‘’Samuel Keen (Lead vocals/Guitar) ‘’Aaron and Pete had played together previously and were looking for a guitarist. A dear friend of mine told me they were looking so I figured I’d give it a go. The first time we jammed was a lot of fun and we all got on famously, so it seemed natural to pool our passion for music together. We kept it on the downlow for almost 2 years while we worked away at crafting songs and discovering our sound. Then when we felt the time was right, we unleashed our debut single ‘Nightmares’ to the world.’
‘’I have a huge obsession with Greek Mythology, the moon, and all things witchy, so naturally Hecate (The Greek Goddess of the moon and witchcraft, among other things) was coming to mind a lot when we were picking band names. I’m just very lucky that I have amazing band mates that allowed me to indulge in my obsession.
What is Black inside?
Black Inside was actually a song I wrote in 2012 that I felt would suit us as it didn’t have a home before. With some meticulous tweaks we turned it into the monster it is today. Lyrically it was inspired by the people who only seek to tear others down, something that hit home for us collectively.
What led to your massive traditional sound?
Honestly, just playing together. A lot! We have such a broad range of influences between us all that it all blends into something that we’re all quite proud of. Being a 3-piece allows us all to shine on our respective instruments while maintaining a cohesive sound, I think.
What is ‘The Path of Night’?
The path of night is actually a line taken from our song ‘Queen of Witches’ from the album. When it comes time to name an album, I always like to look at what ties the songs together thematically. For me though, the title is about embracing who you are, darkness and all.
It’s also your debut album, how heavy and diverse will it be?
I like to think there’s some good heavy moments on the album, for sure. The album is pretty straightforward and doesn’t really let up. The most melodic song I’d say is album closer ‘Nocturnal’ though.
What led you to the heavier side of music?
‘’I can only speak for myself here, but I was raised on classic metal from back in the day thanks to my parents. But soon enough I dove down the rabbit hole into all the obscure stuff and I haven’t really come back up since. To me heavy music is a safe place, it doesn’t judge you, it’s always there for you and I like to think of it as a way of turning the darkness, both around us and within us, into light.
What is metal to you?
‘’Real metal can be so many things at the end of the day. I don’t think it’s any one sub-genre, it’s all metal and it's all good. I think the beauty about metal is that there is something for everyone relatively speaking. You just have to find the right style that fits you and leave the other styles for other people to enjoy.
Are your lyrics influenced more by mysticism and nature’s cycle rather than modern concerns such as the environment etc.?
‘’My lyrics range in topics, from the aforementioned tributes to Hecate (Queen of Witches and Nocturnal), to mental health (This Burden). I like to spin elements of mysticism, the occult and nature mixed in with more personal elements too. I love being able to tell a story that airs my frustrations at the world around us without trying to alienate anyone.
The metal scene in Christchurch? It’s quite loyal and rowdy? What makes it so different?
‘’The metal scene in Christchurch is something truly special. There’s so many different styles and we’re just this big family that supports each other. I don’t know if it makes us different from any other scene around the world, we’ve certainly all had our fair share of hardships. But I do think that the aftermath of the quakes here back in 2011 made us all appreciate what we have with the venues in the city and with the bands that are here.
The plan to support ‘The Path of Night’?
‘’We performed at the local venue the darkroom on July 14th (album release day) to support and celebrate the release. We’ve got some shows lined up both in Christchurch and in other cities and towns later in the year. But we’re also looking towards album number 2 as well since we’re not content to sit still for too long!
the Top 6 albums of all time?
In no particular order:
Samuel
- Metallica - S&M
- Delain - Moonbathers
- The Cure - Disintegration
- Paradise Lost - In Requiem
- Pink Floyd - The Wall
- Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Aaron
- Soundgarden - Superunknown
- Pink Floyd - Animals
- Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
- Faith No More - Angel Dust
- Head Like A Hole - Are You Going To Kiss It Or Shoot It
- Radiohead - The Bends
Pete
- Forever Still - Tied Down
- Nirvana - Unplugged: Live In New York
- Rage Against The Machine - Self-Titled
- Rammstein - Live Aus Berlin
- System Of A Down - Toxicity
- Stone Sour - Self-Titled
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