Italian gothic metal band Lacuna Coil has announced some May U.S. dates with special guests New Years Day and Oceans of Slumber. The 12-date run kicks off in Wilmington, Delaware. Tickets and VIP are available at lacunacoil.com!
5/2 – Wilmington, DE – The Queen
5/3 – Asbury Park, NJ – The Stone Pony
5/4 – Reading, PA – Reverb
5/6 – Norfolk, VA – The NorVa
5/7 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground
5/9 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville 2024
5/11 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
5/13 – Fort Smith, AR – Temple Live
5/14 – Wichita, KS – TempleLive at Wichita Scottish Rite Center
Faceless Objects is a psychedelic/doom/stoner metal project from Austria that came together in 2020. Since then, the band has released ten singles, each with a coinciding video, which will make up their debut album, Confused, when it drops later in the year.
I discovered Faceless Objects last year, and after following them on Facebook (and adding bassist/vocalist Ella Baphomet on my personal profile), I knew I wanted to interview them. So we made it happen!
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MM: Thank you so much for your time! Let’s dive right in with a basic two-part question. How was Faceless Objects formed? And what’s the story behind the band name?
FO: Faceless Objects was formed in 2020 by Ella Baphomet and Mike Seed (on Mike’s birthday, to be exact). We both always wanted to do something new and different but never found the right people to start. We wanted to combine classic doom metal, stoner metal, and psychedelic sounds, and each song should be a journey on its own – accompanied by a video to make the story of the song visible.
The name Faceless Objects is describing how we as artists see other people. It is more about collecting biometric data than actually seeing the whole face like other people do.
From the beginning, it was only two people who ran everything – composing, playing/singing, recording, mixing & mastering, video shooting & cutting, as well as promotion. And it still is. The only exception is for our upcoming live gigs – playing four instruments at the same time is quite impossible – even for Mike. But finding the right people for our music was a bumpy road.
MM: Y’all have both been involved with previous projects?
FO: We both have our experiences with prior bands or projects of different kinds..but like our lyrics in “Reborn” say…“no turning back, the past is gone”…
MM: Are there any particular bands/artists that inspired y’all to go down this path, as far as creating for the doom/stoner/psychedelic subgenres?
FO: We have a lot of influences…different music styles, bands, artists..but can’t say that there is a particular one that made us go this path. Maybe a mixture of different artists and something that just always was inside of us waiting to surface. But if you want some names…Mike loves Pink Floyd and Rage Against The Machine, and Ella’s favourites are Judas Priest and Alice Cooper.
MM: I love Alice Cooper and Pink Floyd! And I can definitely see where the stoner/psychedelic inspiration comes from if y’all are listening to those artists. Lol.
FO: Nice, we like the same music 🙂
MM: We do. Y’all are from Austria, right? Is there a big metal scene there? (My familiarity with music from Austria is limited, but the few artists I have heard are industrial or electronic. Lol.)
FO: Yes, we are all from Austria, though from different areas. Me and Mike founded the project in 2020 and have been looking for musicians who wanted to share our goals and the love for the music.
The metal scene in Austria got a lot bigger than it was once. There are many bands now, mostly in the genres of death/thrash or speed metal. Not so much in the classic heavy metal or melodic metal genres. But there are still more rock bands than metal bands – and it is very difficult to reach people with original music. So there are a lot of cover bands as well.
MM: I saw a recent post about your upcoming album, Confused. Can you tell me a little more about it? What has been the writing and recording process for this album?
FO:Confused tells a story like a book, and each song is a chapter in that book (each song also has a music video on YouTube). We are telling our stories and experiences, but it was always very important to us to leave enough room for the listener to find themselves and their own meaning in our songs. We always have a journey within the song – it starts out in a certain way and then changes into something completely different, and many people told us how cool it is because you don’t really realize it when you listen to it. You just get taken with the story and the music.
Writing and recording was a step by step thing. We thought about what the next chapter would be about, wrote the song, and recorded it. After that, we made the story visible with a music video. So we did this song by song – and the order the songs were released is also the order the songs will appear on the album. The last song on the first album – “Crossing” – is kind of a cliffhanger. The song fades out..and the first song on album no. 2 will fade in at that exact point, making “Crossing” into “Crossing…Over The Bridge,” a song more than 9 minutes long, full of surprises and changes. The album will also include a previously unreleased bonus track called “Void.”
MM: I like the idea of a coinciding video to visually tell the story. I don’t think bands take time with music videos the way they used to, and I’m the generation that was all about videos. I understand it can be costly, so I’m not complaining.
FO: Absolutely true. Many bands don’t have the money for cool videos, others think it’s not worth the effort as no one watches videos anymore because it’s all about streaming music nowadays. But we still believe that a video helps putting the music on another level.
MM: So y’all have planned the way you want to do the release. I assume the album is going to drop this year? Any other plans for 2024?
FO: Our plans for this year are doing some live gigs with the new band and releasing the album in March/April. We are also working on new material – the first song of the second album is done and we’re gonna shoot the video for it soon.
MM: I like the concept of storytelling. Maybe it’s because I write short stories, but I just really enjoy the full experience of music and imagery.
I have a few more questions, kinda just for fun. What would be your dream tour lineup that features Faceless Objects?
FO: Dream lineup… Well, Judas Priest and Rage Against The Machine, lol. But seriously, we are looking forward to meeting cool and interesting new artists and bands..and if you find some you really connect with those would be the ones for a dream lineup.
MM: Are there any bands/artists you guys listen to that you think would surprise people? “Guilty pleasures,” so to speak.
FO: Guilty pleasures… I think to some it might be surprising that Ella likes Glenn Miller a lot and generally 1930/1940s music. Mike’s hidden treasure is Kraan, a former DDR jazz-rock band.
MM: That is one of the more surprising answers I’ve gotten to that question. 30/40s music. Most people throw out a pop or rap artist.
FO: Haha, yep! 30/40s might not be the first guess with a metalhead, but it’s so soothing and the melodies are so beautiful. They also take you on some kind of journey.
MM: I should probably wrap this up, but I’m curious – are you guys self-taught, or have you had any lessons?
FO: Well, Ella and Mike are self-taught. Mike has been playing guitar since he was a little kid and taught himself to play the other instruments over time. As for the rest of the band, Zoka had guitar lessons and also started playing as a young boy, Mexx had coaching and has his own drum school, and Martin is a classically trained pianist.
MM: Is there any message you would like to give your fans, both old and new?
FO: We thank all our fans for their support and love they continue to give us (and some have been with us from the very start). Receiving feedback like “this song really helped me,” “those lyrics just hit my current situation so well,” or just “I love your music and videos, there is so much to find in there.” But we also wanna say..believe in yourself and your dreams. Don’t let anyone decide what you can do or not. You can do what you allow yourself to do.
And thank you, Melia..for this wonderful opportunity to express ourselves and the really good picked questions. It’s been fun and a pleasure, and I hope we’ll do this again sometime!
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Faceless Objects will be releasing Confused in the spring of this year – and hopefully album #2 will quickly follow. In the meantime, you can immerse yourself in the story via the tracks on Spotify, or the visual side on YouTube. And be sure to follow the band’s socials for news and updates!!!!
Louisiana-based metal project We Are The Virus is releasing new music on February 29th! Put together and performed by front man Ryan Henry, “Get Bent” is an instrumental piece that clocks in at 3 minutes, 20 seconds.
The driving beat and intricate thrum of the bass form a solid foundation, and for the first minute or so, a rock-oriented riff is crafted upon this pedestal. But don’t let that lull you into complacency! At roughly the 1:14 mark, the listener is carried into a journey of guitar work, from delay effects to a shredding solo that speaks of WATV’s classic metal influences. The song then falls back into a maelstrom of drums, bass, and guitar, building to its rather abrupt ending.
The story behind the track? According to Ryan, the inspiration was a literal “get bent” to those people who are nothing but a problem in your life. Where words fail, music speaks, as they say, and “Get Bent” is a musically blistering “not anymore” to those who need to be dismissed for your own peace of mind.
Don’t miss “Get Bent” on your favorite streaming service, and be sure to follow We Are The Virus on their various socials so you never miss an update! And, if you would like to learn more about the band, check out the interview I did with Ryan back in November 2023.
We Are The Virus is a project from Louisiana that spans metal and all of its subgenres. Front man, and sole permanent member, Ryan Henry brought WATV to life in the wake of Covid, as a way to vent the emotions of everyday life.
I was given the opportunity to talk to Ryan about the beginnings of We Are The Virus, the inspiration behind the music, the latest album, Civil Disobedience, and more.
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How was We Are The Virus formed, and what’s the story behind the name?
Ryan: The, let’s call it “project,” of WATV formed in early 2021, basically out of a Covid-ridden landscape. I had played guitar for most of my life – close to 25 years – and never really attempted a project “solo”. I was 2 years out of a divorce, and my (now) wife had been pushing me to really get back to my musical roots. Really connect back with the music again. We had made it a huge part of our relationship, and she could see how much playing and creating meant to me. She pushed me back into it, and I dove in head first. The name was actually a suggestion from one of the collaborators on the album, Mike O’Brien (Texas Murder Crew; who is also a firefighter as I am). The name really RESONATED crazily with me – I’ve worked in hazardous material response for most of my adult life and was an extreme zombie movie fanatic for years, so it truly fit.
Who are your major influences? Did you and the others involved all come from similar musical backgrounds, or did you have to blend different influences into the sound y’all have created?
Ryan: The collaborators on the album Civil Disobedience have SIMILAR backgrounds; however, the difference in proximity to each other has for sure played a huge influence. I collaborated with Mike O’Brien and Aaron Bazen (Truth and Tragedy) on the album. Both had the heavy musical influence, but the direction was different. Mike being from a Slam/Deathcore background and Aaron being from a Hardcore background brought a few different flavors to the mix. I am the sole constant member in the band, but I feel like it’s very important to fill in my gaps with someone able to express their 100% creative freedom. And I’m lucky to have worked with these two because of the sheer ethic and drive they both have.
Speaking of Civil Disobedience, it was released back in August. Can you tell me a little about the writing and recording process for the album?
Ryan: The writing and recording process for Civil Disobedience was a huge hurdle for me. After being guided into the musical process again by my wife, it was a gateway of emotional sputum. I did not realize what I had inside after my career of firefighting and going through life changes that needed to come out. My writing process was pretty erratic. I didn’t know when or why; however, when it felt as if it needed to come out, it was TIME. There were many times my wife and I were having a normal day together, and I would tell her, “Hey, I need to play, it needs to come out.” Most of the songs were put together quickly, like when it was time to happen, it got spewed out onto the page.
How do you feel your career as a firefighter influences your music?
Ryan: My career, as much as I hate to admit, probably has influenced my music quite a bit. There’s a lot of really dark shit to deal with in emergency response. I’ve seen a lot of death, sometimes natural, sometimes not, but on the contrary, I’ve also been a part of saving lives. It’s an extreme polar bounce of emotions thinking of how it could have influenced. There was one really particular incident where my music and response crossed inadvertently. Years ago, without giving too many details, we worked a fatal car accident involving a young teenage driver. While I had been into heavy music most of my life at this point, I noticed in the deceased’s vehicle there was an album in the back seat, an album that I also owned at the time. That call has always haunted me for many reasons, but the connection of music between the driver and us trying to save them has really stuck with me. Sorry for being vague! It’s out of respect for the patient.
Let’s talk further back. What was it that first inspired you to create? Was there any particular band/artist, or a moment you remember thinking “that’s what I want to do”?
Ryan: To create, I feel like the best answer to this is the feeling or need to express. Behaviorally, I do feel I’ve always been reserved and almost empathetic or too in tune with how others are feeling or have felt. Creation and expression of the music reverses that for those moment and makes me feel powerful. Mentally, it’s helped me considerably to each day take time out to work on music and gotten me back on a track where I’m feeling confident and as if I can take on the world. Growing up, there was a turning point as far as artists that really inspired me. I grew up listening to my dad’s vinyl collection of Deep Purple, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and ZZ Top. These bands paved the way for me to get into Black Sabbath and the darker aspects of music. But two bands really solidified me and inspired me to play, and those were Metallica and Korn. These two bands made me want to pick up a guitar every day and play, particularly Metallica’s The Black Album, and Korn’s Life is Peachy.
While we’re discussing your musical tastes, I have to ask, just for fun, is there anyone you listen to that you think would surprise people?
Ryan: Well, as a teenager, I would never have admitted any sort of guilty pleasure. You know, the older I get – I really start to feel like none of my musical pleasure should be guilty (although it could be slightly embarrassing). I love the band The Police. Copeland was an amazing drummer, and I focus on it each time I hear the music. Also, country artist, if you would really call it that, Cody Jinks. Cody Jinks has some really deep stuff. He has very obviously been through some shit in his life, and his song “David” always strikes a cord with me because of my emergency response background. Essentially he, as a police officer, responds to the death of a childhood friend. Listen to the song and really explore it lyrically, really great stuff.
As far as songs that resonate, which one of your own tracks from the new album do you connect with the most? (If there is such a song.)
Ryan: “One Dark Highway,” without a doubt. Musically, the song was written at a super low point. It was my droning song to myself about being in the middle of a dark intersection in the middle of nowhere. Looking in all directions with no headlights, just darkness and a chill in the air. Lyrically, I had given Mike O’Brien the name of the song, and he wrote the corresponding lyrics without any sort of prompt from me other than the name, and the lyrics just sent it right home. “So I walk on this highway, searching for a change” gives me chills and is my favorite, beyond a shadow of a doubt.
What are your plans for the rest of 2023 and beyond?
Ryan: The rest of 2023 is getting used to the live performance aspect of the album. Generally I’ll just play the guitars live with a backing track. I’ve lined up some shows and am hammering out all of the kinks of performance like that. It’s still absolutely crazy to me when I see people vibing to the music I’m playing because it seems surreal. It was selfishly in a way written for me to get my emotional crap out, but people are resonating with it, and it’s odd to get used to it, but I love it.
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We Are The Virus dropped the debut album Civil Disobedience on August 18th. You can stream it here.
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