Enter The Sang-Dragon - An Interview with Witchroat Serpent

I became a fan of today's guests when I reviewed their debut album on The Sludgelord back in March 2014. I hadn't heard of these guys before but I was blown away by their heavy blend of Doom Metal riffs blended with heavy Stoner based Occult vibes.

I've heard people compare these guys to early-era Electric Wizard which I kind of agree with but they are more much more than that. They're perhaps one of my favourite bands coming from the French Doom/Stoner Metal scene.

I'm talking about Witchthroat Serpent who have just released their incredible new album – Sang-Dragon. An album currently kicking up a minor storm in the Doom Metal community. Everything about Sang-Dragon improves so much on their debut album. It sees Witchthroat Serpent finally coming into their own sound and identity to create one of the heaviest and catchiest Doom Metal albums you'll hear this year. If you haven't heard it yet I recommend you do that now as you're seriously missing out.

Alex at Deadlight Records (who I interviewed yesterday) asked me would I like to interview the band. I said – Hell Yeah!!! - Fortunately the band agreed to do this interview.

Hi guys. How are things with you today? Thanks for doing this interview. So why did you choose the name Witchthroat Serpent for your band? Any specific meaning?

The origin of the name Witchthroat Serpent comes from the close relationship between shamanism and sorcery. In shamanism the serpent represents a tunnel to the other world, during the trance he is commonly described as the ultimate apparition, allowing us to switch to the other side by diving into his throat, a kind of representation of emptiness to reach complete “letting go”. The symbolism of the snake is also widely used in witchcraft and occultism, this reptile is the guardian of secrets and knowledge; witchcraft is a way to get in touch with him, a way to explore our depths and our fears. We could also see a kind of analogy between the spells of the witch coming from of his throat and the venom spat out by the snake. The throat is the common element between these two entities, connecting them in the occult. Secrets will be revealed when you first dive into the serpent’s throat!

How did the band get together? Did you all know each other before forming the band?

Yes, we already knew each other before forming Witchthroat Serpent. Fredrik and I already played in Habsyll, a drone/doom band, and when Habsyll went on stand-by we decided to make a new band to satiate our need for vibes and low ends. At the same time I played in a grind band called Artemisia Absinthium and I asked Lo the bassist if he would like to join us to form the power trio of Witchthroat Serpent. He accepted immediately and then we started to rehearse and compose our first album.

How would you describe your music?

Doom music filled with occult feelings along with ethereal atmosphere. All played on old tube amplifiers and recorded the old way to keep the live intensity and the old school vibe. We like to add magic to our music and our lyrics are here to support the whole thing.

Your new album Sang-Dragon – is superb. So different from your debut album.

Whanks, we are also very satisfied with this album. We planned from the beginning to release the second album 2 years after our debut so it’s perfectly on time!

Did you do anything differently when recording the new album compared to your debut album?

It was recorded the same way but in a professional studio by a marvelous guy. We recorded it live in one day under the influence of Sang-Dragon and then we added additional guitars, vocals and organ. We also brought more attention to the compositions, progressed in our performance and practiced very rigorously before entering the studio. The result is there and we are very happy with it.

Sang-Dragon has a different tone from your debut album. It's more focused and heavier. Was that your intention, to release something different and create something more powerful?

We developed our equipment, our amps, our speakers and our effects and chose exactly what was needed to achieve the sound we wanted, and now we can say that we found it. Of course there will always be some changes to our equipment, but now we are really pleased with our sound.

Why did you call the album Sang-Dragon?

Sang-Dragon is the name of the incense we use on stage. It is a particularly powerful incense used for spiritual elevation, exorcisms and connection to the divine. This incense was ancestrally extracted from Socotra Dragon’s tree, a tree present in tropical areas closer to the equator. You can find a picture of one on the back of the Sang-Dragon CD.

Looking back at your debut album, would you change anything about it? Or are you happy with the way it is?

We like the way it sounds. For the first album we were still looking for the ideal equipment and did our best with what we had at that moment. We recorded everything ourselves and it was a great experience. We continue to play a couple of songs live and we are still pleased while performing them.

The album is being released via Deadlight Entertainment. How did you hook up with them?

Alex is an old friend, he offered us a deal for the CD release of the first and now the second album. He has done great work for those releases. Note that the first album was released on vinyl by Emetic records and soon we are going to announce the label that will release Sang-Dragon on vinyl.

How hard is it being a band in today's world? What are the most difficult aspects of being in a band?

Hard to explain, nowadays it’s all hard, everything’s corrupted and it’s all illusion. I think the hardest thing is to be confronted with human stupidity -- but you don’t have to be in a band to know that!

What is the songwriting dynamic in the band? Is it a collective effort or down to one individual?

Fredrik comes up with the riffs and then we work together to make the grooves and the structures, focusing on lyrics and our feelings. It’s always been like this and we like to work this way.

Will you be touring this record heavily this year?

We made the Sang-Dragon tour in May just after the release of the CD and we are planning to tour again in autumn following the release of the 12” vinyl LP. Then we are going to play at Crumble Fest in June, a festival oriented towards stoner & psychedelic, and we will play the Motocultor Festival in August, one of the most well-known metal festivals in France after Hellfest (which we played in 2015). More gigs are coming up for 2016 and we plan to tour northern Europe in 2017.

We have to talk about the fantastic artwork by the amazing Branca Studio. Who came up with the overall design of the album cover? And did you have much input into the design or did you leave the folks at Branca Studio alone to weave their magic.

We met Pol & Marta for the first time at the Day of Doom festival in Barcelona where we played in 2014 and then we liked each other’s work. So when we searched for the artwork for our new album we immediately asked Pol to make a witch with a serpent instead of a tongue to illustrate the name of the band. Pol understood exactly what we wanted and created this piece of art that we are really proud. It’s a pleasure to work with him, he is a really nice guy.

Before you go, do you have anything to say to your fans?

We would like to thank all the people supporting us, coming to our shows and buying our stuff. It's because of you we can achieve our goal to create a sonic wall of doom. The serpent will come down your throat for eternity!

Well guys, thanks for doing this. All the best with the new album as it’s a brilliant album.

Many thanks, it was a pleasure to make this interview. Long live to Outlaws of the sun blog.

Words by Steve Howe and Witchthroat Serpent

I want to thank Alex at Deadlight Entertainment for arranging this interview. Thanks to Witchthroat Serpent for doing this interview.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Interview with Alex from Deadlight Entertainment

Today's guest has provided me with a few superb promos over the years. Without him I probably would have never discovered bands such as Witchthroat Serpent. One of my fave current Doom/Stoner Metal bands he has released on his great label – Deadlight Entertainment.

I wanted to find out more about Deadlight Entertainment as it's a pretty cool label doing a damn good job releasing superb records from bands such as Witchthroat Serpent and Cult Of Occult.

Alex has kindly agreed to do this interview. So let's see what he has to say...

Hi Alex. How are things with you today. Thanks for doing this interview.

Hello my lord! I am fine today, packing stuff, under a great weather while listening to a local band I like called Kobaye Corp!

We are hear to talk about your awesome record label – Deadlight Entertainment. How and why did you start that label.

I am pretty much used to say “pure coincidence!” I was a musician since my teenage years (I even used to play with a guy who could suck his own dick and who is now a famous fisherman) and a friend decided to start a record label and asked for my help. The label was called Plague Within Records and released the solo album of Joe Falzone aka Joe Frustration the singer of US hardcore band Tears of Frustration.

After one year of existence, I was pretty bored by it. I was in NYC for a time as I was involved with NYC based horror movie company Hallows Eve Films and we were shooting our first movie “The Turnpike Killer”. During a break we went to see Exodus at BB King with Evan Makrogiannis, one of the founder of Hallows Eve Films (and a true brother) and we had a chat about music, the label etc. He told me “Man you should leave this label and start your own!”

Was it an easy or hard process starting the label.

It was pretty hard as the little experience I had through my past label was not the good one and I was not living in the most rock n’roll region of France!

What were your original aims and objectives when starting the label. And do you still have the same aims and objectives today.

My objective was simple:to release quality bands playing quality music.

You've released a ton of great releases over the years from bands such as Cult Of Occult, Witchthroat Serpent, amongst others. Did you ever expect to sign or work with an impressive amount of artists when you started the label.

In fact the the first aim was to release the album of my friends from South Impact and I wasn’t expecting to be there 8 years after with more than 50 releases.

Do you have a set of rules when signing a band to your label.

I must have a crush on the band: music, name, attitude, concept, artwork. Which happened with the newly arrived NUISIBLE!

Our scene has a lot of great labels doing their own thing. Ripple, STB Records, Riding Easy, Magnetic Eye, Lay Bare Recordings, Pink Tank Records and Burning World Records. Are you a fan of those labels. Have you asked them for advice when starting your label or releasing certain records.

When I started the label I wasn’t in contact with any label. Today I have great relationships with a lot of great labels.

Your label covers a wide range of music within the Doom/Psych/Sludge/Stoner Metal scene. Though you do explore into the more extreme side of metal.

Well, Deadlight is not a label into those styles you quoted. I am a very eclectic person when it comes to the music and when I look at the 50 releases I can find hardcore, death metal, doom, sludge, black metal. But only quality! Speaking of doom , sludge etc I am pretty proud to have Witchthroat Serpent and Cult of Occult which count among the best acts from France’s doom, stoner, sludge scene.

You've released records on CD and DD. Would you ever consider doing Vinyl. Obviously a very expensive process. How do you decide which bands albums to release on which format.

I rarely do vinyl as I am not a big vinyl buyer. I come from the CD generation and I grew up buying TONS of CDs (which I still do!) and some cassettes! Of course I have some vinyl's at home (I bought 15 used records during a trip in Oslo last month) but to me the current buzz around vinyl looks like a trend.

If you could change anything within the Independent Record Scene what would it be and why.

People realizing how bad it is to never buy records, more record shops, better manufacturing costs and delays. And more honesty from people in bands, media etc.

Has it surprised you how well people have taken to your label and buying your products.

A lot!!! When I started, people who knew me said my business won’t last 3 months and 8 years later I am still here (and they are not!). Also I feel very proud to work with talented musicians and to have helped in a lot of bands evolution. Even if musicians are not the most grateful people on earth.

What is your view on labels providing digital download codes with their labels. Some labels do provide this but some do not due to high costs.

Sun shines for everybody. I think every label has its own way to work.

Before you go, do you have anything to say to your fans.

Respect the music! Come out and zouk! My greetings to my son Milo and the current label bands!

Well Alex, thanks for doing this. All the best with the label and your future releases.

Words by Steve Howe and Alex Martinez

I want to thank Alex for taking the time to talking to me. Check out his fantastic label – Deadlight Entertainment and discover some great bands that he has released over the years.

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

Witchthroat Serpent - Sang-Dragon (Album Review)

Release date: April 2016. Label: Deadlight Entertainment. Format: CD/DD

Sang-Dragon – Tracklisting

1. Hydra's Bewitchment

2. A Caw Rises From My Guts

3. Siberian Mist

4. Lady Sally

5. Into The Black Wood

6. Behind Green Eyes

7. Mystical Devotee

Band Members:

Fredrik Bolzann - Fuzz Guitar & Vocals

Niko Lass - Haze Drums

Lo Klav - Rat Bass

Review:

Doom Rockers – Witchthroat Support – return with a new album Sang-Dragon and almost new sound especially compared to their superb debut album. I’m a huge fan of their debut album but it stuck to closely to the set sound of Black Sabbath and Electric Wizard at times. Sang-Dragon is not only a leap of quality for the band but a leap musically as well. Sang-Dragon feels though it was created by a different band.

The riffs are more focused, vocals are sharper and the lyrics have a real sense of dread. This is a band that has reinvented their sound for the better. These guys haven’t suffered from the much-dreaded second album syndrome. Even from the opening track – Hydra’s Bewitchment – you know you’re in for a sublime doomy musical adventure where the band creates too many exciting moments to mention. It’s a gloomy and almost occult based instrumental track with subtle hints of ambient based noises.

Second track – A Caw Rises From My Guts – is where the band shows you what’s in store for you for the rest of the album. Doom Metal with a thumping bass line with a demented style of FUZZ that crackles violently in the background. The vocals are superb through out from lead vocalist – Fredrik - as Witchthroat Serpent lay on a heavy psychedelic distorted vibe that can be very nightmarish at times.

Third track – Siberian Mist – opens with a distorted bass heavy solo before the band start adding doomy guitar riffs which sees the band paying homage to bands such as Saint Vitus and Black Sabbath but still creating their own sound. The vocals are mainly in the background as it allows the band to create heavier distorted noises.

The whole tone of the album is one of pure DOOM though shades of Psych Rock and Stoner Metal do appear to show you there is much more to the bands sound. Though this will take a few listens to fully appreciate as Witchthroat Serpent have created quite a complex album at times. Tracks such as – Lady Sally, Into The Black Wood and Mystical Detective – even venture into the world of Prog Rock as some of the guitar solos can only be described as epic.

The production is loud, crisp and vibrant through out. Sang- Dragon is an unstoppable force of nature and I’m implore you to buy this album. It’s a thrilling and spectacular album that you won’t get enough of. Witchthroat Serpent have created an album that could see them playing the more prestigious Doom/Stoner Metal festivals over the next twelve months or so. Sang-Dragon is simply unmissable.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Alex at Deadlight Entertainment for the promo. Sang-D will be available to buy on CD/DD via Deadlight Entertainment from March 18^th 2016.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp