Whore of Bethlehem Interview is up !!!
1. For those of us new to WOB tell us about how the band came to be and how the sound have evolved?
So we started in 2010 with just me (Ryan) on guitar and Rene on drums. At the time it was just meant to be a side project because we played in another band at the time called Scattered Remains. After a while we began writing more and more songs and eventually recruited some very talented musicians to join us. We played lots of shows locally and noticed that we had built a strong following. I felt that we were onto something special so we decided to give it all we had.
2. Being fully Independent is that a blessing or curse in 2014. Your album sound better then many with label budgets just had to let you know.
Thanks for the great compliment! We owe that to our good friend and brilliant engineer, Michael Day, who also plays in a very killer metal band of his own called Vex. He did an amazing job with the production and has been very patient in letting us pay him in installments. I guess that brings me to the second half of your question where I think being independent is a good and bad thing. The bad part is that we have had to fund this whole thing which includes merch, recording, cd pressing, etc on our own. We did it this way because we didnt want to wait around for a label offer or sign with just anybody. However, we would love to work with a good label that will help get our music out there and believes in us.
3. Is there a running theme on " Upon Judas throne" or just collection of Dirty Black/ Death tracks with a healthy dose of thrash metal as well?
Well, it's not a concept album or anything, even though I am a big fan of that approach. A lot of the material on that album is actually 4 or 5 years old now - it just took us years to properly record them. Our new material is much more advanced but still maintains the key WoB elements.
4. If a label was out there you would be interested to work with who would it be and why?
There are lots of labels we would like to work with! It is a dream of mine to do a record for Nuclear Blast, Relapse, Metal Blade, Century Media, Peaceville, or Season of Mist. I grew up listening to bands on those labels so I would be honored to work with any of the major metal labels.
5. Where do you see indie music in the digital age ? Is it a rebirth for bands or the same as the tape and demo trading days to get the bands exposured to the world?
I think it makes things a bit more difficult for bands comprised of members who are over the age of 25. When growing up we didnt have youtube or guitar pro or crowd funding. The younger bands seem to love it but honestly it is hard to adapt when you grew up reading about bands in print magazines and burning copies of cds, buying albums based off of ads or reviews in those magazines, or based off the artwork or the label they were signed on. A lot of times you also had to see a band live to hear what they sounded like. In short, I am kind of old school when it comes to that stuff but I think to be successful we have to adapt.
6. What are members of WOB currently listening or reading too any shockers?
Well, I mainly listen to my old favorites from the old death and black metal scenes of the early 90's. As far as newer music goes I have been jamming the new Judas Priest a lot this year as well as Evergrey's new one. Other than that I kind of stick to the old stuff. For books, I just finished "The Way of Kings" by Brandon Sanderson. It was amazing and I am going to take the sequel on the road with me. Maybe I will get the audio version so the other guys can enjoy it too.
7. Were do you see the sound of future releases heading?
More evil, faster, heavier, and more epic. Basically an improvement on our core sound.
8. Would you be interested in visual or video format for the tracks on the album. If so what would it look like and how would it be presented?
Yea definitely! I would love to do a real music video with a concept and everything. I kind of picture something like the Alien movies with a bit of a Satanic edge to it. But that could just be the nerd in me talking. I am a big fan of Steven Wilson and I loved some of the visual stuff he did for Porcupine Tree and the Grace for Drowning record , so maybe something like that.
9. Is Image important or play a role in underground music still or does music overcome all??
Music has to come first but image is important. We certainly want people to take us seriously so we present a serious and professional image for our live shows. We are tight and well rehearsed so it works out well to have good stage presence along with that - it makes a powerful impression.
10. Do the members of WOB want to talk about any artists that should have some exposure and just arent getting it yet or never did?
There is a band from here called Id that I absolutely love. I am good friends with those guys and they deserve to be heard. There's also Oceans of Slumber who are making a name for themselves.
11. Whats a live show like for WOB and do you prefer clubs, theaters or fests what the best outlet for the band?
So far we have only played clubs. We would love to play a fest or theater though. Either way, we are going to give 100%!
12. If there was a song you could rework or make your own and record what would it be and why?
Good question. A friend of mine once said he never saw the point in covering a band that has a similar style to your own. So, that being said, I'd like to maybe do some Opeth - one of their old ones just because I loved those albums and it would be fun to attempt.
13. Do the members of WOB play in other projects of bands or is this your sole focus for music?
Our drummer plays in a couple of other bands but the rest of us are solely focused on WOB.
14. Your into social media is this the best way to expose an indie band to the world today?
Either that or touring. I think social media may be a dying animal as far as music goes. There are so many bands flooding Facebook that it is impossible to keep up. I dont personally like it that much but it is a necessary evil haha.
15. Thank you for the time any closing thoughts here..
thanks for the interview! Check us out on Facebook or whoreofbethlehem.com
Cheers!
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