1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We are an atmospheric black doom metal band from the US (Cincinnati, Ohio, area). We formed in the winter of 2013. It started off with Adam, Jason, and Gary playing around with some ideas and jamming together. I was the third one to join the band; I joined in late February 2014. Matt, was the last of us to join; he came in in late summer 2014.
Gary – Guitar/Vocals (ex-Thorns of the Carrion)
Adam – Guitar/Vocals (ex- Thorns of the Carrion)
Amie – Keyboard/Vocals
Jason – Percussion
Matt – Bass/Acoustic Guitar
2.Recently you have released a demo, how would you describe the musical sound that us presented on the recording?
The best way to describe our sound is: atmospheric, dark, and droning. We try to meld the atmosphere and melodies of doom metal with the raw aggression of black metal. Other than that, we leave it up to the listener to decide.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Our lyrics are heavily based on the occult, the left hand path, and metaphysical subject matter. We also delve into the dark side of human emotion; sorrow, despair, and the disdain for the world around us. Every song has a meaning and many are derived from personal experiences.
4.I know that the name 'Order Of Thelema' is related to Crowley, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the occult and Aliester Crowley?
Adam and Jason were reading quite a few books on the occult at the time that Order of Thelema was conceived. The content had a huge impact on the writing process and the inspiration just flowed from it. It made sense for us to run with it and continue to draw from the material. For Adam, Crowley has always been a major interest going back into his early teens. Crowley is kind of like the name everyone knows and at least for Adam, was his introduction into the occult. It started with Crowley and LaVey and went on from there. We are always on a quest for further knowledge related to the occult. Adam has quite the library of books and is always reading and finding new inspiration. The band is not focused strictly around Thelema; for instance, Adam is currently reading Peter Carroll’s “Liber Kaos” and he just finished Terence McKenna’s “Lectures on Alchemy.” McKenna, although not totally occult related, is also a huge influence on us as well. Pychonautics and altered states of minds are extremely interesting fields.
5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We haven’t played out live yet; as a group we decided that we were going to take things slow and really focus on writing quality songs before playing out. Listening back to early versions of the songs on our demo, there is a very noticeable difference, the songs changed considerably and for the better. We didn’t want to go out and play songs that we weren’t completely happy with, that wouldn’t have been fair to the fans. We are planning on starting our live rituals within the next few months.
6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Definitely! We have been offered spots in a couple metal festivals as well as quite a few shows around the country. Locally, here in Cincinnati, we have a very good metal scene with shows happening pretty frequently.
7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We really haven’t put fourth the effort into finding a label just yet, but going forward we hope to work with a label for sure. We will probably hold off on contacting labels until we release the full length album though.
8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and doom metal?
It has been surprisingly great; better than we had expected so early on. The support has been amazing. We have been getting a lot of positive feedback through the underground worldwide and from different reviews.
9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We plan on having the new album available early into the New Year. Going forward, we plan to continue writing and producing new material. We definitely see ourselves touring in the future as well. We’ve always talked about vinyl; I would really like to see a 7” or maybe a full length vinyl release. We already have a lot of ideas for future releases, but right now our main focus is finishing the full length.
10.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?
We all bring different musical influences to the table, but we try to keep them as influences only and not let too much of it spill over into our own music. Each member has such a wide taste in music; each of us is constantly discovering new bands and our musical libraries are always expanding. It’s hard to say what each member is listening to at any given point of time. Adam is into mostly black and doom metal and is currently listening to a lot of French Canadian bands such as, Sorcier des Glaces and Monarque. Gary is also really into doom and black metal; he’s currently been listening to My Dying Bride, Behemoth, and Twilight (US). Jason is a little more varied in his musical taste; he’s into atmospheric black metal such as, Drudkh and Agalloch, but he’s also into a lot of psychedelic rock and stoner doom. Matt and I are more varied with our musical tastes as well. For me, personally, if it’s atmospheric and dark then chances are that I’m listening to it.
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
The occult, the left hand path, and the expansion of the mind. We are all explorers and always looking for things to expand our current knowledge. Ultimately, that knowledge will inspire us and come back around to the music.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you tremendously for the review and interview; we truly appreciate it. For anyone who might be interested, our demo is still available as a free download over at http://orderofthelema.bandcamp.com so go download it. Also, be on the lookout for our full length to be released within the next couple of months. Horns up! Stay true and stay underground! 93!
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