Lustlcon Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the solo project?

LustIcon is a solo project of mine. I needed a project for the songs that didn't quite fit with my primary band "The Promise Of Plague". I think these songs are less experimental and more traditional 90's black metal. The Promise Of Plague blends death/doom/black/thrash and whatever the hell else I want to throw in there while these songs tend to remain more or less black metal. There are other influences in there of course, a few hard rock riffs, some hardcore bits popping in and out but all in all it's just black metal and they deserved their own album.

2.So far you have released a demo, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

I never really consider how the songs are going to sound before I write them. I sit down, hit the record button and whatever comes out comes out. During these recording sessions I wrote a new album for The Promise Of Plague, I wrote this LustIcon release and a few grindcore songs materialized as well which will have their own release in the coming months.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects that you have explored so far with the music?

Overall the lyrics are a stark exploration of anger, betrayal, lingering pain, disillusionment and the struggle to reconcile past trauma. They convey the complex and often contradictory emotions associated with life.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Lustlcon'?

I wanted a word that conveyed the idea of a Lexicon "the complete set of meaningful units in a language" with something worldly. A complete set of meaningful units of all things worldly and Lust seemed to embody the concept of the Flesh quite well. LustIcon. The totality of all actions concerning the Flesh.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the demo?

The artwork is based on the song They Fall. The idea of innocence and purity being tarnished by harsh experiences. The contrast between the delicate and the hostile. It's symbolic of the vulnerability and cruelty of life.

6.So far you have recorded most of the music by yourself, are you open to working with a full band or do you prefer to work solo?

I write everything solo. I've never been able to sit around with a group of musicians and jam and write a song as a collective. That's not really a skill that I've been able to develop. My mind goes blank in those environments and I end up contributing nothing to those sessions. All material that fits with The Promise of Plague will be reworked to fit the style of the musicians in the band, LustIcon will more than likely remain a black metal project. As mentioned earlier I did end up with a handful of grindcore songs during this writing session, maybe more along the lines of Asphyx mixed with Repulsion so not completely grindcore but I'll be working with a few other musicians recording those songs in the near future.

7.So far very little is known about the solo project, do you prefer to keep a lower profile?

I like the idea of creating music just to create music. I never market or promote my material. I like sending the albums off for reviews but I'm not looking to gain any fans from it. I write music and that's really my only goal. As far as LustIcon is concerned you're one of the first people to hear it. I've not release any of the music yet and I'm only just now uploading it to streaming services. Again, just so whoever wants to hear it can hear it. I'm not really concerned with gaining fans or marketing.

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?

No reactions yet. I sent this album to maybe 10 or so people for reviews, as of now those are the only people who have heard it.

9.Do you have any experience playing in other bands or musical projects?

I've been in everything from Death Metal bands to Electro bands. Assisting Sorrow (progressive death metal), Absence of Faith (goth/industrial), Empyrean Asunder (industrial metal), Fatal Step (technical death/heavy metal), Marcoda (electro), Alice In The Aftermath (electro-alternative), Coronach (death/black metal), LustIcon (black metal), The Promise Of Plague (death/doom/black/thrash), and the new grindcore-ish project which should be taking shape soon. I'll be working with a few legendary musicians for that release so I'm pretty excited about it.

10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

I probably wont release a full length for LustIcon. I think I'll just release a handful of songs as I write them. 4-5 songs here and there.

11.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?

Mostly 90's era Death/Black/Doom Metal, 80's Oi, and 60's Motown. When it comes to modern music I'm really digging a lot of the Future-Pop and Synth-Pop acts coming out since the early 2000's.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Check out LustIcon, The Promise Of Plague and my new grindcore project. I have some pretty interesting musicians on board for that one. It should turn out well.