1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Although the line-up hasn't changed permanently we have been touring with a new drummer – Box Head, who has been taking on drum duties whilst out long term drummer recovered from tendonitis which heavily affected his ability to drum.
In addition to this, our long term guitarist had to step aside whilst recovering from a hearing problem caused by prolonged exposure to loud music! We are pleased to confirm that both The Dreamer and The Revenant are now actively playing and rehearsing with the band again leading to some 3 guitarist line ups at gigs, as The Seer has remained in the line-up.
We have been diligently recording a new album, and now we are back to full strength it is progressing well. Artwork and lyrics are complete so we are edging closer to a release. At the same time we recorded a single song "The Sockburn Worm" which will be released on Three Swords Records as a limited edition 7" and will act as an interim release before the album.
2.Recently you where a part of a split, how would you describe the musical sound that you have used on the new recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
We took this opportunity to create a more raw and intense song, almost abandoning atmosphere for pure black metal. The time constraints of a 7" record meant we couldn't follow every path we wanted and kept us focused on a short song (for us). We like to exploit all atmospheres and aspects of a song when we are writing, especially if there is a complex lyrical aspect. This leads to our long journey like songs, however in this case we approached the song from a minimalist point of view.
3.The lyrics cover British Mythology and Folklore, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?
Folklore is something that is quite timeless and is rooted in people and society. The connection between man and nature is very interesting and drives our passion for it. We all have a love of the outdoors, and where nature and man interact great folklore has been created, whether it be fantastic beings or simply the aura of places. Britain has a long and mixed history, but throughout all the different era's folklore has remained a constant so anyone can find a way to connect with it. Simply sitting in an ancient abbey or an oak forest will summon the feeling of awe that is apparent in all great folk stories and within our music. You can connect with folklore in a different way than you can with a lot of stories due to the real locations and atmospheres combined with a hidden magic.
4.The band is from the United Kingdom and while there has been more black metal band from there in the last few years, the country is still not as well known as other countries, do you feel that the black metal scene from your country is very underrated?
We would agree the UK scene is underrated and a lot of the bands here struggle to hit the European and international market for black metal. The UK has a unique approach to black metal, it’s very hard to pinpoint the aspect that makes something uniquely British but it is definitely there. In some ways our lack of a cohesive approach may act negatively (if you compare the concept of Norwegian Black Metal, the Gothenburg sound etc.). But that’s is what makes the eclectic UK mix so good.
5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We have played many fantastic gigs over the years, it’s really hard to pinpoint exact ones. We tend to just love playing so once we are onstage we are at our best. We write all our music in a live environment in our practice room, this gives us the chance to make sure all our songs can be played live. The end result is that we try to create an enthralling live showing with many atmospheres from brutal to gothic to medieval. The bands main goal live is to capture the beauty and brutality of our music, and captivate the audience with the stories we tell.
6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Yes, we have a few shows coming up and also are working with our booking agent regarding a UK tour once our album is released. There’s also talk of us returning to Ireland and also hitting mainland Europe for the first time, namely Finland and Germany, but nothing yet is set in stone. See below a list of our confirmed dates:
Sat 26th April – Fell Foot Wood, Ulverston
Sat 17th May – The Blyth and Tyne, Blyth
Sun 18th May – South Sea Live, Sheffield
Mon 19th May – The Snooty Fox, Wakefield
Sat 24th May – TBC
Sun 25th May – The Green Door Store, Brighton
Sat 31st May – The Fox & Newt, Leeds
Sat 19th July – Basement, Bridlington
Sat 4th October – Fell Foot Wood, Ulverston
Fri 28th November – The Turks Head, Darlington
Sat 17th January – The Snooty Fox, Wakefield
7.The split was released on Three Swords Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this record label?
Up until we were approached about the vinyl we knew very little about the label. The owner Dean is interested in a wide range of alternative music and I believe the label was initially set up mainly to deal with the hardcore scene.
Dean (a different Dean!) from The Infernal Sea was already in contact with TSR about doing a black metal split vinyl and they needed a band for the other side. We’d only recently played with The Infernal Sea and The Bearer (Guitar/Vocals) had been speaking to Dean about vinyl releases so it seemed we were the natural choice of band to ask.
Three Swords Records is only a very small label and this is only the second release for them so there’s not much more to tell, but I think we can see great things from the label in the future, in terms of underground releases.
8.Over the years the band has done splits with the Meads of Asphodel and The Infernal Sea, what are your thoughts on the other bands that have participated on those recordings?
Most of our band grew up listening to the Meads of Asphodel so to be asked to record a split with them was a dream come true. We are huge fans of the Meads and are proud to call them friends.
We played with The Infernal Sea in May 2013 whilst touring our last album. We were absolutely blown away by their live performance. They were very powerful, very talented and basically very grim. There’s nothing not to like.
9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and pagan metal?
We seem to have had a positive reaction to our music, which is fantastic and quite humbling. Judging things on an international scale is much harder as we are only just reaching beyond the shores of the UK however things have been positive so far. We sometimes come across negative press when we are compared to Cradle of Filth, we don't deny the inspiration we have taken from them; those people should maybe get over it and enjoy what we do for what it is!
10.When can we expect another full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
The new album is well into the recording phase now, with drums, bass and guitars almost complete, so hopefully later this year will see the release. Musically the new album is different from our past efforts whilst still retaining the classic elements of Old Corpse Road. the best description I can give thus far is that the album is a reaction to the dark gothic atmosphere of Witching Hour. That is not to say this is a soft album, just that its atmosphere is very different, maybe more akin to our demo...
11.What are some bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
The obvious choices for us would be early Cradle of Filth, Bal-Sagoth, Emperor, Abigor and Bathory. We’ve also taken great inspiration from ambient acts such as Arcana and Rasion D’Etre as well as the early UK doom scene e.g. My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost. In addition to this film scores, classical and world music all play a part.
The band as a whole has a very eclectic mix of tastes and most of us are listening to the same albums we have been listening to for the past 10 to 30 years! We all keep up to date with modern metal though. At the moment I am listening to Loits whilst writing this interview!
12.What are some of your non musical interests?
My personal interests are mountain biking and walking, as well as web design and graphics. The band as a whole has a lot of interest that are separate to the band but help support what we do. These interests range from repairing and fixing musical instruments and amps to marketing and graphic design onto music production and audio engineering. We are all heavily into gaming as well, be it Xbox or PC.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for the interesting questions. Further information on the band can be found at www.oldcorpseroad.co.uk. A big thanks to all the promoters, reviewers and especially the fans for supporting the band and buying our releases. Running a band is an expensive business and without this support the band simply could not keep running!
(The Dreamer)
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