1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the solo project since the recording and release of the new album?
Absolutely. Since the recording and release of the new album, YOU ARE WORTHLESS AND I WANT YOU DEAD, I have been mostly busy with my regular day job while also planning what I will write for the next album in the DEMOGORGON discography. At the present time, I can't reveal what that will be as it's all just ideas and scraps of riffs that I have written when I pick up the guitar in my home studio. Besides that, I have also spent some time doing some soundtrack work for a project that an old friend of mine has been working on. It's very different to anything I do for DEMOGORGON and the challenge of writing in new styles has been excellent work for my mind.
2.In July you had released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
If I'm correct, the July release was going to be YOU ARE WORTHLESS AND I WANT YOU DEAD and was going to be released via my own bandcamp as an independent release before the opportunity to have my music sent to labels arrived. When that chance came up, I removed the album from my bandcamp and waited to hear back from labels.
As for how it differs from what I have released in the past, YOU ARE WORTHLESS AND I WANT YOU DEAD, is similar in style to three previous releases from DEMOGORGON. These releases are the two E.P's THE ANTI-HUMAN MANIFESTO and FUCK EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU as well as the full length album ANTI. These albums are written very much in the style of CARPATHIAN FOREST, as well as several influences from much of the heavy metal sphere, such as thrash metal, as well as some influences from crust punk music as well.
The first full length I released in DEMOGORGON which was titled THE BURNING LIGHT OF LUCIFER'S TRUTH, was very much inspired by late-era GORGOROTH as well as BEHEMOTH, particularly their album THE SATANIST.
The other two releases in my discography, those being HYMNS OF DAMNATION and FUTILE are both wildly different from any other recording I have done. HYMNS OF DAMNATION was heavily inspired by bands such as DARKTHRONE and BURZUM in terms of sound quality and writing. And the album FUTILE was inspired by various doom metal bands, especially funeral doom as well as some drone here and there.
3.A lot of your lyrics cover satanic topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the black arts?
My interest in the black arts remains purely academic. The idea of Satan in my music very much depends on the mood I am in when writing. It could be used in a more philosophical sense such as many lyrics that appear on THE BURNING LIGHT OF LUCIFERS TRUTH, as use of an aggresor against God and Christians, also from the same album as well as HYMNS OF DAMNATION, FUCK EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU, ANTI, and of course YOU ARE WORTHLESS AND I WANT YOU DEAD, and also as a God to be truly worshipped, which can be heard on almost any of my releases, except for FUTILE, which remains my only album with no references to Satan in any way.
4.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects you have explored with the music so far?
Other topics I have covered with my lyrics have been death, domination (sexual, physical, mental), anti-religion, suicide, depression, and nihilistic hate and blackened intent.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
I wanted the cover to be pure black so that when someone looked hard enough into it, their reflection would be staring back at them. I wanted to make it clear that the title isn't simply for shock factor. I wanted it clear that whoever picks the album up and looks into it to see themselves truly understands the message and intent of this album and the music within. YOU ARE WORTHLESS AND I WANT YOU DEAD!
6.With this project you record everything by yourself but have experience working with other musicians in the past, how would you compare the two?
There are pros and cons to both situations. When you work on music on your own, you are free to do whatever you like and without the need to consult or hold back or slow down and wait for others to catch up or understand your intent. This can backfire however if you are unable to know when to stop and simply say to yourself "that's enough, that's how this goes. No more". The downsides to doing everything yourself is that if you become stuck during the writing process, there is no one to bounce ideas off and possibly come up with something that may help the songwriting process move along.
The pros of working with others in a band is that collaboration efforts can produce truly brilliant art, and if you are lucky enough you become firm friends with everyone and it makes the work of writing music far more enjoyable. In even rarer cases, you may find someone who you can write endless music with and almost operate on the same wavelength in all thoughts and ideas. The last band I was in, I was lucky enough to have that connection with most of the members, but most especially the second guitarist.
7.In 20220 you also had released 3 full length's, do you spend a great amount of time writing and creating music?
In 2020, as we all know, everyone suddenly found themselves with alot of free time thanks to the COVID pandemic. The industry I work in as a day job was one of those industries that was forced to close down and reduce its workforce, so I found myself at home with a lot of free time on my hands. In order to keep myself from going mad, I decided to spend my days writing music of all kinds, and eventually when I picked up the guitar for the first time in a while, I was able to simply pump out one riff after another, one song after another, and after 6 weeks of solid writing, I had written enough material for 3 different albums. I then spent 4-6 weeks recording it all, mixing it, mastering it and then releasing it.
Most often, on my days off work, I will spend several hours in my home studio working on whatever project I happen to have at the time. If I have no real work to do in terms of a music project, I will use the time to simply fool around with my guitar and see if anything comes to me that I can use later down the line. At present I have roughly 2-3 hours of riff scraps and half finished songs in different styles for various projects that I have yet to sit down and attempt to turn into anything serious.
8.Recently you have signed to 'Sliptrick Records', how did you get in contact with this label?
I got in contact with this label through a PR firm who offered to present my latest work to various labels in the hopes of finding me a deal. After a few weeks of waiting anxiously, I was presented with my offers and Sliptrick Records had the most appealing of all the offers and so I did not hesitate to sign with them immediately.
9.On a worldwide level, how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
It's still very early in all of this, but from the reviews I have read of YOU ARE WORTHLESS AND I WANT YOU DEAD, the reaction has been one that I have greatly appreciated. It is always gratifying to see people truly enjoy something you have worked so hard on. If you have enjoyed what you have heard, I strongly urge you to listen to the rest of my discography.
10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
I truly hope that I am able to turn my passion into something that can financially support me so I can spend my days continuing to write and record music.
11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that you are currently listening to nowadays?
In my personal listening, I spend a lot of time listening to Black Metal, which shouldn't come as a surprise at all. The bands that get the most listening time these days are Mgla, Carpathian Forest, Mayhem and Bathory. I also have been listening to alot of Morbid Angel, SUNN 0))), 1914, Drudkh, Goatsnake, and Heilung.
For work purposes, in so far as doing soundtrack work for my friends project, I've been listening to alot of 80's goth rock, alt-rock, and shoegaze as that is the direction the music for that project is taking.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Firstly, I would like to thank you for your interest in my band. I would encourage your readers to follow me on my various social media platforms and to also listen to my discography if you have enjoyed my latest album. Thank you again for your interest in my band. HAIL!
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