Charnel Valley Interview
With Paragon Records' recent release of "The Dark Archives", the debut effort from Charnel Valley, fans of primitive black metal can expect nothing but the bleakest, darkest music imaginable. The two-man outfit comprised of Worm and Czar have laid down plans for further black metal domination, with a second album to be unveiled this year. Underground legend Worm speaks with The Gauntlet about the nightmarish evil that is CHARNEL VALLEY...
The Gauntlet: Tell us a little bit about the songwriting process that went into "The Dark Archives" How long did it take for the two of you to assemble these tracks for recording? Do you each tend to feed off of each other as songwriters or is it more of a situation where one of you brings the track to the other? Did you feel that you were afforded enough time to write the tracks that we hear on the CD?
Worm: Looking back on the writing process for The Dark Archives, I now realize that it was quite a solitary mission for the both of us. Being in different states made things initially seem awkward since we had never played music together before, so it was hard to envision if there would be any chemistry. Over the course of a few months I wrote my songs, Czar summoned his material over a longer period of time with the 2 of us only offering a few previews of the material over the phone, or the occasional tape through the mail. When we came together for that week for rehearsal and recording, thankfully, things clicked and the songs were bashed out and further arranged before being committed to tape. During the writing process, speaking for myself of course, I'm a horrible procrastinator and used all the time I had, often changing a riff or 2 up until the day Czar arrived for our sessions. Was it enough time? You could give me 3 years to write 4 songs and I wouldn't even start writing until the week for rehearsal/recording was 3 weeks away. In the case of Charnel Valley, necessity is the mother of ambition and invention.
The Gauntlet: Is it difficult for the both of you to create songs due to the distance between you? Do you do things like sharing recordings online in order to be able to work and rehearse new ideas for Charnel Valley?
Worm: I guess I'm accustomed to the way we work. I start out by assembling a few riffs that I feel offer the mood I'm trying to convey, try to string them into a song in some arbitrary structure and at least attempt to get Czar a tape to preview. Like I said earlier, oftentimes he hears this material over the phone for the first time. I often leave the structuring of my songs up to him since he is the drummer and always seems to have a good ear for such things. He usually has his songs already planned out, all the way down to repetitions. All that's left is to rehearse and see how everything feels before we make any drastic changes. I think the whole process would be a bit easier if he had an Internet connection, but he seems perfectly happy without the distraction in his life.
The Gauntlet: It is often thorny for two man bands to take their music to the stage. What is it that the two of you have done in order surmount this obstacle?
Worm: Simple, never play live. I really don't have the desire anymore to perform, other than in the rehearsal space. Czar would like my attitude on this to change of course since he's eager for our music to attack a crowd, but too many factors are at play. In this case. The distance is a big problem. He's in NYC, I'm in Michigan. We'd also need to enlist several like-minded musicians that we could get a long with and are willing to learn the music. But in the end, I feel black metal is best kept out of the concert halls and nurtured for the CD/LP medium. This way, the right atmosphere can be achieved in whatever environment the listener chooses to partake in. The music is a gateway to other dimensions, NOT a showcase for middle-aged men trying to act like they're miserable or cool. I realize that many don't share this viewpoint, but I guess I've had far too many crappy live show experiences (both in playing live and attending shows) to think any other way about it.
The Gauntlet: Do you feel that your careers as professional journalists covering heavy metal have given you an advantage in terms of songwriting wisdom? Obviously, each of you has heard a great deal of music over the years.
Worm: It's a benefit and a curse at the same time. I think anyone that's a music critic is exposed to too much music and it can subconsciously influence you musically on a creative level. As just a music fan, hearing all that music does tend to burn you out, not giving you much hope for the future of metal when nearly all the bands coming out are borrowing their sound from other bands who may have found some level of success. I feel the responsibility to try and not specifically sound like any other band when I write which can be difficult when trying to emulate a certain genre of music. Thankfully, myself and Czar are individuals with our own unique playing style, likes and dislikes when it comes to listening to and creating music. Speaking for myself, I write the way I know how. I write what I feel. It somehow comes out sounding the way I envisioned it. Even though my influences may be coherent in the mix, I am my own destination from a musical standpoint, but I've had the opportunity to hear such a vast catalog of music over the years, I somehow subconsciously navigate through the ruins of sound in my head.
The Gauntlet: It is apparent that you set out to create an album that is intentionally both harsh and primitive. Why did you choose to go this particular route with the group and also, with the music that we hear on the record in specific?
Worm: We are both fans of primitive and simplistic music. I get so much more out of a good hook in a song, or a handful of well written riffs than I do with technical musicianship and perplexing song structures. Black metal is � song, � sound. The sound is very important to possess the listener with that harsh sense of tension in the production, which allows the dissonance and atmosphere contained in the riffs to further enchant or destroy. I feel black metal should make the listener think of times long since past with lo-fi values and minimal equipment. Too much technology and equipment somehow affects the overall presentation with more of an evolved tone. The future is a curse. At least in the past, we can sew our memories and feelings into a life-sculpting weapon.
The Gauntlet: Do you feel that if the band went into the recording studio with a larger budget and better recording gear that you would intend for the outcome to be any different in terms of sonority? Why?
Worm: This past October, we recorded our 2nd album, The Igneous Race. Other than a few more mics, a better quality, though borrowed drum kit, and a better recorder, we strived to achieve the same feel as found on The Dark Archives. I have no desire to go into a studio since the Charnel cave contains all the items we need. This band remains dedicated to the DIY aesthetic, for I feel the musician knows best what it is they are trying to express. Yes we had some help and better gear at our disposal this time, which did improve the sound considerably, but the outcome remains far from the light so to speak. It was important to us on this album to have a stronger drum presence, along with bass. Since we had 40 minutes of material to capture, we had to work faster and smarter, so a computer was used to record. The analog deck will likely be used for our next recording, which will likely be a 7" or something along those lines. I greatly prefer the analog sound, but the computer effectively captured the crust that is the Charnel Valley aesthetic.
The Gauntlet: Enumerate the factors that cause you to be a darkly creative personality�
Worm: I'm a free thinking individual and an undying worshipper of this form of music. I guess I've always felt the need to express myself creatively, whether it was through art, writing or music. I think it all stems back to the band Kiss� 1977/8 is when I was given my first Kiss album. The image and the music� that band filled me with the passion of music. I feel if a person is passionate about something in their life, it inspires creativity. With writing for Metal Maniacs and starting Worm Gear� I'm certainly no scholar of music and don't have any credentials for "proper" musical critiques, other than my mind and my 2 ears. I'm a fan that felt if I bought an album, I was entitled to my opinion. I just felt the need to share that opinion with whoever wanted it in the hopes of helping them along on the same quest of musical appreciation that I've had for most of my life.
The Gauntlet: The manifestation of internal expression on "The Dark Archives" is certainly bleak. Why is this so?
Worm: Although my life is good in so many ways, I can't help but be plagued with depression on many occasions and this aura of my personality spills over into the music I create. The music for me is an exorcising of the demons so to speak... without it, there's no telling what road of despair I would have turned down. It keeps me balanced. Also� I really can't relate to happy music, other than a few bands (like the aforementioned Kiss), but the need for depressive or "dark" sounds lies within my soul.
The Gauntlet: Certainly, differing stylistic tastes exist amongst fans of extreme music. What type of fan do you believe will most immediately feel a connection with "The Dark Archives?"
Worm: I think that fans of the older forms of black metal such as Hellhammer and Bathory will really relate to The Dark Archives, for that was the spirit we embraced. Also people into the current "underground" black metal scene should really be interested as well since that whole genre is a development of the aesthetic set forth by the forefathers of the genre. The Igneous Race still possesses that quality, but I feel all elements in the songwriting have been expanded upon. There's more of a majestic and epic feel to it at times along with the barbaric and depressive elements that are at the core of our sound.
The Gauntlet: You have been quoted as saying that you have already finalized tracking on a follow-up record called "The Igneous Race." Please tell us about the effort that went into creating this recording�
Worm: Czar composed 4 tracks, I did 3 over the course of a year. We got together during the last week of September/first week of October to rehearse for a few days and record in 2 days. It was a ton of work since there's over 40 minutes of material, but the songwriting that led up to the session came together in the same manner. I did fly out to NYC in December 2004 to visit Czar and practice a song he had worked out. The song made it to the album, but is half the length it was initially. That was the first time we actually got together to work on material so far in advance. It's a practice I wouldn't mind seeing continue in the future.
The Gauntlet: When will this second record see the light of day? Can we expect that it will be quite similar to "The Dark Archives" in terms of overall musical ambience?
Worm: The CD will be completed for a spring 2006 release and it will likely be released again through Paragon. As stated earlier, the sound canvas maintains the desired aggression and atmosphere, but the recording quality is noticeably better than The Dark Archives. We are still in mixing mode and the artwork must be completed this winter. Fans of the 1st album will definitely appreciate the 2nd.
The Gauntlet: What do you feel that the next step for Charnel Valley will be?
Worm: Since there are no shows planned, we will concentrate on writing for a future release as time permits. Be on the look out for T-shirts in the coming months as well, along with The Igneous Race in spring 2006. Other than that, we battle on to keep spreading the word throughout the underground.