Release Date: May 03rd 2024. Record Label: Totem Cat Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
The Paths Of Time Are Vast - Tracklisting
1. Bile, Blame And Blasphemy
2. The Crypt On The Borderlands
3. Astral Suicide
4. Take Us To The Threshold
5. The Paths Of Time Are Vast, Part I
6. The Paths Of Time Are Vast, Part II
7. The Paths Of Time Are Vast, Part III
8. The Quantum Phoenix
Band Members
Andy Beresky - guitar and vocals
Eric Beaudry - bass
Andy Kivela - drums
Review
Psych Doom/Stoner Metal legends Black Pyramid release their first new album in eleven years with The Paths Of Time Are Vast. The record is one epic tale of loss and redemption, death and rebirth, fire and frost. Says frontman Andy Beresky: "This album is your golden ticket to voyage beyond the realms of birth and dead, to take the journey through the many doors of radiant reality and dark dimension, to tread the celestial pathways carved in the carcasses of the stars, and to finally taste the vastness of time and space."
Black Pyramid navigates around the whole Heavy Metal Spectrum with the band moving into Prog Rock/Metal surroundings with their trademark style of Psych Doom and Stoner Metal grooves. Andy Beresky is on first class form with his majestic vocal performance which has a more classic Heavy Metal approach with his style being influenced by Ozzy, Dio and Bruce Dickinson at various parts of the album.
The opening track Bile, Blame And Blasphemy is my favourite track on the whole album as it primarily operates as a Psychedelic Doom and Cosmic Stoner Metal track which soon changes into a different Progressive feel which is easily comparable to YOB on the more SONIC dominated parts of the song. Heavy Psychedelic guitars, bombastic vocals and sublime drumming all combine for a song that will leave you breathless at times.
You would think Black Pyramid would stick to that style of music for the rest of the album but they switch moods and atmospherics throughout the album. The record changes from Psych Doom/Stoner Metal to a classic style of Heavy Metal with an Over The Top creative attitude allowing Black Pyramid to play extended progressive and trance based melodies that allows them to become MASTERS OF THEIR OWN DOOMED OUT DOMAIN.
The Crypt On The Borderlands gives the record a more daring and darker turn with the mood becoming ever more DOOM & GLOOM based but with the non-stop epic grooves merging into a Post-Stoner or Prog Rock structure. Little moments of kinetic Psychedelic energy adds various elements that instantly allows you to be part of the overall story.
Black Pyramid continue with their Psychedelic and Heavy Metal conquest with the music being more progressive and even outlandish which suits the overall theme of the story that the band tell throughout tracks such as Astral Suicide, Take Us To The Threshold and the classic three part odyssey that is The Paths Of Time Are Vast Parts I, II and III which could be considered the band’s defining music to date.
The album ends with the majestic and epic track The Quantum Phoenix which cements The Paths Of Time Are Vast as one of the defining “comeback” albums within the Doom/Stoner Metal scene in recent memory right next to SLEEP’s The Sciences and LOWRIDER’s Refractions.
With exquisite and massive sounding production values, The Paths Of Time Are Vast really does have it all and you know this record has all the makings of a modern day classic. And I stand by every word of that statement.
US psychedelic doom legends BLACK PYRAMID return after over a decade with their fourth album “The Paths of Time Are Vast” this May 3rd on Totem Cat Records, and share the epic first track "Bile, Blame and Blasphemy" exclusively via Doomed & Stoned.
The Massachusetts legends have recently signed to Totem Cat Records for the release of their first new album since 2013’s lauded "Adversarial". Evoking the molten, sludgy tones and immersive atmosphere of their self-titled debut, Black Pyramid greatly expands upon what worked wonders in the past, then seeks the transcendent path, pushing each element of their alchemistic sound to its unparalleled cosmic conclusion. As stated by Doomed & Stoned editors, "one of the albums doom metal fans can legit look forward to in coming months is the return effort from Black Pyramid, one of the most visionary, commanding, and influential bands of the first two decades of the 21st century."
Listen to Black Pyramid's new track Bile, Blame & Blasphemy below.
Slated for a May 3rd release, “The Paths of Time Are Vast” features Andy Beresky on guitar and vocals, Eric Beaudry on bass, and Andy Kivela on drums. This lineup is now the longest-running incarnation of Black Pyramid, actively gigging and touring since 2018 while honing their collective songcraft and solidifying their onstage chemistry. Working with Justin Pizzoferratu (Dinosaur Jr, Witch, Elder) at Sonelab, the band sought to capture the visceral magic and sonic wizardry of their live performances onto tape, and then embellish in the psychedelic decadence of studio experimentation. The result is equally immense and ethereal, massive and otherworldly, elemental and insubstantial, as much an earthquake as an astral projection. Each song embodies the power trio’s raw energy, atavistic power and impassioned playing, juxtaposing elaborate arrangements with fiery free-form improvisation.
Although past Black Pyramid albums were conceived as collections of stories, this marks the first time an album is written as a single story, as “The Paths of Time Are Vast” relates an epic tale of loss and redemption, death and rebirth, fire and frost. Says frontman Andy Beresky: "This album is your golden ticket to voyage beyond the realms of birth and dead, to take the journey through the many doors of radiant reality and dark dimension, to tread the celestial pathways carved in the carcasses of the stars, and to finally taste the vastness of time and space."
The band will make special appearances at Desertfest Berlin and Freak Valley Festival and announce more European shows soon. "The Paths of Time Are Vast" will be available on May 3rd on vinyl, CD and digital through Totem Cat Records, adorned with a stunning artwork from Marald van Haasteren.
New album "The Paths of Time Are Vast" - Out May 3rd on Totem Cat Records (vinyl/CD/digital)
TRACKLIST:
1. Bile, Blame And Blasphemy 2. The Crypt On The Borderlands 3. Astral Suicide 4. Take Us To The Threshold 5. The Paths Of Time Are Vast, Part I 6. The Paths Of Time Are Vast, Part II 7. The Paths Of Time Are Vast, Part III 8. The Quantum Phoenix
Black Pyramid is
Andy Beresky - guitar and vocals Eric Beaudry - bass Andy Kivela - drums
Labyrinth of Thoughts Records is proud to announce the reissue off the classic and seminal second album from Northampton, Massachusetts-based psychedelic doom metal trio Black Pyramid titled “II”. Originally released via Meteor City in 2012, “II” marks the final recording with their classic line up (Beresky, Gein and Neely) and shows a band on their creative peak, delivering a powerful and rumbling doom-metal mixed with stoner rock and epic heavy metal, a style that the trio often calls “psychedelic war metal”. Limited to 300 copies on colored vinyl “II” is now set for release on September 9th via Labyrinth of Thoughts Records. Pre-orders are now available at this location.
Black Pyramid formed in the summer of 2007 with the initial lineup of Beaudry, Beresky and Neely. The trio kicked around ideas for the band’s name such as Burning North and Eye of The Pyramid before settling on Black Pyramid. The band would quickly gain attention in the stoner rock scene with their eponymous demo (2007) and 7" EP (2008) released on Electric Earth Records.
In 2008 Eric Beaudry was replaced by Dave Gein. Following the change of bassists, the band would sign to MeteorCity Records and begin work on their debut album, recording at Black Coffee Sound in Williamsburg.
The album “Black Pyramid” was released on 14 July 2009 with a vinyl edition following in early August. The band's debut would go on to receive a massive amount of critical praise and fan acclaim among the stoner rock and doom scenes. The band also recorded and demoed a host of new material, releasing a split LP with Old One on 10 May 2010.
2011 would be one of the most productive years of their initial run, seeing the trio on a U.S. mini-tour in February and an April European tour, including a performance at the legendary Roadburn Festival in Holland.
The year was also productive in terms of new recordings - the band released two singles in Mercy's Bane (31 March 2011) and “Stormbringer” (April 2011), along with a split 7’’ with Tenspeed Warlock (30 April 2011). After the European tour and amidst selected summer shows the band began work on their second album.
Later that same summer, the band finished the recording of their second album. However, soon after Andy Beresky chose to leave the band. Darryl Shepard reached out to Gein and Neely in the wake of the breakup. This would lead to the him officially joining the band, and the new lineup forging on.
“II” was released via MeteorCity Records on 31 January 2012 to positive reviews. Black Pyramid would embark on a handful of shows in 2012, most notably appearances at the inaugural DesertFest London and the twelfth annual Stoner Hands of Doom.
Through the fall and winter of 2012, the band began work on a third studio album. “Adversarial”, which would be released on 2 April 2013 to positive acclaim. The band embarked on a tour of Europe, leading up to an appearance at Hellfest. In 2015 Black Pyramid release the 7" “Open The Gates / Dead Star”. However, due to geographic separation, their activity was limited.
In 2016 Black Pyramid would reform with it 's original lineup of Neely, Beaudry and Beresky. The band performed a handful of shows in 2016 and 2017, including a headlining appearance at The Maryland Doom Fest. 2018 would see appearances at Doomed & Stoned Chicago, Stoned To Death and Ode To Doom, this time with a new drummer in Andy Kivela.
The latest incarnation recorded a new song, “The Quantum Phoenix” and are continuing to write for an as of yet unnamed fourth album. They embarked on a European tour in October of 2019, showcasing a mixture of material from the debut album as well as the new compositions, and released a split 12” with the Ohio trio Enhailer in 2020.
New full-length album titled “The Paths of Time Are Vast” is scheduled for a possible 2023 release.
It's time for Part Two of the interview with Andy Beresky of Black Pyramid and Palace In Thunderland fame. Aleks is happy to offer you this detailed and interesting reading, so let’s
not waste our time with discussing the things we already know and ask
a few questions to Andy.
The second full-length “In The Afterglow of Unity” was released just a year after - in April 2015. How did you work over this stuff?
We finally pulled it
together??
We'd all been off
playing in separate bands for awhile, Adam and Matt with Blue Aside,
Monte with HydroElectric, and me with Black Pyramid. With that space
between us, we were able to figure out a lot of things about what
makes each of us tick, our playing improved, and we all made good
records during that time. It's like when you separate from a
romantic partner, give each other space, you both figure out your
respective shit, and then reconnect in a better place.
Almost immediately
after Monte asked me to jam with him again, songs and ideas started
coming together. We had no expectations going in, we really didn't.
We'd get some beers and sandwiches, watch some TV for awhile, and
when we'd once again have these long jam sessions, just he and I.
Before we even stopped to think about it, we had more than half of
"In The Afterglow Of Unity" written, and we realized that
we had to get Adam and Matt involved again and do this as Palace
proper.
The real key to the
record was that we were finally able to do most of the recording
ourselves. We did the drums and the mix at Sonelab with Justin
Pizzoferrato, though we recorded everything else ourselves, mostly in
the Thunderland Compound. This gave us a lot of time to experiment
with sounds and get everything exactly the way we wanted it with the
guitars, vocals and bass. We'd also been significantly upgrading all
of our gear, so we were really able to dial in some cool, unique
sounds for this one.
Palace in Thunderland performs pretty original mix of stoner, doom, psychedelic and space rock; how do you keep the right balance mixing all these components?
Well, I think those
elements and components are all really compatible, when shoves comes
back to push. Doom and stoner rock are pretty much first cousins,
and the same could be said of psychedelic and space rock. So it's
just like a big family reunion.
What's a little
trickier was that on "In The Afterglow Of Unity", we really
tried to bring in more 90's influence, which were the bands that got
us into music in the first place. Having a heavy Soundgarden
influence wasn't really a stretch, and they've always been a big
influence on our sound. I for one wanted to make a real GUITAR
album, like Smashing Pumpkins' "Siamese Dream", and Monte
was certainly on board with that. So we were listening to a lot of
stuff like Hum, Failure, Swervedriver, Dinosaur Jr, bands that
layered a lot of different guitar parts with different atmospheres
and effects. We also tried to bring in some post-hardcore influence.
Quicksand was an influence we incorporated, as were Fugazi, Helmet
and Girls Against Boys.
Once we really got into
the mindset, none of these bands were too much of a stretch, because
they're all guitar heavy bands. We just shifted how we wrote riffs
slightly, and focused a little more on different melodies. I feel
pretty happy and confident that we pulled it off really well. With
the split 12” we recently recorded and the next album that we're
already working on, I feel like we're bringing even more diverse
influences to the table.
So we can suppose that with "In The Afterglow Of Unity" you found golden mean and "right" sound as the question of further Black Pyramid movement is still open, right?
I think we definitely
struck gold with what we did on “Afterglow”, and we're going to
continue in that direction with how we make albums in the future.
The band is really at a high point creatively, firing on all
cylinders, so we're going to ride that wave for all that it's worth.
The next album is going to be a real concept album, inspired by
albums like Pink Floyd's “Animals”, Husker Du's “Zen Arcade”,
and Refused's “The Shape Of Punk To Come.” If that sounds wild
and weird, well, it certainly is. The album is something else, and
we're really stoked that it's coming along nicely.
As far as Black
Pyramid, it's tricky. I think we will end up experimenting more, and
moving as much as possible beyond the confines of whatever genres and
styles we've embraced in the past, though I also feel like we've
pigeonholed ourselves a little more, and it's going to be tougher to
break the mold. It was a real stretch just progressing from the self
titled album to “II.” I really feel like we need to reinvent
ourselves a bit.
Black Pyramid -
Illumination
Can you pick up one certain song of "In The Afterglow Of Unity" which shows that you really wanted to express through the band? Something like quintessence of Palace in Thunderland?
At first I was going to
say “Decadent Decay,” and I think that song was pretty indicative
of where we were on “Afterglow.” It's a good song, it's catchy
and covers a lot of ground musically.
Overall though, I'd
have to go with “Before The Dawn Descends.” That's the last song
that we wrote for “In The Afterglow Of Unity”, and it's a bit
more where we're going overall, with the more expansive arrangements.
That song has a bit of everything, the loud/soft dynamics, the many
guitar tracks to create atmosphere and depth, the big catchy guitar
riffs, pounding drums, harmonized guitars and vocals. It's also a
song where we establish a theme early on and then revisit it later in
the song. That's going to be pretty key to the next album. We're
focusing heavily on that moving forward.
How would you differ emotionally the material you did for Black Pyramid and Palace in Thunderland? It seems that the last one sounds lighter and more positive. Subjectively of course...
That's true. Black
Pyramid tends to be more dark and menacing. I believe that dark
emotions can be really energizing if channeled and utilized properly,
so I tend to draw on the raw, primal pain and anger.
Palace In Thunderland
is definitely the more light-hearted, positive band, you're
absolutely right. I try to bring in some darker elements and
emotions, though I like to have a turning or breaking point in the
songs, where the light breaks through the storm clouds and transcends
all the previous darkness.
What is lyrical concept for both bands?
Well, Black Pyramid
lyrics are really about using stories and mythologies as metaphors
for inner conflict. Nothing is literal; everything is allegory. When
I'm singing about wars, horrors and violence, I'm not talking about
the external world, what I see around me. I'm talking about what's
inside of me. I'm a pacifist - I believe we should strive for peace,
and that violence only creates more violence. This doesn't mean that
I necessarily feel inner peace and serenity all the time, and the
lyrics are an outlet for when I'm not feeling it. The words are
cathartic, a way for me to purge my various inner demons. They're in
no way meant to glorify or dignify war, atrocity or violence.
With Palace In
Thunderland, I use a lot more science fiction concepts, and that's
largely because I am writing those lyrics more about society and
humanity as a whole. They're more about finding freedom, identifying
the various things that keep us in chains, both external and
internal, and then looking for ways to transcend our boundaries and
barriers. It helps to be primarily forward thinking rather than
inward thinking in that regard, which is why the sci-fi is fitting.
Not that Palace lyrics aren't introspective as well, it's just to a
different ends. I'm going for a more transcendent feeling than a
cathartic one, at least on “In The Afterglow Of Unity….”
On the split 12”
we're finishing up, I didn't write all the lyrics, everyone in the
band contributed, so they're a bit more personal. The lyrical slant
is also much different for the next album, as it's about a fictional
character, and there are a few voices within him that sometimes
conflict or manifest in different ways.
Andy how do you manage to separate your efforts between two bands?
It's actually not that
tough for me. I go by feel and intuition. If I'm writing something,
and it feels more like Black Pyramid, it becomes a Black Pyramid
song. If it feels more like a Palace song, then it's a Palace song.
Do you have certain plans on Palace in Thunderland or Black Pyramid is your main focus now?
No, Black Pyramid is
not my main focus. It's a wonderful thing that we've been given
another shot at doing that band in its original form. That's a rare
and special opportunity. Clay is still in Georgia, Eric and I are up
North in Massachusetts. The idea is that we're going to do this on a
permanent yet part time basis. We'll see what other opportunities
we're given, and we'll do what makes sense.
Palace In Thunderland
is a different animal. We practice every week and we gig regularly.
We're constantly writing new material, upgrading our gear, working on
our skills and our sound. That's really where much of my focus is
right now, as we're also working on new material for our next album,
“The King Of The Empty Aeon.”
Do you already have an approximate date of release?
We really have no idea,
as we've just started piecing the album together. It's mostly
written at this point, so I'd guess we'll rehearse like crazy and
record next year. It looks like we're going to do it as a two-part
double album, so we'll release the first part sometime in 2017, then
the second part in 2018? Maybe we'll get the second part done
earlier, I'm not sure. We've actually started the second part, so
anything is possible.
I'd imagine we'll do a
new Black Pyramid record for 2017 as well….
Andy Beresky - solo
Will you release it again through your own label Reverse Feed Records? Is it more comfortable for you to work with Palace on Thunderland in this way and didn't MeteorCity Records or Hydro-Phonic Records lend teh band helping hand?
I'm honestly not sure
what we'll do in terms of a release. We'll work with a label if it's
a mutually beneficial relationship. There are pros and cons to self
releasing, and if a label was able to help us overcome some of those
cons while maximizing the pros, we'd definitely be all in!!
As far as Meteorcity
Records and Hydro-Phonic Records, Palace has never had any
involvement with either label. Blue Aside and Black Pyramid have
worked with Hydro-Phonic in the past, though they're currently on
hiatus, which is a real shame. Travis put a lot of time, effort,
energy and passion into his releases, and his inactivity is a real
loss for the scene. That dude developed vinyl releases to a high art
form.
I'm also not sure
what's up with Meteorcity, as they haven't released anything in the
last couple years, and honestly, I haven't talked to Dan in a long
time. I'm honestly not sure where we stand, as my abrupt departure
from Black Pyramid brought up some tough conversations where I didn't
exactly act or communicate in an exemplary manner. I was not in the
greatest of spaces, and I was a bit of a prick to a lot of people
because I was feeling confused and angry. I should reach out to him,
and definitely offer an apology….
Palace In Thunderland
has a good relationship with Twin Earth Records, Ric has helped us
out in various ways through the years, so we've got that going for
us, which is nice!
Andy
Beresky is a famous person within the US doom scene, he started with
psychedelic stoner band Palace in Thunderland and then four glorious
years with well-known Black Pyramid. He left Black Pyramid in 2011
right before the release of their second full-length “II”. In the
same period he re-activated Palace and when everything in the band
went well the stars aligned in the right place and he returned to
Pyramid. I’m happy to offer you this detailed and interesting
reading, so let’s not waste our time with discussing the things we
already know and ask a few questions to Andy.
Hi Andy! When I was
starting to write down questions for the interview, I was surprised
when I find that you are in Black Pyramid again, how did it happen?
Well, sometimes it
seems like a bit of a surprise to me as well. Eric and I had been
chatting, and we kind of ended up joking around that it would be cool
to do some local and Northeast shows with the original lineup. I
later was talking with Clay, and pretty much the exact same
sentiments came up, though this time it was a bit more serious even.
So it seemed like it was on all of our minds. We kept talking about
doing it, and eventually it started looking like more and more of a
reality.
Former Black Pyramid
bassist Eric Beaudry returned with you too, and as the band is still
a power trio, it seems that Pyramid is rebuilt anew. What are your
plans for the near future?
After the run of shows
went well, our plan now is to do this on a permanent though part-time
basis. We're playing a local festival, the RPM Fest, later in the
summer, and we've started writing new material for another record.
We've kicked around some other ideas for doing shows, though we don't
have anything concrete yet….
Black Pyramid third
album “Adversarial” sounded harsher consider “II” album, will
you follow this way on the next record? By the way, how do you like
this record?
That's a real good
question, and one that puts me in a bit of an awkward place…..I
guess I'll just be honest and say that "Adversarial" very
obviously isn't the record that I would have made. That's pretty
self-apparent; I'd self-selected to no longer be in the band!
Prior to my leaving, I
was writing and working on material for a split 12" with Clay,
our drummer, and it was landing in an even more psychedelic and
atmospheric direction than the songs on "II". I won't
speak for him, though it seemed like a really daunting task to me
personally, choosing that direction given the current makeup of the
band, and it was one of the many reasons I chose to bow out at that
time. Based on the song that Eric and I have worked on since our
reformation, I'd say that any newer material is going to have a rawer
sound than "II", and also more atmospheric, though not at
all like "Adversarial". Nothing like that, it's not the
same band.
As far as how I feel
about that record, "Adversarial", when I first heard it, a
friend played it for me in his car without telling me what it was,
and I didn't know that it was a Black Pyramid record. I asked who it
was, he told me, and I was surprised. I haven't given it too much
thought after that, because it's not something that I really dwell on
- I wasn't a part of it, and I don't feel any real connection to it.
I feel that they made
the best record that they could as a band at that point in time, and
you can't take that away from them. Through my actions, I'd left
them in a tough position, and they made the best of the situation.
Obviously things were going to sound differently. Many people love
and even prefer that record to the previous ones, and I feel like
that speaks for itself.
Your first (known)
band is Palace in Thunderland, and it exists in different periods
forms since 1998. What did you do since 1998 till 2007 when you
released officially only the debut EP “Into the Maelstrom”?
Oh….so that's another
really good question that I guess I can only be honest about. It's
going to be tough striking a balance between trying to relate what we
were doing, and respectfully not really speaking to the others'
experiences or private lives, so I'll just start by saying this: we
were young and our priorities weren't aligned with making records.
We put a heavy emphasis on long, long practices, playing live and
partying, because those things felt really good to us at the time.
We had a lot to learn before we could make and release a proper
record. We had a lot to learn about ourselves, first and foremost.
We also were a bit
isolated in Western Mass and we didn't have a lot of resources early
on. We had this vision of mixing heavy, fuzzy riffs with gonzo
psychedelic rock, and no one else here was doing that at the time.
We were these weird heavy metal hippies, and that was unheard of in
our neck of the woods. It was tough to get gigs, and even tougher to
build an audience. I think that's what led to us just playing a lot
for each other and enjoying various substances amongst ourselves….
We did record a couple
demos, and we had no clue what we were doing, even when we finally
got into a proper studio. That studio effort was half decent, and we
never got beyond pressing a few copies for promotional use because we
had no idea how to shop a record to labels, nor self release it.
We also had a lot of
misfortune along the way. Our first solid drummer, who had a cowbell
kick drum even, just up and moved one day in the year 2000. Poof!!
Gone. We got another drummer, and things were good for awhile. We
started gigging more in Boston and Connecticut at some point, though
we were working day jobs then traveling to play to half empty rooms.
Of course we were partying hard, what else did we have to feel good
about ourselves? That all took its toll, and Monte had second
thoughts, sold all his gear, and left the band. He bought new gear
and rejoined soon after, though it was a setback for sure. Johnny B,
our drummer, was the next to go. The lifestyle took its toll on him
as well, and he wanted to do something more mellow.
We took a break, then
got a new drummer. Our first show back, we played a solid local
festival. We killed it, a spot on, far out performance. We ended
with a 25 minute version of Pink Floyd's "Echoes" that
people were talking about for the next six months….and all my gear
was stolen at that fest. Another real setback, and the drummer
wasn't really moving in the more proggy direction we were going for
once we got back on our feet. We got another drummer, and actually
started landing decent gigs. We started traveling the Northeast, and
we opened for some great bands, Yob, Ogre, Ocean, The Body,
Weedeater, We're All Gonna Die, Supersoul Challenger, Ichabod. We
got a spot on a Stoner/Doom festival in Portland Maine with some big
names, and that drummer quit the morning of the show. That sucked
for us.
A label was finally
interested in putting out the seven songs we'd first recorded at
Slaughterhouse Studios back in 2001, and the label went belly up,
releasing all the bands they'd signed except us and one other. I'm
not trying to have some extended bitch session, just illustrating
that every time we got some momentum going, things fell apart. So
often, we were just trying to hold it together. During that whole run
of bad luck, the last thing on our minds was trying to make a
record!! It wasn't until we got Matt Netto in the band on drums that
we could even talk about making a real record, and I think that was
around 2005. We started recording "The Apostles Of Silence"
in 2006, though once again, we still had no clue what we were doing
in the studio. It was largely a debacle for many reasons, some
beyond our control, and it was far too ambitious for its own good.
"Into The
Maelstrom" was actually recorded afterwards, and released first
for that very reason. All four of those songs were originally
recorded during that session in 2001. It was a lot easier to focus
on just four earlier songs, and get them done!
Palace in
Thunderland – Beyond the Stars
Andy, you did quit
from Black Pyramid in 2011 in having a tough period in your life, how
soon did you recover to return Palace in Thunderland to live?
Well, I wouldn't frame
it in terms of recovering or anything, I was more trying to figure
out how to move forward with my life!! My entire life revolved around
music, I worked a shitty job that I couldn't stand so that I could
have a flexible schedule to tour and play shows, I worked extra hours
at night booking and bouncing at the same bar/club, and I really
wasn't happy. I couldn't exactly figure out why, because on paper,
it seemed like I had everything that I'd ever wanted in life. Still
there was this sense of urgency and restlessness that plagued me,
this pressure to always be jumping into something new with Black
Pyramid, to take it to some “next level.”
Perhaps much of it was
the internal pressures that I heaped upon myself, though I do believe
that much of it was rooted in the way that the music industry itself
works, even in the underground, because it was something that I
noticed in others. It was something that always seemed to manifest
in a really ugly manner in some musicians, and that was certainly the
case with me. I constantly felt like I was burning the candle from
both ends, and like I didn't have any breathing room or space in my
life to even stop and think about where I was actually going.
It's sometimes really
hard to have any perspective on a situation when I'm stuck right in
the middle of it, so something had to give. I quit my job, which was
an excellent decision, though I still was stuck with figuring out
what I was going to do with my life, and how music was going to
ultimately fit into it. When things with Black Pyramid weren't
exactly ideal either, that was really an impetus for me to leave. I
did so in an extreme and over-dramatic fashion, with the hopes that
this would keep me from going back, yet here we are doing this
interview, so….
It was only really a
few months before Monte and I started doing Palace again. I left
Black Pyramid in early September of 2011. I'd taken up practicing
Zen meditation, zazen, the Spring of that year, and I was becoming
increasingly politically active that Summer and Fall. That was
really what I was doing between, in those few short months: I spent
much of my time in meditation, a couple hours a day protesting and
organizing, and I was actively working on improving my life and my
circumstances every day. It was shortly after New Year's Day that
Monte contacted me to jam, and by that time it seemed readily obvious
that I'd be able to do music on my own terms.
That was all it really
took, some space and time to be able to see a way to do music in a
manner that allowed for more balance and freedom. I don't think that
I could have jumped back in and done Black Pyramid at that time if
the circumstances were different, so I am thankful that they were
able to carry the torch without me!
It seems that you
always work over the new tunes even if some of your bands doesn't
record official albums in the same period. How many sketches of songs
do you have in your stock? And do you work only in doom / stoner
direction?
I do tend to write well
ahead, this is true. How many sketches of songs do I currently have
in my bag of tricks?? Too many to count, honestly.
No, I don't only write
stoner/doom songs; my tastes are pretty diverse, I'm listening to Sam
Cooke right now, so I tend to write in a variety of styles. I don't
think that I write only stoner and doom for Palace In Thunderland
even, as we've kind of discussed.
I have a lot of
folk/acoustic stuff. I also write a lot of songs that are more
garage/psych, 60's style. I've been working on a solo album for years
now, and I write a lot of songs for that project. I'm not exactly
sure how I'd like that album to sound, though at some point I'll get
around to figuring it out. It's kind of a mixture between shoegaze
and indie folk so far.
The first
full-length double album “The Apostles of Silence” was released
in 2014, though it consists of songs from earlier period. How do you
value this material now?
I think that record had
a lot of great, poignant material, and the recording went
spectacularly bad for a number of reasons, which is why it was never
really finished. Like I said earlier, our ambition exceeded our
abilities. When we disbanded in 2007, we actually put the incomplete
form up on our website as our swan song of sorts, unmastered and
unfinished. We didn't know how to finish it, quite honestly. We
"released" it on Bandcamp in 2014 because a lot of people
were requesting it again, and wanted to pay us money for it.
I think that's a
testament for how the value of the material. Much like the human
beings who created it, it's very flawed, and it also has a lot of
merit and potential. There was so much talk in reviews and online
about our "potential" when we were gigging and working on
that record, so many people saying, "man, if these guys could
just pull it together, they'd really be onto something!" I think
that "Apostles" is the living, breathing illustration of
that exact sentiment. The high dream is that we actually finish it
at some point, now that we've got a method of recording that works
really well for us.
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