…bridging the heavens and the underworld: an Interview with Clay Cushman of THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNIR

By seamlessly combining characteristics of traditional metal, doom, folk, and ambient psychedelia with thematic elements rooted firmly in Scandinavian mythology Colorado’s The Flight of Sleipnir are a singularly unique band that knows no limits. Their latest, ‘Saga’, is the band’s most varied and impressive work to date. The duo of Clay Cushman and David Csicsely have not only crafted their finest release, but one of the finest albums of the year—not an easy feat considering some of the great releases thus far…

SM: First of all, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for Temple of Perdition, especially with Denver Doom Fest III looming on the horizon and the writing of new material for your next full-length. Your latest, ‘Saga’, is arguably the band’s most diverse and atmospheric album to date. Was this an intentional move or simply the result of working out the compositions prior to recording?

CC: Our approach to this album was very similar to the last few, the only real difference being that we spent a lot more time mapping out the songs that we had written to fit the storyline, then filling in any gaps that appeared. I think we might have intended to be a little heavier on this album too. 

SM: Not only is ‘Saga’ incredibly diverse, but it also includes some of the band’s mellowest and most psychedelic compositions thus far. Who are some of the atypical artists or bands—those that fall outside of the realm of metal—that TFoS would cite as an influence or, at the very least, that you hold in high regard?

CC: In terms of non-metal bands I personally hold in high regard: Smashing Pumpkins (as they do whatever the fuck they want and their albums are very diverse), Richard D James (aka Aphex Twin), and I think around the time of SAGA I was also listening to Derek and the Dominoes, Rush, some 1960’s California psychedelic music…

SM: TFoS has covered both Pink Floyd and Pentagram in the past. Are there any other artists that the band would consider covering in the future or any attempts that didn’t work out in the past?

CC: We’ve toyed with the idea of covering King Crimson and The Beatles, but we have been mostly focusing on original material lately. However, we may cover a Bathory tune at an upcoming live show just for the hell of it.

SM: Earlier this summer TFoS embarked on a brief tour hitting up parts of the Midwest and the East Coast. How was the overall experience and, in particular, how was the Martyrdoom Fest in New York?

CC: For our first venture to the east, it went fairly well (except for the van breaking down before we even left Colorado). Every tour has its ups and downs, but in almost all of the towns we were met with at least a handful of enthusiastic fans. Martyrdoom had a great turnout. Next time we may do it a little differently.

SM: So far 2013 has been a great year for heavy music and ‘Saga’ is one of the best releases to date. Are there any bands or albums in particular that have caught your ear so far or any albums still to be released that you’re looking forward to?

CC: I still need to check out the new Ulver album that just came out. I would love for Sleep to do a new one but I doubt it will happen. A new album by Darkspace would be nice. I want to check out the live High on Fire albums that just came out… I usually just look for albums with interesting cover art these days- I found one this year from an obscure band from the 1970’s called Medusa- black felt gatefold, it’s an interesting listen, sort of an “occult rock” type thing.

SM: Congratulations on signing with Napalm Records/Spinning Goblin Productions. Hopefully this move will bring The Flight of Sleipnir’s music to a larger audience. Your response to leaving the band’s former label was that “…we knew it was time to move on to achieve some of the many goals we have.” What other accomplishments or goals does the band have on the agenda?

CC: Thank you, we are certainly excited about it. One of the main goals is bringing our band to Europe to play some shows, which Napalm is 100% behind doing.

SM: How are the new songs coming together? At this point can you reveal anything about the direction the band is headed or any major influences for the new album?

CC: We have probably 40% to 50% of the material hashed out. We have been very active with live shows lately so it’s not going as quickly as previous albums. It’s hard to really say where the direction of the album is headed- David and I are taking a more “sonic” approach this time around… and there are two drum sets!

SM: Again, thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions. Any last thoughts on future recordings, upcoming gigs, or anything else that I might have missed?

CC: We deeply appreciate the support and interest. Keep an eye out for us in Europe in 2014, there might be some more surprises around the bend. Cheers!

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 Photo credit: Kelly Schilling/Astral Aurora Photography

From beyond the mists of Niflheim: THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNIR "Saga"

The psych-metal duo of Clayton Cushman and David Csicsely—better known as The Flight of Sleipnir—are about to unleash their fourth full-length album, ‘Saga’. Over the span of three full-lengths, a collection of rare EPs and a demo, and a three-way split with both Apostle of Solitude and Rituals of the Oak, The Flight of Sleipnir have meticulously crafted and honed a distinct and unique sound that effortlessly combines psychedelia, folk, doom, and traditional metal all of which is heavily influenced by Norse mythology. While the band’s discography is both solid and consistent, they have yet to top their debut, ‘Algiz + Berkanan’. At least, until now. ‘Saga’ is easily the band’s most varied and expansive release to date and makes a tremendous leap in terms of progression and atmosphere.

The appropriately titled “Prologue” kicks off ‘Saga’ with a rising tide of feedback before The Flight of Sleipnir unleash a two-and-a-half minute onslaught of heavy riffs that are centered around Cushman’s distinctive howl. This is The Flight of Sleipnir at their heaviest and catchiest. The song is ultimately balanced with the clean vocals of Csicsely who overall makes a greater vocal contribution than on previous releases and to great effect. The following two tracks, “Reaffirmation” and “Reverence”, perfectly complement each other and continues The Flight of Sleipnir’s trend of incorporating a vaster amount of acoustic instrumentation over the span of their releases. The main difference between the softer, melodic songs of ‘Essence of Nine’ and those found on ‘Saga’ is that the newer tunes are more memorable and they possess an ethereal beauty that surpasses most of the band’s previous material. “Reverence” is easily one of the album’s strongest tracks and is driven by an excellent vocal melody and Csicsely’s drumming before embracing a multi-layered, blissed-out guitar climax.

The majority of ‘Saga’ could not be mistaken for the work of any band other than The Flight of Sleipnir. Their signature sound is all over this release—particularly during the heavier tracks—as evidenced by songs such as “Harrowing Desperation”, “Judgment”, “Demise Carries with it a Song”, and “Hour of Cessation”. The Flight of Sleipnir have clearly carved out their niche on previous releases and now, on ‘Saga’, they are exploring textures and expanding their palette. While each song of the album is intrinsically engaging on its own, it is the slower, acoustic tracks in particular that really carries this album and separates it from its predecessors. “The Mountain”, for example, is perhaps the moodiest track ever composed by the band by relying heavily on a beautifully melancholic acoustic composition and clean vocals provided mainly by Cushman. The absence of drums simply adds to the haunting atmospherics and adds depth to the album. The tenth song of the album, “Remission”, finds the band crafting a concise, yet heartfelt instrumental track that is embellished with an emotive combination of steel and lead guitar. Whereas ‘Saga’ began in thunderous fashion with the “Prologue”, the closing “Epilogue” is primarily a moodier affair, but definitely isn’t lacking in heft, especially during the latter half of the tune as it closes out with a shoegaze inspired wailing wall of sound.

‘Saga’ is by far The Flight of Sleipnir’s longest work to date and it is majestic and epic in scope. Despite its hour run time there is not a wasted minute to be found on the band’s fourth full-length nor is there anything that could be considered a misstep. The duo has meticulously crafted a beautiful album that ups the ante in terms of overall atmosphere and song craft while leaving an indelible impression on the listener. Not to take away from The Flight of Sleipnir’s previous releases, but ‘Saga’ easily transcends the remainder of the band’s discography. This is 10-out-of-10 material and should be available February 15th through Eyes Like Snow.

Words: Steve Miller

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... The horn of Heimdallr calls : THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNIR – ‘Ascension’

Colorado’s folk-influenced, psychedelic metal conjuring duo of Clayton Cushman and David Csicsely—collectivelly known as The Flight of Sleipnir—have, courtesy of Eyes Like Snow Records, reissued their extremely rare, self-released ‘Wisdom Calls for Sacrifice’ demo, the just as scarce ‘Winter Solstice II’ EP, along with the additions of a cover version of Pentagram’s “Be Forewarned” and a live rendition of their epic tune “Algiz” under the banner ‘Ascension’. For the uninitiated, The Flight of Sleipnir plays a unique blend of doomy psychedelia that is heavily accented with ethereal passages of progressive, folk-influenced instrumentation. Vocally, the band utilizes both clean and harsh vocals to superb effect and finds much of their lyrical inspiration from the sagas and eddas of Norse mythology. Despite their influences, it would be lazy to categorize The Flight of Sleipnir as mere “Viking metal” as the band remains unparalleled in their approach and execution.

The first three tracks of ‘Ascension’ are culled from the ‘Wisdom Calls for Sacrifice’ demo with the notable exclusion of a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Echoes”. “The Deceiver, the Blind, and the Beloved”, “At the Roots of the Ash Tree”, and “Thyrm’s Bane” offer a glimpse into the early machinations of the duo. Sound-wise these tracks are above and beyond typical demo quality, though the production is a bit more harsh and “crunchy” compared to what will follow on subsequent releases. Despite what can only be deemed as a more primitive or primordial sound, the signature elements of what makes The Flight of Sleipnir so great are deeply ingrained in these tracks from the use of harsh and clean singing to sweeping steel guitar embellishments and ghostly, forlorn backing vocals.

The seven tracks that make up the ‘Wisdom Calls for Sacrifice’ demo and the ‘Winter Solstice II’ EP are cleft in twain by the official release of the band’s rendition of Pentagram’s classic tune “Be Forewarned”. Of all of the songs in Pentagram’s vast catalogue, “Be Forewarned” is probably the best suited for The Flight of Sleipnir’s modus operandi. The end result is a faithful adaptation of the ‘First Daze Here’ version of the song both musically and vocally. While it would have been interesting to see the band take a more eclectic approach to covering the tune by adding more of their signature elements, the band cannot be faulted for faithfully paying homage to a great band and song.

“Winding Path”, “Among the Slain We are Chosen”, “Within the Fires of Muspell”, and “Let Us Drink Till We Die”, originally collected as the ‘Winter Solstice II’ EP, begin to round out the latter half of ‘Ascension’. Here, the band is beginning to find and ultimately refine their sound. The production is more akin to the releases that will eventually follow, but the band is arguably heavier than anything to be found amongst the tracks of both ‘Lore’ and the ‘Essence of Nine’, save perhaps the initial, traditional sounding composition of “Let Us Drink Till We Die”. The most significant leap the band makes is in regards to their vocals, particularly the harsher vocal delivery of Clayton Cushman and this really comes across on the hypnotic sixth track, “Among the Slain We are Chosen”. While the three tracks of ‘Wisdom Calls for Sacrifice’ are undoubtedly and unmistakably the products of The Flight of Sleipnir, it is the four tracks of the ‘Winter Solstice II’ Ep that truly mark the band’s arrival.

‘Ascension’ closes out with a live arrangement of the band’s epic, “Algiz”. The quality of the track is stellar and the end result is a moving, gloriously executed slab of crushing, yet trippy metal. The inclusion of a live version of “Algiz” is a fine representation of how the band sounds in a live setting where they sacrifice some of the folk-influenced, softer moments in favor of metallic heft.

With each release The Flight of Sleipnir continues to solidify and refine their sound into a wholly unique vision. Due to the band’s influences and their consequent arrangements The Flight of Sleipnir are essentially in a league of their own. They are able to craft tunes that are heavy, psychedelic, haunting, and at times beautiful. ‘Ascension’ is an interesting trip that will satisfy fans who are eagerly awaiting the release of the band’s fourth full-length, ‘Saga’, or those who simply like music that is both unique and engaging. ‘Ascension’ is not merely an artifact that exists to illustrate how a band has developed over time from its humble beginnings, but instead is a solid collection of tunes from start to finish. ‘Saga” is slated for release in time for purification on February 15th.

Words: Steve Miller

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