1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit bit about the musical project?
My project started back around 2010 when I was having difficulty finding local like-minded musicians who shared the same vision. While we have plenty of local black metal bands, most of them focus either on raw first-wave sounds or lean in a doomier direction. I wanted to incorporate other elements into black metal—clean vocals, industrial sounds, and progressive elements—so it was never purely black metal. That's when I decided to start my own solo project.
2.Recently you have released a new ep, musically how does it differ from the stuff that you have released in the past?
I incorporated far more dissonance in this release than I had previously. While I touched on it quite a bit with "The Purge" in e(volve), it was used sparingly elsewhere. The other thing I wanted to accomplish was achieving a more coherent sound. I was all over the place in e(volve), which probably deterred people from finishing the album. Additionally, in e(volve), I was heavily focused on being progressive and adding length to songs. This time, I kept the songs focused on feeling complete rather than emphasizing length.
3.This is also your first release since 2014, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
Life happened. Around the time I was recording e(volve), I met my now-wife. We quickly shifted into family mode, which demanded most of my attention. Between that and learning new jobs seemingly every two years due to layoffs, I had very little energy left to invest in music. The other issue was that virtually all my recording equipment had become obsolete, so it took time to choose a new DAW and learn how to use it effectively. Then came finding new plugins, since all my previous ones were 32-bit and no longer supported. All of this consumed what little free time I had.
4.The lyrics on the new ep are also a concept album, can you tell us a little more about the story you have covered with this release?
My eldest child asked me, "Why do people fear the dark?" It got me thinking. What is it about darkness that we fear? The unknown? What we can't see? Ghosts? Yet it's so calm and peaceful. I love the tranquility of night. My wife and I often find ourselves sitting in the backyard after the kids go to bed, soaking in the moon and stars. So I asked myself: what's scarier than the dark? The answer came to me as dawn. The bullshit of dealing with people, society, and culture. People disgust me and I despise the culture we're headed toward. A Haunting at Dawn tells the story of a wanderer who recruits demons and ghosts for an impending war against daylight. The goal: release the ghosts and demons during the day and show the world a better horror.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new ep cover?
The artwork captures the essence of the entire concept—the approaching dawn with a ghost defiantly still standing against the light.
6.With this project you record everything by yourself but have experience playing in other bands, do you prefer to work solo?
It depends. I do enjoy the camaraderie of being in a band. However, since my family and career are my main priorities now, I simply don't have the time commitment that other band members would expect from me, and it wouldn't be fair to them. I may consider it again when my kids are in high school as angsty teenagers who hate me and I need something to fill the void of time.
7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
No, I'm done with record labels. In this day and age, there are so many ways to distribute your music independently. A few of my previous bands were signed, and labels helped with promotional work and management, but many of those benefits can be handled independently these days. In the past, unless you went door-to-door to record stores, no one would carry your albums—that's where labels were essential. Now everything revolves around streaming and your ability to go viral. I also have no desire to tour again as I get incredibly carsick and it takes a toll on my mental stability as I'm an introvert.
8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
I haven't received much feedback, to be honest. I get the occasional "Wow, this is unique" or "this reminds me of..." comments.
9.When can we expect another full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
Actually, I consider this a full-length album. I know many people view five-song releases as extended plays, but this is a full-length in the traditional sense—I'm presenting a complete artistic statement rather than introducing concepts or experimenting. One issue I had with e(volve) was feeling pressured to create nearly an hour's worth of music, and I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit I regret that decision. I also think that with people's attention spans these days—the "TikTok brain" phenomenon—I'm not sure there's any benefit to releasing more than several songs, since I'm concerned people won't listen through the entire album. This raises the question: should I just front-load the release with my strongest material? What's the point if most listeners won't experience the complete work? It's overthinking on my part. I'll stick with whatever album length feels right for the material. People can call it an EP or LP, but it will always represent a complete artistic vision to me.
To directly answer your question: I've already started work on two albums, one is more in the direction of death metal and the other is a remake of e(volve) - removing some songs and fluff, rearranging it, and I'll add in my Parallels EP. I've lost all the previous recordings, so it will be complete remake like some video game companies have been doing lately.
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?
My biggest influences are definitely Enslaved, Carpathian Forest, and Dark Fortress. Other significant influences include Gaahls Wyrd, The Wretched End, Crionics, and Vesania. You can hear more of the latter two influences on e(volve).
My musical taste varies daily. I've been really into VOLA and Opeth lately, but other bands I always keep downloaded on my phone include Beneath the Massacre, Aborted, The Contortionist, Lunatic Soul, and yes, K-pop groups like BLACKPINK.
11.Outside of music, what are some of your non musical interests?
Cliché answer, but spending time with my kids. During summers we enjoy paddleboarding , hiking, and skating, while in winter we love hockey and skiing. We also internationally travel a few times during the year. I'm a gamer, and I've been spending considerable time with Diablo 4 lately. I generally gravitate towards JRPGs like the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series, or strategy games like SimCity, Civilization, Knights of Honor, Age of Empires, and Northgard. I'm terrible at all of them.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you for the interview, and to your readers—be sure to check out A Haunting at Dawn, available now on all major streaming platforms!
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