GRIMM: The song ‘No Place Here’ has a quote by Vincent Price from the gothic horror classic ‘The Masque of the Red Death’. Why this one? Are you big on occult horror movies? Any favourites?

When I was working on this song, there was the open space where the drums started a cadence before leading into the outro of the song. It seemed like a perfect place for a sample and I could hear Vincent Price‘s voice in my head. He has a very distinguishable voice that has an essence of horror to it in itself. I started to think about some of the quotes and went down the audio path to find the perfect fit. The one I chose was just incredibly fitting for the times we’re living in. As soon as I heard it, I just knew. This is the one.

Occult horror has always been something dear to me since I was a child. Cinema has always played a huge role and it is something I’d like to do one day. Producing a film has always been on my list of things to do and I even started a script a few years back. I got 2/3rds the way through and instead of finishing it, I wanted to go back and restart it. Maybe one day I’ll find the time to do so.

As far as favorites go, I could write a list a mile long. My favorites of modern day are The VVitch, Hereditary, Suspiria, House of the Devil, The Conjuring and The Ritual to name a few. From the 80s and 90s my choices would be The Gate, Pumpkinhead, The Craft, Dagon, The Church, Hellraiser, Eyes Wide Shut ect.. and then going back even further: The Exorcist, The Dunwich Horror, Haxan : Witchcraft Through the Ages, The Vampire Lovers, Rosemary’s Baby, The Omen etc.

GRIMM: Your rhythm section has pretty much changed completely now. How did that come about?

Well, not everyone that has tried their hand here has been here for the right reasons. To be in a band at this level takes a lot of dedication and willingness to put other things aside for the cause. So, with the crazy schedule and work ethic that we like to keep, it isn’t for everyone. It’s a hard lifestyle that some can’t fit into, or think they want until they have it. We’re just searching for the right fit. James and I have been going strong for six years now and we just want to be aligned with another half that is willing to give all. And the other aspect of that is when you live out of a van on the road with other people, you have to be able to get along. No one wants to hear someone complain about everything 24/7, or deal with big egos who have delusional opinions about themselves. You can learn a lot about someone after spending a month in a van with them.

GRIMM: Could you attribute that tonal shift to the band’s lineup changes? Do you feel the current lineup is stable or are you still looking?

No, James and I are the guitar players and we’re always trying to upgrade our tone as well as shape the bass into what we’re after. I worked a lot on the bass tone on ‘Djinn’ and am extremely happy with it. In fact I think that is what I was most happy with on the end result, although the album did end prematurely due to some technical issues. But we’ve had the vision of where we wanted to take this band since the beginning and we haven’t faltered. Now in 2020 we do feel like we’ve got the right lineup with the right mindset to achieve everything we want to achieve. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has thrown a wrench in a lot of plans, but we will continue to work with what we are able to.

This interview continues on page 4.