Lecherous Nocturne
Wywiad przeprowadził Wouter Roemers
Greenville, South Carolina technical death metallers Lecherous Nocturne recently released their second opus "The Age Of Miracles Has Passed" through Los Osos, California-based specialist label Unique Leader Records. Since we last spoke to the band in 2004 the line-up has been drastically altered. Talking to Masterful Magazine is Christopher Lollis, guitarist and backing vocalist in Lecherous Nocturne, who also cut his teeth with session work for Nile. But first and foremost we were eager to know what the band was currently up to
First off, I'd like to thank you for taking time to speak with me today. What is presently going on with the band? What new things are happening for Lecherous Nocturne right now?
As always it is a pleasure speaking with you guys at Masterful Magazine. Well, currently we are booking a full U.S. tour with Embryonic Devourment and Sol Asunder slated for the months of February and March, which we are really excited about. We've had quite a few setbacks in the past with trying to get Lecherous Nocturne to the public. We were faced with getting all of our gear stolen last year on tour so that has been quite a hard situation to overcome, but we stuck together and pulled through and now we just can't wait to get out there and show the people what it is that we love to do.
I guess we can skip the biography part off the bat. Lecherous Nocturne has found itself quite a star studded line-up, to say the least. With members of Monstrosity and Nile among its ranks. Were you guys all befriended prior to founding or joining Lecherous Nocturne?
We have known Karl Sanders for years before the forming of Lecherous Nocturne. Our original drummer Clay Lytle was actually responsible for telling Dallas Toler-Wade about the guitarist position available in Nile. I guess in a small place like Greenville S.C. you can't really play death metal without knowing all of the other death metallers out there, haha. I had never actually met Mike Poggione (Monstrosity) before he had auditioned for Lecherous Nocturne but we had a lot of mutual friends throughout the scene. The band for a short while relocated to Colorado where we befriended the guys in Cephalic Carnage which in turn led to us doing a short demo with the original bass player for Cephalic Dirk Truillo. But we eventually had to part ways with Dirk when the band decided to relocate back to South Carolina.
When we talked to the band in 2004 you had a firm called Lecherous Music, a label/distro founded by the band in order to spread its name. Is Darksoul7 Records still handling the distribution of Lecherous Music?
Lecherous music was formed because we were working without a label at the time and there was no hope for getting our music out there without it, so we bought the business license in Colorado and Lecherous Music LLC was formed. We worked with Darksoul 7 and Embryo Records for a short time after the inception of Lecherous Music for the purposes of distribution but as soon as we signed to Embryo, it was only a few months later when the label fell through and in turn cut our ties with Darksoul 7. Still good friends with all the guys at Darksoul but now being on Unique Leader Records they pretty much take care of all the distribution within the U.S. and Europe.
Was it difficult finding new skinsman Jeremy Nissenbaum? I imagine it must be quite a task to find someone matching the skill level of people as Chad Walls (ex-Brodequin) and Dallas Toler-Wade (Nile)?
We were really lucky to find Jeremy Nissenbaum, we only worked with Chad Walls for a short time and Dallas was with us for a few years doing the album "Adoration Of the Blade". With every drummer that has played with the band it kind of takes a different form with the different styles of the man behind the kit. Dallas had just left the band to focus more on Nile and we were desperately searching for a drummer when Jeremy contacted us about an audition. We checked out some of his previous bands and was immediately stoked at the potential he had to fit the style of metal we were playing. He came down to S.C. from Boston a few weeks later and as soon as we struck the first note we all knew that he was the man for the job. It felt like it was meant to be and things have been working beautifully since.
The new album is a major leap forwards from "Adoration Of the Blade". What are the points of progress that the band is most proud of?
We have grown together musically for over a decade now and our songwriting has taken many different turns over the years. I feel now that we really know each other inside and out and we can achieve what we are really going for a lot better than we could in the past. "The Age Of Miracles Has Passed" is a true testament to that. We're trying and doing things now we would have never experimented with before and I think it is working for us. Personally, I'm most proud of the fact that we are stepping into a more melodic approach and focusing more on diversity within the songs we are writing.
A thing I couldn't help but notice was the Swedish styled guitar work, very reminiscent of the mid-to-late '90s death/black metal scene. Any particular Swedish bands you admire from that period?
Yes, definitely! We're all big fans of Dark Funeral and Grave, amongst others. I was lucky enough on the last European Nile tour to get to tour and share a bus with Grave. Of course after spending six weeks on a tour bus together you get to know people very well and all the guys in Grave are amazing dudes. They even let me in Essen, Germany and Malmo, Sweden get on stage with them and sing 'Soulless' (one of my favourite Grave songs). I think you are definitely right when you say there is a big influence from the Swedish death/black metal scene in Lecherous Nocturne. We just try to take elements from all the music that we love and re-create it in our own terms as a sort of a tribute to the great metal that's out there.
I can't help but hear some (early) Vital Remains, circa "Into Cold Darkness" and Immolation, circa "Here In After" on this latest offering. Which bands have had a huge impact on your playing and writing?
Well, I don't think any of us have ever really been into Vital Remains, but Immolation is a definite yes. Kreishloff and myself have always followed Rob Vigna and Immolation with great enthusiasm. One of the most underrated guitarist on the scene today the way he can take a song and make it sound as if it was actually forged in hell is simply amazing to us. Like I said before: we take elements of the bands we love and put them into our own terms with our own flare. If there was any guitarist that I would say I personally was influenced by it would be Rob Vigna. All hail the mighty Immolation.
"The Age Of Miracles Has Passed" is a great US death metal album on all aspects, one that doesn't fear to slow down when the song calls for it, resulting in a creepy and evil atmosphere. A feature that was commonplace in the blooming scene of the mid '90s, but something that was forgotten the last couple of years. Anything else you are especially proud of on this album?
I have to say that I totally agree with you on that statement. There are many great bands doing amazing things now, but I do miss sometimes that feel that was coming from death metal in the 90's. There was an overall evil and creepy feeling that you got from some of the early innovators that you just don't get that much these days. That's not saying that there aren't bands that do that for me now but just not as many.
I think what I'm most proud of in the last record "The Age Of Miracles Has Passed" is how we all pulled together through extreme adversity and wrote a metal record that's truly from our hearts and had absolutely no intention of doing anything else, besides giving the world a record that said to everyone: "we will never stop and even if you steal ALL of our gear and leave us on the side of a highway to die". You can never take the metal out of our hearts and souls. I'm very proud of every member of Lecherous Nocturne for this.
One thing that definitely stands out on the new album is the amazing artwork. Who is the artist who created this amazing piece of art. What exactly does the cover represent and in what way is it tied to the album?
The artwork was done by Killustrations. It was our first time working with him and we are all very pleased with the work he has done for us. We come up with the album title "The Age Of Miracles Has Passed" after the tragic situation we were put through last year on tour. We all had a dose of the extreme lack of humanity out there and the general evil that lurks within every human being. I think the cover art portrays this beautifully, you see mankind falling to pieces standing in a barren world completely lost and no hope for any saviour to take you home. It's almost as if a nuclear bomb had been set off but the reality of the matter is there was no bomb, just us as human beings and we are inevitably our own demise.
Tell us something about the lyrics of this album, as it is very varied in subjects. 'Just War Theory' deals with the dividing of power. 'We Are as Dust' seems to deal with the conflicting viewpoints of the Western - and the Islamic world. While 'When Single Shines the Tripled Sun' deals with humanity cleansing itself through global catastrophe. Is any of this correct or am I merely scratching the surface here?
I would say that's a spot-on evaluation of what we're talking about in those songs: the growing tension between Islamic extremist, the way a soldier goes to war for a country that hates him. The fact that we are all doomed by our own decisions. A lot of different view points on a lot of different subjects. 'Requiem for the Insects' was written about our hatred for the bottom feeders that stole from us, the title track was written about the feeling of abandonment we endured throughout that situation and the fools that believe there is a higher power that is going to save you. 'Edict of Worms' is about the filth we refer to as government and the propaganda that supports them, how the lies are being passed from generation to generation. I personally am a fan of talking about the things that aren't supposed to be talked about and bringing truth to the forefront of peoples' minds, even if it hurts. I think Jason Hohenstein has done a great job of that on this record.
Once again you have utilised famed producer Bob Moore and his Sound Lab in Columbia, SC to record this new album. Any particular reasons why his studio facilities and expertise fit so well for Lecherous Nocturne?
We have worked with Bob Moore for the last two Lecherous records and will probably for all future records. His ear and skill is irreplaceable and we are all very familiar and comfortable with Sound Lab Studio. He's the kind of engineer that when he makes a suggestion, you listen and chances are you'll be glad you did.
The album is graced with an incredible pristine production that is very easy to listen to. I take it you are satisfied with the studios you've worked with to produce, mix and master this record?
Yes, absolutely! Like I said before, we all love Bob Moore and Sound Lab Studio. It's always a great experience there and his production skills are perfect for what we're doing. We had Jarret Pritchart of Eulogy master the album at Full Sail Studios in Orlando, Florida. It was our first time working with him, but we are very impressed with the job he's done for us. I think with the budget we had and the time we had to do it the album turned out great.
This album comes to us by way of the respectable Unique Leader Records, your 2006 debut CD "Adoration Of the Blade" was released through Deepsend Records. Have you noticed any differences between the labels so far? Are you happy the way Unique Leader handled the record, regarding promotion, distribution and marketing?
Yes, Unique Leader Records has done a great job of putting the record where it needs to be and been very helpful along the way. Erik [Lindmark] is a great dude and we're all excited about the opportunity that Unique Leader Records have given us to put our music out there on a more worldwide spectrum.
I think you've succeed in giving the music an identity, an individual sound and style that people will recognize as Lecherous Nocturne. Quite a feat in a scene as overpopulated as the current US death metal scene. Do you feel you've found the right style and image for the band?
Well, it's always a working progress to achieve your own identity within a band and maintain a sense of moving forward and not becoming stagnant. I think Lecherous Nocturne definitely has its own sound. I don't think you are going to mistake who it is when you put the CD in but also you can hear all the influences that have made and inspired us. The main writing core of Lecherous has been together for almost twelve years now and I think we are still growing together and we will form even more in the future towards the band we really want to be.
Soon you are taking this record on the road throughout North America. Are there any plans to support this record with a tour here in Europe?
We absolutely want to bring our music to Europe (the land of metal).
Coming from a seasoned band like Nile, with whom you did touring/recording work. What did you learn during your time with them that you would say helped you get to where you are the moment?
My time playing for Nile has been a great experience and have definitely learned a lot about the craft. I would say what I've gained most of all besides friendship with the guys is knowledge of the music industry. I've made countless contacts with my affiliation with Nile that have helped me with Lecherous Nocturne and I think in ways furthered our band. But Nile has been a band for many years without me, so I have to say I didn't come from Nile I definitely come from Lecherous Nocturne.
Thanks for the interview! Anything else we might have forgotten to mention? The last words are yours.
Thanks so much to Masterful Magazine for taking the time to discuss our new record from Lecherous Nocturne "The Age Of Miracles Has Passed". We hope to see all the fans on upcoming tours and good luck to all the guys at Masterful Magazine
Info/booking: www.uniqueleader.com
