Ethereal Tomb have a mighty impressive discography to their names despite the short time the band have been going since 2021. Though, it's their new album where the band makes the most impression.
Ahead of the album release, I caught up with Alexander Senum (Guitars/Vocals/Lyrics) from the band to discuss the evolution of the band and the making of the new album.
Here's what went down...
Hi Alexander. Thanks for doing the interview. How are things with you today.
What bands or artists influenced you to pick up an instrument and to become a nusician.
You guys are from Barrie/Toronto in Canada. What is the local live scene there. Do you have a live scene to perform gigs on a regular basis or do you have to travel further afield.
Hi Alexander. Thanks for doing the interview. How are things with you today.
Thanks for the interview!
For people not in the know, can you provide a brief history of how the band came together and where it is today.
For people not in the know, can you provide a brief history of how the band came together and where it is today.
The band formed in early 2021 after I just picked up guitar and eventually singing a couple months later. Fast forward to now, we’re stoked on the amount of love and support we have received being able to tour and consistently play crazy shows with friends. Music is the main focus and the fact that people fuck with it as hard as they do is insane, beyond grateful. I play guitar and sing, Aidan plays bass and Simon plays drums.
How would you describe your music in your own words.
I hope it’s emotive at the very least. Songs about weed and shit can be cool but they don’t move me like mid-later Death or Have Heart do and that’s what I like the most. My songwriting takes an introspective/political tone and I try to have riffs that compliment or speak those themes. The sound comes from so many places but it always comes back to the doom roots.
We're here to talk about your new album When The Rivers Dry. What can people expect from the album?
How would you describe your music in your own words.
I hope it’s emotive at the very least. Songs about weed and shit can be cool but they don’t move me like mid-later Death or Have Heart do and that’s what I like the most. My songwriting takes an introspective/political tone and I try to have riffs that compliment or speak those themes. The sound comes from so many places but it always comes back to the doom roots.
We're here to talk about your new album When The Rivers Dry. What can people expect from the album?
Little doom, little death metal, little hardcore all mashed up. Definitely an angry, angry record that is very personal to me. Indigenous existence is resistance.
The record is perhaps more socially aware with bleak sounding grooves and beats compared to your debut release which I'm a huge fan of. Was that you wanted to achieve with this album.
The record is perhaps more socially aware with bleak sounding grooves and beats compared to your debut release which I'm a huge fan of. Was that you wanted to achieve with this album.
I’m glad you liked the first record. The lyrical themes honestly haven’t changed much but how forward I am about the topics in which I’m singing about have become very apparent. They’re very different sounding albums and that was on purpose but also a big factor is that I got better at guitar so I was able to delve into sounds that I wanted to have on the first record but couldn’t for the most part. Like I said, I had just picked up guitar when I started the band and stoner doom was the easiest thing to play.
What inspired you to call the album When The Rivers Dry.
There’s a Cree proverb that goes “when the last river is poisoned, the last tree cut down and the last fish caught, only then will we realize that we cannot eat money”. I heard that as a kid and it always stuck with me, also helps that I’m Cree so it impacted me a little more, I suppose.
What formats is the new album being released upon.
Vinyl and cassette.
Was this an easy or hard album to record and write for compared to your previous album.
What inspired you to call the album When The Rivers Dry.
There’s a Cree proverb that goes “when the last river is poisoned, the last tree cut down and the last fish caught, only then will we realize that we cannot eat money”. I heard that as a kid and it always stuck with me, also helps that I’m Cree so it impacted me a little more, I suppose.
What formats is the new album being released upon.
Vinyl and cassette.
Was this an easy or hard album to record and write for compared to your previous album.
The first album took about a year to write, I had to learn to sing as well. It took us 12 hours to record it all. The new record, writing was from October to March and we recorded it at the end of April, live off the floor instrumentally and then vocals all in the span of 24 hours. Writing was pretty easy going for the most part, the songs just kinda came naturally and the core of it was done by February. A little emotionally taxing given the content of the songs and the amount of rehearsing we did, if anything.
Looking back at your debut album. Would you change anything about it?
I’m sure we could all come up with something but there’s no point. Is what it is. A moment in time that was meant to be.
What is the creative process or setup within the band? Do you write the music together or do certain people within the band do that.
I write a lot of it by myself at home, I’ll bring those core ideas and the rest of it comes out as we jam the ideas. Happy accidents at a jam make some of the best stuff.
For a band who have been around a short period of time, Ethereal Tomb have built up an impressive discography with demos, singles and split releases to your name already. Are you guys are planning ahead for the next release.
For a band who have been around a short period of time, Ethereal Tomb have built up an impressive discography with demos, singles and split releases to your name already. Are you guys are planning ahead for the next release.
I always say “no more recording” but I can’t stop writing so we just end up recording again. We’re recording a new EP in Nov/Dec that we’ll drop before our next tour and also working on a split with some friends that’s also due out next year.
Will you be promoting the new album with upcoming gigs. If so, where can people see you live.
Will you be promoting the new album with upcoming gigs. If so, where can people see you live.
Not too many gigs coming up but Tkaronto on Sept 8, Montreal on Sept 16, Six Nations on Oct 13 and London in Early November. We played a shit ton of shows this year and are getting ready to record again like I said.
What is the live Ethereal Tomb experience like.
What is the live Ethereal Tomb experience like.
Loud and violent. We’re a three piece but I almost always play two heads/cabs. Aidan brings the low end and Simon smashes the shit. We’re a metal band but we fully encourage hardcore dancing at our shows, always awesome to see when it happens. We’re happy to see whatever people wanna do whether it’s headbanging, push putting or hardcore dancing.
What bands or artists influenced you to pick up an instrument and to become a nusician.
Ian Mackaye of Minor Threat/Fugazi and Chuck from Death for myself. Had to text the boys for there answers ha ha:
Aidan: Honestly, the band that made me wanna play music the most was red hot chilli peppers. John Frusciante and Flea both got me interested in guitar and bass guitar
Simon: Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree), Martin Lopez (Opeth) and Vinnie Paul Abbott (Pantera)
Aidan: Honestly, the band that made me wanna play music the most was red hot chilli peppers. John Frusciante and Flea both got me interested in guitar and bass guitar
Simon: Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree), Martin Lopez (Opeth) and Vinnie Paul Abbott (Pantera)
Lots of shows happening, too many to go to sometimes! We can’t really play Barrie, or rather choose not to unless we book it ourselves so it can be an all ages gig. There’s basically nothing for the kids in Barrie unless we go out of our way and book one. In Tkaronto we always get the most love, the kids pull up hard for shows and we’re so grateful to be apart of that community too.
Do you guys have any side projects that folks can check out.
I play guitar in 2 The Bone, Aidan is 1/2 of Grandma Death and Simon has a solo black metal project called Dysthymia To Misanthropy.
Before you go, do you have any words of wisdom for your fans currently out there.
Do you guys have any side projects that folks can check out.
I play guitar in 2 The Bone, Aidan is 1/2 of Grandma Death and Simon has a solo black metal project called Dysthymia To Misanthropy.
Before you go, do you have any words of wisdom for your fans currently out there.
Go to shows, start a band, book all ages shows and if you’re trying to make money or acquire clout, stay the fuck out.
Words by Steve Howe and Alexander Senum
Thanks to Curtis and C Squared Music for arranging the interview and thanks to Alexander for doing the interview.
When The Rivers Dry will be released on DD/Vinyl via Black Throne Productions from September 08th 2023.
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