Epoch Of Unlight Interview

 

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/ 

Daidalos/The Expedition/Extreme Metal Music/2022 CD Review

 

  Diadalos  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  dark  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2022  album  "The  Expedition"  which  was  released  by  Extreme  Metal  Music.

  Orchestrations  and  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  throughout  the  recording.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  music  also  gets  very  symphonic  sounding  at  times  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  vocals  also  go  in  a  grim  direction  at  times.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clear  vocals  and  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Elements  of  dark  metal  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  album  as  well  as  a  couple  of  songs  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars,  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.,  pianos  can  also b e  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Captain  Sir  Franklin's  Last  Expedition  and  one  song  is  also  a  Robert  Frost  poem  put  to  music.

  In  my  opinion  Diadalos  is  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  dark  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Expedition"  "Srormwind"  "Poem  In  The  Snow"  and  "My  Melancholy".  8  out  of  10.

  ​www.facebook.com/daidalosband

Epoch Of Unlight/At War With The Multiverse/Dark Horizon Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Epoch  Of  Unlight  are  a  band  from  Memphis,  Tennessee  that  has  a  history  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  and  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "At  War  With  the  Multiverse"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Dark  Horizon  Records.

  A  very  heavy  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  technical  sounding  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  One  of  the  tracks  also  introduces  synths  and  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  brutal  moments  as  well  as  the  music  also  mixing  the  90's  style  in  with  a  more  modern  day  brutality.

  On  this  recording  Epoch  Of  Un light  expands  on  their  more  death  metal  side  of  their  musical  style  as  well  as  retaining  the  melodic  black  metal  elements  of  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  fantasy  and  science  fiction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Epoch  Of  Unlight  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Numbing  Stillness"  "Beneath  A  Dying  Sun"  :Night  Hunt"  and  "The  Lie  of  Tomorrow's  Dream".  8  out  of  10.

https://epochofunlight.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/EpochOfUnlight

https://www.instagram.com/epochofunlight/

Epoch of Unlight Spotify

https://youtu.be/xBRwNb5XE4Q

  

    

Hegemone/Voyance/Brucia Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Hegemone  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a mixture  of  post  black,  sludge  metal  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2022  album  "Voyance"  which  will  be  released  in  September.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  metal.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  some  of  the  vocals  also  show  an  influence  of  hardcore.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  along  with  some  clear  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  post  metal.

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  a  small  amount  of  synths  also  being  utilized  at  times.  The  music  also  adds  some  dissonant  touches  on  one  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  blast  beats  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up,  folk  instruments  and  electronic  frequencies  can  also b e  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  rage,  tension,  pain  and  disquiet  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hegemone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  post  black,  sludge  metal  and  hardcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nourishment"  "Sermon"  and  "After  Demise".  8  out  of  10.

  https://hegemone.bandcamp.com/  

An Abstract Illusion/Woe/Willowtip Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  An  Abstract  Illusion  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric,  progressive  and  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Woe"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Willowtip  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  clear  vocals  can  also b e  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  touches  of  electronica  can  also b e  heard  at  times.

  Death  metal  growls  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  black  metal  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  melody  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  folk  instruments,  spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  poetic  atmosphere  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature,  death  and  humanity  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  An  Abstract  Illusion  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric,  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Slaves"  and  "In  The  Heavens  Above,  You  Will  Become  A  Monster".  8  out  fo  10.

  https://anabstractillusion.bandcamp.com/album/woe    

Abhorrent Expanse/Gateways To Resplendence/Amalgram Music/Lurker Bias/2022 Full length Review

 

  Abhorrent  Expanse  are  a  band  with  members  from  Minnesota  and  Illinois  that  plays  an  avant  garde  mixture  of  blackened  death,  funeral  doom  metal,  noise,  drone  and  free  jazz  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Gateways  To  Resplendence"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Amalgram  Music  and  Lurker  Bias.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  distorted  sounding  drones  can  also be  heard  at  times.  Elements  of  funeral  doom  metal  can  also be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  giving t he  album  more  of  a  primitive  edge  when  they  are  utilized.

  Harsh  noises  are  also  added  into  the  background  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  riffing  as  well  as  the  home  made  percussion  also  giving  the  album  more  of  an  avant  garde  feeling  when  they  are  utilized.

  A  lot  of t he  clean  sections  also  show  an  influence  of  free  jazz  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  instrumentals.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  few  songs  also  introducing  organs,  synths  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  album  and  the  production  also  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Abhorrent  Expanse  are  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde  mixture  of  blackened  death,  funeral  doom  metal,  noise,  drone  and  free  jazz  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cloak  Of  Ancients"  "Gateways  To  Resplendence"  "Baleful  Reminders"  and  "Arcturian  Nano  Diamonds  From  The  Tranquil  Abyss".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.instagram.com/abhorrent_expanse

          

Dawnwalker/House Of Sand/Room 132/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Dawnwalker  are  a  band  from  the  united  Kingdom  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  more  of  a  progressive  form  of  post  metal  with  elements  of  folk  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  theri  2022  album  "House  Of  Sand"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Room  132.

  Clear  vocals  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavier  post  metal  style  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  clean  playing.

  Black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  acoustic  guitars  also  add  in  touches  of  folk  music  when  they  are  utilized.  Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  touches  of  indie  rock.

  One  of  the  tracks  is  also  a  cover  of  Elvis  Presley's  "House  Of  Sand"  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  violin's  and  piano's  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  slower  musical  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  darker  side  of  the  human  psyche.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dawnwalker  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Demon  Of  Noontide"  "Egypt"  "Coming  Forth  By  Day"  and  "House  of  Sand".  8  out  of  10.

  https://dawnwalker.uk 

https://dawnwalker.bandcamp.com 
https://facebook.com/dawnwalkeruk 
https://instagram.com/dawnwalkeruk 

https://twitter.com/dawnwalkeruk