1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We are Loather from Vienna/ Austria, and we play an atmospheric and sometimes heavy form of rock you could somehow describe as metal.
2.You have your first full length coming out towards the end of June, musically how does it differ from your demo and ep’s?
In a way the album is a continuation of the sound we established on our last EP „Haganvelt". On that one we already had some of the elements we used on the new record, but we kind of refined our sound and were able to build more complete and fleshed out songs, while still retaining a somewhat freeform approach to songwriting. The heavy parts are heavier, while the slow and somber passages have more intent behind them. While it doesn’t feel like we arrived anywhere in particular, it sure feels like it’s the most complete work we put out yet.
3.You refer to your music as being 'Blackened Narcotic metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?
Somehow friends and former bandmates referred to our music as very depressing and moody in nature. Our former bass player once coined the term „heroin metal“ to describe our sound, and somehow this description stuck. The idea of music having a certain medicinal effect on people seems appealing. It is not to be understood as condoning drug use of any kind.
4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?
Because all of us have different approaches to the topic of lyrics, I can’t really give an uniform answer here. Lyrics are personal and how they come to be is always a very subjective process and experience. Nonetheless there are rather obvious themes of loss (e.g. loss of people, relationships, family) and mortality running through the new album.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Loather‘?
The original idea was just to have a cool sounding name. I also thought that the contrast of the music - which can be rather sad and gentle at times - and the brutality and intensity of the word loathe was kind of interesting.
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
It’s a wonderful painting by Harald Sohlberg called Vinternatt I Rondane (Winternight in Rondane). While the association between heavy music and winter or coldness is not a very new or innovative one, we thought the painting of a wintery landscape really fit the sound of the record.
7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
With Loather we kind of shy away of too much concepts for the live performance, except keeping everything rather minimal and trying to let the music speak for itself. If it feels intimate and more like a ritual than a „performance“ in itself, we have achieved our goal.
8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
We ran into some difficulties so we had to cancel our release show for the new album. So the first time people can hear the new album in full will be in August at Void Festival in Germany. There are no tour plans beside that at the moment.
9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and doom metal?
To call any reactions we’ve received on our music so far „worldwide“ would be a very daring thing to say. However, there are certain interesting moments and interactions. For example, we usually play with bands that operate in the so called metal scene, and there’s sometimes that feeling lingering around of not being „heavy“ or „extreme“ enough to qualify as a straight up metal band; but in the end, that’s a good thing and an advantage: to have your own sound, to sometimes confuse listeners, or straight up alienate them.
10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
This is hard to answer. I guess we somehow arrived at the current incarnation of our sound, and we will inevitably develop further along the way. This band's modus operandi has always been rather chaotic, and the musical results, while always a product of our influences and intentions, were always more of a lucky coincidence than a planned out affair. It would be very interesting to double down on the already existing contrasting dynamics in our sound - the silence versus the storm, so to say. Or maybe the next release will be much more quiet and melodic, who knows. Time will tell.
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?
Influences: Bell Witch, Darkthrone, Earth, Fluisteraars, Jim Jarmusch, Neil Young, Nick Cave.
Currently listening: Ryuichi Sakamoto, Felvum, Bathory, Squid, Nick Cave,
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We are glad that this album is being released finally and look forward to having it out there. Thank you for listening.
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