Ten Questions to ... Alex S Wamp of The Black Capes

Any band whose profile says that they are influenced by The Sisters of Mercy, Fields of The Nephilim, Type O Negative and The 69 Eyes has already got my interest, and Greek band The Black Capes certainly live up to their billing on sophomore album Lullabies for the Dead, released this week on Dark Tunes.

The history of gothic rock (with a capital “r”) can be traced back to the mid-1980’s, when the likes of Ian Astbury and Wayne Hussey decided that they were more interested in Led Zeppelin than Joy Division, and since then bands such as Tiamat and Funhouse in the second generation of goth in the 1990’s and Sonsombre, Long Night and October Turns Black in the current third generation have carried on the good work, in addition to the bands mentioned at the beginning of this review.

Opening track And I Wait sets the tone for Lullabies for the Dead, with a heavy up-tempo bass and guitar salvo the perfect backing for singer Alex’s gruff baritone vocal. The Blood Is The Life and album highlight From Beyond The Grave are similar slabs of full-frontal gothic rock that will appeal to fans of current scene darlings Sonsombre, thanks to the strong melodies, high production values and familiar lyrical content.

But The Black Capes are far from being a one-trick pony. Alex’s inspired laconic vocal on the cover version of The Cult’s Rain, sung an octave deeper than the original, brings to mind the precise delivery of The 69 Eyes legend Jyrki, and the same style is used to great effect on other tracks like Gotham and The Gun of Love. Fans of Fields of the Nephilim are most likely to enjoy the more slow-burning, multi-layered songs such as the epic Sprinkle Your Sand, Morpheus and the bombastic album closer War Is Where You Make It.

For me the most interesting tracks are those which feature slightly more angular riffs and chord changes, such as the chugging The Gun Of Love and A Dream Of The Tower, which features an intriguing blend of post-punk and metal features, showing the band’s continuing development.

Wanting to find out more about a band for whom I could find no English langauge interviews online, I contacted singer Alex S Wamp and was delighted that he agreed to be the latest respondent in our Ten Questions to…. feature.

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1.       It’s been three years since the debut album from The Black Capes. Why did it take so long to get round to album number two?

I realise that we live in a fast age, but I don't think three years is too long if you want to keep a high quality. Otherwise, you might end up listening to your album and think that if I had more time I would have changed this and that, would have come up with another melody, or written better lyrics, and so on.

2.       You’ve always had the motto “Bringing Gothic Back In Style”, and since the first album there seems to have been a bit of a resurgence in traditional gothic rock, with Sonsombre having put out three albums as well as bands like Sometime The Wolf, Guillotine Dream and October Burns Black coming onto the scene. Do you feel that the world is catching up a little bit with The Black Capes?

Well, we have this motto because we believe in it very strongly, and we wish to succeed in doing so, along with all the other new bands around the world. Also, one good thing is that we are starting to build bonds and create friendships with the other bands - like Sonsombre - and that's really good for the scene. We had a big post punk and retro wave revival the past years, so, if history repeats itself, maybe the time has come for gothic rock to rise again.

3.       The new album features a great drawing of a bat on the cover, very different from the almost steampunk logo you used on the first album. Other bands like The Kentucky Vampires have reclaimed some of the old goth clichés, and your song titles on the new album – Gotham, Welcome to the Necroclub, From Beyond the Grave – cover typical goth subject matter. How important is image to the band?

The first cover is our trademark actually, Mr. Gothopoly, who also exists in the new album - just not on the cover. Justin (Angry Blue) is a very down to earth person given his status, so we wanted to have something of his on the cover. We love bats and vampires, so it came naturally. Image is something the fans give more importance to, rather that the musicians. We are a cliche-free band, so maybe on the next album we might have a llama on the cover, and have songs about cupcakes, but put them through our personal dark filter so it can represent what we are all about. Also I love the new album by The Kentucky Vampires, just wanted to share that hahahaha.

4.       The first album got great reviews in rock and metal magazines and did really well in places like Germany where more symphonic goth and goth metal have always had a bigger audience (Nightwish, Lord of the Lost etc). Do you think that the new album will appeal more to a mainstream goth audience?

The first album was too goth for metalheads and too heavy for goths, but we played from our heart and people heard that in our music and gave us a chance. Same goes for the new album, only this time it came out a bit more goth rock and dark, rather than heavy. Maybe we will lose some fans who like our heavier side and, who knows, maybe win more fans from the goth audience.

5.       The new album features a cover version of The Cult’s Rain. What drew you to that particular classic? Do you feel it’s indicative of the current sound of The Black Capes?

The first reason is because we love this song, and also because like The Black Capes, The Cult, even on their early days, were also both a goth and a rock band.

6.       Which other classic goth tracks would you like to have a go at one day?

I would go for Beyond the Pale by The Mission, everybody in the band loves this song. Spellbound by Siouxsie and The Banshees would be another one, because not only do I like it, but I want to see what I could do when covering a song with female vocals. But, to be honest, we also wanted to do Iggy Pop's Cry For Love, and had it ready, but we can't have that many covers on the album so we left it for another time.

7.       Athens is reputed to have one of the most active goth scenes in Europe, but apart from Mike Pougounas’ bands (Flowers of Romance, New Zero God etc) few have became widely known globally. Do you feel that the goth scene there is vibrant, and which other bands should we be looking out for?

The goth scene (both bands and fans) is very small here but, like you say, very active. We have a huge stoner, black metal and thrash scene with thousands attending local bands shows, but the goth scene is very underground. It used to be big back in the day from the late 90's until 2005. But, nowadays, we have a lot of new musicians that get into the subculture and start forming bands. Some clubs are starting to host post-punk and goth shows, and big festivals have started bringing names like The Cure, Bauhaus, Nick Cave. You usually see a lot of young goths attending shows like those, which gives a positive message for the future. I guess it comes back to the revival we spoke of. You should check out Ghostland, who released a killer album, as well as Chain Cult, who are getting bigger and bigger with a lot of tours around the world. Also check out Cold Remembrance and Mosquito. And for some heavier goth check out Opened Paradise and Saddolls.

8.       You’re also the singer of the southern/stoner metal band Potergeist, which started back in 2005. Was that kind of music your first love, or did you always intend to branch out into a more gothic sound?

I was a goth from a very young age and always liked some darkness in the music I listened to. But I never intended to be a musician. My cousin and I were having coffee and he was playing his guitar, so I started singing, and he was like "dude, do you want to start a band?". So I never got to think about it. I mean I love the delta blues and the southern gothic stories, and that is why I still love what we do with Potergeist. But my need to return to my goth roots started showing when I turned Potergeist into a "swamp vampire" themed band. And it was around that time when I said ok, I must create a new band and keep my love for goth on that side, and let Potergeist be another thing.

9.       Your vocal tone is very different in the two projects (to my untuned ear!). Did you deliberately decide to affect a more traditionally goth rock tone for The Black Capes, or was it just what came out naturally over a different type of music.

I am a baritone to start with. But also the 2 bands have a different tuning, so the voice follows that. But I love singing more on these low notes because I never get to sing in that area of my voice in the other bands.

10.   Early reviews for the new album have again been very positive. What are the plans for the future? Are the plans for shows outside Greece when the current restrictions are lifted?

We want to tour as much as we can, and meet other bands and fans around the world, but right now everything is uncertain, so we can't really make any plans.

Thanks to Alex for the full and detailed answers. Looking forward to those other cover versions ... and the dark-filtered llamas and cupcakes!! In the meantime the new album from The Black Capes can be purchased here.

Ten questions to ... Jonas Fransson of Then Comes Silence

The epithet “goth drummer” could almost be viewed as an oxymoron, so ubiquitous has the drum machine become in the genre over the past four decades since Andrew Eldritch fumbled his sticks during the recording of The Sisters of Mercy’s debut single Damage Done back in 1980, deciding to opt instead for a drum machine which he and Gary Marx christened Doktor Avalanche.

Since then bands from first generation contemporaries such as The Three Johns and The March Violets to current scene darlings She Past Away, Ground Nero and Sonsombre have dispensed with the extra expense of a human drummer and entrusted their backbeat to an electronic box that never misses a (metronomic) beat.

However, the post-punk revolution of the late 1970’s was based around introducing more complex rhythms into the simple four-to-the-bar three-chord speeded-up pub rock that was punk. Innovative drummers like Jim Walker (PIL), Kevin Haskins (Bauhaus), Budgie (The Slits then the Banshees) and Hugo Burnham (Gang of Four) along with the likes of (Big) Paul Ferguson (Killing Joke), Rob Stroud (Sex Gang Children), Paul Gilmartin (The Danse Society) and Steve Harle (UK Decay) as the movement gathered pace in the early 1980’s, became key figures in their bands’ distinctive sound, forging complex, syncopated rhythms using time signatures more often found in the jazz sphere than the traditional rock world, whilst retaining the energy and excitement of punk. Back in 2011, veteran and well-respected scene commentator John Robb made an excellent case on Louder Than War for Jet Black to be included in such lists as a pioneer of the new sound on The Stranglers’ seminal third album Black And White in 1978, as the band spearheaded the move to a more complex and enduring sound.

Fast forward four decades, and the dominance of the drum machine continues to be challenged by innovative drummers such as scene veterans Mick Reed (1919) and Simon Rippin (Grooving In Green), alongside newer artists such as Mayflower Madame’s Ola J Kyrkjeeide and Whispering Sons’ Sander Pelsmaekers.

Jonas Fransson on stage with Then Comes Silence, Edinburgh 2019 (pic: NVL)

Then Comes Silence’s Jonas Fransson epitomises the new generation of dynamic drummers helping to take the post-punk genre to a new level. One of the key members of the Klubb Död team, responsible for one of Europe’s most influential goth club nights with their inspired gig promotions and DJ sets, Fransson joined Sweden's "post-punk captains" Then Comes Silence shortly after the release of their breakthrough 2015 album Nyctophilian, and his crisp, dynamic rhythms can be heard on 2017’s seminal Blood as well as on the new album Machine, for which he also provided the cover photography.

From the subtle Bela-esque patterns in the introductory sections of the former’s Warm Like Blood to the pounding syncopation of the latter’s Devil, Fransson drives the TCS juggernaut forward with a human sensitivity that a mere machine could never imitate, a factor which is particularly prevalent in a live setting: renowned as one of the most exciting bands on the circuit, Then Comes Silence’s performances are punctuated with improvised extended passages in songs such as The Rest Will Follow and Slowly Dragging You Down where Fransson works closely with bassist/singer/sole original member Alex Svenson to create a solid yet dynamic basis for guitarists Hugo Zombie and Mattias Ruejas Jonson to weave their unique guitar stylings. With his distinctive appearance, Fransson is also a focal point of the band’s visual image, with each member’s unique stylings giving a clear hint as to the musical synergy on offer.

I am therefore delighted when Jonas agreed to be the latest post-punk star to answer ten questions for this feature of the blog, and I thank him for his detailed and interesting answers.


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1.         The first generation of post-punk bands had incredibly inventive drummers such as Jim Walker (PIL), Kevin Haskins (Bauhaus), Budgie (Siouxsie and the Banshees) and Nigel Preston (Sex Gang Children etc). Who were your drumming heroes when you were growing up?

I'm a bit embarrassed but I haven't had any music heroes really. I don't work that way I guess. I love the drums on most songs with Killing Joke so if I have to name one I guess it would be Paul Ferguson.

2.         Were you in any bands before Then Comes Silence? What kind of music did they play?

I started to play drums when I was 14 or 15 when me and some friends got into the punk scene. I played in punk bands for many years and even in a black metal band. Before Then Comes Silence I played in a rockabilly/psychobilly band. 

3.         How did you come to join the band when the previous drummer Karl Nilsson left the group?

I work with KLUBB DÖD which is a goth club in Stockholm and we booked TCS in 2014 (I think), I still have photos from that show. When Kalle left TCS, Alex asked the club if we knew any drummers and the rest is history =).

4.         You joined the band after Nyctophilian and play on the most recent two albums, Blood and Machine. Which songs of the first three albums do you enjoy playing the most live?

It's a tricky question because it normally shifts back and forth, it's often most fun to play songs we have not played for a long time, or new songs. We picked up Feed The Beast a while ago and I love to play it, it's so simple and strange haha xD. I have always loved Spinning Faster, it has a great beat... And all the songs with 16/8… And the ones with a lot of toms… Haha I guess I like them all.

5.         Your energetic drumming is a real focal point of the band live, which in my view helps TCS stand out amongst their contemporaries who have stuck with the post-punk convention of the drum machine. Which other modern drummers do you most admire?

As mentioned earlier I don't have any drum heroes, but sometimes you hear a song where the beat is just perfect, it does not have to be super complex, often it is the opposite. Just a smart and perfect beat for that particular song. Our friends in True Moon have a song like that… Guns, check it out!

6.         On recent tours you’ve played on a drumkit that lights up, which for me adds to the atmosphere of the live show. Where did you get the idea from?

I actually stole the idea from The Foreign Resort haha. When we toured together the first time, Mårten had a strobe behind his kit which he monitored by a foot switch. It looked so cool so I did the same for the following years. I loved it and wanted to develop it even further and then I found this gorgeous white acrylic kit and here we are. It's still not perfect, quite far from it, but it also works quite well as it is.

7.         You’re an accomplished photographer (for example you took promo shots of the band before you joined them and the distinctive cover shot on the new album, and I’ve also seen some amazing photos of Wayne Hussey’s recent appearance in Stockholm for example). Is music or art your first love?

Definitely music! But I have many hobbies, and all of them are about expression and music in some way. I started to take live photos for KLUBB DÖD and fell in love with it. It's really hard to take good ones, it's often dark with strong backlights and the best shots when the musicians are moving are always a struggle. My camera (Fujifilm XT-1) has a really crappy autofocus, so I learned to shoot in full manual setting which I think was a good thing in the end, when you know exactly how your camera works you will be a better photographer. 

8.         Since you joined The Comes Silence, the band’s visual image has changed dramatically, from a shoegaze type image (beards, old hoodies etc) to a more stunning and unified modern post-punk look. How important is the visual aesthetic to you personally?

It is very important to me, I have been a punk or a goth since I was a kid. I liked their old style with hoodies, but It's more fun to play around with the looks and try to match it to your music. The energy and visuals are almost as important as the music. For some bands it could be absolutely perfect with an I-don't-care-look but it would not work for our music.

9.         You worked with Alex on the aborted album Then Comes Silence album between Blood and Machine. Did you enjoy the song-writing process, and as now one of the longest-serving members of the band, do you feel that you have a greater influence?

I love trying out new songs but it was very stressful for us with the aborted album, especially for Alex. Alex writes the songs but we finnish them together and he writes the drums with me in mind, and the guitars with Mattias and Hugo in mind. Then we work with the songs until everyone is happy. Sometimes the song is perfect as Alex wrote it, and sometimes it has changed completely in the end. I really enjoy the way we work with music, we are a great team.

10.       The new album has again received great critical acclaim. Which songs on Machine are your favourites, and which are you most proud of from a drumming perspective?

I like them all to be honest, but Kill It and Glass have great beats.

Thanks to Jonas for these interesting answers – Then Comes Silence are due to tour the UK in July and Germany and other countries in the autumn. Machine and their other highly-recommended albums can be purchased here.

Ten Questions to ... Alex Svenson of Then Comes Silence

Observers of the goth/darkwave scene increasingly agree that Then Comes Silence is the best new band to emerge so far in the twenty-first century, and the self-styled “Swedish captains of post-punk” unleash their fifth album Machine on March 13^th, the first featuring new guitar duo Mattias Ruejas Jonson and Hugo Zombie.

Appealing to fans of both the original 80’s post-punk bands and those of the current scene, the two singles shared online in advance of the release of Machine (and featured here) have well over one hundred thousand combined views on YouTube, within a couple of weeks of release, and hint at a darker lyrical stance and a broader, colder musical style that retains the energy and melody that has made the preceding albums such an intense yet rewarding listening experience.





A third video, the visually stunning Apocalypse Flare, is released today, and again the fuller, more insistent sound resonates deeply, with Hugo Zombie's insistent rhythm guitar intersecting well with Mattias Ruejas Jonson's inventive riffing, over the pounding metronomic backbeat of Alex Svenson's bass and Jonas Fransson's drums.

TCS face what will hopefully be their breakthrough year with bookings at many of the big alternative European festivals this spring and summer and have just announced a short tour of UK dates in July to support the release of Machine. I am hugely grateful to founder member, bassist and lead singer Alex Svenson for taking the time and trouble to respond to my questions.

Machine and rest of the band’s essential back catalogue can be ordered via Bandcamp.

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NIK
Your new album Machine is out on 13^th March, but a lot has happened since your fourth LP Blood was released over two years ago, including the departure of both guitarists. Having worked with Seth in particular on different projects over the years, did you ever have any thoughts of ending the band at that point?

ALEX
No, I never had any intention of ending the band because of that. Of course, I will miss Seth and Jens as my friends, but if you can't keep pace with the band there's only one option and that's having to leave the band. The reasons for the departures of the former members including the ones from the early years, are quite dull and lame. They chose a different path which would lead to poor commitment or no commitment at all, and that doesn't work for the band. It's like any other work or teamwork. You can't win the game with a poor team. I am giving everything to music. I can't imagine a life without it. Being a bit cynical, of course it would have been a more mythical value if the former members had to leave because of rough living, drugs and shit... like it used to be in most bands in the 70's, 80's and 90's, but it's not because of that. I'm being silly, but the ones that might drink too much or go to bed last of all, stayed or joined the band!

NIK
You mentioned a “shelved album” in a recent interview, and when I asked you about a new album after the Edinburgh gig last summer you told me that it had already been recorded for a while. Have any of the songs survived from the aborted release, and was that recorded before you recruited the new guitarists?

ALEX
We kept only one song from the rejected album, which was actually only a demo. We never got so far as recording it properly. Hugo and Mattias joined right after the demo was smashed and buried for good. It was only me and Jonas, the drummer, who worked on the rejected tapes. Maybe that was a hunch that the other guitarists were already taking some distance from the band.
 
NIK
You were able to quickly find two amazing replacements, Hugo Zombie from legendary Basque horror punks Los Carniceros del Norte and Mattias Ruejas Jonson from fellow Swedish wave band A PROJECTION, who quickly added a new dimension to the band’s live performances. I would imagine that you would have known Mattias quite well already, being from the same city scene, but how did Hugo come to join the band?

ALEX
Hugo moved to Stockholm a couple of years ago. That was right after Los Carniceros del Norte broke up. He became friends with Jonas quite quickly. It was all good timing. At first he was hired as stand-in for Jens when we did a tour playing with Fields of The Nephilim and doing a German festival in 2018. Mattias was hired as a substitute too back in 2017.

NIK
With your background in design, Then Comes Silence album artwork has always been a key feature. The new album Machine has a stunning sleeve with a mask design, and you’ve said that by donning a “mask” to write from a different perspective, you’re able to broach subjects outwith your own personal experience. Is that more the case on this album than on the previous four?

ALEX
Yes, I believe so. To be able to rise from a knockdown blow, I had to try something else. I'm not the kind of guy who escapes or bows out. I managed to shake it off after some time. In hindsight it was an enriching experience even though it hurt.

NIK
The lyrics on Blood had a rather morbid theme – Into Death Alone, The Dead Cry For No-one and lyrics relating to your personal own family bereavement. Is this album more rooted in the darker side of contemporary life rather than death specifically?

ALEX
Uh hu, you can say that. These songs are more related to what was going on in my head at the time. More subjective than the other albums. I was pretty low at times. My discipline helped me work with things. There must be a spirit of a former boot camp sergeant that has taken aim on me.

NIK
The album colour scheme for Machine is a cold blue, very different to the warm red of Blood. Is the intention to match the changing mood of the music?

ALEX
I don't know. It's just something that comes naturally. I knew from the beginning that Machine was going to be a colder album in many ways.

NIK
To what extent has the change in the band personnel changed the band’s studio sound? Were you writing songs with Hugo and Mattias’ guitar style in mind, or do they have some freedom to add their own style to your basic song structure?

ALEX
Both. When I write the songs for Then Comes Silence I have the musicians in mind of course. It's like a play and we are the actors. I knew Hugo wasn't really the kind of guitarist fiddling around with the strings like that, but he is a very consistent guitarist and he never plays a wrong note. So the riffs were arranged with him in mind. We did it together sometimes. Mattias is more likely to be called the lead guitarist this time. He takes care of all the solos and melodies except for a couple that Hugo has. Mattias had the freedom to work with his guitar if he wanted to. So he did.

NIK
The well-received second single from the new album, Ritual, features Karolina Engdahl on joint lead vocal, and Hanna Carlsson provides backing vocals on the first single We Lose The Night (as she did on a couple of tracks on Blood). Do you envisage more collaborations in the future?

ALEX
Yes, well that's for the band to decide of course. There's one more singing on the album, Nicklas Stenemo from the fabulous band Kite.

NIK
In a recent interview you talked about the difficulty of breaking out of the very supportive but rather small global darkwave community. Last year Holygram toured with Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Kaelan Mikla are on tour with Alcest at this very minute, as are Whispering Sons with Editors. Have you considered touring with a more mainstream act or a band from outside the post-punk scene?

ALEX
We have talked about it many times. We did some shows opening for Chameleons Vox and Fields of The Nephilim in 2018. Last year we were invited to support Cradle of Filth in London, but it didn't happen unfortunately. Long story, but we know Dani likes Then Comes Silence.
It's politics. There is usually a hype around the opening act. The big act get the proposals probably because sometimes agents owe each other favors. I don't know. Sometimes there's no money left for the opening act. It's taking a risk. Anyhow... We are up for it.

NIK
Last summer you toured the UK with 1919 for a series of small but well-received gigs and you’re returning this summer for another double-headed tour with them. Is touring with another band a financial imperative or is it just because it was so enjoyable last time?

ALEX
Two or three bands touring together on a small tour is a financial disaster and especially in the UK since the conditions are much harder there than the rest of Europe. Having said that, it was a beautiful memory and uplifting to meet so many nice followers and new-found friends. Honestly, we were taken by surprise seeing so many wearing our t-shirts and knowing about Then Comes Silence. It means a lot, so we have to go back.

Ten Questions to .... Blood Bells

This month finally saw the release of a physical edition of the excellent debut album A Time For Roses by Texas duo Blood Bells. Their bass and drum machine driven post-punk drew favourable comparisons with 80's scene legends Red Lorry Yellow Lorry (particularly on this track) on release in early 2018, with a strong set of songs and clear band identity marking them as an artist to watch. Since then there has been a line-up change and some local gigs, but hopefully the cassette edition of A Time For Roses is an indication that new music and wider acclaim is not far away.

To find out more, I contacted main man Clint, and he and new member Lauren were kind enough to agree to become the latest willing victims of this blog’s “Ten Questions to …” feature.

1.       It’s two years since the album was released to widespread acclaim as a free download on Bandcamp. Why has it taken so long for a physical release to come to fruition? Are there plans for vinyl or CD as well as cassette?

Clint: We have gone through many trials since our inception. The delay has been partly because the original bass player disappeared and I took some time off as a result of that loss. After that reprieve, we rebuilt with a new member (Lauren, my partner.)

Lauren: While pressing vinyl and putting a CD out would be great, we’re completely self-funded so that is still on our to-do list. The label Cease and Destroy just released A Time for Roses on cassette, which is available on our Bandcamp to purchase. To us, accessibility of our music was most important, so that’s why we emphasized availability on streaming services first.

2.       You’ve lived with the album for a couple of years now. Which are your own favourite tracks and are there any that now wish hadn’t made the final cut?

Clint: I am proud of all the music on A Time for Roses. Coming from playing in punk bands throughout my twenties, I felt very accomplished being able to create what, in my opinion, was a solid dark record. My favorite tracks are Destroy and the title track because they are fun to play live.

Lauren: I enjoy the song Bones. I also enjoy Red because it is a great song. I’m trying to push Clint to incorporate Vision Thing by Sisters of Mercy into our live set because I enjoyed learning it for our cover show last year in Dallas. He seems to not like that idea. I’ll keep working on him, though.

3.       Many contemporary reviews of the album name-checked slightly obscure Leeds post-punk legends Red Lorry Yellow Lorry. Were you familiar with their music or aware that there were similarities in the sound before those reviews were published?

Clint: Oh yeah! We are definitely familiar. Funny enough, RLYL were the template I used when writing the first ever guitar-based Blood Bells song Secret. It’s embarrassingly close to their track Hollow Eyes. So much so that I’ve had more than one person come up to me after our shows and exclaim “I loved your cover of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry!” I laugh every time. Scary Lady Sarah (a well known DJ out of Chicago and musician in the band Bellwether Syndicate) usually plays Secret in her DJ set right before Hollow Eyes because the flow is practically seamless. You have to start somewhere, and I needed a basis for my music at first since I didn’t know where to start. We have since come into our own and are more comfortable creating less derivative sounding music.

4.       Since the album was released there has been a change of bassist in the band. Will that affect the project’s future musical direction?

Lauren: Though I am influenced by a lot of the same music that Clint is, we come from different musical backgrounds. So yes, I’m sure that will ultimately impact the musical direction to some degree. But we are both on the same page as far as keeping with a similar sound to A Time for Roses. I am looking forward to co-writing lyrics, as well, since I have a writing background. Though I do enjoy a lot of 80’s hair metal and musical theatre, so you never know...haha.

Clint: Though my previous bass player was someone I was close to and played music with for years, he was never involved in the writing process and just kind of let me take the reins. Now that I am writing and playing with my wife, the dynamic is different. We have a very powerful psychological connection and she is not afraid to throw ideas into the ring. I am excited about the new tracks we’re working on together.

5.       The final track on the album Bones has a totally different feel to the rest of the album, being primarily instrumental synth wave with a Kaelan Mikla vibe. In past interviews you’ve said that the band formed initially as a synth-based project – is that song a survivor from those early sessions?

Clint: It’s definitely different. I wanted to put it on the album as the final track for a reason. A way to let people know that we will do whatever we feel like doing musically. You will get what you want with the guitar-driven deathrock/post-punk, but expect a few surprises thrown in from time to time. We can’t help but step outside expectations sometimes.

6.       What prompted the move away from the synth-based sound to the slightly scuzzy post-punk rock sound on the rest of the album?

Clint: I’ve always primarily played guitar-driven music, so I feel more in my element within the gothic rock sound

7.       On Facebook last year you stated that you were working on new material. When is that likely to be released and on what format?

Lauren: We have a lot of new material in the works, and have played a couple of new songs live.

Clint: There are plans to get back into the studio in Fall or Winter of 2020 with a new album out on streaming and cassette early next year. If we’re lucky, perhaps a label will pick us up and put both of our albums out on vinyl. I find CD’s are a waste of time and money. Fancy coasters for our modern lives.

Lauren: I still have a CD book in my car. I don’t agree with that.

Clint: Well, we’ll see who wins on this opinion.

8.       Since the album was released, there seems to have been something of a gothic resurgence in the US, with most of the more inventive new artists coming from your side of the Atlantic. Do you have any theories as to why this might be and what the catalysts have been for the belated third wave in the States?

Clint: Things always come and go in waves in the US. People tend to get bored after a short time and forget their musical heroes. Just like punk and psychobilly were all the rage in the early 2000’s, people are looking at Goth as the hot commodity now. The popularity will fade away again in time. We’ll still be here. I’ve been into the subculture since I discovered it at the age of 15. I’ve wanted to start a band like Blood Bells for years. It’s just a coincidence that we are just now getting up and running. That being said - there are so many wonderful bands gaining popularity now that are just blowing my mind. I am so happy to see the resurgence taking place and excited for the future!

Lauren: I think the fact that things are so much more accessible online now than even ten years ago plays into the resurrection of interest in Goth music and fashion.

9.       The band is named after a Current 93 track and you have worn their band t-shirt at gigs, yet there doesn’t seem to be an overt Current 93 influence in Blood Bells’ music. Does your love of that project have any more subtle influence on your music?

Clint: David Tibet, Current 93, and a lot of the artists and musicians from the 80’s and early 90’s neofolk and esoteric underground have had a lot of influence on me as a lyricist more than anything. The way they can paint pictures with words has always inspired me. I am a far more stream-of-consciousness writer with words. I thank a lot of the artists from that time period for that.

Lauren: Did you know that party metal Guru Andrew W.K. played with Current 93 for a time? Wild!

10.   So far you’ve only played gigs in the DFW area. Do you have any concrete or distant plans to play further afield any time soon?

Lauren:
We would really like to play abroad sometime, and we will make plans to hit more states in the US soon. We’ve played in San Antonio and have a show lined up in College Station this Spring.

Clint:
We are tied to our 9-5 jobs at home and find it hard to get time off for touring. We are also in need of savings so we can support ourselves on a tour. We love to travel and hope to get out more and explore soon!

Blood Bells is Clint Jerome and Lauren Williamson Jerome.

You can check them out on Bandcamp here and follow them on Facebook here

Ten Questions to .... Matt Vowles of Black Angel

One of the most polished and professional new acts on the darkwave scene over the past few years, Black Angel play slick and melodic gothic rock with a deftly light touch, drawing comparisons with everyone from The Sisters of Mercy to The Damned, with Rob Steffen’s trademark “haunting croon” chiming perfectly with Matt Vowles’ soaring guitar riffs on impressively varied yet consistently excellent debut album The Widow, which was released on download and CD towards the end of last year.

Such was the critical acclaim for the album that a remastered and extended version featuring additional remixes and live versions is already due to be released later this month, with the first single from follow-up album Kiss Of Death due as early next month. The band is the brainchild of Vowles, the English-born but LA-based guitarist who kindly agreed to be the latest leading goth protagonist of the current renaissance of the genre to answer my customary ten questions.

The album The Widow is available via this Bandcamp link from where CD copies can also be ordered, and where there are links to the impressive video tasters to key tracks. Many thanks to Matt for taking the time out of what is clearly a hectic schedule to give some more background on a project whose popularity looks deservedly set to soar in 2020.

1.     Although you’re based in LA, this album’s roots hark back to your roots in Bristol in the 1980’s, hearing classic first generation goth at a club called The Whip. What made you decide to put a goth project together some thirty years later after years spent on other projects in very different genres?

     Yes, a little strange. Even though I grew up in the goth clubs of the UK back in the 80’s, I worked in the film and television industry, one of the reasons that brought me to Los Angeles, and also worked as a music producer. Given these two factors my musical tastes needed to and became fairly broad so I worked on many projects over the years in different genres. However, these projects were not solely based on my personal pleasure but also to get placed into films and television shows and sometimes I was just doing it basically for the money. I guess I got to a point whereby I just got fed up and I wanted to do something that made me happy so I bought a bunch of guitars and just sat down and wrote. It was automatic, I just started creating and the guitars just came naturally after that. That’s how The Widow was born. 

2.     You chose Rob Steffen as vocalist for the band from over two hundred(!) auditions, even though he was known for a variety of genres totally unrelated to the goth sound. Although he has turned out to be an inspired choice, did you have any doubts about his ability to adapt to the dramatic crooning style you were looking for?

      I think I did listen to about 200 auditions, maybe more. For me, it’s an instant fit: nothing’s going to convince me, it has to be automatic or just isn’t going to work and Rob nailed it. The genre needs a very specific tone and he just has it

3.     The album “The Widow” was released on CD last November to critical acclaim, and now just a few months later a deluxe extended version is coming out. Why did you decide to go for a second edition? Was that always the intention, or has it been a reaction to the very positive reviews which the album has garnered?

      I engineer, mix and master all of my projects. This way I’m responsible for the output and the only person to blame is me, so on occasion I’ll master a project and then on reflection I’m just still not happy. I can sometimes take a while to let things go, so with The Widow, even though it sounded awesome, it could still sound better, so the extended version is the whole album completely remastered. And to make it more appealing to new listeners and existing ones, we have added three live tracks and 3 80’s club remixes to make it an extended album. And so that nobody gets upset if you’ve already purchased it, drop us a line and you will get a deluxe version at a super low price. I’m not a fan of bands that make you pay for the same material twice. 

4.     Your guitar sound ranges from a dark twang to more angular deathrock riffing. Which guitarists from the goth scene have particularly influenced you?

     Has to be Billy Duffy from The Cult. I’m most influenced by their Love album - such an incredible guitar sound. He’s the most influential. I can’t forget Robert Smith though. The man is a genius - every album has a new guitar sound that just works every time. 

5.     The band’s sound is on the lighter end of goth, like, say, She Wants Revenge, Then Comes Silence, Satellite Paradiso or Angels of Liberty. Which other bands from the current goth scene have you been particularly impressed by?

     She Wants Revenge have a great sound! Their ingredients just work, love them. Yes, we have a little psychobilly and punk in our sound - the next album Kiss of Death will have more Goth. And more psychobilly......and more punk:)

6.     One key aspect of your music is a very strong sense of melody, but the songs also have a dark atmosphere. What is your songwriting process – is it the melody, the lyric or an overall mental image of the final sound which comes first?

      Melody is really important to me. Growing up in the 80’s when computers and sequencers were just emerging, songwriters still had to write with their instruments and come up with a melody (without the help from a computer) and in what was a fierce competition in the music industry, only the cream rose to the top - so we got the best songs, all the time. That influenced me a lot and I will often write 40 songs for an album and bin 30 of them as I know they just won’t make the grade. The music comes first most of the time and if it’s a killer track then it moves forward to the rest of the songwriting process. 

7.     You work in the creative industry in LA, and every aspect of Black Angel, from the merch to the video trailers to the studio production is incredibly polished for an independent production, a bit like Eldritch’s dogged pursuit of perfection in the early years of The Sisters of Mercy. Is the visual aesthetic just as important as the musical side of things to you?

     

     For sure. People need to be excited. The music marketplace is so oversaturated (for good or bad) that you need to be able to stand out a little, so anything I can do to help that helps us. 

8.     According to your Bandcamp bio, you’re already well on the way to completing your follow up album entitled Kiss of Death. When is this likely to be released?

     With The Widow album, we just put it out when it was finished. With Kiss of Death we are going to release 3 singles most likely, and then the album. The first single should be out in March. 

9.     The Widow is an impressively diverse album, covering the full range of the genre from dark pop to full on goth. Will Kiss of Death be equally wide-ranging, or are you honing the sound to something more unique?

Kiss of Death is influenced for sure by The Damned (later material Phantasmagoria etc) and The Sisters of Mercy’s Floodland album. Two really strong sounds - I’ll be looking to blend them together.

10.  Your live appearances have been restricted to the West Coast so far. Do you have plans to play further afield in the States or elsewhere in 2020?

     That would be awesome to play to a wider audience. I’m hoping it’s just going to be an organic growth. As we get more listeners and our reach spreads then we’ll match that with live performances in those areas. Thanks to all who have bought the album and given us support. Can’t thank you guys enough. This is just the start for Black Angel and I for one can’t wait to see where this take us.