Khemmis - Ask Me Anything

First off, thanks to both @Goatfish & @Colonel_Angus for making this happen. Still shocked that they agreed to do it. Also, super stoked!

1. Do you have a favorite sub-genre in metal that you listen to the most?
2. Having toured with everyone from Enslaved to Wolves in the Throne Room, do you find that exposure to such vastly disparate types of metal influences your creative process in any way?
3. What is your take on the current trend in some metal circles to boycott specific metal bands because of their perceived political beliefs? Especially when those views are never directly espoused by the bands themselves.
4. If you could tour with any group or supergroup (metal or otherwise), who would it be?
5. What is the most interesting venue you have ever played?
 
With the legalization of weed in Colorado, most empty warehouse spaces in Denver got gobbled up by the marijuana industry for use as grow sites. Has the loss of those warehouse spaces - meaning the loss of a lot of DIY-ish performance spaces - had a negative impact on the metal (or general music) scene in Denver, especially for up-and-coming bands?
 
supahypeag said:
What are some albums that you would recommend to people as "gateway drugs" to Metal?
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Colonel_Angus said:
I'd kindly ask we initially keep questions to 1 per person. Once a few days have passed, and gauging how many other questions have been submitted, we'd revisit multiple questions per user.
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@supahypeag asked the question I would have, so they can take my 1 question allotment. ;)
 
supahypeag said:
Reading through these questions, I feel like they're way better than the ones that VMP sent Knxwledge for his "interview." Kudos, N&G community, kudos...
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Absolutely! You all did wonderfully. Here are my questions:

1. Phil has been wearing a Jean-Michel Jarre Oxygène trilogy shirt on tour. Do you guys foresee adding synths and/or Mellotron to a future release? It would be awesome to see Khemmis use them in a heavy release a la Maiden's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son or Opeth's Ghost Reveries.

2. What is your favorite Bolt Thrower album, and why is it The IVth Crusade?
 
HERE. WE. GO.


"Thanks for getting this together! We're really excited to dig into these.
We dropped a few that we didn't feel we had interesting answer for; I also
snagged another question from the forum post that is highly relevant to my
dissertation research. It's pasted at the bottom. Cheers!
Ben

1. Phil has been wearing a Jean-Michel Jarre Oxygène trilogy shirt on tour.
Do you guys foresee adding synths and/or Mellotron to a future release? It
would be awesome to see Khemmis use them in a heavy release a la Maiden's
Powerslave or Opeth's Ghost Reveries.

*Ben*: Never say never, but I don't foresee this happening. We're much more
likely to incorporate strings/orchestral elements, something we already did
a bit on "The Seer."

*Phil*: Honestly I almost always think that synths are a bad idea in metal
unless they are purely atmospheric. I do love some synth-focused music in
other genres but I'd rather we do things like play synth-sounding parts on
guitars than actually incorporate them into our sound.


2. What is your favorite Bolt Thrower album, and why is it The IVth Crusade?

*Zach*: It’s War Master for me. I love yelling along “As man fights man, In
the epic struggle for survival, The war master shall reign!!!!!!” Also, got
to see them play Chaos in Tejas about 6 years ago. Hell of a show, and that
was right before or after watching Infest....what a fest.

3. How does it feel to be recommended as an amazing gateway into metal?

*Phil*: I think if that is true, it is really cool. If we were the first
metal band you were hearing, I think you'd get at least partially exposed
to almost every subgenre of metal and hopefully this would open people up
to digging into both more traditional and more extreme bands in the genre.

4. What are some albums that you would recommend to people as
"gateway drugs" to Metal to someone new to the genre? Also wanted to let
them know how inspiring it was that folks with full-time, challenging
jobs could still do something they love REALLY well. Too often
society pushes the "drop everything and go for it!" narrative that just
isn't available to folks that have to like, support themselves somehow.

*Ben*: It depends on the person's broader tastes in music and art as well
as their age. If you're trying to show your 30-something friend who's into
prog rock what metal is all about, something like Devin Townsend or
Dreadnought is more likely to win them over than, say, Dying Fetus. If
they’re into technically proficient guitar playing, I’d go with
Necrophagist. That said, the classics (e.g., Iron Maiden, Judas Priest,
Black Sabbath, Metallica) are always a solid starting place for anyone's
journey into heavy metal.


5. What are your Top 5 Personal Metal Album Rankings? What are
your favorite albums of the year so far both Metal and Non-Metal?

*Ben*: My "all time" list changes frequently, but today I'd say (in no
particular order)
1. Metallica - Master of Puppets
2. Neurosis - Through Silver and Blood
3. Weakling - Dead as Dreams
4. YOB - Clearing the Path to Ascend
5. At the Gates - Slaughter of the Soul

But on any given day, you might find Megadeth's 'Rust in Peace,'
Sepultura's 'Beneath the Remains,' Woe's 'Quietly, Undramatically,'
Asunder's 'A Clarion Call,' or Immortal's 'Son's of Northern Darkness' on
that list.

As for the year, my top five records so far are (again, in no order):
1. Krypts - Cadaver Circulation
2. Dead to a Dying World - Elegy
3. Immortal Bird - Thrive on Neglect
4. Wormed - Metaportal
5. Vanum - Ageless Fire

*Phil*: I'm not going to claim these are set in stone, but some all-time
favorites that come to mind in no particular order are:

1) Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny
2) Death - Symbolic
3) Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane
4) Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion
5) High on Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis

This year so far I'd go with:

1) Vanum - Ageless Fire
2) Krypts - Cadaver Circulation
3) Misthryming - Algleymi
4) Dead to a Dying World - Elegy
5) Yellow Eyes - Rare Field Ceiling
 
6. If you had to switch genre to a non metal genre, what would be the kind
of music you would record ? Also, have you already did acoustic version of
Khemmis songs and how do you deal with growling in that setting ?

*Ben*: Country music. Maybe a mix of that and bluegrass. That is, *real*
country, not that polished, soulless pop music peddled by major labels as
"country music" today. Someday I'd love to release an album that relies on
acoustic guitars, mandolins, banjos, and fiddles to tell its stories. I
grew up with Earl Scruggs, Marty Stuart, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash
thanks to my parents' record collection; I also heard country and bluegrass
songs during family reunions when my grandfather played old standards like
“Cumberland Gap” and “Old Dan Tucker” on the banjo and fiddle.

As for acoustic renditions of our songs, we've not even discussed this sort
of thing, but who knows what the future holds? If we did, though, we'd
likely rework the songs rather than just play “doomy” riffs on baritone
acoustics. If they're not different from the originals, what's the point of
doing them? I would most certainly not incorporate extreme vocals in that
setting g; I'd use something closer to a Neurosis-meets-Tom Waits sort of
voice for those parts, something gravelly with just a touch of melody.


7. With the new album being out for over a year now, I was curious if each
member has a favorite song they enjoy playing live. With all of the
dynamics between the guitars, drums and vocals on different tracks I could
see this being different for each member.

*Ben*: "Maw of Time" is my favorite to play live. I think it's one of the
best songs we've written, as it runs the gamut from caveman death/doom
riffs to a memorable, harmony-laden chorus. It is definitely a
crowd-pleaser, right up there with “Three Gates.” It also features what
might be my favorite solo to date, as it is both challenging and a ton of
fun to play.

*Phil*: I've been looking forward to playing "Bloodletting" every night on
tour. It is always a blast playing those opening harmonies with Ben and
challenging myself to not look at the fretboard so I can stare someone down
in the audience. The vocal parts are fun to really dig into on that song as
well, and I love the ultra-ignorant riff into the guitar solos after the
second chorus and the final section in terms of just rocking out.

*Zach*: I’ve been digging “Flesh to Nothing.” I get to throw in some fun
drum fills at the start and middle of the song, and it’s got some
groovy-yet-tricky beats.


8. With the amount of critical and fan praise you received from Hunted,
would you say it had any impact on how you went into recording Desolation?
Did it free you guys up to experiment a bit more or just add another level
of pressure?

*Ben*: We were all aware of expectations about how we'd follow up 'Hunted,'
but the biggest critics--and the only ones that really matter in the
end--are in the band. We hold ourselves to a very high standard, and we
don't let ourselves cut corners. We knew that ‘Desolation’ would not be
‘Hunted Pt 2,’ even if some folks wanted that, because we were older and in
a very different headspace when writing it. It's important for us to be
honest in what we create, and to try to pander to critics--imagined or
otherwise--would be disrespectful to our fans and to ourselves.


9. When looking at the cover art and art included in the lyric book for
Hunted it’s hard to imagine a more perfect representation of the album you
are about to hear. Is this something you guys work on with the cover artist
prior to making the music or did Sam listen to the album and create this
piece (the cover specifically) after?

*Phil*: I always work really closely with Sam on the artwork to ensure that
the image reflects some major theme from the album and our lives at the
time, without being too on the nose about it. Usually I draw up a sketch
and a series of ideas/themes that we are generally looking for and then he
takes it from there and improves on it in every way. I'd say the full
artwork for Hunted is very closely tied to the lyrics of the title track,
but for Desolation it is more reflective of a general collective feeling at
the time rather than a specific lyric.


10. Which band member has the largest record collection, how large is it,
and what is it comprised of (a Discogs link would be superb)?

*Phil*: I'd guess it is probably Dan because he is the oldest and has the
largest space for them, but Zach and I both have at least a couple hundred.
I don't do Discogs or really anything else on the internet but I have
everything from nearly complete discographies of David Bowie, Neil Young,
Death, Rolling Stones, Judas Priest, Dr. John, Bob Dylan, and Tom Waits to
the first Sisters of Mercy LP, Alice Coltrane's "Lord of Lords", lots of
Waylon Jennings/Willie Nelson/Loretta Lynn/George Jones, several by Aretha
Franklin, Tangerine Dream, etc. as well as my favorite newer records like
last year's Sigh record, this year's Vanum LP and the new (non-metal) Weyes
Blood album. Generally most of my collection is beat-up original copies of
albums from places like Half Price Books that I got for less than $5 before
the recent vinyl boom, so most have a lot of "character". Things have
gotten too expensive for me to really buy much anymore, but even as is I
never have a problem finding something to fit my listening mood!

11. What is the record in your collection that a Khemmis fan would be most
surprised to find?

*Ben*: My Steely Dan or Little Feat records. The rest of the band shares my
love of the latter, but I don't know a lot of metal folks who get down with
'Pretzel Logic' or 'The Royal Scam,' ya know? I reckon this means that I've
been 48 years old since I was in my mid-20s.

*Phil*: ‘Songs of the Humpback Whale’
 
12. Do you have a favorite sub-genre in metal that you listen to the most?

*Ben*: There's a running joke that I really only like 5 or so bands of any
given musical style. I probably listen to more death metal than any other
specific subgenre, though my two favorite metal bands are Neurosis and YOB.

*Phil*: Generally for me it is the classics but I get burnt out and have to
mix it up pretty often. Lately I've been on more of a black/death tear
leaning toward the earlier stuff in those genres.

13. Having toured with everyone from Enslaved to Wolves in the Throne Room,
do you find that exposure to such vastly disparate types of metal
influences your creative process in any way?

*Ben*: For me, I'd say it doesn't really affect my writing; I've been
listening to Enslaved, for example, since I was in college (~15 years). The
extent to which their music is going to inform my creative output is
already pretty locked in, so while touring with them or, say, the Black
Dahlia Murder, doesn’t directly impact our writing, it definitely rules.

14. If you could tour with any group or supergroup (metal or otherwise),
who would it be?

*Phil*: Metallica, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, At the Gates, and Mercyful
Fate are probably on all of our wish-lists.


15. What is the most interesting venue you have ever played?

*Ben*: Het Patronaat in Tilburg, NL; UT Connewitz in Leipzig, DE; Regency
Ballroom in San Francisco, CA


16. What music do you listen to whilst on tour to get into the mood for
performing?

*Ben*: We play "Screaming for Vengeance" by Judas Priest before we hit the
stage. If that ain’t good enough for you, then too fuckin’ bad.


17. What inspired your Fraught With Peril release with Spirit Adrift and is
there any more of that kind of thing in the works? (I personally can't get
enough of that folk/doom mashup style)

*Phil*: We had just talked with Nate (from Spirit Adrift) about it and
happened coincidentally to pick two songs that were both featured on the "O
Brother Where Art Thou?" soundtrack, which we didn't realize until after
the fact. I think we all have musical roots in folk and spiritual music to
some degree, so it was really fun to reinterpret that kind of traditional
song and I'd certainly be into doing something similar again.


18. What kind of fantasy movies are you into? seeing as there is a lot of
wizards and high fantasy imagery on the cover

*Phil*: Those covers were inspired more by a shared experience of sitting
on the floor as kids, staring at our parents' copies of Molly Hatchet LPs
than a heavy appreciation for fantasy, *per se.* But it is safe to say that
we are all huge fans of the Lord of the Rings books and films and I was
very into the Ralph Bakshi and Hayao Miyazaki animated films growing up.
I'm also into lots of dark fiction/fantasy by authors like China Mieville,
Dan Simmons, Neil Gaiman, and Haruki Murakami, who also influence my
approach to writing lyrics.

*Ben*: Aside from The Lord of the Rings, I can't say I watch (or read) much
in the way of fantasy.

19. Favorite cocktails?

*Phil*: Hot Toddy
*Ben*: Glass of Milk (literally just a glass of milk, but I love milk and
drink it like it's going out of style)
 
20. Goofy one - do you guys have a list of your personal fruit rankings
1-5?

*Phil*:
1) Blackberries
2) Cherries
3) Palisade Peaches
4) Salmonberries (if you aren't from the Pacific Northwest, you don't know)
5) Limes (underrated)

*Ben*:
1) The California Raisins
2) Strawberry Smiggles
3) Boo-Berry
4) Bananarama
5) Honeycrisp Apples

21. With the legalization of weed in Colorado, most empty warehouse spaces
in Denver got gobbled up by the marijuana industry for use as grow sites.
Has the loss of those warehouse spaces - meaning the loss of a lot of
DIY-ish performance spaces - had a negative impact on the metal (or general
music) scene in Denver, especially for up-and-coming bands?

*Ben*: This is a fantastic question, and is relevant to my interests. I'm a
PhD candidate in the Sociology department at CU Boulder, and my
dissertation is on the Denver underground scene. One of the themes in my
work is how economic development affects cultural production and
engagement, so the influx of newcomers because of marijuana (as well as
tech-related businesses) has increased the cost of living, driven up
commercial rent prices, and produced a shift in the cultural appetites of
the city. All of these factors impact how and where music gets made and
performed here. Thus far, venues like our beloved HiDive have been able to
continue to thrive and support underground music of all types, but access
to the metal and punk music for younger people is relegated to big
concerts--whose ticket prices can be a barrier for lower income folks--or
one of our few DIY spaces. 7th Circle Music Collective is a long-running
DIY spot that continues to put on a wide variety of all-ages shows, from
folk to punk to metal, and there are a few under-the-radar locations also
host lesser-known acts. But the aforementioned economic forces mean it's
harder to open and sustain a safe, successful DIY spot here than, say, 10
years ago, even if there's technically a larger pool of potential
showgoers.

How has that affected up and coming bands? I'm not 100% sure yet. The
underground scene that we're part of--alongside bands like Primitive Man,
Of Feather and Bone, In the Company of Serpents, Wayfarer, Dreadnought--is
generally pretty great about supporting newer bands and helping them get on
bills. As more tours come through town and the aforementioned established
acts play fewer local shows, the scene needs more new bands to fill local
support slots. That said, one trend I've seen is that a lot of these newer
bands don't have young folks in 'em; in the cohort of newer, up-and-coming
heavy acts, we've got quite a few bands with older, established scene
members in them, but I haven't seen too many twenty-somethings in their
ranks. That doesn't mean they aren't there--there's obviously a selection
bias issue given my own musical preferences, the fact that I don't go to as
many shows as I once did given my busier touring schedule, and the fact
that I'm getting older and would rather see bands in a "real" venue with a
good PA than in a dimly-lit basement--but it does seem that economic
development at least impedes access to the underground music world for
younger people, even if it doesn't totally cut off their access.

It's not all bad news, though. In addition to places like HiDive still
thriving, Rhinoceropolis (nigh-legendary DIY spot that was shut down by the
city after the Ghost Ship fire
Beloved Denver DIY Venue Rhinoceropolis Shut Down in Wake of Oakland Fire | Pitchfork
has reopened Rhinoceropolis Owner on Re-Opening DIY Venue in RiNo This Year,
though I haven't seen the newest incarnation so I don't know what's
changed. Its closure really bummed a lot of folks out, as not only did it
further highlight the RiNo "arts district" as the newest victim of
gentrification, but it also displaced quite a few local artists in the
middle of the winter. It's fucking hard to afford to live here at all,
doubly so if you're relying on income from your art to make ends meet. Will
it be able to stick around this time? I sure hope so. Underground music
scenes need DIY/all-ages spaces to open young folks' eyes and ears to a
world to which they might otherwise be oblivious. Like many lifers, my
formative years were spent seeing rad bands--as well as plenty of awful
ones--in shitty dives, garages, and basements. I discovered, and fell in
love with, underground metal by banging my head and drinking cheap malt
liquor in DIY spaces with like-minded maniacs. I don't think you can
acquire that sort of visceral connection to an art world, as a performer
and/or as a fan, by seeing a handful of concerts each year in corporate
venues with $9 beers and stage barricades. Acquiring the language and
practices that deeply connect you to art requires intense, meaningful
social experiences that aren't (as) mediated by economic capital; I'm not
saying that can't happen in 1000-cap rooms, but I am saying that it happens
much more deeply and intensely when the band is standing 5 feet in front of
you and selling their merch out of the back of their van in the street. The
idea of a generation of potential punks and metalheads being denied those
kinds of experiences in a place like Denver, where the scene is absolutely
thriving and where bands are putting out so much honest, compelling art,
breaks my heart. That's why spots like Rhinoceropolis and 7th Circle, among
others, are so important and why people like Ethan McCarthy, the godfather
of this city's scene(s) and the hardest working man in the underground, are
so integral to keeping music and its related spaces alive.



Thanks for asking such great questions and for your support of the band.
Hope to see y'all on the road!"


Since I copied it from our webmail, I think the formatting didn't translate properly so I'll edit a little more tomorrow. Really just wanted to get this to y'all today.
 
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