OUT OF LINE ZINE
Interview with Scott Hoffman:
1)I think that deep clean vocals would be more suited to your bands music.
Would you ever consider this?
I don't foresee us ever using clean vocals exclusively in Edenrot.
I think much of our music is aggressive enough to warrant harsh,
growled vocals, and I think Allan's rasp is one of the strong points
of our sound. We see the interplay between my growl, Allan's rasp, my clean vocals, and (most recently) Rose's clean vocals as a vital part of our style. By employing so many vocal styles, we can portray a wide range of emotions, and accentuate the mood of certain sections of music. My clean voice would not fit over a chaotic, blast-beat section, just as Allan's screams wouldn't make sense during our somber passages. So we use both. Our future material promises to be more varied than the songs on "The Land Where the Crow Starves" - including songs both faster and slower than we've yet done - so our range of vocal styles will become a more important and prominent part of our music.
2)I liked your letter to Metal Maniacs about the "accidental" placing of
boring, groove-oriented, melodically retarded, intellectually lacking,
technically devoid, mindlessly hostile "hard music" in Metal Maniacs.
Mike G's defense was weak. Whether metal 's place on television, etc.
is "rightful" or it should be an "elite-only" music is much debated.
However, I see no gain in allying ourselves with the likes of Korn.
"Powerpop" such as that is the opposite of heavy metal. The lies people
have said about metal for years are true of that form of music. To
call the Limp Bizkit ilk heavy metal would only confirm the mainstream's
false belief.
Thanks for the support. I couldn't agree with you more. The stigma of barbarism and stupidity long associated with heavy metal does indeed manifest itself in "yo-yo-yo metal", as I like to call it. I have discussed this issue with many other metalheads, and we've come to agree that the main point overlooked in this debate is that nearly all metal fans don't consider Korn, Limp Bizkit, Ultraspank, and so on to be metal bands. That's why such music shouldn't be covered in Metal Maniacs. I don't really have anything against these bands, per se; I find very little redeeming qualities in their music, but I'm not going to tell them to stop playing it. My problem is that these bands are a scene unto themselves. Even when asked, none call themselves metal bands, even if they have been influenced by metal. As such, they shouldn't be given editorial space in the only major US magazine still devoted to metal. Let them have the cover of Metal Edge, Rolling Stone, or some other more mainstream publication. We don't want 'em!
3)I've read that your music is death with black influence, but I would say
that it is death with doom influence. There are a few elements of doom
that are not commonplace of death within it. What would you say of
this?
I would agree with you before I would agree with those that say we
are death with black influence. I've read a lot of reviews that
desribe us as having elements of black metal in our sound, and I am
always surprised at this opinion. I think Allan's high-toned rasp is
the source of such comments, because we don't really resemble the
black metal style in any other way. We have few fast sections, and I
think the overall mood of our songs is less scathing and menacing than most black metal.
Our slow sections, my clean vocals, and even our note-choice in certain riffs definitely bear the stamp of doom metal. I love Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Anathema, and Solitude Aeturnus, so I think there will always be an element of doom in whatever I write. Though a lot of our new material is going to be faster than our previous output, there will be some very doom-y songs as well, hopefully featuring piano sections and female vocals.
4)Give me a history of your band. How did they form, How long have they
been together, etc.
We formed in January of 1994, while all of us were still attending the same high school in our small hometown of St. Marys, Pennsylvania. The original line-up was myself-guitar/vocals, Allan Ginther-guitar/vocals, Jim Boroi-drums, and Justin Martin-bass. We were practically the only metal fans in the area that happened to play instruments, so it was natural for us to start jamming together. We had a great time and decided to become a band. We were pretty young and inexperienced at that point, but we were having fun playing cover songs and writing some simple material of our own. After a while, we became more serious about the band, we could play our instruments better, and our songs improved. We played a lot of local shows (usually for about thirty of our friends), and eventually saved enough money to record our first album, "Ashes of Forever", a ten-song affair that features only harsh vocals and sounds more 'American'(less melodic) than our newer material. We released it ourselves on CD in November of 1996. Shortly after that, Justin left the band on good terms. He had been drifting away for Edenrot for some time, and it was clear he didn't have the desire to stick with the band past high school, so all involved decided it was best that he leave. Rose Mraz came on as a temporary replacement in early '97, and became our full-time bassist shortly thereafter. In August of the same year, we recorded "The Land Where the Crow Starves" EP, which was released by Twilight records in July of '98. Since then, we've been relatively inactive due to college and employment commitments. We did manage to record two tracks for "Maiden America", the double-disc Iron Maiden tribute/American metal compilation recently released on Twilight records. We did a cover of "Hallowed Be Thy Name" for the 'covers' disc, and a new song, "Aries Shield", for the 'originals' disc. At the moment, we're writing new material for our next full-length, and looking forward to a productive summer.
5)What is your goal as a band and as a person? (I know that sounds lame.)
As a person, I just want to lead a happy, productive life. I know that sounds cheesy, but there's no other way to put it. I hope I'll find a decent career/job doing something I enjoy, and I hope that I'll have lots of great experiences before I kick the bucket. The band is a big part of both of those concepts. Though I doubt Edenrot will ever be my full-time job, it will be the focus of most of my energy for as long as possible. Looking into the future, we will be content as long as we can keep writing music, and convince someone to release it. Ultimately, I want Edenrot to leave some creative contribution to the metal genre, no matter how small. That would make me feel like we had accomplished something worthwhile.
6)Your lyrics are much more thought-provoking than is the death metal norm.
How do you accomplish this?
When I write lyrics, I try to come up with something intelligent and thought-provoking that matches the music we play. I've always enjoyed bands whose lyrics suggest deeper meanings, pose interesting questions, and most importantly, reflect some sort of emotion. Allan and I try to do the same thing with our lyrics. I sometimes use a story about fictional characters as a metaphor for something in my life or the human experience in general. Other times I write more literally, but I prefer a figurative approach. I try to imply a broad meaning or emotion with my lyrics, and hope that the listener will interpret them more specifically, making it relevant to their own life. I try to write lyrics that make sense when read off a page or heard in a song, and I try to write something I won't be embarassed to sing! Another element I consider when writing lyrics is the actual sound of the words when sung/growled, and how this and the placement of the words fits the music. I believe the form and delivery of the lyrics is almost as important as the message, especially in metal, where the vocals are more of an instrument than a narrative device.
7)What's going on several minutes after "Crosses of Ice"?
That's a live version of "Pagan's Poem", a song from our debut album. It was recorded at The Rock in Clearfield, PA, a 100 year old prison turned club, complete with bars and cells and stone walls. Sadly, it's closed since that recording was made. We know the sound quality of the live track isn't so hot, but we wanted to put it on the EP for our old fans and for our own amusement. The screeching, fuzzy noise at the start of the song is the sound of my effects pedal after water has been spilled on it!
8)Tour plans. Who? Where? When? (After your planned "break.)
We tried to set up a small tour for the end of last summer, but so many things fell through that we ended up with just one damn show to play! Most of the clubs we called gave us the run-around treatment, or weren't booking metal for a while, and some of the bands that we had once gotten shows for were unable to return the favor when we needed it. So much for the close-knit underground. I don't think we'll try to book our own tour again, simply because it was too much of a headache. We would jump at the chance to tour in support of a more established act, but such opportunities are few and far between. We've played very few shows since last summer, because of college and work commitments. We're hoping to gig a lot this summer, but our focus will be on writing the new album.
9)How is it you manage to create good music with a female in your band?
I assume your comment is in jest (at least I hope it is), but I'll agree that women don't have the best track record in metal. But on the other hand, I can think of more good metal bands with female members than bad ones. The Gathering (up until their new hippy-shit), Within Temptation, Forty Days Longing, Garden of Shadows, Bolt Thrower, and Crisis have all put out great music, music that outweighs the crap propagated by bands like Drain S.T.H., Theatre of Tragedy, Coal Chamber, and the Genitorturers. Rose holds her own in Edenrot, and is a great mediator during band disagreements. Though she hasn't written much material yet, she brings in ideas inspired by classical and even popular music that we wouldn't have come up with otherwise.
She also plays the upright bass and sings rather well, and both talents will be displayed on our next album.
10)How much pale makeup and black lipstick/eye surrounder does she have on
in the photo on the back of The Land Where the Crow Starves?
Actually, she's not wearing much make-up at all in that photo. Her skin is naturally very pale, even in the summer, her lipstick is a very dark red, and the shadows around her eyes are mostly due to the lighting in the picture. When did this turn into a fashion magazine?
11)Why is she going for the "goth" look?
I don't think she considers the way she looks 'goth' or whatever, it's just how she chooses to present herself. In her daily life, she often looks just as she does in that photo, and equally as often appears drastically different. I imagine she looks the way she does in the band photo because that image fits with the rest of the band, and with the music. I don't feel qualified to speak further about Rose's style of dress, and I don't feel like I should have to explain her appearance, as I'd rather be talking about Edenrot's MUSIC. If you want to talk to her about the band photo in question, I'm sure I can arrange something. She'll certainly tell you what she thinks about this line of questioning.
12)In your opinion, who is in the elite of metal bands today?
I think there are a lot of bands out now that are really pushing the boundaries of metal, and creating some exciting music that will influence future artists. Emperor have obviously made a huge impact on the metal scene, and I think most of the hype surrounding them is deserved. Satyricon and Enslaved are two other extremely important, though often overlooked black metal acts that have been creating some really memorable music. December Wolves' new album is a masterpiece of aggressive metal, possibly being the first record to nail the black/thrash thing. Borknagar are writing music that I think is truly unique in the metal scene, though their last two albums are a bit too similar. As far as the Swedish stuff goes, In Flames are great, and Dark Tranquillity is another overlooked gem. Almost no one has heard of Poland's Sirrah, whose "Did Tomorrow Come?" album is difficult to categorize but better than 90% of the stuff released by Relapse, Nuclear Blast, and Century Media put together. Bruce Dickinson's latest album is incredible, one of few records that actually fits the overused "metal for the '90s" tag. For me, the most important band of the decade is Germany's Blind Guardian, who have released one epic power metal album after another, each one better than the last. Their latest, "Nightfall in Middle-Earth", is one of my favorite discs of all time, and is the ultimate in orchestrated, elaborate, rousing heavy metal. Everyone who thinks Hammerfall is a good power metal band should check out any of the last four Blind Guardian albums, and prepare to shit their pants.
13)Will Dawnbringer ever paint their own paintings or forever remain in the
frame business?
I don't completely understand this question, but I assume you're suggesting that Dawnbringer copies other bands to arrive at its own style. I can distance myself from Dawnbringer albums because I don't write any of the music for the band, but I can't be totally objective about the material because I've played guitar in the band for some time now. When looking at Dawnbringer's music from an "outsider's" perspective, I see where one could identify the influence of other bands in the music, but I don't feel that Dawnbringer rips off any particular group, or simply "frames" the work of others. Actually, I find Dawnbringer's music to be quite original in comparison to the rest of today's underground scene. I think Dawnbringer builds on the work of those that came before, just as any band does. Different influences are drawn together and reformulated by the unique vision of a new creator, and a 'sound' develops. If you want a more specific answer than that, you'll have to interview John Weston, the man behind Dawnbringer.
14)Is "Succession" about a specific event or person?
"Succession" isn't about a specific person or event, it's more of a story that uses representative characters to deal with the topic of responsibility and betrayal. I suppose it subconsciously has something to do with a real experience from my own life, but I didn't have a particular one in mind when I wrote my part of the lyrics. I think the story is written in such a way that one can read it at face value, as a tale about a doomed king, or one can ascribe their own meaning to the lyrics, making them relevant to their own life.
15)What was your childhood like?
I was raised by hyenas until I was 7, when the Monty Python cast rescued me from certain death... Actually, I was adopted as a baby, and grew up as an only child in a middle-class home in semi-rural Pennsylvania. With no siblings and few neighborhood kids to play with, I watched a LOT of TV as a youth, which has probably had many adverse effects on me. I went to a private Catholic school until 5th grade, and attended public school from then on. I was a smart, shy kid who liked to read and play with toy guns, G.I. Joes, He-Man stuff, and LEGOs. I was deathly afraid of horror movies and characters until middle school, which is interesting considering I became involved with the style of music most associated with themes of horror and evil. I don't know what else to tell you. I feel like I'm on a psychiatrist's couch..."Tell me about your mother..."
16)In what way did you first become interested in music?
In grade school, a couple of my friends' parents were into Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Ratt, Motley Crue, and a lot of other hard rock, so I was exposed to a lot of that stuff at their houses, and enjoyed most of it. My parents always listened to country and oldies, which never appealed to me. I wasn't really interested in music until 7th or 8th grade, when someone played me Megadeth's "Rust in Peace" album. For some reason, that took hold of me, and I bought said album and "Peace Sells...", and there was no turning back. Those are still two of my favorite albums today. Gradually, I was exposed to other 'mainstream' metal acts like Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, and such, and I befriended other metal fans. In a short time, I wanted to play guitar, although I ended up buying a crappy bass and playing that for a year or so. The album that made me want to write my own songs was Paradise Lost's "Gothic". The epic, doomy power of that record really had an effect on me, as proven by the Paradise Lost influence that can be heard in Edenrot's music. Looking back, I can hardly believe that music didn't always play a huge role in my life. My life has practically revolved around music for 6 or 7 years now, and I know that I'll never be able to live without it from here on out.
17)If it wasn't metal from the start, how did it become metal? How were the
underground forms lead to?
It's an old story: boy meets guitar, boy plays guitar, boy plays guitar ever louder and faster while singing/yelling, and someone calls it 'metal'. I don't have the patience or time to dissect the history of metal at the moment, because a quality analysis would take pages, and mine would certainly be inaccurate. Most of us know about Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Alice Cooper, and Judas Priest, and how their music inspired fans to create heavier and heavier forms of metal, which gradually involved into the umpteen sub-genres that exist today. I'd rather simply listen to the music of the past, and draw on it to create music for the present. While history is important, I don't feel the need to turn metal into a field of study - I'm sick of school as it is.
18)What bands were you a part of before Edenrot? Describe those.
Edenrot was actually my first band. I jammed with a different group of guys at about the same time Edenrot started, but that never turned into a 'band'. We just learned a couple of covers and goofed off. We were unskilled beginning musicians, so progress was slow. The fun wore off after a few months, and we quit jamming.
19)In your opinion, which five religions are the least despicable?
I don't really find any form of organized religion despicable in and of itself, it's some of the people involved that deserve criticism. I think spirituality, independent of any religion, is a very good thing that ties in with self-confidence and contributes to a meaningful life. Religion is a useful tool for guiding and strengthening the spirituality of those who can't do so on their own. It is when religion becomes involved in political issues (which it invariably does) that despicable things like holy wars occur. Because organized religions are structured and have leaders, power becomes a factor, and we see supposedly noble human beings trying to impose their values and beliefs on others. If people believed in themselves a little more, organized religion would no longer be necessary. Religion is a way to give structure and meaning to the world and one's own life - but each person can do that on their own, without an old guy in a robe, candles, or a boring old book.
20)Which school of Psychology do you lean towards most?
I'm trying to think back to the introductory psychology course I had here at college...let's see, there's Behaviorism, the Freud school, the Jung School...I can't remember any more than that. I really don't have a favorite. All of them had their good points as well as flaws. Freud's cool because he always thought about sex, much like myself. I heard something about a psychology study done with mice where one group was exposed to Mozart or Beethoven for a period of time, and they performed better in a maze than a group of mice that weren't exposed to any music at all. A third group was exposed to lots of Anthrax (I don't know which album), and did terribly in the maze, even fighting each other!
21)Do you like any non-metal forms of music? If so, name them.
I listen to metal most of the time, but I like any music that catches my ear, regardless of genre. I like a lot of classical music, though I'm not as familiar with it as I'd like to be (Berlioz rocks, though). I like certain non-metal artists and bands, like U2, The Cranberries, Tori Amos, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Queen, Aerosmith, and Enya. I like rock and pop more than metal's closest cousins, hardcore and punk.
22)Who are the prettiest males in metal today?
Most of the guys in metal today are pretty ugly, since the decline of the hair bands. And all the facepaint, spikes, and sneering don't help either. Peter Steele seems to be popular with the ladies, but I think he's a bit scary looking. Ripper Owens has that 80's 'frontman' look, as does Andy Derris of Helloween. I think Mortiis might be the cutest guy in metal at the moment - all that wicked witch makeup really makes the girls wild!
23)Which children's shows/cartoons did you watch as a child (ex. The Smurfs,
Sesame Street)
In my early childhood, it was The Smurfs, Sesame Street, Romp-a-Room, and so on. But the important shows came a little later on...G.I. Joe, He-Man, Transformers, M.A.S.K., Thundercats, Robotech, Voltron, Go-Bots...those were the classics. Cartoon violence is essential for healthy young children!
24)If you could cause of aspect of all humans (anything mental, physical,
emotional etc. I want specific though, not "mental" or "physical".)to
become operate at the ultimate possible level, what aspect would this
be?
I don't know if the world would be much fun if we had ultimate reasoning or strength or what have you. Our shortcomings and weaknesses are part of who we are, part of what makes life interesting. It might be nice if our memories were augmented, so that we could recall more things for a longer period of time. Such a trait would probably enhance our learning, and maybe eliminate the need for cameras... There's a danger, though, in being too intelligent. We've screwed up the world enough already with the knowledge we have; a world of geniuses would be no good if self-control did not increase proportionally as well.
25)What do you hate most about the vast majority of the human race?
I can't stand our collective self-importance. We think that parts are more important than the whole. A person thinks their family is more important than the next, and their nation is more important than another, and their race is better, and that humans in general are worth more than animals and plants and the earth itself. It should be the other way around. While your own life and the tiny bit of the world you're aware of are the most important things to you, they mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. I think we should never forget our insignifigance. If we live with that in mind, we can actually be more free.
26)What is the meaning of life?
I'd like to say something profound, but the only things that are coming to mind are trite (although often valuable) phrases like "live for the moment", and "Do unto others...". King Fowley has often said "Kill and Fuck for Metal", and I think those are pretty good words to live by.
27)What does heavy metal mean to you?
Heavy metal is very close to religion for me. It's at the center of my life and most things I do. It's about strength and courage and unity, not moshing or violence. It's majestic and powerful, the most energetic and empowering style of music, in my opinion. It's a world unto itself, with its own 'uniform' and culture. Heavy metal is about listening to "Aces High" on full-blast, pumping your fist and singing along.
28)If you could try homosexuality just once to see if you liked it without
anyone knowing about it, would you?
I never thought about it. What are you doing later, big boy?
29)If you would never get caught, how many humans would you remove from existence?
Hmm...I don't know. How many people work for MTV? How about Congress?
30)What does the phrase "My Little Pony" mean to you?
It has something to do with the sexual attraction between women and horses, which is cultivated at an early age and later realized in videos with names like "Barnyard Escapades #7" and "Debbie Does Donkeys".
31)Cat or dog? (platonic preference and sexual preference)
Call me an idiot, but I don't know what 'cat' and 'dog' mean in platonic and sexual contexts. As far as pets go, I like both, but prefer dogs. My favorite dogs are wound-up little ones like Chihuahuas and Pomeranians, because they're just damn funny to watch.
32)Roman or Greek?
Again, I don't have a clue what this question is really asking. Maybe I've been living under a rock for too long. In a metal context, I like Greece's Rotting Christ (but only the "Triarchy.." album), and Italy's Opera IX and Rhapsody.
33)Is death just another birthday?
I'd like to think so, but who knows? I'm just wondering if they leave enough room in the coffin for the party hat, and how I'm going to eat my cake.