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