Our band ‘Sons Of A Wanted Man’ consists of five people with diverse musical backgrounds and preferences with a collective ambition to experiment with different styles and write heartfelt music. We are living in Belgium and have been together since 2014.
2.In February you have your first album coming out,can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
The last couple of years we released two demos and an EP titled ‘Black Days Black Dust’, but ‘KENOMA’ is our first full-length album. We are very happy that this album will be released by ‘Les Acteurs De L’Ombre’ on February 7th, 2020.
Our music incorporates elements of different genres which include black metal, post-metal, shoegaze and hardcore. We all previously played in bands that limited themselves to one specific genre and we started ‘Sons Of A Wanted Man’ to do something different and diversify ourselves as musicians. We never explicitly planned to make this kind of music, but our sound spontaneously evolved in this direction by bringing together people with vastly different experiences and preferences. Hopefully people will appreciate our eclectic take on heavy music.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?
We leave our music completely open for interpretation because we strongly believe songs can have different meanings to different people. Even within our own band, we notice that some songs spark varying@ emotions in ourselves. Our album ‘KENOMA’ includes different themes, including how we interact with our planet and its inhabitants, but also some personal struggles.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sons Of A Wanted Man'?
The name is a heritage of our original intention to form a post-rock band. ‘Sons Of A Wanted Man’ was a name our bass player had in mind for many years before and given that long names are commonly found in post-rock, this seemed appropriate for what we were doing at the time. During the original conception ‘Sons Of A Wanted Man’ was nothing more than a name to us, so we can only add meaning to it in hindsight. Today, it can reflect the brotherhood between our five members and the fact that we strongly feel connected in making music together. Our rather unconventional name, especially for the music we are currently making, is also an advantage. ‘Sons Of A Wanted Man’ does not immediately reveal our genre of music and does not set certain expectations. This gives us more freedom to evolve.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?
The artwork was created by Simon Chognot, an amazing French illustrator and tattoo artist who works under the name ‘Cold Mind’. We really like the amount of detail in his style and the work he did for other bands like Link, Geranium and Lust For Death. We pitched an idea based on the concept of the album that time will eventually devour us all and we can see someone who is desperately trying to get a grip on the sands of time. We are extremely happy with how the artwork turned out on the gatefold packaging of our records.
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We always perform our songs on stage with as much energy and conviction as possible. Most of the time we feel completely exhausted after a set and that is always a good sign. Throughout the years we have played many shows, both small and big, that have left a lasting impression on ourselves. Unfortunately, we have only been able to play in Poland once, but this was a show we still talk about often. The mosh pit started during our soundcheck and did not stop until the last note of our set was played. Although we are a small underground band, the people treated us as rock stars, wanting to take pictures, helping us with our gear and buying us beers. We still remember the interesting and heartfelt talks we had with people after our show and this personal connection is something we appreciate most about being in a band.
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Given our daytime jobs and families, our band is unable to be on the road for extensive periods of time. Each year we invest the majority of our holidays in the band and play as many weekenders and shorter tours as possible. This will be the same with our new album, but we always need to monitor that we spread our shows and tours across the whole year. We are currently in the process of planning weekenders and shows. If anyone is interested in booking us, feel free to reach out.
8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and post metal?
We are always immensely humbled when people listen to our music, buy our merch or come to our shows. We never take this for granted and always feel overwhelmed when people from all around the world show interest in what we do. The last couple of months, even before our album ‘KENOMA’ is released, we have noticed that our reach has grown exponentially through the support and promotion of ‘Les Acteurs De L’Ombre’. The reactions to our music have been exceptionally positive and we have received messages from people to tell us how much our music means to them. We never imagined that this would happen, and we are extremely touched by this.
9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
With our album ‘KENOMA’ we feel like we have found our own sound and voice. Our future release will continue where we left but will undoubtedly be different in some regards. The last couple of months we have already been writing new material and although it is recognizable as ourselves, we have been trying some new things.
10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Our influences are vastly different between the people in our band. We all have a broad taste in music that is not limited to metal. Given the focus of this zine on Black Metal, some of our recent favourite bands in this genre are Ultha, Ash Borer, Wildernessking, Underdark, MGLA, Misþyrming, Blaze of Perdition, Afsky, Turia, Regarde Les Hommes Tomber and Rorcal.
11. What are some of your non-musical interests?
Most of our spare time is invested in this band and we see each other at least twice a week to rehearse our set, work on new music and organize all the practical things that come with running a band. Although we all have different interests, there is not much time to maintain other hobbies than our music. Nevertheless, we love to spend our free moments reading, watching movies, sporting or traveling.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We are extremely thankful you and the readers of Occult Black Metal Zine for showing interest in our band. Hopefully we will be able to make it to Poland again in the near future.
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