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MM -
What got you into playing doom metal?
Jon - When we were in
high school, we discovered bands like Acid King and Electric Wizard
through the blossoming internet. These bands changed the way we looked
at music forever. Then we discovered Reverend Bizarre years later and
decided that we must pick up the torch ourselves.
MM - What
are your influences?
Jon - Good, dark, heavy music! Reverend
Bizarre, Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Burzum, Black Sabbath, Acid King,
Earth, the Melvins, and a lot of other stuff too.
MM - How
does it feel to be releasing your first album next year?
Jon
- It feels excellent! As a band, it feels long overdue. I can not wait
to get a copy of the vinyl and hold it in my hands.
MM - Have
you had a moment where you’ve known you’ve made it as a band?
Jon - That hasn't really happened for us yet. Hopefully with the
release of our record we can finally experience this grand
achievement.
MM - If
you could play a gig with any band, who would it be and why?
Jon
- This is a ridiculously hard question. For the sake of the band, I'd
say opening for Black Sabbath. Personally, I'd resurrect Reverend
Bizarre from the grave and play with them.
MM - Did
you achieve everything you wanted in 2011? If not, what was missing?
Jon - I am still poor and all of my guitars and gear is still
broken, so no, I have not achieved everything I wanted. Although we did
get singed to a label and recorded in a studio. Although rough at first,
I felt as though it was a good year, for us anyway..
MM - What
are your goals for 2012?
Jon - We want to release this first
record and start working on some EP's, Splits and formulate our second
record. We also want to make enough cash to buy new gear. AND we want to
go to Japan.
MM - Who,
to date, have been the best band to play with?
Jon -
Consistently, time and time again, our favorite band to play with is our
friends NATUR from NYC. They bring such huge crowds to shows that it
makes traveling all that distance worth it. Plus they are very nice and
cool dudes.
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MM - Where
was your first gig and what was the reaction?
Jon - We played
a terrible little church turned into a venue in northern Rhode Island.
The promoter was a huge douchebag and the other bands were all hardcore
/ emo / screamo. It was the most terrible place I'd ever been to. We
invited our friends NIGHTLORE to come and play with us and we were all
so
embarrassed to be there. We all hid in this little kitchen because
everyone was giving us the evil eye. We we played, our close friends all
huddled up front, maybe 20 people strong, and then all of the other kids
stood in the far back and talked through our sets. The promoter kept
making us turn down our amps because "it was getting late" (it
was about 7 clock). What a terrible experience. We've accomplished more
in a year as a band that any of those fools from that show have
accomplished in their entire lives.
MM - Can
you remember how you felt before you walked out on stage that night?
Jon - I was so nervous, I was sweating and panting and dizzy. All of
my friends from school were watching me. I was so embarrassed by the
whole thing, I just wished it was over. But then they seemed to like it
so I suppose it went alright after all.
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MM - Do
the names that you’ve given yourselves have a symbolic meaning or are
they there just to provide a stage persona?
Jon - They are
reflective of our personalities.
MM - If
you could play anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Jon
- JAPAN. We want so badly to visit Japan.
MM - What
was your favourite album of 2011?
Jon - Ice Dragon's
"The Sorrowful Sun". What a great record. We have the
privilege of being really good friends with the Ice Dragon guys. They
are amazing musicians and people and we love them to death, and their
music is fucking great. For the love of Satan, listen to Ice Dragon!
MM - Is
there anything in 2012 that you are particularly looking forward to,
either gig-wise or musically?
Jon - We are excited to go to
Copenhagen. It will be the farthest from home we've ever been. I've
personally never left the states. It will be quite a quest indeed!I
dread the plane ride.
MM - How
is the songwriting done? Do you work together or is there one of you who
does it all?
Jon - I write all the riffs and the bass,
and then I teach Krolg the songs and he comes up with the
drums.
MM - How
long did it take to put together your debut album?
Jon - It's
hard to say, some of the riffs on the first record I've had for many
many years. It'd be fair to say about a year's time of serious practice
and song-writing.
MM - Any
words of wisdom or parting messages you’d like to share with our
readers?
Jon - Listen to Ice Dragon! Thanks for your
time!
~ The Wizard
Interview by: Kerry H
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