1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the musical project since the recording of the new album?
01) I'm very methodical when it comes to recording music. I wrote Wings of the Joyful and immediately moved on to a new project. I don't play live shows due to health concerns, so a constant stream of recorded material is my way of keeping busy. The Gaylord album is in the pre-release stage right now, so in between doing interviews and working through the boring admin side of things, I am recording tracks for the full length release of Cronenberg, my latest death metal project. The EP "Body Horror" was well received, so it's time to do a proper album for that project.
2.In March you have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
02) The new Gaylord album Wings of the Joyful is a huge leap musically and lyrically from the first album. For the first Gaylord album I wanted a raw old school black metal vibe, so I turned down the bass, added some distortion to the vocals, and wrote some fairly minimalist songs. But I didn't want to do that for the followup, so I have added inspiration from thrash metal, death metal, neofolk, and viking metal. The album is much more listenable this time to help carry it past what some people have described as a "meme band" - Gaylord is here to stay and the new album definitely shows it.
3.The new album has a different style than the earlier releases that had more of a raw style, what was the decision behind going into a different musical direction?
03) While The Black Metal Scene Needs to Be Destroyed has been my best selling album to date, I didn't want to just copy it for a followup. Especially since it's rotten. *Laughs* I want people to hear the riffs and say "oh okay this guy actually knows what he's doing."
4.Can you also tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with the newer album?
04) As for lyrics, I wanted to explore similar topics as the first album, but in a more serious manner. The first album has a lot of silly toilet humour jokes and references to memes and while the album definitely turned heads with the "humour" aspects, this time around I wanted to show I am serious about these topics. The lyrics are much more poetic this time around because I didn't want jokes and memes interwoven into an important topic like Holocaust denial (Borne From Inferno Winds.)
5.The lyrics on the new album also seem more serious than previous releases but you still subscribe to the same political beliefs, do you feel your older lyrics made you look more like a novelty project?
05) Yeah you are absolutely right. Novelty project, meme band, joke band, etc. I've been writing antifascist music since 2015 (Sea Wolves of the Atlantic) so I take politics very seriously in my music. Gaylord started off as a joke to "try something new", but we're not just a flash in the pan, we're the real deal
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
06) The artwork on the album was designed by a Columbian artist named Degeha. He's actually done some additional art for the project that will be revealed soon, but all I said for the cover art was: "It's called Wings of the Joyful, put a winged figure on there" and it came back looking awesome. I envisioned an angel, but he straight up drew Death with angel wings. The scythe was an added touch! Wings are a major poetic icon in the album's lyrics, so I am glad he's put together a very striking image to accompany that!
7.You are also a part of a great amount of musical projects, what is it that your bring into the music of 'Gaylord' that you are not able to do with your other groups?
07) Gaylord is my vehicle for political discussion. I have another black metal act called Suicide Wraith that is very much tied up in emotional events of my past. For the full length albums, I don't print the lyrics, the topics are that personal. Gaylord is different though. Gaylord let's me focus on topics that affect all of us.
8.You have also released a great amount of material with your other musical projects over the years, do you spend most of your time writing and creating music?
08) Yeah I sure do. Like I said, due to health issues I can't really tour around playing live, so recording loads of albums is my way of making up for that. I've always got something cooking whether it's a couple riffs, a notepad full of lyrical ideas, or just a good idea for a band logo. Sometimes the logo actually comes /before/ a single note is written. *Laughs*
9.You where also a part of'The Meads Of Asphodel' a band that made references to Jesus being a jew and also had a song called 'Jew Killer', how have your anti racist and anti fascist fans react to your being a a part of the band in the past and while they are not NSBM it is still offensive to people that have such views?
09) My time in the Meads was a confusing time for me, but I never back down from talking about it. My time in the Meads was the first time I was asked to join a "relevant" band, a band with an established fanbase. The vocalist / lyric writer Metatron has several "codices" where he explains (through thousands and thousands of words) that he's not a racist and here's what the songs "really mean." For example "J*wkiller" is a song about Pontias Pilate - the man who put Jesus to death. I only ever met the guy twice, my point of contact was the actual songwriter JD Tait - who oddly enough is a Jewish guy. I basically convinced myself "okay this band isn't racist" - and I maintain that JD and the drummer Andre aren't, those two guys are very down to earth people - but they are stuck in a band with Metatron. I left the band because I cannot associate with that man. While I find my time in the band regretful, I never turn away from my mistakes and /try/ to tackle them head on. In fact, the song "Silencing the Voice of God" is a diss track directed at Metatron. Oddly enough, another ex-Meads artist - Jaldaboath - has also written a diss track about Metatron. Anyway, at the heart of it, I have made mistakes and I never try to sweep them away. I fucked up and I will continue to try and make myself better.
10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your newer music by fans of black metal?
10) Reaction to Gaylord falls directly into one of two camps. People who absolutely love it and people who absolutely hate it. Most people get that the purposefully bad production and simple riffs are meant to be a joke lampooning the genre, but a lot of people who hate the band are convinced that the old school black metal albums sound awesome - but I used all the same techniques Burzum, Mayhem, and Darkthrone used! *Laughs*
11.What is going on with some of your other bands or musical projects these days?
11) Most of my projects are in a queue for their next release! Like I said, I have the new Cronenberg on the way, then it's probably time for a Sea Wolves followup, and then... who knows! Maybe Antitheist, maybe Olivia Neutered John. My imagination will always be pursuing new ideas for music.
12.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
12) That's a hard question tbh. I can't see myself playing live or traveling much in the future. For me, what I would love to achieve is just hit that sweet spot where my musical output is enough to live on without needing a so called "day job."
13.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
13) Lately I've been listening to a lot of Archspire, but I can't say they are an influence because I have absolutely no idea how they perform the way they do! *Laughs* There's a song on the new album called "Odd" where I was influenced by Billy Eilish for the verse vocals, but it just ended up sounding like Depeche Mode? So I guess everyone wins. *Laughs*
14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
14) Tell your friends and family that you love them, because you never know when someone will disappear from this plain of existence. Reach out to and stay in touch with those who are important to you.
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