After releasing 3 albums (2 LPs and 1 EP) in little more than 12 months there should not be many of you that haven’t heard of this band yet. With their 3^rd full-length, "Symphony For The Devil", Witchery continues its rock/thrash path and once again prove that ‘retro-metal’ can sound fresh, innovative and entertaining. While so many bands try to turn and twist their songs in any possible way Witchery takes completely different approach and drives its music on clarity and simplicity. Bass player, Sharlee D’Angelo shares his view on the ‘retro’ tag, their music, lyrics and problems with release date of new Arch Enemy "Wages of Sin".

Chris


After releasing your first 3 albums in little more than 12 months, the fourth one comes after almost 2 years; what took you so long?

It was actually a combination of a lot of different things... between the first few albums we haven’t done that much touring and we decided to be more a real band and start playing live rather than spending all the time in the studio. Also, since everybody is involved in different things and bands it took us a lot of time to get everyone together in one place at this same time. We were also looking for a new record deal in Europe and all negotiations took like eternity... On top of that our old drummer quit and it took a while until we found a replacement. So, all those things put together made for this long break but I also think it was a good thing and created a little bit of anticipation right there. When we released all those albums in this short period of time it was basically to prove the point that people take way way way too long in between their albums. 3-4 years between the albums??? You wonder why? What are they doing? So, we just wanted to prove that you can write and record albums in fairly short intervals. Look at the bands in the past, they could release two albums during a year and they were touring constantly also. It can be done and we just wanted to try that out. Then we thought maybe it was too much too soon and decided to let the people wait a little for a new one.

Why did Mique leave the band?

It was just a personal thing. The thing is that he’s always been very much into the music side of things like recording and creating music but when it come to touring he wasn’t very comfortable with it because he didn’t like being away from home for very long period of time. He also got a new job, he’s new baby daughter was born and he decided to concentrate more on the family and his new job and I respect that. We could see that he wasn’t comfortable with being on the tour and I’m just grateful for the years we had, he’s still a very good friend.

Does heavy involvement in other projects cause any problems in keeping Witchery together as a regular band?

Yeah, sometimes it’s hard to find the time but we try to make the best of it and plan ahead the best we can. So far it hasn’t been that bad and if you put all the differences behind, it works.

Is everything written by Jensen again?

About 90 % yeah but the other main songwriter in a band is Richard. He comes up with a lot of important riffs also but Jansen is the main guy ‘cause he always comes up with the best stuff. It’s not like he is the bandleader and automatically writes all the songs but he just writes the best stuff and the best stuff goes on the album. It doesn’t really matter who writes the songs but he’s just the best at it.

How long did the writing process go? Did you again need 5 or 6 days to record it like your previous albums?

[laughs] No, this one actually took a little bit longer. It took a better part of the month I think it was done in 17 or 18 days. We didn’t have more time cause we were just like two days away from entering the studio. I think the last riff was written on Friday night and on Monday we entered the studio.

It’s nice to hear about a band that succeeds in playing old-school heavy metal or "retro metal" style. Accept, Motorhead, and Judas Priest influences are visible but Witchery is not just a copy of afore mentioned...

No, we are not. I have to agree with you there and it’s nice to hear you say that but in the past we were not very happy with that "retro" tag. I can understand that because so many our influences come from the afore-mentioned bands and many more bands from that period, so it’s only natural that we sound that way, but it’s not like we ever set out to be a retro band, like, "Oh, let’s sound like this band," it all come naturally since we all grew up listening to this stuff. I think it’s also because of the imagery around it, the cover art, lyrics and all that stuff, but it all just fits the whole thing. It’s just something that needs to be there in metal.

There are moments that songs just seem to be great rock and roll. It seems like you guys simply have a lot of fun doing it...

Oh absolutely, that’s what we based it upon. If we didn’t have that, the band would not exist. That’s what put us together in a first place. The recording of our first album was just like a such a joyous experience, we had so much fun and if we didn’t have so much fun we probably wouldn’t do it because I think that’s very important that it comes through the music. And if you hear the album where it sounds like people are heaving fun playing it then most likely you’ll have fun listening to it.

Is the fun and joy still high and on the same level since you started the band?

Oh yeah, absolutely. I mean there were moments were we felt a little bit of pressure since we had such very good response to our previous albums and of course there was a little bit of pressure to live up to it but we tried not to think about it too much and just do what we always do and write the album for ourselves; the kind of album that we would like to buy that’s not out there and we just have to write it ourselves.

What are the lyrics about? Are they as important as music or they just something for Toxine to scream?

Yeah. [laughs] It’s a little bit like that... they don’t have a message for people. These are the lyrics we think fit the music and of course the lyrics are a vehicle for the vocals so yeah it’s something for Toxine to scream. [laughs] I mean they are good lyrics, we try to have a little bit of a distance, we don’t try to be super-evil or anything, they are just dark fairytales.

What happened to my favorite nun? Will she again be a part of the next photo session?

Maybe, we’ll see. We’ll see if we can lure here out of the convent again. [laughs]

While I’ve lured you out to make this interview, I have to ask you about Arch Enemy. What the fuck happened with your new release "Wages of Sin"? When can the whole world finally put its ears around it?

Well, this is something you should call your local Century Media office and ask about. It actually has to do with a few differences we have in a contract that we try to resolve and it just drags for so long now... I really don’t know what’s the status right now. The last thing I’ve heard is that it should come out in January, but I can’t really confirm it. I just hope it’s finally going to happen because we re-did the artwork for the US and it will also include a few bonus things on it as well.

I hope so. It’s almost been a year since "Wages of Sin" hit Japan’s stores and it has to be really frustrating to see your work lying on the shelves for so long.

It’s extremely frustrating. This material, when it’ll come out it will be over a year old... It’s bad when it happens like that, but its just politics.

Let’s just hope for less politics and more music in 2002...

Straight Hate are four muggers who have been dabbing in death/grind extremes for 12 years. They've already added an EP, 3 splits and 2 albums to their resume. The last two albums struck with such huge blows, that to this day you will find traces of them throughout their reviews. They also marked off their presence on the stage of Brutal East Festival (IX in 2016). The release of "East Grind Attack" and "Black Sheep Parade" was a great excuse to exchange a few words with Kuba (voc.).

Arek

Hi Kuba, it's been almost 4 years since our last meeting at Brutal East Fest IX. You were fresh after your debut release then, now after "Black Sheep Parade", and right before - "East Grind Attack". What wore you out more: promotional campaigns or all this COVID crap?

Hello! I think the virus hit me the most. The insurance industry in which I work did not slow down, and I had my hands full. Difficulty of staying in contact with my clients additionally complicated the matter. On the other hand, I absolutely cannot complain because I was not affected by unemployment. Promotional actions are very tiring, but it is a kind of fatigue that is very satisfying, especially when you see the results of your work. I am always positively motivated by promoting something new. It's nice to be able to share your creations with people from all over the world, get to know their opinions and feelings after listening to fresh material.

You played a little bit here and there, and you even managed to score a few foreign fests. Are you satisfied or do you still feel unfulfilled?

At the same time, I feel both satisfied and unfulfilled, because when you play more and more, the appetite for the increasing number of concerts intensifies. Before the time of the virus, we were developing our performance activities very smoothly. I even planned a few in advance for the fall. Unfortunately, on March 8, our last concert took place in Warsaw and since that moment, like all bands, we are waiting for further developments. After all, we are very happy with what we have played so far and we continue to work.

Tell me, what is it about Lublin that metal thrives like tulips in Netherlands??? S.H., B. Of P., Ulcer, Deivos and I could keep on mentioning for a while ... Is this a reaction to the proximity of the Catholic University of Lublin, or rather the lack of employment pushes young people into such dark and extreme regions of culture?

It seems to me that this is simply due to the enthusiasm and active attitude of people towards creating music. We still have many committed people in our region who have not gone abroad. In addition, there has always been a strong metal scene in the Lublin region, so this tradition should be constantly maintained.

On our (eastern) side of the Vistula - in Białystok, you could also once find so many "beautiful" and various 'flowers', but that's history. Life also kicked us in the teeth with Cyjan's passing, taking away concerts he organized. How are you guys doing in these damn weird times?

I think that for a totally niche, little known band we are doing quite well. We realize that the GC scene in Poland has been slowly going extinct for a long time. Nevertheless, we still do our job the best we can, without looking back. There is no time to speculate. I think that the passing of Cyjan wrecked the entire underground scene, not only in our country. It is an irreparable loss. Personally, we have been on good terms with him over the past few years. In fact, our last concert in Białystok was for the 27th anniversary of Dead Infection...

Enough small talk, music is more important, he, he ... Thanks to the cooperation with Wojtek (Deformeathing P.) we are already after first listens of "Black Sheep Parade". Second album seems to be a bit more polite, maybe even more melodic, if we can even say that about grind core. How do you feel it, how do rate it since the publishing dust has settled?

As for politeness and melody, I agree with you 100%. This is what we intended from the beginning. When creating both the first and the second album, we wanted all songs to be primarily 'live' ready and accessible for people from outside the grind spectrum also. We try to follow this rule. After reading the opinions that reached us, I say that to some extent our idea was successful. Besides, we treat Black Sheep Parade as a mature album, fully thought through and refined in the way we intended.

What's new are you going to propose on "East Grind Attack"?

There will be 3 tracks on the split. One in the atmosphere of our second album, the other is a kind of gore / grind experiment, and we will end with punk.

The recording session of second album were probably not too tiring since you returned to the studio so quickly. Tell us what the recording session with your participation looks like?

I would not exactly say “quickly”. We are not bound by deadlines or contracts, we didn't have a whip over our heads, so we spent a little more time recording the material. The drums were recorded in the Roslyn studio, the guitars at home, the bass in the practice room, and the vocals at a friend's house. Our bassist Przemek with his wife and children watched over the mix and master, because he usually did it late at night at home. This is the production of the Straight Hate album short.

And how did it happen with Mr. S.? Planned or total spontaneity? Was it fun and you liked it, will it continue?

It was spontaneous. While composing 'Above The Law', I immediately came up with the idea of inviting Paweł. Whether the idea will be continued – it remains to be seen. We will see what the new music will look like. Maybe something interesting will come to our minds again.

Tell me, does Jakub listen to some metal after lunch or on the way to work or at home, or is it a radio or something else for a change?

Usually when I work in the field, I catch up with music because then I have more time. Coming home, I often play stations playing the 70s and 80s. From an early age I was brought up in these climates, so I do not hide my love and sentiment for the music from that period, even though I was not alive yet.

It is 300 km and then some from Lublin to Sucha Beskidzka, to Biała Podlaska about 130 km. How did it happen that you ended up in the hands of Wojtek (Deformeathing P.), and not at Karol's stable (SelfMadeGod R.)?

I sent our previous recordings to Karol before the first album. Unfortunately, we came to a time when he no longer had free publishing dates. The proposal to join Deformeathing was accidentally made during the 25th anniversary of Parricide in Chełm. Wojtek brough his whole kiosk to this event, and in a casual conversation that involved some high-proof beverages he simply asked us directly if we wanted to release an album with him. We did not think about it for a long time and we are still in this symbiosis until today.

This COVID chaos gives all of us a hard time, but as I know you, you probably are not staying idle and musical ideas grow not only thanks to the spring rain. Will you reveal at least a morsel of what is happening behind the scenes?

Yes, we do not stand still. We are currently at the stage of composing new pieces. Besides, I really hope that we will be able to play something this year and we are hopeful that nothing will stop our plans.

You can't overdo it with the grind, so let's not stretch this interview anymore. Thanks, Kuba and I hope to see you soon, because I miss your energetic kick in the ass.

I also thank you for the interview and the constant support from you and the rest of the dinosaurs from Podlasie!!! We miss playing in your neighbourhood very much. See you soon, hopefully!

If you thought that melodic-death metal already offered everything that was possible in this genre than obviously you haven’t listened to Darkane yet. Brutal music at times even going into an extreme blast combined with almost jazz-like arrangements and the unlimited musicianship of the members creates a unique atmosphere almost unheard of in any kind of band out there. You will not sing their songs on the street and not because they are lame, but rather so complex you won’t be able to remember a full song until you listen to it at least a few times. And that’s better than good, enough of nice melodies, it’s time for some serious ass kicking. It seems that Christofer Malmstrom (guitar) has the same point of view, so without wasting any more of your precious time, here is what he had to say...

Chris


First off, congratulations on a great second album, "Insanity". It seems that the reactions are mostly positive? How does that make you feel?

Thank you. It feels really great. Most critics are very positive; there are some people that prefer our first album but most of them like "Insanity" better and of course that feels great.

This is your second album and some people might still not know Darkane. Could you give a brief history of the band?

We started in 1998. Before Darkane, for seven years, three of us (me, the drummer and bass player) had a band called Agretator which played very technical music. During those seven years we ran out of inspirations and Peter and I decided to start a new band. We formed Darkane, in summer of 1998 we recorded our first album "Rusted Angel" and now our second one "Insanity".

What happened within the band that Lawrence Mackrory left Darkane?

He has his own band called Forcefeed and he wanted to focus on that band. When we recorded "Rusted Angel" he told us that he wanted to be on the tour with "Rusted Angel" but we should look for another singer for the next album.
So we asked our friend Andreas Sydow if he wanted to try for Darkane so he did and it worked out pretty well for us and he’s permanent member of the band now.

Are you satisfied with War Music’s work and promotion? You added Century Media and Nuclear Blast to the list of your promoting labels.

Well, for "Rusted Angel" wasn’t that much but now since we also have Century Media and Nuclear Blast they do all the promotion and everything looks great.

It’s almost three years since your debut. What took you so long to release "Insanity"?

First of all, it was quite hard for us to find a good time to enter the studio because Daniel Bergstrand - our producer, has a lot of bands; he’s booked all the time. Then we started to deal with all the labels like Century Media and Nuclear Blast, and when all the papers were signed, we recorded "Insanity". We were ready to release it a long time ago but labels wanted to promote it quite hard and that took another few months.

Rusted Angel and Insanity sound great, is that why you’re sticking to Daniel Bergstrand’s Dug Out Production instead of using Abyss or Fredman like most of your peers do?

Yeah, most of the bands use Fredman, but we don’t want to be like most of them [laughs]. Of course Daniel Bergstrand produces a lot of bands too, but most of them are bands that we really like. Strapping Young Lad or Meshuggah are our biggest influences and that’s why we wanted to be with him. We also feel that Daniel is a part of Darkane sound, he has a lot of ideas and he’s not afraid of experimenting with vocals and things like that. And we totally trust him and his talent.

Ok, on both albums you use the additions of orchestra and choir. How did you come up with that idea?

We were on the tour in Europe with Marduk, also from Sweden, and they had a very cool intro, music from the movie Omen. We thought that was really cool, but we also thought that it would be even better if we wrote our own intro. So we tried that. We hired some musicians from a symphonic orchestra and asked few friends to sign in the choir. That was cool and quite an odd thing to do.

Do you write the notes for them? I bet they don’t listen to metal every day...

Peter and I wrote the intro and I wrote the outro. Both of us listen to classical music a lot, I studied classical music, jazz, music theory and things like that so it was quite natural for us to do since we’ve been into it for so long. Although it took us a few days to write that intro cause we never did anything that big before.

You are one of the songwriters in Darkane, how do you go about writing new material? Do you have a specific process that you go through?

Well, yeah you can say that. I write guitar riffs and Peter does the rhythm section and then once a week we get together and we put our ideas into a song. If he has a cool rhythm he will ask me to add a melody or I would ask for killer drum’s parts to my riffs. I think we work very well with each other and that’s basically the way we write our songs.

Are you 100% satisfied with this album or would you change something if you had a chance?

I’m 90% satisfied. You always find something that you could do better. The sound of this album is very big but it’s not as brutal as it was on "Rusted Angel". On "Rusted Angel" we recorded four rhythm guitars and on "Insanity" we recorded just two. Of course you can hear more what’s going on in guitars department much better on "Insanity" but it’s not that brutal any more. A like it but I think the sound could be a little more brutal.

I’m sure there’ll be a bonus tracks on the Japanese release. What is it going to be?

It will be the live version of the song Convicted from "Rusted Angel". It was recorded in our hometown when Lawrence was still singing with us.

How is the underground in Sweden, is everyone familiar with each other? Are you in contact with other metal bands, and bands who play different kinds of music?

We know In Flames, Soilwork, Meshuggah but it’s not really an underground [laughs]. We don’t hang out though, ‘cause we live far away from each other and only festivals, tours or things like that give us the opportunity to meet new bands. Although we live in this same town with Soilwork...

You guys have to be very good friend of Soilwork, so many side projects feature members of both bands (Terror 2000, Defaced).

Yeah, you can say we’re almost like brothers.

With US distribution by Century Media, any chance we'll see you guys on tour in the States? Does Darkane have any tour plans at the moment?

Yes, we have plans, but I don’t think Century Media has any right now [laughs]. I would really like to come to the States, it’s one of my biggest dreams but Century wants to know the album sales figures before they bring us over. I really hope someday they will but nothing is planned yet.

Whose face is on the cover of Insanity?

I don’t know who it is. It’s not one of us. [laughs]

What are your expectations for Darkane in the future?

I really hope to play as many live shows as possible. That’s what I really like. I’m more live person, I don’t like being in the studio. I just hope to record good CDs so people will like it and buy it so we can go on with what we do.

Are there any bizarre stories of the band you would like to share with us?

Well, there is one with our guitarist Klas... One night he was very drunk in the studio and he fell, broke his head and passed out. So, we got him into the hospital and the doctor wanted to shave his head because he had a really bad cut. So, Peter and the rest of the guys had to almost beg the doctor to save his hair ‘cause he plays in the band and it’s one of the most important things to him. Of course Klas woke up next day and had no idea what happened and where he was... Maybe it’s not that cool story anymore but for sure it was then! [laughs]

Your album has just been released but have you already written any new songs? If so, in what way do they differ from the "old" stuff if at all?

We don’t have any complete songs yet, only some ideas. The only thing I can say we won’t be less brutal and we won’t slow down. We’ll try to be as brutal as possible but still with melody...

What has been your favorite release so far this year?

I didn’t listen to too many new releases yet, but so far definitely Soilwork’s "Predator’s Portrait" and it’s not because we are good friend. [laughs] They are really good musicians and this album is just great.

How often do you practice on the guitar?

I did practice a lot when I was in school, instead of studying. [laughs] I used to practice 6-7 hours a day before I turned twenty but now it’s about hour or two a day.

What do you do for a living outside of Darkane?

I work in school but not as a teacher. [laughs] It’s more like a teacher’s help. All the guys outside the band have regular jobs. From music we get enough money to buy new guitars or stuff like that, that’s all.

Thanks for your time! Is there anything you would like to add?

I hope that all metalheads in the States will check out the "Insanity"... I just want to say that it takes a few tries until people understand this material. Yesterday I had interviews with European magazines and almost all of them told me that it took them almost 20 listens until they fully understood it. So, be patient... [laughs]