Occult Black Metal Zine Interview with Omnio from The Wolf Garden
Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
The last two-and-a-bit years have been really hard, what with COVID-19 and the lockdowns here in the UK, but it did give us a chance to dig in and write more. I suppose having the extra time in the studio lent itself to the process, as we didn’t feel like we had to rush it and we could focus a lot more on crafting the sound that we wanted.
Now the album is finished and released, we are absolutely overwhelmed with the positive response. It seems that the hard work paid off! The limited-edition physical copies in the UK sold out within 24 hours so it was really quite humbling.
Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ from your previous ep?
The album is a musically and thematically more mature than the EP. I feel that we were still at that stage where we were looking at solidifying the overall sound of TWG, and on the EP we hadn’t quite got it yet. With “Woven of Serpent’s Spines” we could really dig in to experimenting with guitar tones and making the whole album flow together.
It was never intended to be a conceptual album, but it ended up that way! We haven’t tried to be overtly black metal, or death or doom, we have just written the music that we felt was our best. We are still using a lot of nature sounds and trying to create an atmosphere – we tell stories with our songs, so atmosphere and setting is so important. We want the albums to be an experience that the listener can get lost in, rather than just a collection of single tracks.
The lyrics on the new recording are also a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the story you have covered with this release?
So, the album tells the story of a traveller, lost and unsure of his path. He hears a sort of siren’s-song calling to him through the woods, and meets with his fate along the way. All seems certain, but as the album progresses and it becomes clear that all is not as it seems.
You also have lyrics that cover Norse Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic and also how has your interest evolved over the years with this path?
My interest in Norse mythology goes way back, especially given the ties to England from the Danes who settled here. The lyrics this time around are purely to reinforce the story of the album, rather than to allude directly to any specific part of the Edda. Marina (Maus), who performs the spoken word on Seeress did an exceptional job of the Icelandic translation. She is multilingual and has always been on hand to help me out with some of the Norse stuff. I think that we will continue to use Norse mythology within the writing for the future, but it may not be as obvious!
What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Wolf Garden'?
Well, I wanted something that would tie into the music and lyrical themes that I so often write, in this case nature reclaiming the earth, and I also didn’t want to have a name that screamed BLACK METAL! At everyone, so we went with TWG. The nature elements are there, wolves are obviously cool, and it conjures an image in people’s minds.
Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
It’s a painting by the Russian artist Ivan Shishkin, called ‘The Dark Wood’, from the late 19th century. It just draws the attention of the viewer in, and because of the journeying aspect of the album, the winding stream and the depths of the woods stretching on out of sight really fits.
Originally the band started out as a duo but recently expanded into a trio, can you tell us a little bit more about the decision behind bringing in another member?
Originally, I started the band as a project with my good friend Adam Stanley, who you can hear doing clean vocals on the first track of the EP, but he is already a music teacher and a session member of so many other projects that it wasn’t feasible for him to commit full-time. Valtiel and I had played in bands in the past and he was a natural choice to ask, thankfully he said yes.
We decided to get another guitarist in the band to add another layer of depth and influence to the writing, and Exarch has been a friend of mine for years and years. He’s always writing amazing metal, so again it was an easy decision to ask him. Although he isn’t on the album, from now on all TWG records will be as a trio. It also means that the next album might not take three years to write with two of us!
Would the band be open to the idea of doing live shows if the opportunity came around?
We don’t currently have any plans to play live, but it’s also not been at the forefront of our minds, what with the world’s situation. Never say never though. We may pop up at any moment on a stage near you.
On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
It’s really been astounding. The USA seems to be the majority of our fanbase, whereas I suppose we expected more Scandinavian countries to be the majority, given the genre. Either way, we are very humbled to have such a fanbase, so, thank you all for the support!
Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We have no plans to go anywhere with our music but forward, and now that we have the sound engrained to the point where we are happy with the band’s musical identity, you can expect more atmosphere, more depth, and of course, more metal. I don’t see TWG incorporating EDM into the sound in the near future.
What are you listening to nowadays?
I listen to a lot of genres, I don’t really tie myself into one particular place with music, there’s so much to listen to. But recently I’ve had bands like Hammock, My Dying Bride, NOFX, A-ha, Infernal Coil, Carcass and Morwinyon on regular rotation.
Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Just that it’s a pleasure to have spoken to you, and again, thank you to all who support the band and our releases. There’s definitely more to come! Hails!
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