– Hello, thanks for your time. What’s currently going on in the LORD VICAR’s camp?

Hi, we always have time to answer a few questions. I just came back home after a heavy day of rehearsals, substance abuse and overwhelming feeling of having to set things straight. In the LV camp, a lot of things really. We’ve just released our second album, The Signs of Osiris, which is a step forward from anything we’ve done so far. I think I can speak for all of the band when I say we’re very proud of this new baby. Other than that, distances are taking a toll. As we speak, our drummer is moving to Kuwait, so things are a bit more complicated right now, though I’m sure we will prevail.

– First of all, I would like you to share some history of the band. How did such well-known names into the Doom Metal scene get together?

Oh well, when our guitar players former band disbanded because of inner turmoil and such, he decided he still wants to play heavy metal. So he basicallly contacted some people who share the same interests and it all clicked very well during our first get together so we just kind of went on from there. There was instant chemistry when we played together so it all kind of had to work out.

 

– You have recently released your second full-length album, “Signs of Osiris”. After a couple of months since it was released; how’s its feedback being?

Well, everything I’m hearing so far is positive, but that was expected. We had the chance to put a little more effort on this one than the first one so it came out more like we wanted to. Also within the band there is a strong feeling of direction now, it’s taken us here now and we’re curious of where it will lead us next.

 

– This new album seems to be more well-cared, like if it was more thought behind it, which makes it sound more mature. Maybe these 3 years since “Fear no Pain” was released have had something to do with that?

In my opinion, this has more to do with getting to know the rest of the band and what they actually are upto. When we wrote the songs for this one, there was more of an idea present as to what Lord Vicar is as a band, who we are and what we want to do. Not to diss the first album in any way, this one I believe was more of a band album as the first one, which was relying more on Kimis songwriting. Here we all get to express ourselves a little further.

 

– Anyway, your previous “Fear no Pain” was a superb effort as well; did you expect such success or did you already know that you created something with actual quality?

Well, like I said, the first time we went into a rehearsal room, it instantly felt right in many ways. Some of the songs on Fear No Pain are probably some of the best any of us will ever write. We strive to go forward though, what we have going on here now is something special and I hope that feeling will come to life with our future recordings as well.

 

– Most of you are hailing from different countries; how do you organize?

Well, we try to play together before any gigs we do. Before recording the album, we had a good weeks rehearsal, going through the material. Might sound like not much to anyone else doing a band but we are sort of accustomed to the way it is by now. Other than these short times together, it is up to us individually to stay in shape. It seems to be working out somewhat right now and we feel we have a lot more to give.

 

– And due to this, how was the songwriting process for “Signs of Osiris”?

The way we work with new material differs from some other bands a little. We write our songs individually, then try to find time to work as a band on them. There’s not much jamming, the idea is pretty much there when we present a demo to one another. All of us seem to know what we are doing, I think this has to do with all the other bands we all are in, when you write a song for LV you are conciously doing just that. There is a refined sound for this band and a way thing should sound and all of us get the vibe in some way. The outcome of that can be heard on Signs of Osiris.

 

– I would also like you to comment a bit on the album’s artwork; its meaning, who crafted this piece, etc.

The cover art is Arthur Hackers painting, «And there was a Great Cry in Egypt» It catches the mood of this album quite nicely, violence is imminent in that picture as well as in the music. (and in life generally.)

 

– And how does the art fit the concept behind the album? Could you elaborate a bit on it?

Well, The Angel of Death is violent, this album has a theme of violence, need i go further?

 

– In fact your lyrics have always seemed to be influenced by mythology or literature (among other different things). What authors, themes, etc. do you draw inspiration from for your lyrics?

There are four individuals writing their own stuff for Lord Vicar. So there is really a plethora of things that influence us. The most important probably are life and the way it treats us, some of our favorite authors and movies and history and the things it tries to teach us.

 

– Musically I could say you play a raw and old school Doom Metal but, beside the most classical bands; what are some of your musical influences?

We take in all we can and are able to, so again, there are loads of things that influence us. Let’s just say that at the moment, we seem to be going to a more 70’s direction with our material. Personally I love that era, the way all the stuff labeled nowadays with different things used to be called Rock’n Roll or Hard Rock back in the day. A lot of the music played back then is still suprerior to contemporary work so I find this a good way to be looking at.

 

– The US have always had a really good and renowned Doom Metal scene, but the Finnish scene seems to be becoming even stronger with but, do you have a concrete favourite scene? How do you see the current Finnish quarry?

The Finnish Doom Metal scene used to be basically non-existent just a few years ago, nowadays you can maybe say there is such a thing as a doom metal scene in Finland. This I guess is mostly due to Reverend Bizarre and their great work on the style, not forgetting their relentless battle to try and see things clearly, something that is very much lost overall in our society nowadays, where people get a bit of everything but find it very difficult to focus on anything for more than the duration of a song, or less.

As for a favorite scene, I can honestly say I couldn’t care less. A scene is made up by people who believe in and love something. While this is all good and noteworthy, I will be happy as long as I don’t have to take part in anything like that and I’m allowed to do what I want musically.

Some of the current Finnish bands bear mighty potential but somehow I tend to expect more of them than they give out. Same goes for bands from other countries though so I guess people would need to be more focused and really just let their minds wander about and around the stuff they’re writing, at least to me contemplation often gives out the best results.

 

– Finally, what are the near-future plans for LORD VICAR?

In the near future, we will be supporting Pentagram here in Finland in early December for a gig or two. Mind you, these gigs will be played with with Jari from Reverend Bizarre on drums since Gareth can’t make it due to work commitments. After that we will be quiet for some time, before we hit the road in April 2012. We will be touring in that month with our labelmates Sigiriya and Orchid, anyone who has a chance should come and see those gigs, three excellent bands playing rock’n roll as it’s supposed to be. This tour will take place in most of Europe, culminating at the Mecca of heavy rock these days, the Roadburn festival in Tilburg, the Netherlands. There is also a US tour in plans for next year so hopefully this will happen and we’ll bring the thunder to all of you there as well.

 

– That has been all from my side, thanks once more for taking the time. If you now want to add some final words, feel free to do it.

Thank you for the opportunity to take part in your interview. It is always nice to set things straight to anyone interested. Hope to meet as many good people as we have so far during 2012 and genuinely, when you spin the new Lord Vicar, I hope you all will feel better as a result. The only thing left to do in this strange world we live in is to find more good things to convey to anyone listening. There are a lot of wrong things that get too much attention nowadays, I hope there is some light to all this and if anyone finds it through our work, we have accomplished our mission.

Thanks,

Jussi Myllykoski

Lord Vicar

Sergio Fernández

sergio@queensofsteel.com

 

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