Questions answered by Scott Baggett (vocals) and Tino LoSicco (Drums):
1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
Scott: We recorded the album from October 2021 to December 2022, with mixing and overdubs done for the next few months after that. Since then we’ve actually been working on material for the next album (we don’t intend to wait 17 years for the next one!) and playing shows locally here in Memphis (opening for Obituary was definitely a dream come true for me, John Tardy is the blueprint for extreme vocals). Once the album is officially released, we plan to do some short tours to promote it.
2.In September you have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
Scott: A couple of things have changed since the last album – John Fortier has joined since then, and brought with him a melodic and technical lead style, and he has also written or contributed to the new songs, which added a new dynamic to the songwriting. I also joined and I think I’ve got a much different style than previous vocalists.
Tino: Given the amount of time we've worked on some of these songs, my hope is that the natural progession of the band is reflected in the final product. We were able to spend as much time as we needed during the recording and mixing process. Given this was a luxury we did not have on the previous 3 full-lengths, we were able in my opinion to really capture the sound of the band with all the nuances we've tried to incorporate into the music over the years.
3.This is also your first full length since 2022 and while there was an ep in 2015 and a couple of demos released between then and 2017 there has not been much in the way of new material, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
Scott: In my opinion, the lack of new recorded material was due to lineup changes, mostly. I joined in 2016, but even not being in the band before then, I’d see guys come and go. It’s difficult to sit down and create something permanent like an album with a shifting lineup like that. We chose to re-record the songs from the EP with the current lineup not because we lacked new material, but because we didn’t want those songs to be forgotten, since that EP wasn’t properly released, plus Alan Burcham did an amazing job with the recording, so those songs sound brand new to us.
Tino: Even with the line-up changes, we never stopped writing, rehearsing and performing since the last album. Most of our shows during this time were more regional than national. We did play some of that new music live. It just didn't have the exposure as the previous releases.
4.The newer music is also more death metal orientated than previous releases while that influence has always been a huge part of your musical style, what was the decision behind going into this direction?
Scott: I probably had a little to do with that just with my vocal style. In my other bands, I mostly did deep vocals, with some highs thrown in for dynamics. Epoch’s vocals were previously almost entirely based on highs. When you throw in the deep vocals and mid-highs, the music sort of transforms itself into death metal.
Tino: There was really no conscious decision to steer the music toward one particular influence. It's possible that some of the production plays a role. But to Scott's point, his vocals lean toward a more traditonal, extremely brutal, death metal style.
5. A lot of your lyrics over the years have covered fantasy, horror and science fiction themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics and also are there any certain authors that have had an influence on your songwriting?
Scott: In the past. Tino wrote almost all of the lyrics, but I wrote half the lyrics on this album to take some of that workload off of him -- writing lyrics is hard! My style in other bands has been more rooted in realism, typically with "anti-religious zealotry" themes, so I tried to weave that into the sci-fi/fantasy realm Epoch is known for. For the next album, I plan to lean more into sci-fi themes since I’m a huge fan of science fiction, with my favorite author being Isaac Asimov. As to who wrote which lyrics on this album, you can probably tell because Tino has a bigger vocabulary than I do!
Tino: I am a huge fan of the English author Brian Lumley. So much so that I emailed Mr. Lumley years ago asking for his permission to use a line from his novel for our first album title (a phrase common to his Necroscope series). It would be difficult for me to detail every aspect of his novels that I enjoy. Primarily, I am a fan of his writing style. Lumley is very detailed in his narratives, frequently describing stories-within-stories. He never seems at a loss for new character background that fit perfectly within the confines of the sci-fi/horror based worlds he created. Best of all, when Lumley writes about his creatures, there is no mistaking them for the "young-adult" sparkly vamps that have saturated the genre.
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
Scott: It was done by Eka Saputra, who goes by the business name of Pzychopart. He has a pretty unique style, and you’ll notice his art on a lot of metal releases the past few years. Great guy to work with. We gave him the concept and it was almost like he read our minds when we received the rough draft. I think it matches the style of the lyrics, could be the cover of an old sci-fi paperback book. He’s responsive and patient, and his prices are reasonable, so please check him out on Facebook!
7.The band was also considered a part of the original U.S black metal, do you feel you have been influential musically to later bands that also come from your home country?
Tino: Although it would be flattering for the band to be considered an influence on others, I'd be hard-pressed to name any current bands that I felt were directly influenced by us musically. (However, considering we've had so many people in the band over the years, there's bound to be a similar sounding riff floating somewhere out there in the musical ether.)
8.out of all the tours and shows you have played over the years, which one stands out the most?
Tino: I've appreicated all of the opportunities we've had to really hit the road. If I had to pick 1, I'd say the 2 week tour we did with Enslaved still stands out the most to me. On this tour, both bands piled into a 15 passenger van with along with 2 of our friends that helped drive and run merch. [#cozy] This was the only tour we did where we had the opportunity to travel and really get to know the band on the tour....and when its one of your favorite bands that is also overflowing with creative talent, energy and humor, it makes for an incredible and rare experience.
9.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Scott: Yes! We really haven’t done much touring because you typically tour to promote something, and we haven’t had anything new to promote. Now that we have a new album out, we plan to do some short tours. We all have jobs that make it impossible to do long stretches of touring, but we’re going to try to do as much as we can.
10.The new album is going to be released on 'Dark Horizon Records', how would you compare working with this label to your previous label 'The End Records'?
Scott: I wasn’t around for The End, so I’ll let Tino answer that part. But working with DHR and the owner Typhus has been great. The guy has been around as long as we have, running his label and being in various extreme metal bands (Morpheus Descends, for example), so if he wants to release an album, it means he’s into it. This release is more of a distribution partnership, which is what we actually sought since we were shopping a finished product. Check out the DHR roster and you’ll see he has an ear for quality extreme metal.
Tino: As Scott mentioned, our collaboration with DHR has been a good experience for the reasons he mentioned and we are excited going forward.
Our work with T.E.R. was different in nature. As a new label working with a young band, they provided us with some unique opportunities [early tour support and a recording budget] to which I was appreciative of while they were developing their business model. We were part of the initial roster of the label and one of the few bands that actually played live during that time so I feel that we mutually benefitted each other.
11.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your newer music by fans of black and death metal?
Scott: Fans of black metal might be a little disappointed that we don’t still sound like the first two albums, but the last album was already trending towards the style we play now, so delving deeper into the death metal side of things shouldn’t be a surprise. Overall though, the reaction has been positive, even from people who were fans since the USBM demo days. Our fans seem excited about the release, which just really makes all the work we put into it worth it.
Tino: I think only time will tell with this new release. The intial feedback has been very positive which is exciting after so much time. The music has all of the elements that we've always had, just with a more refined approach which I think fans of both genres should be able to appreciate.
12.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Scott: Since I’m not a good guitarist, I could only lend my vocals to a side project, and this style of “singing” really takes a toll, so I’m content just focusing on this band. Josh has been in another band for a long time called Powers That Be. Joe has also has a couple of side projects he’s spinning up that are far different than Epoch of Unlight, but they are currently in their early stages. We keep John locked in a box so that he can't play in other bands ... or rather he works a lot and only has time for Epoch.
Tino: "Incineration" (death/grind from Memphis) is still going strong and we are finalizing the material for our next recording later this year. "Ash of Cedars" (black metal from Arkansas and TN) has been on a hiatus for the last few years with everyone in the bands schedules however I am hopeful that things pick up later this year/early 2023.
13.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Tino: We are already working on music for the follow up. We have about 10 songs so far and they follow as a natural progression from the new recording in both intensity and melody. (With Josh and John in the band I'm sure there will be their fair share of leads/solos as well. )
14.What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are currently listening to nowadays?
Scott: It may seem odd, but I don’t listen to a whole lot of death metal. I love it of course, but these days there’s so much music out there, I just gravitate towards great songwriting, no matter the genre. The last Voivod record, amazing as always. Haunt is another band I’ve been listening to a lot lately.
Tino: On the Metal side, bands like AngelCorpse, December Wolves, Kreator, Immolation and Terrorizer never get old to me. "Newer" bands like Havukruunu, Harakiri for the Sky, VLTIMAS, Werewolves, and Winterfylleth are also in heavy rotation for me. (That new Dio mix is pretty killer as well.) I also have a healthy interest in bands like Lazerhawk, BMSR, Tobacco and Zombi.
15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Scott: On behalf of the other guys, I apologize for taking so long to release a new album! I assure you, the final product is worth your time and will reward your patience.
Tino: Thank you for the support and the interview! (And as a somewhat biased participant, I can confirm Scott's sentiments that fans of this music will not be disappointed!)
https://epochofunlight.bandcamp.com/
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