Fell Deeds Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Fell Deeds is a black metal band from Victoria, British Columbia. The band's music is rooted in both first and second wave black metal, but takes influences from other styles, particularly crust punk and d-beat.

2.Recently you have released a single, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

The single, The Book of Eibon is taken from our upcoming self-titled full length. It will be the opening track on the album. It's the most atmospheric and brooding song on the album, and serves as a fitting introduction to the rotten aural world of Fell Deeds. The aim with this song was to create a feeling of impending doom in the face of unfathomable cosmic chaos, and open the gates to elder forces to come forth.

3.The lyrics on the single cover the fictional 'Book Of Eibon', can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the Lovecraftian Mythos?

Lovecraft has long been one of my favourite authors, and I have a great love of cosmic horror in general. The Book of Eibon is a grimoire that has been referenced by a number of writers over the decades, starting with Clark Ashton Smith. The song makes particular reference to the 1981 Lucio Fulci film “The Beyond”. It's a blood-soaked surreal and nightmarish film that centres around the Book of Eibon foretelling the opening of one of the seven gates of hell, bringing with it the end of the world. Like most cosmic horror, the film focuses on the protagonists' inability to comprehend the true nature of what they are dealing with. The malevolent will of these forces cannot be undone, and man is rendered a lost and blind fool in the face of his own insignificance.

4.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects you have planned for later songs?

Other songs on the album will share in the themes of futility and nihilism found on The Book of Eibon, along with other horror/dark fantasy stories of my own creation, and the never-ending horrors of war.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Fell Deeds'?

The band name comes from The Lord of the Rings, specifically King Theoden's speech outside Minas Tirith before the Riders of Rohan ride to meet their fate in battle (“Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter! Spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered, a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!”). It seemed a fitting name to take for this project.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the single?

The artwork is done by Mark Jarrell. He designed both the band logo and the sigil of Eibon (originally from The Beyond) for the single cover. He has also done the cover art for the forthcoming full-length album. His art can be found here: www.markjarrellart.com

7.Is the band open to doing any live shows or is this strictly a studio project?

Right now it's just a studio project, but perhaps that will change in the future.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

If the right label shows interest a physical release would be greatly welcomed, particularly on vinyl, along with other merch such as shirts and patches.

9.On a worldwide level, how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal and crust punk?

So far it's been received well by a handful of people. Hopefully the wretched word of Fell Deeds will continue to spread to many others...

10.When can we expect an ep or full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

The debut album should be released online in the next month or so. As for the future, I have already started writing riffs for the second album. The new material so far has a much more pronounced crust influence, along with more Celtic Frost influence, plus some black thrash and death metal. Time will tell how it all comes together.

11.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?

In making the debut album I was heavily influenced by the likes of Darkthrone, Bathory, Mayhem, Celtic Frost/Hellhammer, Cobalt, Axegrinder, Amebix, Filth of Mankind, and Discharge. As I write these answers to your questions I'm listening to Sacrilege's Behind the Realms of Madness LP. While my music taste extends to many styles of music, lately my listening has been very dominated by crust and death metal.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thanks for the interview and support. For the latest news check out the band's instagram account @felldeeds. Stay tuned, this is only the beginning...