――Thank you for taking your time and welcome to Peckinpah mag! How’s going today?
Ollie
Hello there. Thank you for taking the time to interview us. Things are very good thank you, we’re all just getting over our Christmas holidays and getting back to normal life now.
――Could you introduce us the member of Grifter?
Ollie
We’re had the same line-up for 10 years now:
Foz – drums and backing vocals
Phil ? bass just bass nothing else
Ollie – guitar and lead vocals
――Could you describe Grifter’s sound to our readers who haven’t heard you yet?
Ollie
We often seemed to get described as stoner or blues rock but I think the description that suits us best is dirty, heavy rock and roll. People are very keen to use genres and titles to describe bands but to us it all draws from rock and roll and the blues, we just play it heavier and nastier.
――Congrats on your first album(※1), Are you satisfied with the responses so far?
Ollie
Thank you. The first album actually came out in 2011 and the response back then was amazing. We were mentioned in a lot of lists at the end of that year for one of the best albums of the year which was a great thing to see. The album also helped us move to getting bigger and better gigs such as a tour with Orange Goblin, the Freak Valley festival in Germany, Bloodstock and Hard Rock Hell. So far all responses to the first album have been very positive. We have a new album recorded and almost ready to release once we have the artwork. It’s called The Return Of The Bearded Brethren(※2) and will, once again be released on Ripple Music. The new album is a huge improvement in song writing, production, artwork etc. The first album was very much a case of us recording the songs we had available at the time that had been written over a number of years but for the new album we wrote it to be a great album with a good variety of songs and moods.
(※1) Grifter 2011(※2) The Return Of The Bearded Brethren 2014
――Where was the album recorded and how was the recording process?
Ollie
Both of our albums were recorded by a friend of ours called Rich Robinson who is a very good engineer and deserves a lot of credit. Rich has a recording set up that is mobile so he is able to move it to wherever the band wants to record. For the first album we recorded everything at the place we rehearse, a place called Big Red, as they have a very big live room with a great sound. For the new album we recorded all the guitars, bass and drums at Big Red again and recorded the vocals at Rich’s home as he has a small studio room there. Both times the recording went very quickly and easily. We have all the songs written, rehearsed and mostly played live before we record so once we go in the studio we are able to play everything very quickly. The recording for both albums was done in about 3 days then Rich takes the recordings away to mix. He send us mixes to listen to, we send back suggestions and work like that until everyone is happy with everything. It does take longer to mix this way but it is such an important part of the recording process that it can’t be rushed. We’re still very happy with the sound of the first album but the new album sounds so much better in every way.
――The album is released from Ripple Music, How did it come? And how was it?
Ollie
At the time in 2010 Ripple was a website reviewing bands and were only just starting to become a label. I sent them a copy of our 2nd EP, The Simplicity Of The Riff Is Key” released on Catacomb Records, to review and they loved it. They asked us if we’d be interested in being on a split vinyl release called Heavy Ripples with Stone Axe, Sun Gods In Exile and Mighty High so we, of course, said yes. As we had to record songs for the release we decided to record all the songs we had that hadn’t yet been properly recorded with a view to putting them out as an album but didn’t really know how we would release it. While we were recording Ripple also offered to release the album and we have been with them ever since. Ripple are a great label run by two guys called Todd and John who are some of the nicest guys you could meet and absolutely passionate about the label, the bands on their label and music in general. We joined the label very early on and since then the label has gone from strength to strength with better distribution and promotion as well as getting a very strong reputation. Now I think Ripple is getting a reputation as good as labels such as Small Stone which is great for us and should work well for the new album. Ripple certainly has a great roster of bands such as Stone Axe, Mothership, Devil To pay, Poobah, Stubb, Ape Machine, Earthen Grave (featuring Ron Holzner from Trouble) and, of course, released the last Mos Generator album which was amazing.
――What is the songwriting process in the band?
Ollie
Song writing is very much a group process. As the guitarist and vocalist I bring in a lot of riffs and partially formed song ideas which we then pull apart as a group and put together in the best format. Phil, our bass player, also comes up with a lot of amazing riff ideas which we work on, he’s also very good at hearing where a song should go half way through and the overall structure. Our drummer Foz is also very musical, he can sing and play guitar and bass and has a natural idea of how beats can affect the mood of a song. Once he finds the right beat for a song it can influence how the rest of the song will develop. It’s very rare that someone will bring in a fully complete song, and even if they do it usually gets ripped apart and changed beyond all recognition until everyone is happy with it.
――I saw the photo that you wearing Sir Lord Baltimore T-shirt, Do you like them? Are you big fan of 70s Hard Rock?
Ollie
We all love 70s rock though out of everyone in the band I’m probably the biggest fan. I値l look for obscure bands to listen to as well as being a huge fan of bands such as Mountain, Cactus, Sir Lord Baltimore, Budgie, Leaf Hound (who we are now label mates with), Captain Beyond etc. 70s rock had a real vibe to it and was heavily rooted in the blues which I love. It seems the bands back then were less interested in falling into small genres and had an open mind and experimental attitude to their music. I have a collection of compilations that I found on the internet as downloads called Heavy 70s, that are great. There are 8 volumes of around 20 tracks each that feature bigger names such as Status Quo, The Groundhogs, Hawkwind・tc but have also introduced me to some really obscure stuff like Granicus who I love.
――Which bands and artists influenced you?
Ollie
Between the three of us we have a huge range of musical tastes that cover metal, punk, thrash, ska, reggae, hip hop, blues, folk, funk, soul, grunge etc and small bits of these may influence us and creep in, maybe as a drum beat or a riff. As a group though we do have bands that influence us such as Black Sabbath, early ZZ Top, AC/DC, Motorhead, Clutch, Dead Kennedys. Led Zeppelin etc. Personally I’m a huge fan of Mountain, Lynyrd Skynyrd (who our drummer really dislikes!), The Who, The Rolling Stones etc that influence the way I approach playing guitar and writing riffs even if it may not be obvious.
――A stupid question, Do you like hotpocket? (Alabama Hotpocket has great riff!)
Ollie
Do you mean those horrible looking snacks that you put in a toaster that come out with a red hot filling? I can honestly say I’ve never tried one as they really don’t look that nice! That was a hard song to write as I heard the title but when I found out what it meant (it’s a very disgusting sexual act), I realised I had to make the lyrics very vague so they don’t actually say too much. It was too good a title not to use though and no I’ve never tried the sexual act!
――How would you describe the local music scene there?
Ollie
Is there any local scene in your town and if so please name a few artists you like
This is a hard question to answer as we all live in different towns now all spread out about an hour apart. When we started out we all lived in the same town, Plymouth on the south coast of England. There were a few good bands round here then that we used to play with and some good venues but over times things have changed. A lot of the bands have split up and a lot of the venues have closed down. There are a few but we don’t play Plymouth very often anymore as we get to travel around the country a lot now. I think all three of us are a bit out of touch with what is happening musically in Plymouth and the towns where we live. The UK does have a lot of great bands though such as our label mates Stubb plus Suns Of Thunder, Widows, Lifer, Line Of Fire, Trippy Wicked, Enos, Desert Storm, Gonga, Alunah, Tricorn, Goat Leaf, Asomvel, Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, Slabdragger, Druganaut and a whole lot that I’ve probably forgotten to mention but are worthy of checking out.
――I’m sure about that you love to drink lot of beer. Where is the best place for Japanese traveler to get drunk in your home town?
Ollie
We’re been known to drink a few pints of beer in our time for certain. The new album actually has a song called Black Gold which is a tribute to one of our favourite drinks Guinness. In Plymouth we used to have a great venue called The Phoenix which was very friendly but a bit scruffy. Unfortunately it’s closed down now. I don’t go out in Plymouth much but our drummer still lives there and goes to a pub called The Nowhere which a lot of the alternative and metallers in Plymouth go to. There’s also The Junction which attracts a lot of bikers and has bands on. I live in a very small town called Chudleigh that has 5 pubs, the one I go to is called The Bishop Lacey and it’s a great place. They always have beers from small breweries, they do good food, you will always meet interesting and sometimes weird people to talk to and they don’t mind when I put Slayer on the jukebox!
――You played on Hard Rock Hell Fest 2013, How was it?
Ollie
Hard Rock Hell was a lot of fun for us as we spent the whole weekend there just drinking and watching bands. Our set went very well, we had a really good sized crowd to play to who seemed very into what we were doing which was a real buzz. Overall it is a funny festival. They have 2 stages, one for the bigger bands and a much smaller one for the up and coming bands. It seemed that most people preferred to go and watch the bands on the bigger stage than check out the less known bands so some of the crowds for the smaller bands were pretty small which is a shame as some of those bands were better than the bigger bands. We had a great time though and got to meet and hang out with a lot of very cool people as well as a lot of friends who were also playing that we had not seen in a while. We also played the Bloodstock festival which was headlined by Slayer on the day we played and featured Anthrax, Exodus, Devildriver etc. We had a huge crowd for that and got an amazing response. That was a really big thrill.
――Do you do a lot of touring? Do you enjoy touring?
Ollie
We all have jobs, families and bills to pay so we have to work gigs and touring around our home lives but we do as much as we can. We’re been lucky as we got offered the chance to tour with Orange Goblin as they’re old friends which was an amazing experience and we’ve been over to Europe to play in Belgium and Holland. We tend to do weekend tours more if we do any touring, maybe a Thursday to Saturday as people here are more likely to go to gigs on those days than earlier in the week. We all love touring. The three of us get on incredibly well and are pretty much best friends so we have a lot of laughs, we love playing live and we get to travel around seeing some very cool things that we wouldn’t see just sitting doing our jobs every day and we get to meet amazing people along the way who have become really good friends.
――Do you have any funny or interesting stories from live performances or tours?
Ollie
I’m sure there are some. There was the time when we played a venue in London that had a very small stage, Phil was rocking out so hard that he fell off the stage into a projector that was set up in front of the stage to show films on a backdrop behind the bands. I think he managed to carry on playing though. Some of the funniest things are the conversations we have in the van as we’re travelling round sometimes we’re laughing until we’re almost crying.
――You keep playing Rock & Roll almost 10 years, Was it passed like the blink of an eye or slow as doom?
Ollie
Yes we’re just reached our 10th anniversary as a band. When I think back to some of the things we’re done in the last 10 years some of it does seem like such a long time ago. So much has happened for the band and also personally that our lives have changed drastically but the band has remained constant throughout and we still get as much excitement and fun from doing it as we ever did more in some way as things have become easier for us in terms of having a label behind us and getting gigs…etc. Our approach to doing the band has definitely changed over the years as we’re got older, had other commitments..etc but in some ways it’s intensified our focus on the band when we are doing stuff.
――If you could give advice to someone want to start a band. What advice would you give them?
Ollie
Firstly have fun, don’t do it because you have ideas of becoming famous or getting a record deal. Just enjoy what you do and make sure you get on with the people you’re in a band with and are good friends with them. If it takes off you will be spending a lot of time with those people in a van and sleeping in the same room. You also need to know when to give people space and let them do their own thing. We’re survived by knowing when one of us needs a break so they can come back refreshed. Secondly don’t follow trends, don’t try to sound like this band or that band, just play what feels natural and enjoyable. People will pick up on things that have more honesty to them than something that is forced because a band thinks that’s what people want to hear. Thirdly, even if you’re not getting paid act professionally. Be on time, treat the people you meet with respect whether they’re fans, bands, promoters, journalists, label people etc. A good reputation is essential as people do talk to each other and a bad reputation will get around and you won’t get any more work. Fourth, don’t play live or record until you’re ready, there is no rush to do anything. If you play live before you’re ready and sound rubbish people will remember and won’t bother coming back to watch you again even if you’re improved. The same goes for getting your social media such as Facebook on the go People won’t be interested until they can listen to good recordings of you so work towards small local shows first and a decent quality demo. No band should ever be making t-shirts before a demo It does happen!!! Lastly make sure you have decent quality gear. You need to sound good for starters and poor quality gear just doesn’t sound good and won’t sound good even through a decent PA system. Secondly a good way to get known is to do gig swaps with bands from other areas and this often involves lending gear when they come to your town make sure you have good gear to offer.
――Do you know any Japanese band?
Ollie
Obviously everyone knows Church Of Misery. I’m a huge fan of that band and we got to play with them on one date of the Orange Goblin tour a couple of years ago. They seemed like good guys and really seemed to enjoy our set which was great. I also like an old 70s band called Flied Egg who I think released a couple of albums. Other than that I’m sorry to say I don’t really know any Japanese bands that are around today. I’ve heard of a few but never really heard any. I did used to listen to a lot of hardcore many years ago and did get into bands such as Lipcream, Rose Rose, Gauze, Outo etc. Japan had a great hardcore scene in the 80s. If you have any Japanese bands to recommend I’d love to check them out. I have a real interest in Japanese culture and it’s the country I most interested in visiting in fact we would love to come a play in Japan if anyone knows any good promoters!
――If you could play a show with any band, who would that band be?
Ollie
Obviously there are bigger bands that we would love to play with such as Motorhead, Black Sabbath, Clutch, ZZ Top, Iron Maiden etc but these are mostly just dreams that will probably never happen. There are some UK bands that I’m quite keen to play with such as Goat Leaf, Asomvel, Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell etc. In fact we are playing with the last two in Leeds at a small festival later in the year which will be amazing.
――Finally, would you like to send a message to Japanese fans & drinkers?
Ollie
Thank you to everyone in Japan who takes the time out to check out the band and get hold of our stuff・ realise it isn’t easy as I don’t think our label has distribution over there as yet if anyone can help out please let Ripple Music know (http://www.ripple-music.com this is also the place to check out other Ripple bands and buy stuff). Keep enjoying the rock and roll, look out for our new album coming soon・opefully one day we’ll be able to come over there and play for you and drink with you.
In the meantime please keep up with the band on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/grifterrock) or our website (http://www.grifterrock.co.uk) and say hello as we love to hear from people and have conversations. Also please feel free to download our older music, EPs and demo from our Bandcamp page for free (http://grifterrock.bandcamp.com http://grifterrock.bandcamp.com) and spread the word.
Big thanks to Trip Thru Records for the interview and to you guys out there for reading it. Stay happy and peaceful!
――Thank you for taking your time and welcome to Peckinpah mag! How’s going today?
Ollie
Hello there. Thank you for taking the time to interview us. Things are very good thank you, we’re all just getting over our Christmas holidays and getting back to normal life now.
――Could you introduce us the member of Grifter?
Ollie
We’re had the same line-up for 10 years now:
Foz – drums and backing vocals
Phil ? bass just bass nothing else
Ollie – guitar and lead vocals
――Could you describe Grifter’s sound to our readers who haven’t heard you yet?
Ollie
We often seemed to get described as stoner or blues rock but I think the description that suits us best is dirty, heavy rock and roll. People are very keen to use genres and titles to describe bands but to us it all draws from rock and roll and the blues, we just play it heavier and nastier.
――Congrats on your first album(※1), Are you satisfied with the responses so far?
Ollie
Thank you. The first album actually came out in 2011 and the response back then was amazing. We were mentioned in a lot of lists at the end of that year for one of the best albums of the year which was a great thing to see. The album also helped us move to getting bigger and better gigs such as a tour with Orange Goblin, the Freak Valley festival in Germany, Bloodstock and Hard Rock Hell. So far all responses to the first album have been very positive. We have a new album recorded and almost ready to release once we have the artwork. It’s called The Return Of The Bearded Brethren(※2) and will, once again be released on Ripple Music. The new album is a huge improvement in song writing, production, artwork etc. The first album was very much a case of us recording the songs we had available at the time that had been written over a number of years but for the new album we wrote it to be a great album with a good variety of songs and moods.
(※1) Grifter 2011(※2) The Return Of The Bearded Brethren 2014
――Where was the album recorded and how was the recording process?
Ollie
Both of our albums were recorded by a friend of ours called Rich Robinson who is a very good engineer and deserves a lot of credit. Rich has a recording set up that is mobile so he is able to move it to wherever the band wants to record. For the first album we recorded everything at the place we rehearse, a place called Big Red, as they have a very big live room with a great sound. For the new album we recorded all the guitars, bass and drums at Big Red again and recorded the vocals at Rich’s home as he has a small studio room there. Both times the recording went very quickly and easily. We have all the songs written, rehearsed and mostly played live before we record so once we go in the studio we are able to play everything very quickly. The recording for both albums was done in about 3 days then Rich takes the recordings away to mix. He send us mixes to listen to, we send back suggestions and work like that until everyone is happy with everything. It does take longer to mix this way but it is such an important part of the recording process that it can’t be rushed. We’re still very happy with the sound of the first album but the new album sounds so much better in every way.
――The album is released from Ripple Music, How did it come? And how was it?
Ollie
At the time in 2010 Ripple was a website reviewing bands and were only just starting to become a label. I sent them a copy of our 2nd EP, The Simplicity Of The Riff Is Key” released on Catacomb Records, to review and they loved it. They asked us if we’d be interested in being on a split vinyl release called Heavy Ripples with Stone Axe, Sun Gods In Exile and Mighty High so we, of course, said yes. As we had to record songs for the release we decided to record all the songs we had that hadn’t yet been properly recorded with a view to putting them out as an album but didn’t really know how we would release it. While we were recording Ripple also offered to release the album and we have been with them ever since. Ripple are a great label run by two guys called Todd and John who are some of the nicest guys you could meet and absolutely passionate about the label, the bands on their label and music in general. We joined the label very early on and since then the label has gone from strength to strength with better distribution and promotion as well as getting a very strong reputation. Now I think Ripple is getting a reputation as good as labels such as Small Stone which is great for us and should work well for the new album. Ripple certainly has a great roster of bands such as Stone Axe, Mothership, Devil To pay, Poobah, Stubb, Ape Machine, Earthen Grave (featuring Ron Holzner from Trouble) and, of course, released the last Mos Generator album which was amazing.
――What is the songwriting process in the band?
Ollie
Song writing is very much a group process. As the guitarist and vocalist I bring in a lot of riffs and partially formed song ideas which we then pull apart as a group and put together in the best format. Phil, our bass player, also comes up with a lot of amazing riff ideas which we work on, he’s also very good at hearing where a song should go half way through and the overall structure. Our drummer Foz is also very musical, he can sing and play guitar and bass and has a natural idea of how beats can affect the mood of a song. Once he finds the right beat for a song it can influence how the rest of the song will develop. It’s very rare that someone will bring in a fully complete song, and even if they do it usually gets ripped apart and changed beyond all recognition until everyone is happy with it.
――I saw the photo that you wearing Sir Lord Baltimore T-shirt, Do you like them? Are you big fan of 70s Hard Rock?
Ollie
We all love 70s rock though out of everyone in the band I’m probably the biggest fan. I値l look for obscure bands to listen to as well as being a huge fan of bands such as Mountain, Cactus, Sir Lord Baltimore, Budgie, Leaf Hound (who we are now label mates with), Captain Beyond etc. 70s rock had a real vibe to it and was heavily rooted in the blues which I love. It seems the bands back then were less interested in falling into small genres and had an open mind and experimental attitude to their music. I have a collection of compilations that I found on the internet as downloads called Heavy 70s, that are great. There are 8 volumes of around 20 tracks each that feature bigger names such as Status Quo, The Groundhogs, Hawkwind・tc but have also introduced me to some really obscure stuff like Granicus who I love.
――Which bands and artists influenced you?
Ollie
Between the three of us we have a huge range of musical tastes that cover metal, punk, thrash, ska, reggae, hip hop, blues, folk, funk, soul, grunge etc and small bits of these may influence us and creep in, maybe as a drum beat or a riff. As a group though we do have bands that influence us such as Black Sabbath, early ZZ Top, AC/DC, Motorhead, Clutch, Dead Kennedys. Led Zeppelin etc. Personally I’m a huge fan of Mountain, Lynyrd Skynyrd (who our drummer really dislikes!), The Who, The Rolling Stones etc that influence the way I approach playing guitar and writing riffs even if it may not be obvious.
――A stupid question, Do you like hotpocket? (Alabama Hotpocket has great riff!)
Ollie
Do you mean those horrible looking snacks that you put in a toaster that come out with a red hot filling? I can honestly say I’ve never tried one as they really don’t look that nice! That was a hard song to write as I heard the title but when I found out what it meant (it’s a very disgusting sexual act), I realised I had to make the lyrics very vague so they don’t actually say too much. It was too good a title not to use though and no I’ve never tried the sexual act!
――How would you describe the local music scene there?
Ollie
Is there any local scene in your town and if so please name a few artists you like
This is a hard question to answer as we all live in different towns now all spread out about an hour apart. When we started out we all lived in the same town, Plymouth on the south coast of England. There were a few good bands round here then that we used to play with and some good venues but over times things have changed. A lot of the bands have split up and a lot of the venues have closed down. There are a few but we don’t play Plymouth very often anymore as we get to travel around the country a lot now. I think all three of us are a bit out of touch with what is happening musically in Plymouth and the towns where we live. The UK does have a lot of great bands though such as our label mates Stubb plus Suns Of Thunder, Widows, Lifer, Line Of Fire, Trippy Wicked, Enos, Desert Storm, Gonga, Alunah, Tricorn, Goat Leaf, Asomvel, Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, Slabdragger, Druganaut and a whole lot that I’ve probably forgotten to mention but are worthy of checking out.
――I’m sure about that you love to drink lot of beer. Where is the best place for Japanese traveler to get drunk in your home town?
Ollie
We’re been known to drink a few pints of beer in our time for certain. The new album actually has a song called Black Gold which is a tribute to one of our favourite drinks Guinness. In Plymouth we used to have a great venue called The Phoenix which was very friendly but a bit scruffy. Unfortunately it’s closed down now. I don’t go out in Plymouth much but our drummer still lives there and goes to a pub called The Nowhere which a lot of the alternative and metallers in Plymouth go to. There’s also The Junction which attracts a lot of bikers and has bands on. I live in a very small town called Chudleigh that has 5 pubs, the one I go to is called The Bishop Lacey and it’s a great place. They always have beers from small breweries, they do good food, you will always meet interesting and sometimes weird people to talk to and they don’t mind when I put Slayer on the jukebox!
――You played on Hard Rock Hell Fest 2013, How was it?
Ollie
Hard Rock Hell was a lot of fun for us as we spent the whole weekend there just drinking and watching bands. Our set went very well, we had a really good sized crowd to play to who seemed very into what we were doing which was a real buzz. Overall it is a funny festival. They have 2 stages, one for the bigger bands and a much smaller one for the up and coming bands. It seemed that most people preferred to go and watch the bands on the bigger stage than check out the less known bands so some of the crowds for the smaller bands were pretty small which is a shame as some of those bands were better than the bigger bands. We had a great time though and got to meet and hang out with a lot of very cool people as well as a lot of friends who were also playing that we had not seen in a while. We also played the Bloodstock festival which was headlined by Slayer on the day we played and featured Anthrax, Exodus, Devildriver etc. We had a huge crowd for that and got an amazing response. That was a really big thrill.
――Do you do a lot of touring? Do you enjoy touring?
Ollie
We all have jobs, families and bills to pay so we have to work gigs and touring around our home lives but we do as much as we can. We’re been lucky as we got offered the chance to tour with Orange Goblin as they’re old friends which was an amazing experience and we’ve been over to Europe to play in Belgium and Holland. We tend to do weekend tours more if we do any touring, maybe a Thursday to Saturday as people here are more likely to go to gigs on those days than earlier in the week. We all love touring. The three of us get on incredibly well and are pretty much best friends so we have a lot of laughs, we love playing live and we get to travel around seeing some very cool things that we wouldn’t see just sitting doing our jobs every day and we get to meet amazing people along the way who have become really good friends.
――Do you have any funny or interesting stories from live performances or tours?
Ollie
I’m sure there are some. There was the time when we played a venue in London that had a very small stage, Phil was rocking out so hard that he fell off the stage into a projector that was set up in front of the stage to show films on a backdrop behind the bands. I think he managed to carry on playing though. Some of the funniest things are the conversations we have in the van as we’re travelling round sometimes we’re laughing until we’re almost crying.
――You keep playing Rock & Roll almost 10 years, Was it passed like the blink of an eye or slow as doom?
Ollie
Yes we’re just reached our 10th anniversary as a band. When I think back to some of the things we’re done in the last 10 years some of it does seem like such a long time ago. So much has happened for the band and also personally that our lives have changed drastically but the band has remained constant throughout and we still get as much excitement and fun from doing it as we ever did more in some way as things have become easier for us in terms of having a label behind us and getting gigs…etc. Our approach to doing the band has definitely changed over the years as we’re got older, had other commitments..etc but in some ways it’s intensified our focus on the band when we are doing stuff.
――If you could give advice to someone want to start a band. What advice would you give them?
Ollie
Firstly have fun, don’t do it because you have ideas of becoming famous or getting a record deal. Just enjoy what you do and make sure you get on with the people you’re in a band with and are good friends with them. If it takes off you will be spending a lot of time with those people in a van and sleeping in the same room. You also need to know when to give people space and let them do their own thing. We’re survived by knowing when one of us needs a break so they can come back refreshed. Secondly don’t follow trends, don’t try to sound like this band or that band, just play what feels natural and enjoyable. People will pick up on things that have more honesty to them than something that is forced because a band thinks that’s what people want to hear. Thirdly, even if you’re not getting paid act professionally. Be on time, treat the people you meet with respect whether they’re fans, bands, promoters, journalists, label people etc. A good reputation is essential as people do talk to each other and a bad reputation will get around and you won’t get any more work. Fourth, don’t play live or record until you’re ready, there is no rush to do anything. If you play live before you’re ready and sound rubbish people will remember and won’t bother coming back to watch you again even if you’re improved. The same goes for getting your social media such as Facebook on the go People won’t be interested until they can listen to good recordings of you so work towards small local shows first and a decent quality demo. No band should ever be making t-shirts before a demo It does happen!!! Lastly make sure you have decent quality gear. You need to sound good for starters and poor quality gear just doesn’t sound good and won’t sound good even through a decent PA system. Secondly a good way to get known is to do gig swaps with bands from other areas and this often involves lending gear when they come to your town make sure you have good gear to offer.
――Do you know any Japanese band?
Ollie
Obviously everyone knows Church Of Misery. I’m a huge fan of that band and we got to play with them on one date of the Orange Goblin tour a couple of years ago. They seemed like good guys and really seemed to enjoy our set which was great. I also like an old 70s band called Flied Egg who I think released a couple of albums. Other than that I’m sorry to say I don’t really know any Japanese bands that are around today. I’ve heard of a few but never really heard any. I did used to listen to a lot of hardcore many years ago and did get into bands such as Lipcream, Rose Rose, Gauze, Outo etc. Japan had a great hardcore scene in the 80s. If you have any Japanese bands to recommend I’d love to check them out. I have a real interest in Japanese culture and it’s the country I most interested in visiting in fact we would love to come a play in Japan if anyone knows any good promoters!
――If you could play a show with any band, who would that band be?
Ollie
Obviously there are bigger bands that we would love to play with such as Motorhead, Black Sabbath, Clutch, ZZ Top, Iron Maiden etc but these are mostly just dreams that will probably never happen. There are some UK bands that I’m quite keen to play with such as Goat Leaf, Asomvel, Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell etc. In fact we are playing with the last two in Leeds at a small festival later in the year which will be amazing.
――Finally, would you like to send a message to Japanese fans & drinkers?
Ollie
Thank you to everyone in Japan who takes the time out to check out the band and get hold of our stuff・ realise it isn’t easy as I don’t think our label has distribution over there as yet if anyone can help out please let Ripple Music know (http://www.ripple-music.com this is also the place to check out other Ripple bands and buy stuff). Keep enjoying the rock and roll, look out for our new album coming soon・opefully one day we’ll be able to come over there and play for you and drink with you.
In the meantime please keep up with the band on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/grifterrock) or our website (http://www.grifterrock.co.uk) and say hello as we love to hear from people and have conversations. Also please feel free to download our older music, EPs and demo from our Bandcamp page for free (http://grifterrock.bandcamp.com http://grifterrock.bandcamp.com) and spread the word.
Big thanks to Trip Thru Records for the interview and to you guys out there for reading it. Stay happy and peaceful!
Kvohst名義でCODE、Dødheimsgard、VOIDなど数々のブラック、デス・メタル・バンドで活動してきた英国人ミュージシャンMat McNerneyがフィンランド移住後に結成したHexvessel。ドゥームやプログレを内包した、聴き手を森の奥深くへ誘うようなサイケデリック・フォークでLee Dorianをはじめ数多くのミュージシャンをも魅了している。そんな彼らが3枚目となるアルバム”When We Are Death” をCentury Mediaから1月29日にリリース。
本作では60s～70sサイケ・ポップ/ロックに大幅に接近しており、バンドにとって大きな転換点となりそうな作品だ。Matその人に話を聞いた。
――応じて頂きありがとうございます。Hexvessel結成までの経緯を教えてください。
Mat McNerney (Vocals, Guitar)
恋に落ちるような感じだったよ。僕は家でプライベートな曲を作っていたんだ。リリースするつもりのないラブ・ソングやスピリチュアルな歌を。ある時、友人がそれらをレコードにするよう勧めてくれた。それで、ミュージシャンの友人の助けを借りて”Dawnbearer”をレコーディングした。だけど、それはセッション・メンバーと作ったソロ・レコードという感じだった。
自分の結婚式で、妻がアコースティック・ギターを弾いてそれらの曲を初めてプレイした。僕はギターがあまり巧くないし、とてもナーバスになっていたんだ。だから、バンドと一緒にHexvesselの曲をプレイすべきだと気付かされた。本物のバンドとね。マジックが生まれるような人たちと。Captain Beefheart’s Magic Bandにあったマジックのような。
結婚式ではDark Buddha Risingというバンドと一緒にプレイした。僕は彼らの魔術的なオーラに魅了されてしまった。彼らはヒッピーだけど、ダークな宝石だった。その時、僕の曲をプレイしてもらうバンドは彼らでなければならないと気付いた。
結婚式のあと、彼らに僕のバッキング・バンドを務めてもらえないかと頼んだら、彼らはとても驚いていた。なぜなら彼らは、彼らの次のレコードで僕に歌ってもらえないかと頼もうとしていたからだ。
それで、僕は彼らの3枚目のレコードで歌って、彼らは僕の2枚目のレコードに参加してくれた。
そんな中で、ベースのNiiniとキーボード、ヴァイオリン、トランペットのKimoと出会って、僕たちは本物のバンドになった。それぞれ出自は完全にバラバラだけど、愛から生まれた本物の家族みたいだ。
――Hexvesselというバンド名の由来、意味は何ですか？
Mat
僕にとっては”スピリチュアルな旅”を意味している。Hexvesselは魔法を運ぶ者。スピリチュアルな旅行をするための自動車なんだ。君を悟りへと導く人生の魔術的な業の具現化。希望、夢、宇宙の意味を探求することを意味している。
――Hexvesselをまだ聴いたことのない読者のために、どんなサウンドか説明して頂けますか？
Mat
フォークと60、70年代のコズミック、サイケデリック・ロックの超自然的な融合。ブルースの血とプログレッシヴ・ロックのスピリット、Beefheart, Bo Hanson, The Doors, Camel, Ultimate SpinachとMahavishnu Orchestra, Bob Dylan、初期Steeleye Spanからの影響に駆り立てられている。もしオブスキュアでレア、ヴィンテージな音楽を掘り下げていたら、僕たちのやっていることをより理解できるだろう。
それは錬金術であり、魔術である。僕たちが信じる音楽の力を変容させて、君たちに届けるんだ。すべては繋がりについて、この世界と別の世界の繋がりについてだ。
Mat
きっかけは音楽の純粋さについてだった。死者を再び歌わせるんだ。フォーク・ミュージックは純粋な歌について。物語なんだ。僕らの心の中にある物語と歌。人間とは何か、そしてより壮大な物語、宇宙の本質へと向かっていく。
ブラック・メタルをやり始めたころは、旅の途中だった。僕はこの旅と探求を続けたかった。若くて、向こう側へのブレイクスルーを求めているなら、ブラック・メタルはよい機会だよ。音楽の、心の中にある音楽のコンセプトを理解する助けとなる。
人々は”ブラック・メタル・フィーリング”について話している。そのフィーリングとは音楽的な悟りであり、神々へと達するんだ。そして、それはあらゆる良い音楽の核となるものだ。だけど、ブラック・メタルはそこへ速く到達するための一つの方法にすぎない。
僕はもっと先に進みたかったんだ。より純粋な形で音楽の根源へ向かうため、そして言いたかったことやインスピレーションの精霊に近づくためには、僕の内面にある歌はフォークに根ざしていると感じた。古びた骨、古代の木々、動物の内臓など、民俗(フォーク)楽器は自然そのものから作られている。それらは死者を歌わせ、自然の歴史を物語る。まるでDNAの音のようだ。それがフォーク・ミュージックに僕が魅かれる理由だと思うね。それが君の望む死だとしても、そのすべて、それ以上がある。どちらも暗くて、だけど明るくて、より触発されるんだ。
Mat
間違いなく影響を受けている。フィンランドにはとても美しい景色がある。僕は自然を、人々と自然の繋がりを愛しているんだ。ヨーロッパで最大の面積があるけど、人口はとても少ない。広大な森に囲まれて隔絶されている。ボーイスカウトやイギリスの田舎でキャンプをしたり、アイルランドにある叔父の農場で長い夏を過ごしていたころから、僕は森と田舎に夢中なんだ。自然の世界は僕の想像の中の世界にとても近いことに気がついた。当時も今も、自然は僕の夢と現実が出会う場所だ。子供のころ、テリー・ブルックス（アメリカのファンタジー作家）の” Magic Kingdom For Sale Sold”という本を読んだことがあるんだけど、この本は僕の人生そのものだ。イギリスは僕にとっての現実で、フィンランドはブルックスの本に出てくる魔法の王国なんだ。
――フィンランドの音楽シーンはどのようなものですか？
Mat
サイケデリック！(笑) 今のサイケ・ロック・シーンはとても強力だと思うよ。Circleというバンドが支配していたんだけど、そのあと、Pharaoh Overlord, Death Hawks, Oranssi Pazuzu, Dark Buddha Rising, Domovoydが出てきた。フィンランドの音楽シーンはとてもオープンなんだ。どんな音楽のファンでもお互いのショウを観に行く。他の国のように断絶していないんだ。Hexvesselのショウに来れば、ゴス、ヒッピー、ブラックメタラー、フォーク・ファン、それに奇妙なやつら、あらゆる変人が共存しているよ。
Mat
スピリチュアルな探究。スピリチュアルな冒険についての文化を探究することだと思う。古のオカルティスト、シャーマン、異教徒たちがいかにして自然と宇宙の構造を内包した神秘主義を見出したかが好きなんだ。聖書のでっち上げのお話よりもね。魔法が存在することを、音楽と繋がっていることを本当に楽しんでいるよ。
オカルトやクロウリーの本などをたくさん読んだ。僕の異教の祖先やケルトの伝統を継ぐもの、英国とアイルランドのルーツにも深い関心を抱いている。すべてが意味しているのは、僕の人生にはもっと何かがあるという予感なんだ。現実のトンネルを破って、深淵を掘り下げれば、何かが見つかるかもしれないという予感が好きなんだ。
Mat
どちらのバンドも大好きだし、サポートしたいと思ったんだ。それが彼女たちに参加をオファーした理由だね。両バンドには僕らと共通する部分があると思う。才能ある強い女性が作曲をして、バンドをリードするというアイディアも好きだ。これは僕らのシーンにとってとても良い変化だと思う。僕らには二人の女性が参加しているし、お互い助け合っているよ。
――”Iron Marsh”にはオノ・ヨーコのカバー”Women of Salem”が収録されていますね。これはみんなを驚かせたと思います。なぜこの曲をプレイしようと思ったのですか？
Mat
僕はいつだって彼女に魅了されているんだ。彼女はミュージシャンとして最も過小評価されているアーティストだと思うよ。彼女はJohn Lennonの最も偉大な曲やアルバムのプロデュースを助け、ほかの誰よりも彼に大きな影響を与えた人物だと思う。僕が彼女のバック・カタログを掘り下げ始めたときに聴いた”Feeling The Space”というアルバムの曲が大好きなんだ。あの曲をもっと違う方法で仕上げられると感じた。これは良いカバーの印だね。曲に異なる方向性と新たな生命の形を与える。僕らはそれを成し遂げたと思うよ。
サウス・バンクが彼女の音楽の影響力を祝うイベントを開催したのは興味深いね。彼女はアバンギャルドな音楽文化における大きな一部であるという僕の意見を補強するものだった。彼女は挑発的で、芸術と音楽における日本人のイメージを変えた。
彼女は扉を開いて、創作のため、世界の平和のために活動する人々に大きな影響を与えたんだ。
――ほかに日本人のバンド、アーティストを知っていますか？
Mat Flower Travellin’ Bandは大好きだ。ジョー山中は僕のお気に入りのシンガーの一人だよ。それとAcid Mothers Temple。坂本龍一のような作曲家からは大きな影響を受けている。ススム・ヨコタの音楽も大好きだ。ミニマリズムが好きなんだ。黒澤明、宮崎駿監督の大ファンでもある。Monoというバンドも好きだ。どうやら僕は日本の音楽が大好きらしい！
日本を訪れたとき、高尾山に登ったんだ。僕のお気に入りの場所だよ。とても美しかった。日本には良い思い出がたくさんあるよ。
――新しいEPとアルバムのリリースが控えていますが、詳細を少し教えて頂けますか？最新のバイオグラフィには「新たなフェーズへ進む」と書かれていますね。公開された新曲”Earth Over Us”は60年代のサーフ・サイケを思わせるものでした。
Mat
ああ、新しいアルバムは”When We Are Death”というタイトルだ。これは僕らにとっての新たな一歩だ。60sポップス、サイケ、フォーク、それからドゥーム、プログレの要素がある。ヘヴィでディープ、スロウでハード、美しくて、悲しい。だけど究極的な高揚感があるんだ。アルバムのメッセージは幸福と悟りについて。これは最もディープで、偉大で、そして最も正直な作品だ。僕らはこの作品を創るためにかつてないほどの作業をした。意欲的な作業で、僕らがバンドとしてその作業を愛していることを示せたと思う。
今すぐ死んでもいいぐらいだよ。このレコードが僕の遺言になれば幸せだ。
“When We Are Death”(2016)
――最近はどんなバンドの作品を楽しんでいますか？読者にお勧めがあれば教えてください。
Mat
最近のリリースをあまり深く掘り下げてはいないんだ。きっとたくさんのクールな作品を聴き逃しているだろうな。だけど、そのおかげで僕の生涯におけるベストの作品2枚を創ることができた。ひとつはHexvesselの、もうひとつは僕の別バンド、Grave Pleasuresだ。狂ったようにツアーをして、Marjaと共に美しい小さな男の子（息子さんのことと思われる）をこの世界に齎した。
これが僕の2015年によく聴いた作品のリストだよ。
DØDHEIMSGARD – A Umbra Omega (彼らの最高傑作。文句無しの1位だ)
UNCLE ACID – The Nightcreeper (fuzzy Beatles worship。まだ聴き足りない。今でも本当にこのバンドを楽しんでいる)
FUZZ – II (Witch以降で最高のSabbathian fuzz rock)
SATURNALIA TEMPLE – To The Other (Deep drone worship! このアルバムのサウンドが大好きだ)
DEATH HAWKS – Sun Future Moon (フィンランドのクラウト・ロック。とてもレイドバックしていて、トリッピーなレコードだ)
WAND – 1000 Days (クラウト要素のあるガレージ・ロック。 素晴らしい曲とリフ)
JOHN KRAUTNER – Fun With Gum Vol1 (びっくりするぐらいキャッチーな楽曲！危険なほどにね。夏の間、ずっと頭にこびりついて離れなかった)
DARK BUDDHA RISING – Inversum (フィンランドで最もヘヴィなバンド。オーディオ・ドラッグだ)
Kvohst名義でCODE、Dødheimsgard、VOIDなど数々のブラック、デス・メタル・バンドで活動してきた英国人ミュージシャンMat McNerneyがフィンランド移住後に結成したHexvessel。ドゥームやプログレを内包した、聴き手を森の奥深くへ誘うようなサイケデリック・フォークでLee Dorianをはじめ数多くのミュージシャンをも魅了している。そんな彼らが3枚目となるアルバム”When We Are Death” をCentury Mediaから1月29日にリリース。 本作では60s～70sサイケ・ポップ/ロックに大幅に接近しており、バンドにとって大きな転換点となりそうな作品だ。Matその人に話を聞いた。
――応じて頂きありがとうございます。Hexvessel結成までの経緯を教えてください。
Mat McNerney (Vocals, Guitar) 恋に落ちるような感じだったよ。僕は家でプライベートな曲を作っていたんだ。リリースするつもりのないラブ・ソングやスピリチュアルな歌を。ある時、友人がそれらをレコードにするよう勧めてくれた。それで、ミュージシャンの友人の助けを借りて”Dawnbearer”をレコーディングした。だけど、それはセッション・メンバーと作ったソロ・レコードという感じだった。 自分の結婚式で、妻がアコースティック・ギターを弾いてそれらの曲を初めてプレイした。僕はギターがあまり巧くないし、とてもナーバスになっていたんだ。だから、バンドと一緒にHexvesselの曲をプレイすべきだと気付かされた。本物のバンドとね。マジックが生まれるような人たちと。Captain Beefheart’s Magic Bandにあったマジックのような。 結婚式ではDark Buddha Risingというバンドと一緒にプレイした。僕は彼らの魔術的なオーラに魅了されてしまった。彼らはヒッピーだけど、ダークな宝石だった。その時、僕の曲をプレイしてもらうバンドは彼らでなければならないと気付いた。 結婚式のあと、彼らに僕のバッキング・バンドを務めてもらえないかと頼んだら、彼らはとても驚いていた。なぜなら彼らは、彼らの次のレコードで僕に歌ってもらえないかと頼もうとしていたからだ。 それで、僕は彼らの3枚目のレコードで歌って、彼らは僕の2枚目のレコードに参加してくれた。 そんな中で、ベースのNiiniとキーボード、ヴァイオリン、トランペットのKimoと出会って、僕たちは本物のバンドになった。それぞれ出自は完全にバラバラだけど、愛から生まれた本物の家族みたいだ。
――Hexvesselというバンド名の由来、意味は何ですか？
Mat 僕にとっては”スピリチュアルな旅”を意味している。Hexvesselは魔法を運ぶ者。スピリチュアルな旅行をするための自動車なんだ。君を悟りへと導く人生の魔術的な業の具現化。希望、夢、宇宙の意味を探求することを意味している。
――Hexvesselをまだ聴いたことのない読者のために、どんなサウンドか説明して頂けますか？
Mat フォークと60、70年代のコズミック、サイケデリック・ロックの超自然的な融合。ブルースの血とプログレッシヴ・ロックのスピリット、Beefheart, Bo Hanson, The Doors, Camel, Ultimate SpinachとMahavishnu Orchestra, Bob Dylan、初期Steeleye Spanからの影響に駆り立てられている。もしオブスキュアでレア、ヴィンテージな音楽を掘り下げていたら、僕たちのやっていることをより理解できるだろう。 それは錬金術であり、魔術である。僕たちが信じる音楽の力を変容させて、君たちに届けるんだ。すべては繋がりについて、この世界と別の世界の繋がりについてだ。
Mat きっかけは音楽の純粋さについてだった。死者を再び歌わせるんだ。フォーク・ミュージックは純粋な歌について。物語なんだ。僕らの心の中にある物語と歌。人間とは何か、そしてより壮大な物語、宇宙の本質へと向かっていく。 ブラック・メタルをやり始めたころは、旅の途中だった。僕はこの旅と探求を続けたかった。若くて、向こう側へのブレイクスルーを求めているなら、ブラック・メタルはよい機会だよ。音楽の、心の中にある音楽のコンセプトを理解する助けとなる。 人々は”ブラック・メタル・フィーリング”について話している。そのフィーリングとは音楽的な悟りであり、神々へと達するんだ。そして、それはあらゆる良い音楽の核となるものだ。だけど、ブラック・メタルはそこへ速く到達するための一つの方法にすぎない。 僕はもっと先に進みたかったんだ。より純粋な形で音楽の根源へ向かうため、そして言いたかったことやインスピレーションの精霊に近づくためには、僕の内面にある歌はフォークに根ざしていると感じた。古びた骨、古代の木々、動物の内臓など、民俗(フォーク)楽器は自然そのものから作られている。それらは死者を歌わせ、自然の歴史を物語る。まるでDNAの音のようだ。それがフォーク・ミュージックに僕が魅かれる理由だと思うね。それが君の望む死だとしても、そのすべて、それ以上がある。どちらも暗くて、だけど明るくて、より触発されるんだ。
Mat 間違いなく影響を受けている。フィンランドにはとても美しい景色がある。僕は自然を、人々と自然の繋がりを愛しているんだ。ヨーロッパで最大の面積があるけど、人口はとても少ない。広大な森に囲まれて隔絶されている。ボーイスカウトやイギリスの田舎でキャンプをしたり、アイルランドにある叔父の農場で長い夏を過ごしていたころから、僕は森と田舎に夢中なんだ。自然の世界は僕の想像の中の世界にとても近いことに気がついた。当時も今も、自然は僕の夢と現実が出会う場所だ。子供のころ、テリー・ブルックス（アメリカのファンタジー作家）の” Magic Kingdom For Sale Sold”という本を読んだことがあるんだけど、この本は僕の人生そのものだ。イギリスは僕にとっての現実で、フィンランドはブルックスの本に出てくる魔法の王国なんだ。
――フィンランドの音楽シーンはどのようなものですか？
Mat サイケデリック！(笑) 今のサイケ・ロック・シーンはとても強力だと思うよ。Circleというバンドが支配していたんだけど、そのあと、Pharaoh Overlord, Death Hawks, Oranssi Pazuzu, Dark Buddha Rising, Domovoydが出てきた。フィンランドの音楽シーンはとてもオープンなんだ。どんな音楽のファンでもお互いのショウを観に行く。他の国のように断絶していないんだ。Hexvesselのショウに来れば、ゴス、ヒッピー、ブラックメタラー、フォーク・ファン、それに奇妙なやつら、あらゆる変人が共存しているよ。
Mat スピリチュアルな探究。スピリチュアルな冒険についての文化を探究することだと思う。古のオカルティスト、シャーマン、異教徒たちがいかにして自然と宇宙の構造を内包した神秘主義を見出したかが好きなんだ。聖書のでっち上げのお話よりもね。魔法が存在することを、音楽と繋がっていることを本当に楽しんでいるよ。 オカルトやクロウリーの本などをたくさん読んだ。僕の異教の祖先やケルトの伝統を継ぐもの、英国とアイルランドのルーツにも深い関心を抱いている。すべてが意味しているのは、僕の人生にはもっと何かがあるという予感なんだ。現実のトンネルを破って、深淵を掘り下げれば、何かが見つかるかもしれないという予感が好きなんだ。
Mat どちらのバンドも大好きだし、サポートしたいと思ったんだ。それが彼女たちに参加をオファーした理由だね。両バンドには僕らと共通する部分があると思う。才能ある強い女性が作曲をして、バンドをリードするというアイディアも好きだ。これは僕らのシーンにとってとても良い変化だと思う。僕らには二人の女性が参加しているし、お互い助け合っているよ。
――”Iron Marsh”にはオノ・ヨーコのカバー”Women of Salem”が収録されていますね。これはみんなを驚かせたと思います。なぜこの曲をプレイしようと思ったのですか？
Mat 僕はいつだって彼女に魅了されているんだ。彼女はミュージシャンとして最も過小評価されているアーティストだと思うよ。彼女はJohn Lennonの最も偉大な曲やアルバムのプロデュースを助け、ほかの誰よりも彼に大きな影響を与えた人物だと思う。僕が彼女のバック・カタログを掘り下げ始めたときに聴いた”Feeling The Space”というアルバムの曲が大好きなんだ。あの曲をもっと違う方法で仕上げられると感じた。これは良いカバーの印だね。曲に異なる方向性と新たな生命の形を与える。僕らはそれを成し遂げたと思うよ。 サウス・バンクが彼女の音楽の影響力を祝うイベントを開催したのは興味深いね。彼女はアバンギャルドな音楽文化における大きな一部であるという僕の意見を補強するものだった。彼女は挑発的で、芸術と音楽における日本人のイメージを変えた。 彼女は扉を開いて、創作のため、世界の平和のために活動する人々に大きな影響を与えたんだ。
――ほかに日本人のバンド、アーティストを知っていますか？
Mat Flower Travellin’ Bandは大好きだ。ジョー山中は僕のお気に入りのシンガーの一人だよ。それとAcid Mothers Temple。坂本龍一のような作曲家からは大きな影響を受けている。ススム・ヨコタの音楽も大好きだ。ミニマリズムが好きなんだ。黒澤明、宮崎駿監督の大ファンでもある。Monoというバンドも好きだ。どうやら僕は日本の音楽が大好きらしい！ 日本を訪れたとき、高尾山に登ったんだ。僕のお気に入りの場所だよ。とても美しかった。日本には良い思い出がたくさんあるよ。
――新しいEPとアルバムのリリースが控えていますが、詳細を少し教えて頂けますか？最新のバイオグラフィには「新たなフェーズへ進む」と書かれていますね。公開された新曲”Earth Over Us”は60年代のサーフ・サイケを思わせるものでした。
Mat ああ、新しいアルバムは”When We Are Death”というタイトルだ。これは僕らにとっての新たな一歩だ。60sポップス、サイケ、フォーク、それからドゥーム、プログレの要素がある。ヘヴィでディープ、スロウでハード、美しくて、悲しい。だけど究極的な高揚感があるんだ。アルバムのメッセージは幸福と悟りについて。これは最もディープで、偉大で、そして最も正直な作品だ。僕らはこの作品を創るためにかつてないほどの作業をした。意欲的な作業で、僕らがバンドとしてその作業を愛していることを示せたと思う。 今すぐ死んでもいいぐらいだよ。このレコードが僕の遺言になれば幸せだ。
“When We Are Death”(2016)
――最近はどんなバンドの作品を楽しんでいますか？読者にお勧めがあれば教えてください。
Mat 最近のリリースをあまり深く掘り下げてはいないんだ。きっとたくさんのクールな作品を聴き逃しているだろうな。だけど、そのおかげで僕の生涯におけるベストの作品2枚を創ることができた。ひとつはHexvesselの、もうひとつは僕の別バンド、Grave Pleasuresだ。狂ったようにツアーをして、Marjaと共に美しい小さな男の子（息子さんのことと思われる）をこの世界に齎した。 これが僕の2015年によく聴いた作品のリストだよ。
DØDHEIMSGARD – A Umbra Omega (彼らの最高傑作。文句無しの1位だ)
UNCLE ACID – The Nightcreeper (fuzzy Beatles worship。まだ聴き足りない。今でも本当にこのバンドを楽しんでいる)
FUZZ – II (Witch以降で最高のSabbathian fuzz rock)
SATURNALIA TEMPLE – To The Other (Deep drone worship! このアルバムのサウンドが大好きだ)
DEATH HAWKS – Sun Future Moon (フィンランドのクラウト・ロック。とてもレイドバックしていて、トリッピーなレコードだ)
WAND – 1000 Days (クラウト要素のあるガレージ・ロック。 素晴らしい曲とリフ)
JOHN KRAUTNER – Fun With Gum Vol1 (びっくりするぐらいキャッチーな楽曲！危険なほどにね。夏の間、ずっと頭にこびりついて離れなかった)
DARK BUDDHA RISING – Inversum (フィンランドで最もヘヴィなバンド。オーディオ・ドラッグだ)
東京拠点のサイケデリック・ドゥーム/スラッジ・バンドZOTHIQUEが約1年ぶりとなる三枚目のアルバム“Faith, Hope and Charity”をリリースした。独自の世界観を保ちつつ、各メンバーの血であり、バンド・サウンドの構成要素たるドゥーム、スラッジ、ハード・ロック、サイケ、ハードコア、ノイズ、アンビエント…etcを一つに纏め上げるのではなく、それぞれを際立たせるという手法を用いて紡がれた本作は、味わい深く何度も繰り返し聴きたくなる傑作だ。形骸化したドゥームやスラッジに飽いている人にこそ強くお勧めしたい。
東京のストーナー・バンドGUEVNNAとフランスのスラッジ・バンドAGUIRREとの10日間ツアー最終日に、メンバー全員から話を聞くことができた。
――ツアーに合わせて約1年ぶり、三枚目のアルバム”Faith, Hope and Charity”がリリースされました。これまで1年に1枚のペースでアルバムをリリースしていますが、これは意図したことなのですか？
Shusuke
今回のツアーの話を去年から頂いていて、どうせならそのタイミングで出そうと思って。去年もたまたまRoad to HellからDRAGGED INTO SUNLIGHTとのツアーの話がきていて。アルバム出すならそのタイミングに合わせよう、という去年とまったく同じような流れです。あと、やっぱりコンスタントに作品出して行くのは大事だと思うので。意図していたといえば、ある程度そういう狙いはあったと思います。
Shusuke
“The Tower of White Moth”はフィクションです。ざっくり言うと、男が無数の白い蛾の群れに追われて正気を失い、群れの中で女王蛾に誘われて自分もサナギとして生まれ変わりたいという欲求に取り憑かれていくという内容です。ひたすらグロくて不快なだけで、深い意味はありません。
“The Circular Ruins”はアルゼンチンの作家、ホルヘ・ルイス・ボルヘスの短編をベースにしています。「円環の廃墟」という邦題で和訳も出ています。「自分が夢を見ているつもりが、誰かに夢見られていた」というくだりがあるんですが、存在の不確かさに対する人間の不安を如実に現しているようで、個人的に非常に好きな作品です。ZOTHIQUEとして初めて楽曲を作った時にテーマとして取り上げました。
Koji
すごいミックス良いと思いますよ、今回。重低音を効かせて、っていうのは僕は特に。というよりも、結構前から流行ってる音って、メタルでもドゥームでもゴリゴリの低音を思い切り出して振り切った感じの、そういう音が好まれる傾向にあると思うんですけど、僕はそういうのに疲れちゃうというか。これ以上はハードにならない。そういう音作りって淘汰されていって、元に戻すというか、限りなくフラットな音とか、もっと言えばステレオじゃなくてモノラルでも……
Darklaw
マジか(笑)。
Koji
いいんじゃないかってぐらい……なのかもね(笑)。自分の中で勝手に思ってることですけど。そうしましょうっていう話じゃなくて(笑)。レコードをモノラルで聴いたりとか。二個から出さないで一個で出すのもいいんじゃないかなってぐらいに思ってる。今回仕上がってきたミックスもそういう感じに近づいてるなと僕は思ってる。
Ryo Church of MiseryやSete Star Sept、幾何学模様……彼らは1ヶ月単位でツアーしているので、それに比べたら僕らなんてまだまだ活発じゃないと思いますよ。ZOTHIQUEは前から知り合いで、独自の音楽をやっているし、フットワークも軽くて、仲も良いです。３月の２回のライブと５月頭のコペンハーゲンにも（Shusuke氏（Vo&G）がサポート・ギターで）来てくれて。７月のAguirreとのジャパンツアーも一緒に周りますし、個人的にもサポートして行きたいバンドですね。
Komi(B) QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE – “R指定”、ZZ TOP – “Tres Hombres”、SHOCKING BLUEのベスト、CYPRESS HILLの1st (“Cypress Hill”)、曲だとJo CokerのTHE BEATLES – “With a Little Help from My Friends”のカバーは1日何十回も聴いたりします。あとはGRAVES AT SEAと憂歌団が好きです。
――Raizoさんは？
Temi
ガンズでしょ？
一同
(笑)。
Temi
“Appetite for Destruction”を毎日聴いてるっていう噂を……(笑)。
Raizo (G)
……（苦笑）。kamomekamome – “ルガーシーガル”、TOOL – “AENIMA”、DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE – “We Have The Facts And We’re Voting Yes”、Hi-STANDARD – “GROWING UP”、あとデトロイト・テクノのDerrick May。
――Goさんは？
Temi
まずガンズでしょ？
Go
ガンズの”Use Your Illusion 1″、”2″と……(笑)。ギター的にはEXTREAMの”Pornograffitti”、最近聴いてるのはLYNYRD SKYNYRDの2nd (“Seconed Helping”)、GUEVNNA的にはSLEEP – “Holy Mountain”、あとはOBITUARY – “Cause of Death”、MOUNTAINの”Mississippi Queen”。
Ryo
あ、追加でJUDAS PRIESTの”Scream for Vengence”と”Stained Class”。あとARCH ENEMYの”Burning Bridges”。
──活字になるという冷静さもおありになって（笑）。
真樹
――Hexvesselというバンド名の由来、意味は何ですか？ 
