Sunday, July 8, 2012

Brimwylf Interview

 ***Originally printed in Feral Noise #1***




To me, Brimwylf has gone through three stages. First, it was a two-man recording only project. Then it graduated to a fully operational band. Lastly to the band’s current form with a new member and a current one switching roles. Each stage has its own unique sound. Could you please walk us through the stages and provide the details that surrounded each one? Brimwylf really began with Brent recording riffs and song ideas at his house, just recording on the computer. He had a ton of ideas but no real outlet, so the first incarnation was born called Agahnim. He played all of his short songs for me and we decided maybe I could do some vocals to fill out the sound. This worked out well and we began to write more and more. Short 20 second blasting songs transformed into 3 minute black metal blitzes. As we kept making new songs, we talked about the idea of forming a band. At this stage though it was just Brent programming the drums on the computer then recording all the guitar tracks, and me doing vocals. Jason would come by sometimes to hang out and hear what we had been up to. One night he grabbed the guitar and wrote a whole new lead riff over one of our songs, it fit great adding new layers to the aural texture. After about 6 songs, we knew we wanted to really wanted to find some more members and create a fully functioning band. After some trial and error, and a few different band members we decided I would take care of the vocals, Jason would play guitar and Brent would play drums. We put out an ad for a new guitarist and met Parham. He was able to add an entirely different song writing approach, and it fit perfectly. It's been us 4 ever sense. We are Brimwylf.
Your band has an interesting ensemble of individuals coming from many different musical backgrounds. Give us some insight on that and how everything came together. We've all been into various forms of metal for a long time. Jason and Brent played in punk related bands for the most part in the past. Parham comes from a mostly experimental and improvisational musical background. But we are united in metal.
I know some of your members were in other bands in the past. Could you provide a rundown of them all and any touring experiences? Brent has toured with a couple of bands called Burned Out Bright and The Walls You've Built. Each band lasted a couple of years and put out a few releases. Jason has played in a myriad of punk and rock and roll bands: Tom Hanks, Pathetic Subsistence, All At Sea, and others. Parham's musical background is chronicled on feltanelephant.com
You recently hit the studio and recorded a few tracks. Please give the readers some insight on your debut recording. Also, will the songs be released as a self titled demo or do you have a specific name? We just recorded 5 songs at the Feral Noise studio. 4 tracks will be used for our demo, right now called Under The Sign of The Tridents. 1 track for a split 7" with Mhinotahn coming out mid 2012.
Brimwylf has a nice, raw 1st wave black metal sound amalgamated with some crisp melodies. A sound that I feel will be quite popular on the live circuit. So when can we expect the next step into that arena? Soon, though we don't currently have a bass player. If anyone would like to try out feel free to contact us.
 

On an earlier occasion you stated that lots of your lyrics are fictional. In your writing, does this consist of fantasy created on your own or do you have some other foundation that is drawn upon? The lyrics are imagery and mythology we create. Mostly metaphorical allusions derived form personal experiences.
In the vocal department, your voice is quite powerful. Is this your first time singing for a band? I've only ever worked on recording projects in the past, this is my first full functioning band. 
For those who do not know, your band was formerly known as Iapetus. Why was the decision made to change the band’s name? We wanted a totally original name that suited us, our lyrics, and our music. 
Speaking of band names, please provide some details on the Brimwylf name. Why did you choose it and what is its meaning? Brimwylf is derived from Old English and means "water wolf" or "wolf of the lake". In the epic poem Beowulf, these mythological wolves were haunters and guardians of burial mounds in marshlands. The idea of wolves and hounds as guardians/watchdogs of the underworld shows up in many cultures and mythologies. In Greek mythology there is a three headed dog, Kerberos, who watches Hades. In Scandinavia, "Baldrs draumar" speaks of Odin encountering a hell hound, protector of Hel, on his way to Niflheim. Brimwylf is the name we chose to express this idea. 
When hearing your music, I hear a Bathory influence (both early and from the Viking era) mixed with traditional rock. What is your take on that? From where do you draw your influences? Bathory is certainly a band we all like and probably influences us musically to some degree. Really our influences come from and amalgamation of 4 separate styles. We don't attempt to sound like any particular band or genre. We just hash out ideas and riffs we like, it all comes together very organically. 
Any final words? Also, how can one find more info about the band? We will try and keep everyone updated on Brimwylf through facebook or via The Dread Lair. Our plan is just to keep writing, playing, and creating.


No comments:

Post a Comment