1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
1. Avakr is the result of boredom on mostly my part. I had mentioned to my musician friends that i wanted to start a straight black metal band, and no one seemed to show any interest besides Tucker. So we started jamming at my house and the album is pretty much those jams put to format.
2. How would you describe your musical sound?
2. i would describe it as extremely trancy black metal, yet infused with a very primal sound that Tucker created beautifully. all along we tried to keep it raw and primal and dirty. and luckily tucker hooked us up with Adam Sommer of Sygil records. he understood exactly what we were going for and helped us translate that sound to the album.
3.The lyrics cover alot of Shamanistic themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your vies on Shamanism and also do you have any interest in Paganism and Occultism?
3. The lyrics are definiately shamanistic, i think especially on the last track, A Cleansing Ritual in Hopes of Summoning Rain, which is based on a native american rain dance. But the lyrics are pretty much all tucker and he is extremely into occult and weird old things. Anyways, we both, at the time, were very into the idea of repetetive sound and motion being used to gain a greater understanding of ourselves, similar to the practice of meditation.
4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
4. If you find Tuckers main band, Thorr-Axe, you will find that the gist of the lyrical content is vikings and norse mythology. Avakr is one of the 2 horses that pull the chariot bearing the sun across the sky. The name literally means "Early Waker"
5. Currently there are only 2 members in the band are you planning on expanding the line up in the future?
5. No we are not. from the beginning we wanted to keep it as stripped down and raw as possible. and we felt that you cant get much simpler than 2 dudes
6. The new album came out on Sygil Records, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support they have given you so far?
6. Tucker actually new the guy, Adam Sommer, who pretty much runs it all, and talked to him about the project we started. The story is that he told him about the sound we were going for, and that we intended to keep everything as stripped down and primal as we could. And he said he would record us without so much as listening to us practice. As far as support, they recorded us for free, gave us absolute creative control, and even funded the production of the tapes. Honestly if you are trying to find someone to record you and you have a nice lo-fi sound, go to Sygil records.
7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
7. We haven't really heard a whole lot. Our intention was to put it out there and let people find it for themselves and let the album be promoted through people who liked it and want others to know about it. But all in all, any feedback we have got is great. We really appreciate all the positive things everyone has said.
8. What is going on with the other musical projects these days?
8. Tucker's main band, Thorr-Axe, is currently working on their second full length album. It's a concept album and from what i've heard from it it is a lot more mature and and complex then their first. Definiatly check them out if you love doom.
As far as myself, i recently started a pop project with my wife, called Adrenaland, that has a very sad, melancholic sound to it. Its the first thing outside of metal that i've ever done so im super excited for it.
9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
9. Well we are on a hiatus for an undetermined time, so i don't really know what will happen next. Tucker is very busy with Thorr-Axe and hasn't shown a lot of interest in Avakr as of right now. but i do plan on continuing with another album, when time permits, based on the life of Jesus, which i have been very fascinated with lately. But there is no telling how far along the road that will be.
10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
10. For both of us Wolves in the Throne Room were a giant influence. along with earlier Darkthrone albums and a lot of Drudkh's work. me personally for my drum style i was listening to a lot of Lantlos, Alcest, Weakling, and Les Discrets. Also this local black metal band, Deschain was a big influence on us.
11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
11. I personally love spending time with my family. i play video games with my wife almost constantly. and i spend a lot of time cooking, besides it being my main job haha.
12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
12. I just want to say that i hope people find A Word From Within and share it with everyone they know. its free for download on our Bandcamp. But i suggest buying the cassette version from the Sygil Records store. it's only 6 bucks and the sound quality translates so much better. Also thank you for giving us our first interview.
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