Darkmoon Interview
By Philip Whitehouse
While they agree themselves that the Black Metal genre is becoming something of an overcrowded place to be at the moment, Darkmoon are already making a name for themselves. With latest limited edition release '.308 Antichrist' gathering the band rave reviews across the board, this seemed the perfect time to chat to the band aboiut themselves, the genre, and George Lucas. Unfortunately, Jon Vesano (Vocals, Guitars, Guitar synth) was unavailable for this interview, due to filling in as bassist with Nile on their current tour. So I talked to :
Scott Pletcher - Drums / Inferno
Devon - Bass / Vocals
Chuck Brummond - Lead Guitar
UM - How was Darkmoon formed?
(Scott) - In '97 Jon and I decided to start something new from our previous band. Then we let Devon check it out. After numerous guitar players we found Chuck in 1999. The band is based in Charlotte, NC although Devon and I are originally from Ohio and Chuck is from Wisconsin. We all share a common goal to create extreme, violent music and to spread our message of hatred and aggresssion.
UM - What are Darkmoon's musical roots and influences?
(Scott) - My roots go back to retro metal, Preist, Maiden, after that Morbid Angel, Motorhead and stuff like that.
(Devon) - Same here, started out with thrash stuff and worked my way up. As far as bands, personally,1000 other musicians are going to name the same bands that are in this style of music; Slayer, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Morbid Angel. What drives my influences now personally is just feeding off the rest of our band.
(Scott) - we try to compliment each other with our playing.
(Chuck) - My personal musical influences also start with classic metal. I kept looking for bands that were more and more extreme so I moved from that to thrash and early death metal and then to black metal. I always keep myself open to new things from all areas though.
UM - How do you feel about bands such as Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir who are supposedly diluting black metal sound to appeal to the main stream?
(Devon) - It pisses me off that little kids are sitting behind their computers making happy faces with their semicolons and winking at each other in the chat rooms about how bands like this are getting into the mainstream. So be it. It's all the better for this style of music because it's appealing to more people and the message is getting out there. Id rather listen to Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir and their kick ass recordings that listen to backwoods, hick-ass cave music from somebody who way back thinks that Dimmu wanted to sound like that when they came out with 'For All Tid',
(Scott) - They didn't have the budget.
(Devon) - People who are musicians are going to want to hear their music with the best possible sound they can get.
(Scott) - People look at good production as selling out.
(Devon) - And if you produce a good product and make money on it, then what's the issue.
(Scott) - Last time I checked they didn't have black metal on VH1. Regardless of how popular or mainstream some black or death metal bands might seem to those of us in the underground, it is and always will be an underground form of music.
(Chuck) - I think the issue too is with this style of music, I've always viewed metal in general and especially the extreme forms of metal as open styles of music, that there are no rules and that barriers are to be broken. If that wasn't the case, we wouldn't have black metal to begin with or any metal for that matter. For bands like Dimmu and Cradle, they are doing what they want to do in a purely selfish way, if a lot of people like what they are doing and buy their albums, so what. If you don't like it, don't listen to it.
(Devon) - If Cradle and Dimmu are getting out there and more people are hearing them then thats less people that are listening to Limp Biskit. It's a progression of aggression.
UM - Do you feel the black metal genre is becoming somewhat overcrowded of late? Does this make it harder for a new BM band to make itself heard?
(Devon) - Yes, definitely!
(Scott) - People will flock to any trend. We have been playing our own style of black metal since the beginning, and we will continue to regardless of what other bands are doing.
(Chuck) - The problem starts when people generalize music styles too much. When you refer to black metal you are talking about a bunch of different subgenres, but yet when people attach one label to it, it makes it seem like 1000's of bands are playing one specific style. The more new bands that are out there creating music means more new ground is broken and the scene grows and progresses in new and exciting directions. Who knows what is next for black metal and why would we want to stop it from getting there?
(Devon) - As for new bands getting heard, it does make it difficult when people assume that all black metal will have the raw production and decide that they wont like it before actually hearing it. A good example is the new Behemoth. I told someone to check it out and they said, no, I'm not interested because they assumed it would sound like the old Behemoth, which was pretty shitty.
(Chuck) - Although it is a benefit to have lots of people into our music, we create the music for our own reasons, so getting heard is not the main focus.
UM - How do you see Darkmoon progressing in the future?
(Scott) - We will keep pushing for more and more extreme sounds, and more challenges for our own personal abilities. Always keeping things interesting on our behalf. We will keep pushing to the next level, and the next level doesn't necessarily mean just faster, or whatever, it means higher quality, more thought, more ability and better songwriting.
(Devon) - If you are conscious of it, it is kinda hard to regress, unless that is intentional.
(Chuck) - I think that the ultimate level of progression is when you are able to accurately express your thoughts and emotions with the music that you are creating collectively. We strive to have the music sounding the way that we feel about it when we are hearing it our minds. It is important to progress as a band and as musicians to get to that point.
UM - Any great heroes or idols musical or otherwise?
(Chuck) - In general, anyone who stands strong and proud against christianity and all oppressive religions is a hero. Musically I would say that Alex Skolnick is or was a hero because in the old days of thrash he was one of the first to combine a very skilled lead style with very aggressive music. At the time most of the lead guitar players in the extreme style were using the freeform Kerry King approach. You still see a lot of that today where most black metal and death metal bands are not that developed in the lead area if they have lead guitar at all.
(Scott) - My drumming idol has always been Pete Sandoval and then Hellhammer. Those two have made the biggest impact on my playing.
UM - You are offered the opportunity to tour with whichever bands you want (past or present) Who do you pick?
(Chuck) - Definitely Infernal Majesty with special guests Coroner, and Emperor (from the Anthems tour)
(Scott) - I would like to tour with Slayer, that would kick ass.
(Devon) - The Spice Girls, Britney Spears, Ben Folds Five and Phil Collins
UM - Any celebrities that you would like to punch? If so, who and why?
(Devon) - Ben Folds! No seriously, I hate Jar Jar Binks! With all due respect to George Lucas he has done so much but I would like to give him a good punch in the left testicle for bringing out Jar Jar Binks.
(Scott) - I have a few people in mind, but I guess Garth Brooks, but I would have to cut him open and let his guts spill on the floor. I wouldn't bother punching him, I'd go straight for the kill.
(Devon) - Yea, knife goes in, guts come out!
(Chuck) - I'm gonna punch the fuck out of that Creed bastard for creating the most annoying music ever.
UM - And finally, is there anything you have to say to the Ultimate Metal readership?
(Scott) - Thanks for giving us such awesome support! And if you haven't already, check out our CD and feel free to write or email. Check out the official Darkmoon website for more info on the band. There are still some samples on MP3.com too.
(Devon) - Our music is not for the closed minded
Indeed it isn't. .308 Antichrist is available from Tribunal Records right now, but hurry - it's a limited edition release.
Tribunal Records
By Philip Whitehouse
While they agree themselves that the Black Metal genre is becoming something of an overcrowded place to be at the moment, Darkmoon are already making a name for themselves. With latest limited edition release '.308 Antichrist' gathering the band rave reviews across the board, this seemed the perfect time to chat to the band aboiut themselves, the genre, and George Lucas. Unfortunately, Jon Vesano (Vocals, Guitars, Guitar synth) was unavailable for this interview, due to filling in as bassist with Nile on their current tour. So I talked to :
Scott Pletcher - Drums / Inferno
Devon - Bass / Vocals
Chuck Brummond - Lead Guitar
UM - How was Darkmoon formed?
(Scott) - In '97 Jon and I decided to start something new from our previous band. Then we let Devon check it out. After numerous guitar players we found Chuck in 1999. The band is based in Charlotte, NC although Devon and I are originally from Ohio and Chuck is from Wisconsin. We all share a common goal to create extreme, violent music and to spread our message of hatred and aggresssion.
UM - What are Darkmoon's musical roots and influences?
(Scott) - My roots go back to retro metal, Preist, Maiden, after that Morbid Angel, Motorhead and stuff like that.
(Devon) - Same here, started out with thrash stuff and worked my way up. As far as bands, personally,1000 other musicians are going to name the same bands that are in this style of music; Slayer, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Morbid Angel. What drives my influences now personally is just feeding off the rest of our band.
(Scott) - we try to compliment each other with our playing.
(Chuck) - My personal musical influences also start with classic metal. I kept looking for bands that were more and more extreme so I moved from that to thrash and early death metal and then to black metal. I always keep myself open to new things from all areas though.
UM - How do you feel about bands such as Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir who are supposedly diluting black metal sound to appeal to the main stream?
(Devon) - It pisses me off that little kids are sitting behind their computers making happy faces with their semicolons and winking at each other in the chat rooms about how bands like this are getting into the mainstream. So be it. It's all the better for this style of music because it's appealing to more people and the message is getting out there. Id rather listen to Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir and their kick ass recordings that listen to backwoods, hick-ass cave music from somebody who way back thinks that Dimmu wanted to sound like that when they came out with 'For All Tid',
(Scott) - They didn't have the budget.
(Devon) - People who are musicians are going to want to hear their music with the best possible sound they can get.
(Scott) - People look at good production as selling out.
(Devon) - And if you produce a good product and make money on it, then what's the issue.
(Scott) - Last time I checked they didn't have black metal on VH1. Regardless of how popular or mainstream some black or death metal bands might seem to those of us in the underground, it is and always will be an underground form of music.
(Chuck) - I think the issue too is with this style of music, I've always viewed metal in general and especially the extreme forms of metal as open styles of music, that there are no rules and that barriers are to be broken. If that wasn't the case, we wouldn't have black metal to begin with or any metal for that matter. For bands like Dimmu and Cradle, they are doing what they want to do in a purely selfish way, if a lot of people like what they are doing and buy their albums, so what. If you don't like it, don't listen to it.
(Devon) - If Cradle and Dimmu are getting out there and more people are hearing them then thats less people that are listening to Limp Biskit. It's a progression of aggression.
UM - Do you feel the black metal genre is becoming somewhat overcrowded of late? Does this make it harder for a new BM band to make itself heard?
(Devon) - Yes, definitely!
(Scott) - People will flock to any trend. We have been playing our own style of black metal since the beginning, and we will continue to regardless of what other bands are doing.
(Chuck) - The problem starts when people generalize music styles too much. When you refer to black metal you are talking about a bunch of different subgenres, but yet when people attach one label to it, it makes it seem like 1000's of bands are playing one specific style. The more new bands that are out there creating music means more new ground is broken and the scene grows and progresses in new and exciting directions. Who knows what is next for black metal and why would we want to stop it from getting there?
(Devon) - As for new bands getting heard, it does make it difficult when people assume that all black metal will have the raw production and decide that they wont like it before actually hearing it. A good example is the new Behemoth. I told someone to check it out and they said, no, I'm not interested because they assumed it would sound like the old Behemoth, which was pretty shitty.
(Chuck) - Although it is a benefit to have lots of people into our music, we create the music for our own reasons, so getting heard is not the main focus.
UM - How do you see Darkmoon progressing in the future?
(Scott) - We will keep pushing for more and more extreme sounds, and more challenges for our own personal abilities. Always keeping things interesting on our behalf. We will keep pushing to the next level, and the next level doesn't necessarily mean just faster, or whatever, it means higher quality, more thought, more ability and better songwriting.
(Devon) - If you are conscious of it, it is kinda hard to regress, unless that is intentional.
(Chuck) - I think that the ultimate level of progression is when you are able to accurately express your thoughts and emotions with the music that you are creating collectively. We strive to have the music sounding the way that we feel about it when we are hearing it our minds. It is important to progress as a band and as musicians to get to that point.
UM - Any great heroes or idols musical or otherwise?
(Chuck) - In general, anyone who stands strong and proud against christianity and all oppressive religions is a hero. Musically I would say that Alex Skolnick is or was a hero because in the old days of thrash he was one of the first to combine a very skilled lead style with very aggressive music. At the time most of the lead guitar players in the extreme style were using the freeform Kerry King approach. You still see a lot of that today where most black metal and death metal bands are not that developed in the lead area if they have lead guitar at all.
(Scott) - My drumming idol has always been Pete Sandoval and then Hellhammer. Those two have made the biggest impact on my playing.
UM - You are offered the opportunity to tour with whichever bands you want (past or present) Who do you pick?
(Chuck) - Definitely Infernal Majesty with special guests Coroner, and Emperor (from the Anthems tour)
(Scott) - I would like to tour with Slayer, that would kick ass.
(Devon) - The Spice Girls, Britney Spears, Ben Folds Five and Phil Collins
UM - Any celebrities that you would like to punch? If so, who and why?
(Devon) - Ben Folds! No seriously, I hate Jar Jar Binks! With all due respect to George Lucas he has done so much but I would like to give him a good punch in the left testicle for bringing out Jar Jar Binks.
(Scott) - I have a few people in mind, but I guess Garth Brooks, but I would have to cut him open and let his guts spill on the floor. I wouldn't bother punching him, I'd go straight for the kill.
(Devon) - Yea, knife goes in, guts come out!
(Chuck) - I'm gonna punch the fuck out of that Creed bastard for creating the most annoying music ever.
UM - And finally, is there anything you have to say to the Ultimate Metal readership?
(Scott) - Thanks for giving us such awesome support! And if you haven't already, check out our CD and feel free to write or email. Check out the official Darkmoon website for more info on the band. There are still some samples on MP3.com too.
(Devon) - Our music is not for the closed minded
Indeed it isn't. .308 Antichrist is available from Tribunal Records right now, but hurry - it's a limited edition release.
Tribunal Records
