, it certainly seems that the aksumite kingdom is glossed over in most general historical texts. what was your introduction to this aspect of african history, and what about it struck a chord with you? You are correct in noting that this empire truly is “forgotten.” Even worse than most forgotten kingdoms that have been lost to time and a non-surviving historical record, I will take this opportunity (thank you!) to note that the West, the capital “W” west doesn’t give a damn about Axum because it doesn’t fit into their side of the story. How do you grapple with these concepts as a westerner? It totally undermines all of the deep-seated history that’s being taught in the West. It started long before slavery. White people (in general, and yes, that is a horrible, sweeping generalization) have always been surprised to see people of different colors than their own living a valuable, good life. We saw this in Mexico and South America with the great Aztec empire and to some extent the Maya as well. Of course Africa was organized. Of course it’s people were smart. Of course it’s people had great kingdoms and developed technology, writing, language and art. How do we first begin to look at those early interactions. Where in the historical record exists a moment in time where black people from that point on were considered sub-human. Primal savages. When? Can we find that? No. So, of course the ancient world was aware of the great land of Axum. They traded. They interacted. They were very much involved. The Queen of Sheeba being the most notable example from antiquity. Where did things turn? It was certainly before the slave trade, but the slave trade allowed these horrifying concepts to flourish. Look at the slave trade - it was primarily Western Africans, for obvious logistical reasons. Beyond that, the corrupt leaders, and we are talking ethnic African leaders, sold out their own people to whites. The rulers and politicians of the day were selling out their own people. They’re as guilty as the slave traders... but look at West Africans. Then look at Ethiopians. They’re different. Very much how Korean people and Chinese people are considered “Asian” but bear very different ethnic structures. You can tell a Korean person apart from a Chinese person, just as it may be easy to tell apart someone from Ghana from Ethiopia. What is going on in Ethiopia? They’ve long been the exception to Africa. When people try and paint Africa as this primitive planet that must be colonized... you always had the problem of Ethiopia. And so, for the most part, its left out. It’s pushed aside. “Forgotten” because it doesn’t fit in with program of western history. As if history is merely just what we know. History of course is not just what happened, but the recorded record of what happened. In Axum, there is quite a historical record. So why is it being pushed aside? That’s not a question for a guy in a band to answer, but I’m ok with raising a flag about it. how would you address criticisms of cultural appropriation? I want to be clear that the question is not meant as an attack, but an attempt to address/discuss the consistent sort of cultural trespassing that metal often engages in, where religious/cultural symbols are often used as an othering agent, without any clear understanding of their original use/intent. Isn’t it true that almost every culture has trace elements of another culture? It is what binds us together as humans. In Axum, we have a people group who believe, truly, they are god’s chosen people. They have many reasons, like some people believe Ethiopians are descended from Menelik I, the child of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheeba, or that they Dan, the lost tribe of Israel, or they are the descendants of those who fled to Egypt when the temple was destroyed in 586 BCE. I understand metal often steps on the toes of places it doesn’t belong. As you said, cultural trespassing. However, I think that’s all part of the game. That’s what life on this planet is. The Ethiopian Orthodox church isn’t on a crusade to erase the Judaism of Israel, nor is Israel (the jewish peoples, not nation) on a crusade to abolish Ethiopian judaism. They claim to be one and the same, but are totally different. I would imagine that it’s got to be difficult for both sides. How could you not feel that the side your on is the correct side? They share a lot, and sometimes those similarities can be used against them by their enemies when it should bring them together. Sometimes looking in the mirror is the scariest thing. We are all taking from each other a bit, and that’s a beautiful thing in my opinion. I’m always torn though... I want to understand people, but sometimes there are things you just can’t know, so we always want to tread lightly. I like the idea of a deep, hidden past. We are not trying to step on toes while we are digging, we are just searching... deeply. Of course, when someone said “cultural appropriation” it’s almost always negative. I don’t think reading books and writing songs is a deep level of cultural appropriation. Some people would say that we don’t have a right, or it’s not our place, but we feel a deep connection and we don’t want to lose that. We aren’t inspired to put pen to page about deep personal issues, introverted emotional stuff. So, we never want to jump on people’s bad side, but also we are are proud to be singing about this stuff, even if it’s from our own twisted point of view. according to the man behind Colloquial Sound Recordings, most of the people involved in the various bands on CSR used to be involved in punk/hardcore. How did you two go from a scene that builds a myth of equality and approachability between creators and listeners to assuming pseudonyms and releasing tapes limited to 39 copies? Yeah, we still are. Any sort of “myth of equality and approachability” is totally on the end of a listener. I don’t think any good punk or hardcore band writes music to be approachable or present themselves as equals. Think about that statement. That’s just stupid bullshit that people force on the music. Was Fugazi focused on being approachable or writing good music and expressing themselves how they saw fit? You’re talking politics, not music. Fucking BORING. As for our choices of pseudonyms, it’s in a grand tradition. Dale Nixon, Penny Rimbaud, Henry Rollins, Lux Interoir, Human Furnace, Joey Shithead, Dr. Know, HR, Jello Biafra, Joe Strummer, Raybeez, Johnny Thunders, Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, The Ramones, everyone that’s ever been in the Misfits, Iggy Pop...do I need to continue? Those are just off the top of my head. As for the limitation of the tapes, it’s not like when those 39 tapes come out they sell out in 10 minutes or anything. We aren’t some trendy LA or NYC band with throngs of hip shitbirds clamoring over the cool, limited release at some fucked up house show filled to the brim with e-bay-back-patch people trying to outInstagram each other. No. Absolutely not. Our core fan base are real, devoted people from all over the world who have been with us, for the most part since the beginning. We’ve eliminated almost all posers with our music. It’s hard to get into it if you’re looking for Darkthrone re-hash. There is no huge social structure of buyers, we’re in Grand Rapids, MI. Not some big city. There is no scene, or at least, we’re not a part of it. We are not as big as people think we are. We aren’t selling as many tapes as people think we are. That’s part of what I love about this band, we are such a weird thing to a lot of people, so when someone buys a tape, or e-mails us telling us how much they dig us, we are over the moon. We don’t blow them off or act too-cool or anything. We are super-grateful and humble. I like that we aren’t from a big city with a built in fanbase of kids looking for counter-culture stuff. It would be sweet if we could sell out 200 copies of a cassette in a few hours like some bands / labels I won’t mention, but we barely sell 39 or 24 tapes sometimes. Of course people whine when they don’t get one of the 39, then we put out something in an edition of 100 and then those people don’t care. I’d like to think we have done a good job working with CSR keeping the stuff in the hands of the people who love it, and out of the hands of record-flippers and stuff like that. it's rare to hear a band that pulls most of it's influence from the first wave of black metal. what do you find fascinating about that movement/sound? It’s way better than the boring second wave Black Metal stuff. Celtic Frost, Venom, Mercyful Fate, Vulcano, Sarcofago, Sabbat (not the shitty band from England obviously), early Sodom and Destruction, and of course BATHORY are amazing. Look, I like some of the Norwegian stuff, but it all became this big media thing. Of course those early Darkthrone records had such a good look. It’s amazing. Looks great. Sounds cool. Of course the best Darkthrone material is the stuff when they’re ripping off Celtic Frost. It just became so synonymous with what is “BLACK METAL” or “true” or whatever. It’s not like you hear a Ramones record and go “this is punk” then you heard Minor Threat and go “no way! this is not punk!!!” That’s crazy talk. Music needs to grow and change. We love the depth and sonics of those first wave bands. I mean, have people heard Bathory? When did they ever make the same album twice? Do people actually listen to Mayhem? Or just buy t-shirts? They’re super-experimental. No two records sound the same! They rule. But truly, can you top any of the old masters? No. Not a chance. Of course some of the second wave stuff is cool, but it’s too monochromatic to be influenced by. There is no way to interpret it. It’s just rip off Transylvanian Hunger or a Burzum record. Which is what 99% of black metal bands are doing. That’s fine by me. It’s pretty easy to avoid. I love those records but to re-visit them doesn’t do it for me. Sorry. "the gleam of wetted lips" was the first release on CSR. One could argue that that positions Aksumite as the flagship band of that label. Did you feel any sense of pressure being placed such a significant position? Well, A Pregnant Light has double the amount of releases and sells quicker and more consistently, has more press than Aksumite. We are pretty standard and CSR has an experimental image that we aren’t really a part of. So, I would argue we are not the flagship band. Gratefully. So, we feel no pressure. "In Axum, there is quite a historical record. So why is it being pushed aside? That’s not a question for a guy in a band to answer, but I’m ok with raising a flag about it." Why isn't that your question to answer? You're already making a statement just by making this historical period the main focus of your group, why shy away from actively and clearly promoting interest in Axum? Does this attitude tie into your dismissal of political statements/stances in music? Well, it’s not my question to answer in depth as I don’t have a stake other than spiritually in those affairs. I have to be very careful how I word this... raising awareness is bullshit activism. It’s nothing. It’s useless. I do think though that we must be proud of that which we support and believe in. We can only raise the banner, it’s up to others to see. We wave the banner proudly but we don’t knock door to door with it. Axum is long gone. The descendants of those great kings and merchants and craftsmen and normal folks are alive today. They walk and talk. But they are not totally what their ancestors were. They are a living piece of that story. They are shaped by it. Axum is gone though. Now what exists is after-effects of the past. We are shaped by it... but it’s not there anymore. You know what I mean? I’m not promoting a current cause, but I am promoting a deeper understanding of the past that will help us gauge the future and discern the present. Basically when bands get too overtly political I feel like they’re dumbing it down to some extent. So, for the most part I hate it. You can’t paint a detail of the whole world or a whole issue in a song or album. The best you can do is capture a feeling, or emotion. There are bands I know and love that take hardline, defined political statements in their music, so I’m not saying I’m against all bands doing that. I do believe it’s not done well all the time. In our first question, I was attempting to communicate the disconnect I see in making music that is generally rooted in solitary aggression under the names of animals in the middle of the food chain, animals who base their survival on their tendency to travel in large groups. I think that's an interesting choice, and I was wondering about the thought process there. Well, haha. I admit was was having a bit of fun answering that question. We aren’t solitary by choice. No one really cares about our band. We sell all these tapes (I mean, not THAT MANY tapes) and people just assume we don’t want to play live. We never get asked. Booking shows? No one in our area cares. They only care about drinking “craft beer” and bitching on the internet. Nothing unique to our area. We are in the middle of the food chain. We do survive in the pack. We aren’t buying our own music, people who run with us are. The people that support CSR. It’s a total pack mentality. The aggression of the music comes directly from the soul, but it’s an outward expression. It always has been. We put it out there as a call to others to run wild with us. A Pregnant Light showed me this dude on his twitter feed making fun (I think, or maybe just pointing out in a snide way, which is making fun) of this group of kids walking by all wearing the same shirt at some fest he was at. APL was like, “that’s super cool!” I agreed!!!! That’s those dudes’ pack. Their herd. So what if it was THE EXACT SAME SHIRT. Everyone at those damn fests look the same anyway. So, you’re telling me a Bolt Thrower shirt and a Carcass shirt are two different things? No way. That’s foolish. It’s all about the pack. The herd. We’re leaders. We do what we want, but we do it with the support of those who run wild with us. It’s small, but they’re with us. We don’t make music that’s trendy or stupid. When Walia Ibex and I write a song together, we truly feel like it’s the best thing we’ve ever heard. We are in love with our music. We think it’s great. Now, we both understand that we are only two people in the world, but similar to when a child is born. The mother and father think the world of it, but ultimately the doctor and nurses and whoever else is there when the baby is born thinks it’s just another baby. Our supporters are family to us. They love what we do almost as much as we do. We are eternally grateful for that. The moment we deviate from the pack is the moment we wither and die. The World's Problem: A Conversation with Dressed in Streams Communication is a funny beast, especially when you're operating through the multiple filters of email. We want to be clear that we are huge fans of the music produced by Dressed in Streams, and wanted to delve into the inspiration behind it, and the motives of the creator. No disrespect was intended to any human, living or dead. Dressed In Streams has releases on CSR, and also an upcoming CD compilation on Handmade Birds. Their work is of tremendous worth, and you should make it part of your listening habits. One of your tapes is titled Azad Hind, or Free India. Azad Hind is short for Ārzī Hukūmat-e-Āzād Hind, an organization that was created to overthrow British rule of India by Indian exiles, most notably Subhas Chandra Bose. If we're not mistaken, his image graces the cover of said tape. Azad Hind, as you must know, given the pictures of the Indische Legion(Indian Legion) on the inside of the tape insert, was mostly recognized and supported by the Axis powers. Given black metal's problematic history with fascism, why choose to devote an entire release to this movement? Has there been any sort of kneejerk reactions, either an embrace from the more problematic members of the black metal fan-base, or write-offs from those who smell even a whiff of possible Nazi ties? I devoted two releases to these concepts. I’m Indian, it’s a part of my culture and my family past. At the very least, it’s interesting material. I don’t know if there have been any reactions good or bad. I don’t sit around looking up what people think about me on the internet. I don’t give a fuck. If you’re offended by history I don’t have anything to say to you. I just feel sorry for you. It’s not like I’m making any of this up. I would have to guess that either people don’t care or don’t get it. One of the most famous sayings attributed to Subhas Chandra Bose is "Give me blood and I will give you freedom". This was a man driven to remove the British from ruling his country, so much so that he was willing to ally himself with powers just as totalitarian. Is there a point where the battle for colonial freedom infringes upon the rights of other humans? We should be clear, we are not attempting to paint Bose as a fascist or a racist, just wondering if you believe there is a point where the maxims "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" and "the ends justify the means" fall apart. Netaji said that and so has every other world leader, in those words or in their actions. To some extent. It’s not a unique concept to world affairs. How can you say “is there a point where the battle for freedom infringes on the rights of other humans?” Like the people Indian people’s suffering and colonization doesn’t count? What would YOU do if you, your people, your family, your culture and everything your homeland stood for was being systematically destroyed and dismantled by some people from the other side of the globe who are just there to make money? What would you do? Would you fight? When your people are dying you don’t have the privilege of being a self-righteous prick. People want things to be so clearly defined. People want “good guys” and “bad guys” but if you look at media or television or movies, it’s full of anti-hero heroes. People who are despicable, morally reprehensible and these are presented as the good people. It’s entertainment. Yet, when we look at real life situations, we can’t use that same filter it becomes too real for people. People can watch a show about a serial killer that kills serial killers but they can’t deal with a brown person with a swastika on their arm. And the latter really happened. It was a real think. Not some fiction. To break apart the “enemy of my enemy is my friend” is not really applicable here. It’s not my job to educate people in thousands of years back-history, but the Aryan race has deep roots in the Indian sub continent. Caucasians does not mean Aryan, necessarily. I’m not a Nazi. I should probably make that clear. I’m not a Nazi. Or a Nazi sympathizer. The Third Reich were very interested in tracing the Indo-Aryan race lines. It led them to India and Tibet in the years before WWII, seeking the roots of their race. Linguistics are are really the biggest clues we have to this theory. The Out-Of-India theory it’s called. The Nazis had a huge respect for India, it’s people and it’s history. Look at the swastika - it’s not some pagan Germanic heathen thing. It’s an Indian symbol. It’s no news that the Nazis were total dicks, and had this big Nordic Aryan master race thing, but they traced it back to India. Again, no one is interested in hearing this because it doesn’t fit into their ideas of Nazis hating all non-whites. They committed some of the most vile, heinous acts ever to take place on this planet. Those acts cannot be distilled into any sort of easy to digest compendium. Most people have the basest of understanding. Politics, racism, fascism, colonialism and dominant power are reliant on feeding the masses a load of bullshit that is easy to understand and spun a certain way. For the most part, people aren’t interested in the truth. They’re interested in themselves. As long as they can get up in the morning, go to work, get paid, buy shit that makes them feel better, hang out with their friends and family, and do that until they die - they’re happy. they don’t really care about what’s good or what’s right. As long as their little sphere is uninterrupted, they are willing to “drink the koolaid” to borrow a cultural phrase. There is a moment in the documentary "Until the Light Takes Us" where Fenriz talks about black metal as a reaction to the encroachment of Christianity and capitalism on Norwegian traditions/sense of self. In a way, one could argue that a strong anti-colonialism bias has been with black metal for a long time, but it's rare to see it expressed in reference to such a specific time and place. Why do you think the Free India movement is worth exploring through the lens of black metal? It’s a part of my history. I suppose it’s no different than the Norwegian guys singing about Odin. I’m just singing about stuff from my cultural past. I want to make clear that I obviously wasn’t there, but the effects of colonialism are well documented. I don’t want to sit here and say “I’m so repressed” or anything stupid like that, especially when there are real people living today that are suffering deeply. I’m just exploring history as it relates to me. I’m happy to bring things to light that normally wouldn’t be seen in black metal. Most people don't reference a specific time or place because they're uneducated twats. They just rail against some vague concept. It's irritating and stupid. you were recently part of the SVN OKKLT compilation. how did this inclusion come about? Contractual obligation. there is a marked difference in recording fidelity between your self-titled release, and the releases afterwards. what prompted this investment? Is this a serious question? I’ll go with “contractual obligation” in the interest of entertaining myself in these ridiculous couplets. if our readers were interested in finding out more about Ārzī Hukūmat-e-Āzād Hind, where would you recommend they start? A library. That doesn’t mean a cursory google search. Or, they can fuck off, that’s always a welcome option. Our first round of questions ended here. In the interests of attempting to accurately represent our intentions, we thought it was best to attempt to clarify some of our original questions. We sent these two follow-up questions: It should be noted that Azad Hind was heavily supported by the Imperial Japanese government(the regime behind the Rape of Nanking, among other atrocities) for much of their existence, in addition to their brief association with Nazi Germany. It should also be noted that the question was not one of fighting oppression, but a question about the allies one chooses in that fight. I should have clarified that the consequences of such associations should have been considered as well, as well as perhaps the different considerations one must make as a leader compared to a private citizen. I will absolutely acknowledge that we sit in a privileged state in discussions like these, as we are both distanced from the events in question, by both time and space. We did not mean to use judgmental language(and completely apologize if that was the case), but were merely attempting to ask for your take on a very obviously complicated situation. It's the subject of your art, and we were interested in how you interpreted that situation. With that being said, we have a final question.In multiple points in this interview, you indicate a disregard for how your work is received. Why record and release your music if this is the case? Why promote it? You’re correct in some sense. It is about oppression. The things it drives you to do. The allies you choose to help you break free. We do sit here quite privileged to be able to discuss these things, but the blood of the past stains us still. Of course there was a long association with Japan, and if you're saying that the Japanese government is responsible for any more atrocities than any other government, then you're wrong. Of course, I don't believe that's what you meant. I suppose the point I would make is that every government is twisted, I don't think the Indian council was perfect, nor would they have been if things worked out. They would fuck up and be corrupt just like everyone else. I have extreme distaste for most leaders and politicians. What I do have huge support for is military and people who fight for something they believe in. I understand that not everyone is a warrior but my heart goes out to those who fight, as it does to those who clean up the mess at home. So I said I don't care, and to be specific, I don't care about the NEGATIVE things people say. That should be obvious. I take the good, leave the bad, and if you have something shitty to say you can fuck off or not listen. I don't really actively promote it. I leave that to CSR though they don't do much either. I suppose if enough people tell me it sucks iI will quit asking people to put it out. I will always make the music. But maybe eventually it will be just for me. I don't mind sharing it though. If you like it, then that's cool. If you don't then move on. I don't care about people that don't like this band. Obviously. This is all a total pain in the ass. writing about deafheaven has become an ideological war of strawmen. we got a chance to speak to george(singer of deafheaven) before their sold-out show at the subterranean in chicago to get a glimpse into the lifestyles of those who write black metal about the rich and famous. we found, shock upon shock, he's a human being who likes black metal a lot. our conversation lies below: It seems like your band has this oppositional mythology built up around it where journalists are eager to paint you as non-traditional, unaccepted hipsters, and it seems like that isn't strictly the case? I'm thinking of things like: you've released material on Flenser Records, Aesop Dekker championed your demo when it came out, and you've received an extraordinary amount of praise for “Sunbather” from a variety of credible metal and non-metal sources. Do you think this oppositional narrative that's being built up really exists, or it is more of a journalistic gimmick? Everyone needs to find their own way to originally promote something that has been promoted in a certain light over and over. So I understand if someone wants to take a controversial disposition on our band and use that to inflate our sense of popularity, prove we're important by recognizing the fact that we're not necessarily included among the traditional black metal elite. That's fine. I know how journalism works. It's all good. You're doing your thing, I'm doing mine. At the same time, I don't view us like that at all. Like you said, our history shows, as well as just my own personal feelings, that I'm very in tune with this style of music, and though I'm very appreciative that major media outlets have recognized the record, that it no way means that we've abandoned outlets that directly deal with music of our subculture. It seems that a lot of times in the punk or metal subcultures there is this kind of attitude that is anti-capitalist, anti-any sort of nicety. It seems like on your new record there is a reaching out for the traditional American Dream, the idea of a dream house. I was wondering if you could talk about the role of capitalism as a thematic idea? Honestly, the only reason it's talked about now is because it's something I've dealt with my whole life, and really extremely since I was 15 or 16. That's ten years, and that's ten years since I was kicked out of my house at an early age. I delved really deep into punk/anarcho beliefs, and didn't have a job for a long time, didn't have a place to live, squatted with friends. As a realist, I've lived that lifestyle, and I feel like it served me well in terms of giving me a well rounded psyche. I feel like I have a well rounded view after so many years to recognize that not everything wealth is bad. Those who have never had it, strive for it. Those who don't necessarily need it, want it. A lot of it has to do with cred and stuff like that. Most anarcho-punks I know grew up middle class. They have resources. They could literally drop out of the scene tomorrow and get a normal job because their dad hooked them up. I've never had that. I feel like to actually understand poverty and struggle could only lead you to wanting something that wasn't. People glamorize that sort of lifestyle, and that's ultimately what made me abandon that whole way of thinking. I'm sleeping in a van, I have a blanket, and one of the windows is cracked, and it's raining, and there's moisture, and it's dropping onto my head while I'm laying here. I could read a million books about how this is cool, but is it? This fucking sucks. And to be looked at negatively, like, oh, you're not down with the struggle, on the contrary, I'm well familiar with it. I think that everyone when they hit that sort of a low, wants to strive for something that's a little better. I never would think I'd get to the point of owning a two story house, that will never happen, but self-sufficiently, having an apartment, being comfortable, some sort of normalcy, I think that's something to be valued. I think that's something that's very undervalued from a lot of people. A lot of the new record seems to be concerned with the fleeting and the transient, to the point where some of the lyrics are inspired by a text conversation. Even the images of wealth seem like passing moments, and I was wondering if you could discuss transience as a theme? In the time this record was written, we've been very transient. I have a place to live, but it's very minimal. I share a living room. I sleep on the floor. A lot of my relationship strengths come from traveling, so yeah, I think you'd be accurate in understanding that a lot of it comes from a displaced point of view. There's a quotation you have on the record from “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” which is read by one of the guys from Alcest, right? Stéphane. Yeah! Could you talk a bit more about the reasons behind choosing that quotation? In a previous interview you said it “screams insecurity”. Yeah, it does. Anyone familiar with that book, Tomáš, the main character, feels a lot of sexual and romantic insecurities and thus acts out in a way where he has separated the two. So there's this difference between a romantic relationship and a sexual one, and I've sort of dealt with in the last couple of years. That's a book I've been a fan of for years. I thought it would be cool to incorporate directly and add that theme. It was more of an additive idea. It was last minute, so to speak, but at the same time, something that fit in very well with how I was feeling and how I thought the record was going to pan out. There seems to be a significant shift, lyrically, from the last record to this one. Roads to Judah seemed a little bit more abstract, there weren't a lot of concrete names. WellWould that be an accurate representation? Yes and no. Roads really dealt with one subject matter, and that was a summer that I lived, I guess, not just a summer, part of a year where I lived. That dealt with a lot of substance, a lot of drinking, a lot of drugs. Before Deafheaven was what it was, before I was able to utilize this project into something I could filter through emotionally, otherwise, I'm kind of a shut-in. Not that I'm an anti-social being, just in terms of real personality. I think that I coped with a lot of weird things with heavy partying, and Roads pretty much deals with that. It's linear in a sense. There was a lot of confusion during that time. I think in a way, that reflects in the lyrics. This time around I was much more able to step back, and have a self-analytic view of things and be able to concretely think about what was going on, and my actual reactions to them, rather that being frustrated with my lifestyle and jotting it down on paper. You originally self-released your demo. Would you have tried to go that route if you hadn't had a deal with Deathwish? Everything would have been self-released. Unless anyone had had an interest. really. We had talked to Flenser for awhile about releasing Roads, and at the time we didn't have any material going on. I wasn't sure about the whole thing at the time. When we started this band we had no aspirations, and when they[Flenser] hit us up, I was like “No fucking way. This is crazy”. But I told them, I don't know what I can do for you. That time came and went, and in the period in-between, we had gained a little bit of grounding. We were like, “OK, well if this ends up being a thing, which it may, how do we approach it? Do we ignore all our of opportunities, or do we agree that this is something that not a lot of people are offered, and we should be grateful and take advantage?” Around the time that Deathwish approached, we were like, OK, not necessarily in our niche, but we were willing to take a risk, and it was obviously with a label that's been established, and so we went for it. Starting out, everything was free. I just didn't know what I was doing, neither of us did. Kerry[Kerry McCoy, Deafheaven's guitar player] and I wrote that demo by ourselves, the same way were did Sunbather, and we were very carefree. Half-way carefree, half-way insecure, like “We don't give a fuck, because who gives a fuck about us?” So Deathwish just contacted you guys? Yeah, they were fans of the demo. They originally wanted to put out the demo, and we said “Well, the demo's cool, but we've being doing some other shit, and if you're down to put out a new record, let's do it. Why not?” Without even hearing it or anything, they were like “Ok, just let us know.” A couple months later it was finished, and they put it out. You've briefly talked about the role your family played as inspirations on this new record. Can you talk about the role your family has played in your music? Has there been any kind of reaction to the amount of coverage you guys have been receiving? They've very supportive. At the same time, when you divulge a certain amount of detail that is that personal, it's a little hard to swallow, because your parents aren't used to seeing a creative manifestation of your relationship with them. I told them, there's a couple of interviews that dealt with personal family matters, and I hope you understand, this is just what I want to represent for this record. They've been very understanding. I have great parents. I have a great family. I feel like everyone has their issues with that, it's a very universal problem to have. While I wasn't apprehensive about talking about it, and I understand other points of view, overall they've been supportive. They really are great. They like to see the mild success we've had, they're very appreciative, and enjoy it. It's cool. I read about fifteen interviews preparing for this, and I feel like in most of them, you're asked about your influences. There's a couple usual answers, like, oh yeah, that makes sense, and then you guys throw out Third Eye Blind or the Cranberries. Could you expound on the influence of 90's pop? Honestly, it was just a returning to adolescence. I'm twenty-four. In my early twenties, and mostly in my teens, you have this total separation from pop. It's like “How underground can I get?” I am still, but especially at that time, I was thirsty for bands I'd never heard of. I was ordering records, and downloading ones I couldn't, just feasting on music. At a certain point, you become comfortable in that stance, and then you become comfortable enough in yourself to be like, “I liked that song when I was a kid.” Just becoming better musicians, and seeing it through their eyes. There's actually, I feel like, a good amount of merit in constructing a pop song. That's ultimately what it was, so many bands have these influences but at what point does it become easy and at what point does it become actually difficult to write something that's easy, something that's catchy? Catchy is the hardest thing that we've ever had to deal with, the hardest thing we've attempted to deal with. What's a riff that's meaningful and well-done and emotionally connects, while also being memorable and interesting? We delved into a lot of that, and it actually ended up being beneficial. I feel like this record couldn't have happened without those types of influences. One of the things I find appealing about so much black metal is that there is a really concrete sense of place. Could you talk about the influence of California on this record? Even with California, black metal is a huge thing. The Bay area has an insane scene. I've grown up worshipping... Like you said, the first time Aesop Dekker came to a show of ours, and I met him I was like “No fucking way.” I have been not only a Ludicra fan, but a Hickey fan, and an Agalloch fan, and when he did shit with Worm[Worm Ouroboros, presumably] I was a huge fan of that. And that was all cool, and I loved it, but I've been involved with it for so long. That's the music I've been listening to since I was 15, 16, and that's why I never felt the sense I had to prove myself, because it was always there, you know? To be challenging, to be interesting to ourselves, we had to expand outside that. We still retain some of those sounds, but I wanted more. I knew that we had that, I knew that we could do that, and I wanted to see what we could do. That was playing with major chords over a blastbeat. It's been done, I won't deny, like, any of the French scene. Those guys actually have become some of our good friends, and I've openly recognized them multiple times, but even still, that was always a goal because I felt like staying within that niche was just hindering, it was suffocating to a degree, because that's all you ever heard about. Not that we're not attempting to change anything, just throw our own twist on it. That was the ultimate idea. Going back to California, it's where I've lived for most of my life. You can't deny the aura it has, for good or for worse. Could you talk a bit about your compositional process? It's my understanding that Kerry writes music, and then you write lyrics to fit it...? Yeah, we write separately. The music is a little collaborative. He does most of it. I feel very fortunate to work with someone I feel I can connect with so well musically, I think he's a great guitar player. I throw my two cents in here and there, like change this riff, or... Mostly it will do with timing, and drum structure. Let's build up here, release here, yadda yadda. Lyrics are all done separately, that's just me on my own time. When it comes to a serious “let's write something”, I'll bring what I have to the table, he'll bring what he has, we'll both modify with one another. Although he doesn't have any influence on the words themselves, he definitely does on vocal structure. It's very collaborative. I guess, to be easy, primarily I take care of the lyrics, and primarily he takes care of the music. But everything is collaborative. He interjects what he needs to as far as vocal arrangement, and I do, as far as musical arrangement. after an final exchange of warm and sincere pleasantries, our interview ended, and george headed off to warm up, and we headed to get a decent view of their performance. deafheaven live is a communal experience, the band and the crowd feeding off each other. a remarkably diverse group of kids piled on top of each other to scream lyrics into george's face, and we stood slightly in back, and marveled. regardless of your personal feelings on sunbather, there is a chord being struck that is resonating outside of our small scene, and that is a tremendously interesting phenomenon to watch. it was also interesting to watch the humble and soft-spoken gentleman we'd talked to just twenty minutes earlier transform into the most intimidating mixture of ian curtis and henry rollins on stage. deafheaven is a band that plays music. the rest is up to you. current issue: INTERVIEWS WITH AKSUMITE, CHROME WAVES, DEAFHEAVEN, DRESSED IN STREAMS, AND YELLOW EYES FEATURE BY S. CZERWINSKYJ REVIEWS PHOTOGRAPHY