Seasons Of The Wolf Interview
By Steven Smith
With so many bands capturing the essence of the metal gods of old, how does Seasons Of The Wolf continue that energy and passion for that style of metal?
Skully / SOTW – We just enjoy doing what we do. And we have been at it for a while. No reason to stop because passion for creating more material has not faded. In fact it has only became stronger. You have to stay resilient. Just keep creating and getting it out there. You never know when something might hit big and take you to another level.
The material you guys create is both aggressive and melodic to its core, what is it like to record this type of creativity in the studio?
Skully / SOTW – Challenging, intriguing, and satisfying. Once a track comes to life it is very refreshing. It gives the feeling of accomplishment. And getting it packaged and released is fulfilling in all aspects. Once the recording process begins on a song the arrangements may change to make it better sonically.
Needs to be as clear as you can make it without sounding over produced. Keeping some dirt in there is what makes it human.
The interest in what you created is growing hugely it seems the last couple years. What would you say is causing the surge of interest in the band?
Skully / SOTW – A lot of material in the mainstream over the past ten years has become sterile in my opinion. Not enough dynamics. Too much production or not enough production. It seems a lot of people are coming of age and discovering music that has been surviving in the underground. At the same time help from 3 labels working together this time around in promotions is a big help. We went a long time between a new studio release. 10 years went by. But, during that time Pure Steel Records released two reissues on vinyl. The Self-Titled 1996 album came out on vinyl in 2009, and then Lost In Hell from 1999 came out on double vinyl in 2012. Witches Brew and Iron Shield Records teamed up and released the first two SOTW albums from 1988-1991 in a double disc package in 2014. That kept SOTW in the light with product still coming out during our long wait get Last Act Of Defiance out. Working with Thomas at Iron Shield Records has really helped SOTW this time around.
Your latest album, Last Act of Defiance, is a powerhouse of pure metal on metal attack! What elements do you feel this album captured from the previous albums and what stands out on it?
Skully / SOTW – Thanks – happy you feel that way about it. We always try to outdo the previous album without going to far off our chosen path. This album contains elements of Once In A Blue Moon and Nocturnal Revelation but pushes in a new direction with some more speedy material. Even so, we always throw on a couple instrumentals that are celestial / bizarre. No More Room In Hell is a example of more speed. It seems we are slowly getting faster and heavier without losing the creepy / spacey atmosphere.
What is the most difficulty you faced as a band when it comes to tours, playing, and the recording process?
Skully / SOTW – The writing and recording process is the easy part for us. Proper touring is a big problem with not much support from the industry in the past. We hope to change that by creating more demand over the next couple of years. It really all comes down to money. It costs a whole lot more to do a proper tour than it does to write, record, and release.
Do you have any shows or tours that you would like to invite the fans to come out and see?
Skully / SOTW – We are planning a open house studio show later in October this year to showcase brand new material for the next album. Mixed in will be some old fan favorites. We plan to do a special local invite for that show. We may make a video for the event. It is possible that Thomas from Iron Shield will be visiting again during that time. So, he will get to hear a lot of new material in a live setting. Later there may be a handful of local public shows. Brass Mug in Tampa, State Theatre in St. Petersburg, and maybe a couple others in Orlando and Gainesville. Mostly we are concentrating on getting another album out early next year and following it up after with as many live shows as possible. Europe is in our sights for 2019 and 2020.
If you describe the essence of the band with one sentence to convince others to pick up the material, what would that statement be?
Skully / SOTW – Seasons Of The Wolf is an aggressive, progressive, classic style, melodic, heavy metal band with a dark sci-fi edge. 🙂 We have been called many things. “Thinking Man’s Metal”, “Psycho Hippie Doom Metal”, New Age Metal, Power Metal, and just plain old Heavy Metal. I really think it depends on what the first song is that someone hears. We appreciate any attention given in the listening department. We are known to give the listening a roller coaster ride of stories and emotions. And we thank you for doing the interview. We appreciate the opportunity reach more ears. And hopefully in the future that will lead us to more live shows for the eyes and ears.
MHF Magazine/Steven Smith
