WHORE OF BETHLEHEM (Eng.)

1- Hello, thanks for answering to our questions. What are you guys currently up to?

“Sure thing! As of right now we are gearing up to play several local dates as well as a Midwest tour in support of our debut album, Upon Judas’ Throne. We are also hard at work writing songs for a follow-up album”

2- First off, could you make some history of the band?

Whore of Bethlehem officially formed in 2011 and started playing shows, but the roots of the band go back a little further than that. Rene and I (Ryan) were in a band called Scattered Remains that released two albums. I was actually the singer of the band, but decided that I wanted to do a side project where I would be just the guitar player. We ended up recording a demo of the song “Hideous Resurrection” which would set the tone for our later material. At that time, however, we had no intention of forming a band around it, and it wasn’t until a couple of years later that we got a lineup together and starting writing material that ended up making it onto this album. We went on to play TONS of gigs in the Austin, TX area and established ourselves as a reliable and professional band. I think people could tell from the beginning that we were taking things seriously and the support we received has always been strong. Eventually we went through some lineup changes, Phil joined on 2nd guitar coming over from one of Rene’s previous bands and shortly afterwards James (vocals) and Ellis (bass) came on board.

3- How could you describe your sound?

I would probably call it black death metal. We definitely have the fast, heavy elements of death metal, but with a black metal twist to it.

4- What are the band’s main musical influences?

We all have our own personal influences, but as a whole I would say that our sound is heavily rooted in the early 90’s death and black metal traditions. Morbid Angel, Dissection, Vader, Angelcorpse, Immolation, Dark Funeral, Carcass, Monstrosity, Death, Disincarnate, and Suffocation would be the first ones that come to mind.

5- How is the feedback for your new album being?

The feedback has been very positive so far. We self-released the album, so right now we have only sold copies amongst our local following. There are a couple reviews online and it seems like people are really enjoying what we are doing. We are currently sending out more copies of the album for reviews and some more exposure, so hopefully everyone will like it!

6- And are your personally satisfied with the final outcome?

Yes, I am very satisfied with the outcome. We really put our hearts and souls into these songs, and there was a point where I wondered if we would actually ever get it released. I went through a lot of personal turmoil during the writing and recording of this album, and now to have a finished product feels really good.

7- How could you describe this opus in just 3 words?

Fast, evil, crushing.

8- How has the production process for your new release been?

The production process itself went quite smoothly. We took a few months in between recording sessions due to personal issues and lineup changes, but the guy that recorded the album, Michael Day, was very understanding with our schedules and really believed in the project. He did an amazing job with the production, and every member had a great performance.

9- And how do you use to work on the songwriting?

I wrote the majority of the riffs and Rene wrote all the drums (as well as helped me with arrangements) on this album several years ago. We knocked a bunch of them out at once and then they just kind of evolved over the years with each new member adding their touch. Once Phil joined the band him and I started writing together, and the result was something much better than before. The last two songs that we wrote for the album were the title, track, “Storm of Plague,” and we did them as a collaboration between Phil and I. So far we have 4 new songs that are not on the record, and Phil has really stepped up as a great songwriter. Then James writes the lyrics once the music is all completed.

10 – Finally, what are you near-future plans?

Well, we have some really killer shows coming up with Suffocation, Pyrexia, Internal Bleeding, Deicide, Septic Flesh, etc. After those, we are going on a week long mini-tour of the Midwest United States. You can check our website, www.whoreofbethlehem.com for a complete list of dates. Also, we are just trying to really promote the album as well as working on new material. As you can see, we are quite busy! Haha

11- That’s all from our side, thanks again for taking your time to answer our questions. If you now want to add some final words; feel free to do it.

Thanks for the interview, see y’all on the road!