1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We are a versatile metal band that fits well into the blackened death and old school death styles. We always try to push the limits and boundaries of our music. We are all very passionate about our craft and we aim to project that through our music and even more so in live settings.
2.In December you had released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
A well produced onslaught of dark and heavy riffs accompanied by eerie melodies, brutal drums, and demented vocals. We are very pleased with the outcome and our over all sound is well captured on "Diabolical Scriptures".
3.The band has been around since 2010 but waited until 2015 to release an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the 5 year wait?
We recorded an album back in 2010 with a production company that ended up scamming us. The album was never released and we ended up battling a rigorous and drawn out lawsuit. This left the band crippled for some time as members had to exit the entity for personal reasons and we had to find the right members with ideal mindsets and elements to continue to move forward. We endured a lot as a band and even though Engraved Darkness persevered, we had to ultimately regroup and move on to the next chapter of our being. This leads us to the present day line up of Johnnie Wallace (guitar, vocals, founder), Jimmy Rose (guitar), Andy Hall (drums), and Colin Glover (bass, backing vocals).
4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Life, hardships, relentless truths, dark stories, depression, anti theism, things marked as evil, history,... We cover a vast amount of different subjects and prefer not to stick to just one. However the bands image and over all themes can be related closely to say that of a horror fan. We like to paint dark and vivid imagery within the listeners mind and concepts that most can relate to.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Engraved Darkness'?
Darkness is just as relevant as light in this world and within every individual. We all have our shadows we cast and our personal demons that we keep there. For some more than others, it is a deeply rooted essence of our being. Whether or not each individual acknowledges it, or leaves it to their subconscious, the power it wields in our life is extraordinary. We choose to harness this energy and project it through our music. Our flesh is ripped open and our souls are exposed for the whole world to see and hear. All the things that the we bring into the light are significant pieces to us that are embodied in our craft. This is our "Engraved Darkness" and we see it best that the listeners and fans relate to our existence on their terms.
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
It is a tough decision. We had a killer time performing with Nile on the second leg of "For Whom the Gods Detest tour". Also, Hate Eternal on Halloween '15 was another monumental experience for us. The night was packed with talented bands and some of our favorites Beyond Creation, Misery Index, and Rivers of Nihil! Our performance, being local, was short and sweet but nothing less than powerful. We primed the crowd up well for the onslaught they were going to receive the rest of the night. Our set was packed full of intensity and the crowds energy mirrored ours well. Very rewarding night for our souls!
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Yes, we plan to perform as often and as far as we can. We have many shows booked currently, most of which are with well known touring bands. We are always looking for new opportunities and venues to perform at to gain a bigger audience. Right now we are booked all across Ohio and we are looking at setting up more in the surrounding states including; Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan and eventually over to the east coast. Touring is definitely on our radar. We have adopted a motto from our brother band Forces of Nature that we will perform anywhere, with anybody, and at anytime as long as we are available.
8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a a label or have received any interest?
We have received no interest yet, to our knowledge. Looking for a label has not been our main focus as much as other priorities. We have been focusing on the band with a DIY mentality. If a label crosses our path and has things to offer us that could benefit the bands interest and future we would definitely look into it. As far as right now though we are handling our endeavors independently.
9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
So far we have received many positive reviews and have gained many fans locally as well as across the globe. Our music seems to agree well with fans of both sub genres as well as metal fans in general. We have influence of Black and Death metal dominantly in our songs, along with various other styles or classifications. We are not predominantly one style or the other, but we harness the elements of each and i believe that is important to our sound and who we are as a band. Exclusive fans of both sub genres seem to enjoy our sound and accept it into their library.
10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Half of the band is in a thrash metal group called Forces of Nature. Vocalist, guitarist, and founder Johnnie Wallace plays bass and back up vocals and our guitarist Jimmy Rose is also the lead guitarist in Forces. We have very distinct styles between the two and they definitely speak for themselves. Both bands stay extremely busy and perform often especially when there are bigger caliber shows. Our drummer Andy Hall is also in a band called the Alfie Lucky project which features a local virtuoso guitarist Alfie. All members of Engraved Darkness are well seasoned musicians with a strong passion for more music and the creativity is endless!!
11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We want to dive deeper into our sound while continuing to expand our horizons. We are working on some ambient interludes for the new music as well as an instrumental and more technical song structures. We are going to take our writing to the next level. All the songs off of Diabolical Scriptures were written in the past years. The next album will be constructed from the hearts of our current line up and it will definitely be a stronger composition. We will stay true to our path and continue this evolution.
12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Death, Morbid Angel, Arch Enemy, Nevermore, Behemoth, Nile, Kalmah, Agathodaimon, Dissection, Arcturus.... It is really hard to just name a few and to not continue the list forever, haha. We have gained inspiration from many artists collectively and we are constantly hearing more. There is a great talent of music in this world and we are all ears. Between all of us, the range of music we listen to covers an enormous spectrum, for example Roy Orbison to Necrophagist, or Celtic/World music to Classical music. We have a very huge library of music we like as a band and individually. Obviously metal and most of the sub genres, classic rock, world cultural music, 50s doo whop and oldies in general, 80s metal has a lot to learn from and enjoy....as you can see this list can go on forever as well. Bottom line is, there is enough inspiring music in this world to be played for the rest of existence. We just have to find it by opening our eyes and ears so we can learn and enjoy.
13.Does Satanism or Occultism play any role in your music?
No. We love the dark imagery and evil concepts but we do not worship the Antichrist. Our music is more so anti religion and we address certain cultures within this realm of mythology.
14.What are some of your non musical interests?
Nature and the wilderness are big interests among us. We enjoy camping in the great outdoors, bodies of water, and anything to really get the adrenaline pumping or cleanse our minds and souls. We all also have our own personal interests of riding motorcycles, shooting guns, and even learning about history and especially dinosaurs! Some of us enjoy cooking and surprisingly even more music.
15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Music is the greatest thing I have ever encountered, and it has a power that can shake the world, sooth the soul, and unite complete strangers. I just want to thank you for reading this interview and taking time to learn what it means to us and our existence. I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite musicians. Slainte.
"I think music in itself is healing.
It's an explosive expression of humanity.
It's something we are all touched by.
No matter what culture we're from,
everyone loves music."
~ Billy Joel ~
| Bandcamp |
| Homepage |
| ReverbNation |
| SoundCloud |
| Spotify |
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment