ENTHRONED
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By Martha Hughes MARTHA HUGHES: So, how's your new CD coming along? JOHN OSTER: Great! We are putting the final touches on it right now. It should be ready by the time this interview is printed. We will then send it out to labels for a new deal. MARTHA: Can you give me your current lineup and each member's background? JOHN: I'm John Oster, guitar, Lyle Livingston, keyboards, Tom Persons, bass and vocals; Cory Valdez, drums. I have an extensive metal and classical playing background as well as an education in classical music. Lyle also has extensive classical training. He used to be our vocalist until vocal chord nodes ended his singing ability. Tom joined after moving to California from Maryland, where he played guitar for Pessimist. (Tom also plays in side-project Mucus Membrane---M. Hughes). Cory joined seven years ago, formerly playing with Onyx. MARTHA: How would you describe Enthroned's sound? JOHN: It's quite unique! We mix death/black metal with classical, but to a far greater degree than most bands. Lyle plays keyboards throughout each song, not just for intros and atmosphere. Imagine a mix of Morbid Angel and JS Bach!!! MARTHA: When did Enthroned start? JOHN: In 1991. I had quit playing electric guitar out of boredom, but when I heard bands like Coroner, Slayer, Megadeth (when they were a metal band), I decided to try again. MARTHA: You were signed with Mad Lion Records from Poland, right? What happened with that? JOHN: Yes, we were/are! They agreed to produce 1000 cassettes and give us 125 as "payment." In two years, we have received 50 copies! I suggest staying away from them. We sent them a second demo, but they felt it too technical and complex... MARTHA: I need to ask you about your name. Since there is another band named Enthroned, do you have any plans of changing your band's name? JOHN: If they keep killing themselves, we won't have to! We may change it to Enthroned in Darkness as a last resort. MARTHA: Who writes your songs? Do you write them together or individually? JOHN: I used to write all of the music and most of the lyrics, but lately, Lyle and Tom have been contributing, so it's more of a group effort now. MARTHA: Your lyrics seem to tackle everything from bio-genetics to aliens to vampires. Where do you find inspiration or ideas for your songs? JOHN: Mostly from books and the news. I'll take a twisted idea from a novel and warp it even further! We try to make lyrics that are dark and thought- provoking, not just gory for gory's sake. MARTHA: My favorite Enthroned song, as your already know, is "Gothic Disturbance," a song about Vlad Dracul. Which is your favorite? JOHN: A new one entitled "Labyrinth Of Suffering." Judging from audience reactions, it's one of theirs, too! It's very furious and technical. MARTHA: Do you have any favorite books? Authors? JOHN: I like Anne Rice, Umberto Eco, Stephen King, Shakespeare, British Romantic Poets (Byron, Shelley, Browning, etc.), and Greek Tragedies. MARTHA: Regarding playing live, are there a lot of places to play locally? JOHN: No, only two or three. The promoters don't feel this extreme music attracts many fans, but we always pack the places! I would think they would get a clue after a while---this music has a relatively small but dedicated following. We've been frustrated when trying to bring nationally known bands to town (Suffocation, for instance). None seemed very interested, and the ones that reluctantly agreed wanted a $1000 bar guarantee, which is impossible with an all-ages show! We'll keep trying, though. MARTHA: What's next for Enthroned? JOHN: Several big shows, a new CD and look for T-shirts soon, too. MARTHA: Any advice you can give younger bands? JOHN: BE ORIGINAL!!! I get sick of hearing Pantera, Suffocation and Machine Head clones. Those bands are doing their thing, try doing yours! Bands can't help being influenced (Beethoven was influenced by Mozart at one time...) but you don't need to copy them. Also, try to make each song unique instead of writing the same one each time. It gets harder the longer you are around, but in the long run, the fans will appreciate it. We often play with bands that announce a new song which is identical to their five-year-old material. Enthroned takes great pains to avoid sounding like other bands and to make each song sound different from another...are we alone in this pursuit? Copyright 1999, BallBuster, The Official Int'l Underground Hard Music Report |
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