Aspen Sanctum Interview

 

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

Aspen Sanctum is a black metal band from Kalamazoo, Michigan. The project came together after years of crossing paths in our local music scene, with a shared goal of creating music that balances aggression with atmosphere.

2.You have your first full length coming out in August, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?  Honestly, we are just making what sounds good to us.  It has a lot of influences but what we are putting together collectively is just what we want to play. We’re influenced by our environment and surroundings so it was important to develop a sound that pays tribute to that.

3.You refer to your music as being 'midwest black metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?

To us it refers to Black metal with a melodic sensibility characteristic of the music you would hear coming out of the midwestern United States.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music? We live in a natural world and as humans, our tendency is to change or destroy our landscape to suit our needs.  The lyrics are about how we need to stop doing this and instead, do what we can to live harmoniously with nature.  

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Aspen Sanctum'?

Aspen forests are common to the upper Midwest. Known for their colorful autumn leaves and pale bark, the word “Aspen” serves as a reference to the region’s distinct seasons. "Sanctum" suggests a sacred, secluded space. Aspen Sanctum is meant to evoke a vision of the natural world prevailing in the face of time.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover? This is a photo of a nature preserve in our area that is a nice place to walk and enjoy the outdoors.  It was taken by Bryan’s wife Katie, who rules.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

We have only played a handful of shows so far. In our live performances our goal is to play the songs as they sound on the album.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

No touring plans as of yet. We are sticking to casual shows in our area and hoping to expand out as opportunities arise.

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

Overall we feel good about the reception of our music.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

It is unclear the exact direction. Since we’re a new band we are hoping to build and expand our current sound.

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?

Many forms of black metal, melo-death, americana, powerviolence, are constantly in our personal musical rotations.

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

Thank you for checking out our music!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aspensanctum
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aspensanctum
Bandcamp: https://aspensanctum.bandcamp.com

Aspen Sanctum/To Withhold The Need To Conquer/Fiadh Productions/2026 Full Length Review

 

  Aspen  Sanctum  are  a  band  from  Michigan  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  with  elements  of  post  hardcore  and  Americana  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "To  Withhold  The  Need  To  Conquer"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Fiadh  Productions.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  elements   of  post  hardcore  also  being  added  into  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  and  the  clean  sections  also  add  in  touches  of  Americiana,  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  nature  of  the  Great  Lakes  and  Midwestern  United  States  Region.

  In  my  opinion  Aspen  Sanctum  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  black  metal  band  with  elements  of  post  hardcore  and  Americana  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Without  Illumination"  and  "Ancient  Sentience".  8  out  of  10.

  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aspensanctum

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aspensanctum
Bandcamp: https://aspensanctum.bandcamp.com