1.Hello please introduce yourself to the readers?How are things going in Detroit these days?
DON:
I play guitar and whammy bar divebombs
ALEX:
I play guitar and stomp on lots of pedals
MIKE:
I do vocals and acoustic stuff.
2.When did you first discover death and doom metal and who were the first bands that caught your attention?Who are some of the current bands that have been listening to?
DON:
A lot of my early exposure to death Metal I owe to the Death Is Only The Beginning III compilation.
That was where I first heard Dissection, Benediction, Dismember and Divine Eve among others. Lately, Katatonia has been in constant rotation for me. My Dying Bride’s new LP is one of my favorites of this year so far; and the new Tombs release “Monarchy of Shadows” is great as well.
ALEX:
For me, the first doom band I really got into was Paradise Lost circa “Icon.” And it’s no coincidence
they are still a huge influence on me to this day. As for death metal...I discovered it when I lived in Scotland and would watch a show called Raw Power. I remember hearing Carcass and Morbid Angel for the first time and just being blown away with the darkness of it all. It was so fucking extreme to hear for the first time. But it was initially bands like Paradise Lost that caught me ear more because of the sorrowful melody that just moved mountains in my mind.
Recently I’ve been listening to Vadiat,
Vastum, Ossuary, Malignant Altar, and Warp Chamber.
MIKE:
I too discovered a lot of my earliest Death Metal bands through old label compilations and reading
album liner notes and thanks lists. I checked out Cannibal Corpse because I saw them in Ace Ventura. I got into Doom from Black Sabbath and looking for other bands that channeled that same energy. Stuff I’ve liked recently are the debuts from Thundersson,
and Prelude to Ruin. I’m also digging the new material from Angel Sword, Rotting Kingdom, Freeways, Cemetery Filth, and Malokarpatan.
3.Temple Of Void was formed in 2013 when did you and the other members get the idea
to start this band?Are you satisified with how everything has gone with the band over the years?
ALEX:
TOV was started by myself and Eric Blanchard. He is our original guitarist. He and I respected
each other as guitarists and knew we had to work together when the time was right. We started something, I called Brent to play bass and Eric got us Jason and Mike (on drums and vocals). Things gelled and it’s been a fantastic working relationship. I personally
couldn’t be happier. When Eric left we brought in our first choice, Don Durr, to play guitar. We’ve just been going from strength to strength with each release. I couldn’t ask to be in a band with a better bunch of dudes. I’m personally very satisfied with the trajectory of the band, but we continue to strive for more.
4.Who would you say are the bands biggest influences and have they remained the same over the years?For the readers who have never heard Temple Of Void how would you best describe the bands style?
ALEX:
Bolt Thrower, Morbid Angel, Asphyx, Cannibal Corpse, Katatonia, Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride,
Anathema, Deicide, Alice in Chains, Failure, Hawkwind, Immolation, Gorguts, Neurosis, Burzum, Edge of Sanity, Machine Head (Burn My Eyes), Death, Godflesh, Swervedriver...
The easiest way for me to describe
our sound is if you took European doom and mixed it with American death. You’ve got the riffs and cold vibes of Katatonia and Paradise Lost mixed with the headbanging old school riffage of early Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, and Morbid Angel. That gets you in
the ballpark but it doesn’t really allow for the nuances we bring as Temple of Void. There’s a space-odyssey type of vibe to our sound that’s reminiscent of Hawkwind or krautrock. It all sounds weird on paper but we know what we’re doing and how to blend it
to create our signature sound.
I don’t think our influences have
strayed much over the years, to be honest. We bring new stuff in but I don’t think we’ve ever lost site of the influences. If we don’t have Asphyx / Bolt Thrower style riffs on our album then something’s gone wrong!
5.The World That Was is the bands third full-length how long did it take the band to write the music for the new release?Does the whole band take part in the writing process or does one member usually write everything?
DON:
We spent most of 2019 writing and recording The World That Was. Our writing environment is always collaborative. Riffs and small skeletons of songs are brought to rehearsals by Alex or myself. From there we all work on those ideas together; experimenting with tempos, placement, structure and so on.
6.Who usually handles writing the lyrics and what are some topics written about on the newest release?Which usually comes first the music or the lyrics?
MIKE:
Typically the band flushes out the musical ideas and relays them to me as a rough structure
and I develop patterns and lyrics from there. It works because I’m able to listen closely to the song and build off whatever vibe it gives me and ideas it inspires.
7.What have been some of Temple Of Void's most memorable shows over the years?And who are some bands you have had the opportunity to share the stage with?
DON:
Psycho Las Vegas in 2018 was definitely a highlight. The
Maryland Deathfest pre party show in 2017 was also a lot of fun, and ended up being the first show that I played with the band.
ALEX:
ShadowWoods Fest was awesome. We played in the woods. Camped out. It was really secluded and
a really great vibe away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Really cool experience.
MIKE:
One of my favorite memories was doing a short run of shows with Cemetery Filth a handful of
years back. Those were some of the first shows we played that were out of Michigan, and it was cool getting to know those guys.
8.Has the band ever made a music video for any of their songs if yes what song was it?Would you like to make a video for any of the bands newest songs?If yes which song?
DON:
We just released a video for the track “Self-Schism” from the new album. We did a couple days
of filming that included a snowy Saturday evening in the Michigan woods. We’re all very pleased with how it turned out.
ALEX:
Our first video was for “Savage Howl” off our debut album. We didn’t get around to shooting
one for anything off of Lords of Death.
9.Besides the upcoming The World That Was release are the bands past releases still available for the readers to purchase?Besides physical releases does the band have any other merchandise currently available if yes what is available and where can the readers purchase it?
ALEX
We have a very robust bandcamp site where we sell shirts, hoodies, pins, patches, sweatpants,
shorts, stickers, hats, and music on CD, tape, or digital. It’s
templeofvoid.bandcamp.com. We update it with new merch regularly. We often run ideas past our fans and have them vote for what they’d like to see put into production.
10.What does Underground Metal mean to you and how do you feel the Underground Metal scene has changed over the years?
MIKE:
To quote an excellent record by the band Hawaii: “One Nation Underground.” It doesn’t really matter what “scene” you’re from, whether it’s the death metal underground or some other faction of metal, punk, grindcore, etc. We’re all here because we possess some level of free-thinking. We’re not content with what is simply
marketed to us by major labels and publications; especially with genres like death metal who have a clearly definite glass ceiling that limits any sort of commercial potential. We’re all artists, musicians, promoters, and fans. We all work together to make
sure we can create, tour, and thrive without support of the masses.
11.Temple Of Void comes out of Michigan's metal scene what are your thoughts of the scene in Michigan over the years?
MIKE:
Michigan is, and always will be, a musical powerhouse. We set the foundation for punk and hi-energy rock and roll with The Stooges and the MC5. We perfected the science of pop songwriting and brought soul and R&B to the masses with Motown. Industrial cities like Flint gave us Grand Funk Railroad, who stole the show from almost every national act they played with, and later on they gave us Repulsion who are arguably one of the first extreme metal/grindcore acts. Mid-Michigan produced some of the earliest USBM bands with Masochist and Wind of the Black Mountains releasing demos as early as 1992. There’s a continued legacy of pushing boundaries, testing extremes, and taking chances.
12.Who are your all-time favorite bands coming out of Michigan over the years?And are their any new bands that have caught your attention that you feel the readers should check out soon?
DON:
There’s been some great bands that have come from our state; Saprogenic, Bluesong, and Konkeror are just a few who’ve released some great music over the years but have all ceased to exist. Anyone looking for active Michigan bands should check out Fell Ruin,
Isenblast, Centenary, and Portal of Pazuzu.
ALEX:
Bluesong is hands-down my favorite band from Michigan. They could have been huge if they had
lasted longer.
MIKE:
Besides the obvious aforementioned ones; Steel Vengeance, Medieval, Fatal, Lucifer’s Hammer,
Halloween, Coven 13, Summon and Reaper.
In regards to more recent bands in
the scene: Sauron, Wastelander, Reaper, Anguish, Perversion, Demon Bitch/White Magician, Dungeon Beast, Cruthu...there’s so much good stuff if you’re willing to dig.
13.Besides working in Temple Of Void do any of the members currently play with any other bands or solo projects? If yes please tell the readers a little about them?
ALEX:
I do a metal/punk band called Hellmouth, but we’ve been on hiatus for a couple years. Still
great friends. We haven’t broken up. But after three albums and twelve years we’re just laying low for now. We’ll surface again some day.
MIKE:
I play guitar in the bands Acid Witch and Nuke. I’m always writing whether it’s for a band I’m
currently in or something I’d like to do in the future.
14.When
you need to take a break from working on new music or band business what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
DON:
I have a home studio that I record and mix bands in; I also work as a live sound engineer and tour with bands when I am able to. I have a small record label that I started up last year as well.
ALEX:
The gym. All things Warhammer. Reading. Fantasy. Hanging with my wife and kid.
MIKE:
I like to stay creative in general. I enjoy drawing and painting. I like watching movies and
reading. I occasionally play retro video games, tabletop games and CCGs.
15.Thank
you for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?
ALEX:
May all your hits be crits.
Cheers,
Alex & Temple of Void
Band Contacts
https://templeofvoid.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TempleOfVoid
https://www.youtube.com/user/TempleOfVoid
https://www.instagram.com/templeofvoid/
