I , Voidhanger Artist - The Wakedead Gathering Interview is up
1. To my reader you are a new band even though you been around since 2010 and have 3 full albums out tell us a bit about how The Wakedead Gathering came to be?
A: The Wakedead Gathering started out as a project that I worked on while playing in another non-metal band. Over time I realized that I wanted to focus my time and energy on playing metal so I quit that other band and starting writing the “Ars Notoria” demo. After promoting the music and receiving some positive attention I decided to continue on with or without other musicians.
2. This is your 2nd album with I Voidhanger your one of only bands from the USA on label how did you come to work with them?
A: I, Voidhanger actually contacted me about working together when I posted online that I had an EP ready to be released by any interested labels, which ended up being the “Dark Circles” EP. Luckily, it’s been a partnership that has lasted for a while and one that I hope continues in the future.
3. Fuscus is your new album how would you say it differ from your earlier work?
A: I think that on this album I focused more on atmosphere and didn’t worry as much about trying to fit into one genre as on previous releases. The concept and story are something that I had been thinking about for a while and for which I had a very clear vision and direction. I also think that my black metal influences come to the forefront on this album.
4. I see your called a Death metal band but to me your so much more you mix Post Black metal, Prog elements , Very experimental over tones and even Doom movements. What are your Influences currently for The Wakedead Gathering?
A: I am always listening to different types of metal and I tend to go in cycles throughout the year. Right now I’ve been revisiting bands in the vein of Gorguts and some more progressive and technical bands that I missed out on over the last several years. I will say that Dismember, Bolt Thrower, Incantation and Immolation will always be my main influences but I also like to pick up some black metal records and, of course, the whole Scandinavian black metal scene was a big influence on me as a teenager.
5. Your from Ohio home to a pretty vibrant Metal area what is the extreme scene like in the Columbus/ Cincinnati area in 2016?
A: I’ve only been in Columbus for a few months but a lot more tours and bigger acts come through this city than Cincinnati. There are some great bands from each city and I’m looking forward to discovering more of them the longer I live here. Of course Cleveland is the real metal hub of Ohio but it’s great to see so many bands from this state getting more attention.
6. If you could have a professional video made for any video on your new album Fuscus which would it be and why?
A: I think I’d have to go with “Amnioticysts” because the lyrics allow for some truly terrifying and interesting visuals. I’m not a big fan of videos anyway, but I think it would be a great addition to the album to have more visual representation of the overall story.
7. Are The Wakedead Gathering Fans of Social Media and Digital age or is it more a curse then blessing to underground music in 2016?
A: Well, I probably never would have been discovered if not for social media and digital distribution so I’m personally a fan of it. The only downside I see is that there are so many bands popping up now that aren’t really worth listening to and you have to sift through them to find an interesting one. Also, people’s attention spans have really been decimated by the ability to listen to as many snippets of songs as they want for free. You no longer have to listen to an entire album to form an opinion about a work. But, overall, I’m glad the music world has gone in this direction as I wouldn’t have discovered a lot of great new bands and been able to collaborate with other musicians.
8. Would you ever think about performing live with the project or is it meant to be a studio only presence?
A: I think about it all the time. I haven’t made much of an effort to meet or “hire” any other members so until the right situation arises The Wakedead Gathering will remain a studio act. Never say never, I guess.
9. How does Image and the Occult play into the music of The Wakedead Gathering?
A: An effective visual and aural combination is very important to me because every single album is a concept album that tells a story. If I just had random cover art and a picture of me standing around in the booklet you wouldn’t feel anything about the atmosphere. Bands like Portal who put so much work into their appearance as well as their music really make the experience of listening to them or seeing them play live much more of an event than just watching a bunch of dudes stand there and play their instruments. I don’t actually know much about the Occult and I don’t believe in any of that kind of thing anyway so any references to it are purely for storytelling purposes.
10. Is there a running theme being all the albums or just a collection of complex metallic journeys?
A: I guess you could find a constant theme of metamorphosis throughout all of the albums, but really each one is based upon its own story. Being a huge fan of Mercyful Fate and King Diamond, the concept albums of KD really stuck with me as being the best way to write or present an album so I’ll continue to follow in that fashion for as long as it makes sense.
11. If you could collab with any artist living or dead who would it be any why?
A: That’s a tough question to answer. If I could collab with Alex Hernandez (formerly of Immolation) on drums that would be the closest to the drumming style that I ultimately would like to hear for The Wakedead Gathering.
12. Is The Wakedead Gathering you only musical outlet or do you record other styles under other names?
A: I also have a project called Debauch that is more of a death/doom band that recorded a demo back in 2011 but is currently on hold. Also, I just released the demo for Invultation, which is a straight-forward and much more violent black/death band. I don’t want to get caught up in having a million one-man projects but those two were/are collections of songs that I wrote that I didn’t feel comfortable releasing under the Wakedead Gathering name.
13. What music or bands are currently impressing you?
A: Labelmates Howls of Ebb and Ecferus, to name a few. That Chthe’ilist album is mighty impressive as well.
14. Thank you for the time any closing thoughts here
A: Thanks for giving me the chance to answer these questions. Writing is already currently underway for a new Wakedead Gathering album to hopefully be recorded later this year. Expect a return to the sci-fi theme. And to everyone who has listened or bought any of my music: thanks for the support!
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