Doom
metal band Kin of Ettins hails from Dallas, Texas. For almost 13
years they tell the story of Northern mythology, history and
shamanism in the form of traditional doom metal. Their debut “Tears
for Lost Ages” was released in 2009, and since then till now “Snake
Den Time” single (2010) and “Doomed in Dallas” EP (2010) were
added to their discography.
Well,
it’s not breaking news but in November 2016 the band finally
released their sophomore record “Doom upon the Slain”. JOTUN aka Justin
Delord (guitars, vocals, keyboards) is Kin of Ettins founding member
and ideologist; I asked him a few questions about band’s current
status and new album.
Hi
Justin! Thanks for your time! Time is a precious thing and there is a
7 years long break between Kin of Ettins debut “Tears for Lost
Ages” and new album “Doom Upon the Slain”, some even could
forget what is Kin of Ettins about! But how would you introduce the
band for those who didn't hear this name?
I
don't really enjoy describing the band to be honest, or anyone's
music for that matter. I think it's better to simply let the music
be heard and people will react how they will. I think our work
dignifies itself.
Okay,
but what were your general goals when you started Kin of Ettins back
in 2010?
I
wanted to create traditional doom metal that still offered something
a little different. I also wanted more creative control over my
vision, which was easier to achieve with KoE.
By
the way, how did the band spend this period? What's the reason for
such ling hiatus?
It
wasn't so much a hiatus as it was just a long pause between albums.
We never stopped playing live, and we did release a four song live EP
“Doomed in Dallas” in 2010
How
long did you work over new songs? What kind of obstacles did you face
on your way to this release?
We
spent several months working over the songs, but some of these songs
are older, having been written before the first album, so I can't
really state a time aggregate on it. Out biggest hurdle was a line up
change, as we switched guitarists during the recording.
Did
you have certain plan when you enter the studio? What did you want to
express through this record?
We
didn't really have a plan apart from doing it ourselves, no
producers. The rest was a learning process, mostly for Donar who
handled 99% of that. Our expressive goal was for a more dynamic
record with a deeper, heavier sound than before. I think we achieved
that, although we'll do a few things differently next time.
Did
you face any difficulties recording this album? Do you have some
certain “difficult” songs on “Doom upon a Slain”?
Apart
from the line up change, the biggest difficulty was just learning how
to record and produce our own music. We knew how to do a lot, but our
knowledge was incomplete so there was a learning curve. I don't think
any one song was any more difficult than any other. We had to
troubleshoot each one a little, but in different ways.
How
do you see key differences between “Tears for Lost Ages” and
“Doom Upon the Slain”?
In
short, “Tears” sounds like ‘80s doom and “Slain” sounds
more like ‘90s doom, both in style and sound. “Tears” is lo-fi,
muddy and very trad, while “Slain” is crisper, chunkier, and a
little more groove stricken.
What
did make you do this step further in '90s? And how do you see
features of '80s and '90s doom? There were not many doom bands in
'80s.
The
progression in sound, as far as that analogy goes, was purely
accidental. Most of that is just in the overall mix. “Tears” has
that muddy, half buried, lo-fi sound like you'd hear on a Saint Vitus
or Trouble album, probably because that producer was rooted in ‘80s
rock and metal. I draw the ’90s comparison on the new album because
it's cleaner and heavier, but still less than perfect. I don't know
if others hear what I hear, but this is the way the records sound to
me when comparing the two.
Kin
of Ettins – Echoes in the Deep
I
see there was a change in lineup few years ago, does Teiwaz
appearance reflect on the band's sound?
Very
much so. He's a tremendous boon to the band and a huge part of our
sound. His leads have a quality unlike anyone else, as he has a style
all his own. He takes enormous pride in his playing and works hard at
every aspect of his role in the band.
The
band's lyrics usually deal with Northern mythology, shamanism,
history and literature as metal-archives say. How are you serious
about it?
I'm
as serious as one should be about everything beyond survival, which
isn't very serious at all. My lyrics are actually inspired by
everyday life and its struggles, mysteries, joys and sorrows.
Mythology is simply a metaphorical lens for telling those stories.
It's not an original approach at all in my opinion. The seeming
fantastical elements of Dio and Judas Priest lyrics are of similar
scope.
When
did you start to interest with such topics?
I
started with Norse and Greek mythology when I was about ten years
old. That was right around that time I stepped back from the
Christian dogma I'd been told and realized how strange religion was,
so I began to search for truth in other areas. I haven't found
literal truth in any spiritual system, but many of them are
overflowing with symbolic significance, and there's palpable wisdom
to be found if one can glean it.
Do
you discuss songs' topics in studio during recordings in order to set
right tone for music? Or does the band have any specific methods of
working when you deal with paganism and do on?
Not
really. I generally will share a song's lyric with the band after I'm
done penning it, and their response is usually along the lines of “OK
cool”. Although Teiwaz has some concepts he'd like me to write
about, but we haven't brought that to fruition just yet. With the
songs we’re writing now, I'm having to go into more detail because
I'm the only one capable of reading the lyrics I'm writing, but
that's all I'm going to say to that end right now.
Can
you tell what did you write about this time? What do you reflect in
your lyrics for “Doom upon a Slain”?
There's
a lot of subject matter on this one. There are references to human
conflict, environmental issues, grief and loss, Celtic shamanism,
ancient history, religious skepticism, and the mysteries of the
cosmos. I'm still expressing a good bit of this in mythological
contexts or through literary obfuscation as those are powerful
creative devices.
Can
you say that Kin of Ettins today is the band which you wanted to see
back then in 2004? How do you value band’s progress since it first
days and till nowadays?
I
wasn't really sure what the band would become when I first envisioned
it. My sole focus at that time was on crafting the first songs and
recording. I wasn't even sure it would ever be a live band. Once
things got started though, it all just snowballed. I fell in with a
good bunch of guys who work hard though, so building up to where we
are now has been a natural progression.
What's
your next goal as you have new album at hands? Would you like to
return in studio in the name of Odin, or play gigs, or just fall in
slumber again?
We'll
keep playing live for sure. Our rehearsals have begun to shift focus
on working on new material, as the material for the next album is
already taking shape.
By
the way, how often do you play live? And with what kind of bands do
you usually share a stage?
We
play in or near Dallas every two to three months. We also do
occasional road shows around Texas and some touring. We generally
keep to shows in the stoner/doom vein. Here in Texas we've played
shows with Wo Fat, Stone Machine Electric, Elliott's Keep, Dead
Hawke, Mothership, Las Cruces, Blood of the Sun, Project Armageddon,
Solitude Aertunus, et al. On the road we've shared the stage with
Earthen Grave, The Skull, Apostle of Solitude, Iron Man, Pale Divine,
The Gates of Slumber, Orodruin, and a host of others. The doom scene
is strong here.
Words by Aleks
Evdokimov and Justin Delord
Links:
