Author: Rok Klemše
Photos: Nina Grad
Location: Vojenska pevnost Josefov (Brutal Assault), Jaromer, Czech Republic
Interview date: 08.08.2013
Chicago death/doom metallers Novembers Doom, who count among the pioneers of the American death/doom metal scene (originally still under the name Laceration), have just released their new album Bled White. We talked to the Americans about how it came together right after their set at last year’s Brutal Assault festival. Back then, the only remaining original member, vocalist Paul Kuhr, gave us one of the first glimpses into the making of the album, which comes out this July, and we also touched on past albums and plenty more. The other guys chimed in too, led by guitarist Larry Roberts, who is, along with Paul, the longest-serving member of the band. But first, Paul’s advice to bands on how to survive sweltering festival sets.
RockLine: Hey guys, how do you manage to pull off such a convincing show in this kind of heat?
Paul: It’s tough. On open-air stages it’s a bit easier, since you sometimes even catch a breeze. Otherwise you’ve got no choice but to grit your teeth, drink plenty of water and eat a banana or two. Food high in potassium helps, because it prevents cramps. Anyway, a show like this is something you have to prepare for properly. Staying hydrated is key, especially for me, since I can’t afford to have a dry mouth. That’s the whole trick. Sometimes it’s really hard, but losing a kilo or two doesn’t hurt me (laughs).
RockLine: You released the album Aphotic a while ago. Now that some time has passed, how do you look back on it?
Paul: I still think it’s probably our best release so far, or at least in the top two or three. We approached writing the material a bit differently than before, and I think it really paid off. Our goal back then was to try something different, because with the previous album, Into Night’s Requiem Infernal, we’d gone about it the same way as with the older ones, just a bit more polished. I think it’s a good record, but we could have achieved even more. With Aphotic we really pushed hard to make things sound different. We liked the result so much that the material for the new album, which we’re working on right now, goes another step further in that direction, since it’s again something completely different. I hope we’ll manage to surprise people once more with the new record.
RockLine: As you said, you’ve already started writing the new album. Is there a timeline yet?
Paul: We’re at about 85% on writing the material right now. We’re aiming to head into the studio in November or December and release the album in the first months of 2014. We’ve got really strong material and we’re very happy with the direction it’s taking.
RockLine: Will you work with Dan Swanö again, as you have for several years?
Paul: Most likely. We’ve been working with him since 2005, and why fix something that isn’t broken? Dan really gets what we want to achieve sound-wise. We usually send Dan rough recordings that we track with our engineer in Wisconsin, and his first mix is typically already very close to what we want. The tweaks after that are minimal, since Dan knows exactly what we need. The deal isn’t final yet, but it’s very likely we’ll work together on the new record too, because we’re extremely happy with him.
RockLine: Have you maybe heard his new project Witherscape yet?
Paul: Have I heard it (laughs)? I’m right in the thick of it (laughs). I wrote all the lyrics, and I guest on two tracks. So I heard it more than a year before you did (laughs). I’d already heard the demos, but I had to keep quiet about it.
RockLine: That really came out of nowhere. I never thought Dan would record his own music again.
Paul: Yeah, true. Imagine how hard it was for me, since I knew everything but wasn’t allowed to say a word about it to anybody. Writing this album took really long, but the result is fantastic. Dan and I have talked several times, and I can say… I can’t speak for him, of course… but for sure there’ll be even more collaboration between us in the future.
RockLine: Novembers Doom have evolved and built up your sound from record to record. Would you say that was a conscious decision or natural evolution?
Paul: A bit of both. I think as musicians we always have to grow and strive to develop. There are few bands who nail one thing really well and can stick with it. Each of us has a huge range of musical tastes, and we like to experiment and play around with new ideas. It’s kind of logical that we push ourselves to make something new and better. We work really well as a band in that regard, since we successfully push each other to do it.
RockLine: If I’m not mistaken, you wrote the material for Aphotic a bit differently than previous albums, since you wrote it together.
Paul: It was indeed closer collaboration than in the past.
Larry: It’s like Paul said, the collaboration element was much stronger in making this record, and everyone contributed. Except the bass player. We never want his contribution (laughs). I think he rehearsed twice for this show.
Vito: Yeah, Tuesday and Thursday (laughs).
Larry: So, like I said, bassists don’t count. But seriously, the new album is coming together in a similar way, with the material written collectively in the rehearsal space rather than individually. Creating this way obviously suits us.
RockLine: And what does the making of the songs themselves look like? Does the building start with a riff?
Larry: Yeah, more or less. Vito and I usually come up with the basic ideas. It could be a riff or the basic concept of a whole song. Then we present it to the others, who first flesh it out with drums. Lyrics usually come right at the end, but Paul listens to what’s being written from the very start and develops his ideas earlier. Vocals are always a big part, even though they come last.
RockLine: So the music comes first, and then the whole theme of the album follows?
Paul: This time it’s different, since I’ve already got the theme and album title worked out in my head, and I’ve even talked with Travis Smith about making the cover art. I’ve also got a pile of lyrics already, which aren’t tied to the music yet. We’ll combine them when the music writing is nearing its end. Once you get a feel for the music and how it works, it’s easier to transfer the lyrics onto it, and then they work better. But we’re getting close to the end. The skeleton of the album is built, and we’re adding everything an album needs.
RockLine: Most of your albums have their own theme. Aphotic tackles one subject, while Into Night’s Requiem Infernal, for example, tackles religion. Will the new album have a shared theme in a similar way?
Paul: Yeah, but I can’t say yet what it’ll be.
RockLine: At least one record in your discography stands out in that regard. The Knowing has a fully developed concept, not just a unifying theme.
Paul: Yeah, The Knowing is tied together by a fictional concept, which kind of triggered my »obsession« with themed albums, but I never want to make a concept album again. Witherscape is a concept album too, and writing something like that is really hard. I don’t like concept albums because the story dictates the flow of the music, so it doesn’t always run the way it should. That’s the biggest problem I had with The Knowing. With concept albums the lyrics and music have to follow a precisely set order, and if you move one or the other you can completely wreck the flow. That’s why I prefer themed albums, where you can still swap lyrics and music around. Ever since The Knowing, which had a fictional story, I’d rather deal with personal stories, which are closer to me and actually feel therapeutic.
RockLine: The Novella Reservoir must have been especially therapeutic for you, since its theme is water, which is cleansing in itself.
Paul: Actually, they’ve all helped me, one after another, and the new record is no different. A huge amount is going on in my life right now, so the album will be especially interesting.
RockLine: Over the years the band has changed quite a few members…
Paul: What!? (laughs)
Garry: You’re an idiot (laughs)
RockLine: … (laughs) are such changes hard for you and for the new members?
Paul: Yeah, especially for the new members (evil laugh).
Larry: Sometimes it’s really hard to find new people for the band, since they have to be at the right level both personally and musically.
Paul: You need a thick skin, you can’t get offended easily. I think right now… at least for the new album… we’re pretty solid.
Larry: It’s also hard because genre-wise we’re not focused on just one specific genre.
Paul: Yeah, you can’t be narrow-minded. We have, for example, Lazarus Regret, which is a full-on death metal track, and on the other hand, say, Twilight Innocence, which is something totally different. We need to find musicians who can do both. So Larry and I are constantly talking about changes, like what we’re going to do about Garry (laughs).
RockLine: You published a book a while back (The Wayfaring Chronicles, author’s note) in which you explained the meanings of the lyrics, which are actually very personal and introspective. Was that hard for you?
Paul: Yeah, actually it was. It’s hard to reveal information that’s so personal and sensitive, and you feel very vulnerable. You open yourself up to everyone. Sometimes that’s nice, since you show fans your perspective, and sometimes it’s hard, since you lay your personal life bare to them. But that’s what I decided, and it was mainly a gift to our fans, whom I wanted to show what our lyrics mean.
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