1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Beautality is my vision, my goal, my modus operandi and magnum opus realised. Everything I've wanted to create with music. Free from boundaries. An emotionally visceral, powerful tour de force to take the listener, and myself through a myriad of experiences and become lost within the music.
2.You have a new album coming out in March, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
Einfallen: A Tale Ov Torment & Triumph is the most advanced, dynamic, complete set of soundscapes I've ever created. Everything is more extreme, moving in different directions yet maintaining complete coherence and precise fluidity. Much of my growls are more more classicly black metal, whilst my clean vocals are far more daring with more frequent use of harmonies and vocal techniques. Many of which were stylistically improvised during recording.
This is the first album to truly capture the real sound of Beautality. Whilst Providence had quite a meaty sound to it it lacked some of the vital rawness one would hear from experiencing Beautality live. Previously my guitar was too processed and augmented, played through a modulator. This time round what you hear is exactly how I play and how Beautality sounds. I couldn't be more happy with the collective marriage of rawness and cohesion. I give Tom Dring (mixer/masterer) much kudos in capturing the essence of Beautality so wonderfully in Einfallen.
Einfallen does have quite a cinematic feel to it. Every song is a vast, complete journey through blistering highs and crushing lows and much in between. More Black Metal, More Doom, more Post Metal, More Rock, More Experimental/Avant Garde. Yet more Beautality. Oh and catchy- very CATCHY.
3.On your facebok page you refer to the band as 'extreme euphoric metal', can you tell us a little bit more about the tag?
I music I create in Beautality is so vast and varied it's incredibly difficult to pigeon hole for many, myself included. the popular consensus at least seems to be 'Atmospheric Post-Black Metal'. But in reality Beautality really don't sound like many other bands at all, given the wealth of influences inside. i chose Extreme Euphoric Metal because I believe it describes the sounds Beautality generates rather well. the underlying feeling of Euphoria is a prevalent one I feel be it in the rehearsal studio, recording or at home listening back. A deeply metaphysical, astral experience that takes the collective essences of my own and collaborators somewhere not quite of this plane.
I also didn't want to be any part of the now age old issue of what is 'trve'. I make music for myself. Music I wish to hear, music I NEED to hear. To maintain my own sanity. Not to appeal to any side of an argument. Whilst I love and listen to much of that (my favourite genre of music is unsurprisngly Black Metal, specifically the '90's sound') i like too many different things to just play one style of music. I certainly didn't create ambitious experimental 20 minute epics to impress anyone and I don't expect much in the way of chart success!
That said, knowing people 'get', like and love Beautality is a wonderful feeling to behold and never fails to make me smile, or nod with with silent approval.
Beautality are most likely Black Metal at the core but there are strong progressive and ever present rockin' elements that make me feel a different tag/s is warranted.
In essence; I make music that i want to listen to.
4.The lyrics on the new album have a concept to them, can you tell us a little bit more about them?
The concept/lyrics to Einfallen tell the story of how potent and poisonous love can become. When one feels so deeply that obsession and darkness rear their ugly heads into eventual insanity. And ones eventual realisation of the descent into a vile, rotten path and the need for redemption. These are themes that many, if not all of us can relate to at some point in our lives- or more than once.
The tale of descending into darkness/evil and the need of redemption is a similar archetype throughout mankind as well in both history and popular fiction. One of the most prevalent cases that comes to mind it is the tale of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. I've no doubt been influenced by many of these tropes throughout my life and have collectively told a story based on collective influence, experience, imagination and some kind of cosmic force i'm only partically aware of.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Beautality'?
Beautality is the very essence of the band. It's what I/we do. Beautiful, brutal, light, dark, heavy, soft, rightoeus, insideous, fast, slow. I wanted to have a name that instantly tells someone what to expect. I'm also a huge fan of portmanteau (the almalgamation of two words to create a new one).
The marriage of opposites working in glorious unison to create a vast, expansive jouney. Life isn't simply one way. We have ups, downs and much in between. Beautality is that experience in musical form.
6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future, or do you chose to remain a duo?
Since the recording of Einfallen I had to part ways with the now former drummer Duke. He has a different path now. Ideally Beautality live would be 2 guitars, keyboards/3rd guitar, bass, drums, backing clean and growled vocals with me on vocals. At present that is somewhat of a pipe dream. The band initially performed as a classic 3 piece (me on guitar/vocals, a bassist and a drummer) but the music is simply to immense to be perfmormed by anything less than a 4 piece (second guitar). I'm content playing guitar live, whilst I'd rather not given the choice and focus on performing.
Quite simply it's been incredibly difficult to find musicians of the high standard Beautality requires. Be it ability, vision or professionalism. Creatively speaking I can do everything myself. I'm proficient at all of the instruments. though I do prefer to have additional help so people and bring something to the Beautality fold, be it more intricate drums or guitar solo's. I consider myself gifted enough to play the music I want to hear. Something very similar to one of my favourite composers Aran of the now sadly defunct Lunar Aurora once said.
Some people have been purturbed by how bare bones Beautality can be in when just jamming. I'm completely self taught so I'm very comfortable with a great degree of improvisation and meticulously structuring/composing the songs afterwards.
I'm the visionary of Beautality. This is my band. I welcome people to come and share the vision collectively with me. This is my 11th band and my most successful one becuase I am in complete control. I bleieve the best bands work because everyone collectively knows the place and strength within the unit. I also believe a good leader knows when to listen. If someone has a good suggestion and it works- we'll use it. If it doesn't we won't- very simple. Whatever makes the song all it can be. no matter ow simple or intricate it may be. A great deal of my favourite bands seem to operate in very similar ways so it's certainly a successful ethos.
But the final say will always be mine- I will always listen to my instincts and follow my vision.
Ultimately I do desire some other musicians if for no other reason than to play live. I live for music and perfomance is deep within my blood. So I'm on the hunt to find new people. Beautality must be experienced live. There is much atmosphere and a certain feeling that cannot quite be conveyed other than in the flesh so to speak.We'll see.
7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
It's all been pretty positive I'm happy to say. I've had many say it's not Black Metal. It's all a matter of opinion. All I find relevant is if people like it. I'm my own biggest critic and always will be so negative comments are are of absolutely no use to me. Like I said before it's awesome to discover people like and love what i do because Beautality is deeply personal to me. it's my lifes work. other things that interest me to an extent are what influences/other bands people can hear. I've heard many from people. It just adds to how difficult we are to pigenhole. That and I also like to know how the music affects people emotionally. That fascinates me. how it makes them feel and what visual images their minds may conhure up to the music I create.
8.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
That's a good question. I don't fully know. Beautality, after all represents the deep dualism within myself. We have over 250 songs already. I could honestly not write another song and have enough material to comfortably make another 10+ albums at the very least. But that's nto how my mind works. I'm as random and off the cuff as I am deeply meticiulous. After all, Einfallen wasn't even supposed to be the next record. It was supposed to be 'Solitude'. Einfallen was initially just an intro song to come on stage to and my mind creatively ran with things for it to be the longest, most ambitious album I've ever created by far.
I do have a loose plan/concept for upcoming albums. But as I always like to say- these are subject to change. Instinct, planning, vision and perfomance lie at the core of Beautality. All I know is it will sound great and be at the creative vanguard of metal. Watch this space. For now Dr Ravengarde advises a lethal dosage of Einfallen.
9.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?
Wow- it's a classic question I always enjoy answering. The first band that truly inspired me were The Shadows from the 60's and 70's. Absolutely incredible guitar sound that you can still hear in what I do. Rolling Stones, Arthur Brown and much 60's-70's pop/rock i can't put a name to thanks to listening to lots of vintage radio as a young child.
Nirvana hugely inspired me. that rawness, catchyness and apparent simplicity with wonderful hidden subtleties. Alice In Chains, Radiohead- namely OK Computer, which really opened my mind to ambitious structures, NIN with their electronic elements, Slipknot, Metallica and vitally Celtic Frost. When I first heard 'The Heart Beneath' playing over the incredibly iconic Manga Entertainment trailer as a child I was changed forever.
Things changed for me again when I discovered Opeth In November 2002 with Deliverance and my mind was once again opened to the incredible world of intense extremities mixed with such magnificent beauty. Cult of Luna have a large impact wherespoce is involved Dark Funeral, Emperor, Enslaved and Dimmu Borgir collectively assured my love of Black Metal as my favourite musical genre of choice. Never before had I experienced such poweful, sonic, atmospheric soundscapes that would resonate so deeply within my core and enhance my emotional state and also give me a vital part to my creative playing core.
In my teens I wanted to make grunge, in my late teens I wanted to make post metal with grunge elements. In my early 20's I wanted to combine Black Metal and Grunge. In my mid to late 20's I created Beautality and so much more elements entered the fold. Now at 31 I've honed my craft and consider to see where it goes. What a long winded answer.
What am I listening to now? Well Einfallen for a start, the new Nightbringer album, Lunar Aurora, Krieg, Midnight Odyssey and some other stuff including work form the composer Nobuo Uematsu. I will literally listen to end enjoy (Almost) anything as long as it sounds good. It just so happens that my playlist is usually 90% Black Metal. I'm always on the hunt for something new and obscure to change my life and new outings for bands I already love. Discovering amazing new bands has and will always be one of my greatest passions and my wallets nemesis.
10.Does Occultism play any role in your music?
Yes it does.I was raised a strict Roman Catholic as a child, which almost guaranteed my leaving the faith once I reached maturity. I consider myself a spiritual atheist. I would like to say agnostic but I feel more evidence leaing towards there not being a God, so to speak. Then again I believe in the neutral power of the universe so perhaps I have a samblance of belief in a 'Godhead' if you will. I was raised to fear the devil and hell intensely. Something I'm somewhat the opposite stance with now. the song 'Mourning Star' on Providence was about not fearing what Lucifer is and being ones own God.
Frankly I deride power from darkness. It soothes me. We've always had a connection so to speak. Conicdentally I'm routinely told I have naturally very devillish features. I agree with this. Just a coincidence of course. Or is it?
I digress. It's safe to say I'm handsome.
The occult both stimulates and fascinates me. I study and read up on demons/occult practises for fun and to learn.
I have strong belief in psychic energy and once had a demon visit me in a vision. It was a spell binding moment and inspired some lyrics in 'Messias'. to say i haven;t ventured out to discover the demon who spoke to me through deep research and meditation would be a lie. Socrates had a Daimon in his life and i doubt I'm crazy. Somewhere inbetween. I refuse to live within the belief system of others. Through light and dark my mind is my own. I could honestly talk on the subject of occultism for a great deal of time
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
I'm a retired super model. That is a lie. I'm not retired.
Well I like to create art. Draw, sketch write and perform comedy for the stage and online/one day television perhaps. Good television, film, animation comic books and wrestling all appeal to me. Larry David, Bryan Cranston and Stone Cold Steve Austin are all heroes of mine.
Psychology fascinates me and I have a rather good knack for understanding many facets of it. A dash of philosophy is always welcome throughout the day. Unsurprisingly researching arcane symbols is also favoured along side spiritual matters and a little astrology.
I think I should be cast as a supervillian in a movie. Seriously. The way I look and sound. It's money on the table.I also like videogames, and talking to myself.
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