... in-depth Preview of ORCHID's "Mouths of Madness" with Theo and Mark !!!

One of the most anticipated albums of late is "Mouths Of Madness", the second full-length by San Francisco's ORCHID, whose Theo Mindell and Mark Thomas Baker turn out to be amicable artists with no airs and graces at all. Don't believe the hype, and don't believe naysayers either, who are crying sell-out and haven't understood anything. As for the appetizer-EP "Wizard Of War" and the album itself: well, the music does the talking...

What can you tell me about the overall concept of your new album and the circumstances under which it came to being?

T: I don't know if there's an overall concept. I think this album came together in the same way they always have for us: a collection of stories or feelings … I feel like there’s an overall point of view that I hold about life, and that probably always comes out as a theme in the writing.

M: Well, I don't really think it was planned out in the way of a concept either. You kind of just search for an album title among all the songs, and „Mouths Of Madness“ was the one that kind of jumped out at us. A lot of the songs may seem to fit in with the concept that we are living within the mouth of madness – or that the world is just a crazy place at this time.

Let's start right off with your lyrics: Does 'See You On The Other Side' express a desire to leave this world behind, a kind of escapism? What disturbs you most about current reality?

T: That song is really personal. It started out as one thing, and some things happened in my life during the end of the recording of this album that kind of made the title take on a new meaning, just wanting to be anywhere but "here" in this moment … because you've fucked everything up so bad and don’t see a solution.

M: I don't think it expresses any desire to leave this world or anything like that. I know it's a very personal, real-life situation type of song, as there are a few of those on this album. I think the most disturbing thing about current reality is the divide between the level of human suffering and human gluttony that you can see in the world today. The gulf between those who have and those who don't is very large. I'm not trying to make any kind of political statement, it just exists in that way.

Who is the 'Wizard Of War'? From the lyrics, I was guessing he must be supernatural because he once was "just a man" as you sing.

T: Ha! That was one of those songs that came together in the band room in about half an hour … 'Wizard Of War' was a title for a piece of art I did a while back, kind of a tip of the hat to the Marvel Comics villains of my childhood from the likes of „Silver Surfer“, nothing more – just a character

I made up in my head that sounded cool, so I wrote a story about him.

M: Yes, definitely, the song is sort of a sci-fi tale about him. It's not a real person song. The cover art for the single is a literal representation.

Where does your obsession with war on the new album come about? Is it to be taken literally or a metaphor for something else?

T: It's always a big topic for me in our lyrics. Honestly, I was going to change one of the titles that had the word war in it so as not to be repetitive, but I just couldn't seem to get away from either title. Nothing came to mind or seemed as strong, so we ended up with two war songs. 'Marching Dogs Of War' is really the only one that's about war, and it's more about the horror of a pack of men who are trained to be totally detached from any compassion or empathy for human life, just kind of mindlessly doing what they're told to. How do people turn into these monsters? What's the point?

M: It just kind of happened that there are two songs with the word 'war' in the title. It was discussed quite a bit between Theo and me whether we should do that or not, but it was just better to leave the lyrics as they were. 'Marching Dogs Of War' is a pretty old song for us. The opening riff goes back nearly to the very start of the band. 'Wizard Of War' is a very new song.

What is 'Demon's Eyes' about? I picked up on the verse "your sister dead and gone".

T: 'Demon's Eyes' is about a girlfriend I had years ago who was a Meth addict and whose twin sister overdosed and died. We got together a few months after it happened. It was not a … happy and successful relationship. No one's fault, just one of life's chapters.

M: It's a horror tale. It was written for a specific compilation with a specific theme. I think the person in the song murdered two sisters and one of them comes back to haunt him.

How did your participation on this "Unseen Forces" picture disc sampler come about?

M: We got an e-mail one day from Dennis Dread, asking about our possible involvement in a compilation he wanted to do. I knew who he was from the Darkthrone album covers that he had done, so I talked to him about it a bit and soon realized he was a super great guy and that I wanted to do it for him. The song had to be about a certain theme, that time of year around October 31st when the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead are the thinnest. Theo wrote the song very quickly, seemingly at the last minute, and we got it done for him. It was a bit of a challenge for sure due to the theme, and the fact it had to be around four minutes. That's a very short song for us and not always easy to pull off.

Who is the mother you address in 'Mouths Of Madness'?

T: Ha! She's a girl we all know. That song is kind of about a person that exists on the internet: on social media sites. She has all these "friendships" with people but can’t seem to deal with real life or real human contact at all. There seem to be more and more of them.

M: I don't think it address anyone in particular. Sometimes there's a just a word that fits and sounds right. The song is about a specific person, but she's not anyones mother.

Plumply asked: Is the 'Silent One' the devil, respectively "Satan's son", as you sing?

T: No, only in metaphor; that's an H.P. Lovecraft kind of song about the rise of the Old Ones. Not a new concept, just one I love from my childhood.

M: This song is based on the Cthulhu-mythos, so it's basically about the Ancient One and his cult summoning him.

The protagonist in 'Mountains Of Steel' seems to be alienated from his surroundings and searching for a truth he once knew; could you elaborate on that a bit?

T: Well, in a way maybe … That song is about a time I took a bunch of psychedelics and tried to drive one of my old huge 60s cars down to the store. We have a saying about those cars here in the US: Old Detroit Steel, hence "flying on mountains of steel". A drive to the store can be a transforming experience if you're on enough psychedelics.

M: This is one of the really cosmic themed songs on the album, a bit of a drug trip. I'm not sure if it is about a certain person. It always makes me think of the „Silver Surfer“ for some reason. Theo once described the feel he was going after to me, but I don't want to ruin anything by giving my version here. The songs are always open to the listener's interpretation.

Who is it who deserves your thanks in 'Leaving It Behind'?

T: Too many people to list.

M: This is another one of the very personal songs on the album. I've never really asked directly, but I know that Theo wrote this for his mother as a way to thank her for raising him and always helping him out in life. I don't want to get too deep into it. It actually makes me pretty emotional when I listen to it. I think it's a really beautiful thing to put that kind of raw emotion out there as an artist. I consider it really brave, to be honest.

Does 'Nomad' address the restless life on tour, or is it a literal narrative?

T: Yeah, kind of just burning it at both ends and being worn out but never able to relax or stop when you finally have the time. Just being restless at heart I guess.

M: Yeah, it's definitely about going on the road, one of my favorites on the album. I love the feeling it has.

How do you view the rekindled interest in things occult these days - or does it, after all, only scratch the surface as a media craze?

T: I don’t think about it much. I’ve always been interested in it since I was a kid. My mom used to buy me books about it because I loved the art. I’d always buy tarot decks for that same reason. There was a little occult shop on Page Street around the corner from where I grew up in the Haight Ashbury district in San Francisco. I used to spend so much time in there. I was just fascinated by and drawn to that whole thing. As far as it being a movement in music, I think it's just part of the whole early 70s bohemian trip that seems to be a little popular right this second, so maybe the media has latched on to it because enough bands and people have shown interest lately. Other people started calling us Occult Rock or Witch Rock. We never made that up. I always just thought we were a dark, heavy rock band.

M: I don't think anything is any different than it's ever been to be honest. This has existed in metal since the very start. Nothing is different these days in my opinion.

Writing songs, how do you decide which ideas are too obvious references to your peers. What tells good inspiration from mere copying?

T: Ha, everyone's always copying, no matter what they think they're doing. I have no idea.

M: That's hard to answer. We just write what we write. If someone thinks some part is too close to something else, then we'll try to make changes so that everyone is comfortable with it.

When you started out with Orchid, did you ever expect to have such an impact on the rock music scene? I mean, you even have to to explain yourselves because you're allegedly "selling out".

T: We do? I didn’t think we'd gotten successful enough to have sold out yet. I don’t think much about that kind of thing. We're the exact same band, as far as integrity goes, that we were two years ago, and honestly, I had no idea we'd had any impact on the rock music scene, other than some people liking our stuff and some people hating it and both of them debating about it online, ha ha! If that's an impact, that's pretty sad.

M: It's just such a stupid meme in the world to say a band is selling out because they decide to work with a bigger label. Everyone from the label that I've met and spent time with in person has been super cool, and I totally trust them with their plan for Orchid. If people think that is selling out then they are most likely very young or very stupid as to how the world really works. Haters gonna hate, as they say.

What's your perspective on the close and distant future of Orchid? Do you see a lot of space for development, or are you just keen on sticking to what you do best?

T: I'm not sure if I ever have that much of a plan for Orchid. This whole band grew beyond what "my plan" was so quickly that I'm still trying to figure it all out. My plan was to start a band that played music like my favourite bands, play in the bar across the street from my work, have some drinks, get in the same dumb arguments bands always do, and break up … but apparently, "life’s plan" for this band was different, so I'm just going with the flow and trying to enjoy whatever happens.

M: I think the new album breaks down a lot of barriers for us and leaves the future wide open. I really don't know what we'll sound like in a few years, but I know it will be high quality with great, catchy songs. So yeah, to me that's what we do best and we'll keep doing it.

Interview by Andreas Schiffmann

https://www.facebook.com/orchidsf

WITCHCRAFT and ORCHID will embark on a tour together in April and May. Dates include:

April
26 - Lichtenfels, Germany - Paunchy Cats
27 - Berlin, Germany - Desertfest
28 - Warschau, Poland - tbc
29 - Krakau, Poland - Lizard King
30 - Wien, Austria - Szene

May
01 - Darmstadt, Germany - Steinbruch Theater
02 - München, Germany - Backstage Halle
03 - Siegen, Germany - Vortex
04 - Paris, France - Trabendo
06 - Tilburg, Netherlands - O13
07 - Aarau, Switzerland - Kiff
09 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 3
10 - Madrid Spain - El Sol
11 - San Sebastian Spain - C.C. Intxaurrondo
12 - Toulouse, France - Le Saint des Sains
13 - Milano, Italy - Lo Fi Club
14 - Rome, Italy - Traffic Live Club
15 - Bologna, Italy - Freak Out Club
16 - Dornbirn, Austria - Schlachthaus
17 - Stuttgart, Germany - Universum
18 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
19 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany - Rock Hard Festival (ORCHID only)

Fresh news about ORCHID through an in-depth Interview with Mark Thomas Baker !!!

In about three years, with just an Ep and their incredible debut album "Capricorn", ORCHID have revealed themselves as one of the most attractive bands in the overcrowded retro-doom/hard rock genre... After two successfull tours in Europe, including memorable performances at London's Desert Fest and the legendary Roadburn in Tilburg, between recording sessions for the new album and rumours about a deal with NB, I felt it was time to get some fresh news, this time with guitarist Mark Thomas Baker (after Theo Mindell, almost exactly one year ago)...
Of course Mark speaks about this new deal but mostly about the new songs, recording process, tours, friends and some more personnal things too... It's also cool to read that there'll be something released by the end of the year before (one of) the most anticipated albums of 2013 (possibly under the form of an Ep ?)...
After a nice interview with Joshua Adam Hart two days ago, I'm pretty happy with that one too ;) Huge thanx to Mark for being so humble and interesting, and all the best to ORCHID for the future !!!


Hi Mark, thanks for answering this interview… You recently celebrated your birthday, often people think the forties is the golden period in a life (you know generally life is easier, there’s more serenity towards money, children, work, sex, etc…), what’s your opinion on that? (From what I see you seem to be at least pretty much flourished on a family point and with Orchid of course!)

All phases of life have rewards that keep you moving to the next one. I don’t think things are any easier by any means, but at the same time, having a family and all the stress and constant motion that comes along with it offers a different kind of happiness or satisfaction. There are many days when I wish this sort of success in music happened earlier in my life, and other days when I understand that I may not have known what to do with it if it did. I suppose better late than never…carpe diem.

Earlier this month you went into the studio for the 2nd time working on the new album, was the 1st time dedicated to pre-production or did you effectively get to record the album in 2 parts ? It seems to have been intense work during a rather short time, are you satisfied with it? What’s the next working phase now planned?

We recorded the basics in 2 different sessions. We tracked for 7 songs the first time and 7 songs this most recent time, plus there are a few other things that have been created in the studio since them. We’re planning on a 9 song album, so that gives us a lot to choose from. I think it’s going to be great. I think it’s a natural progression to a new level. The goal when we record the basics is to get a good live drum track. Sometimes we get a good live bass track to go along as well, but the focus is really to get the drums. There are a few live guitars that survive now and then, but almost always, the guitars come out better under a controlled ‘overdub’ sort of environment. Hopefully everything will be wrapped up before September. I don’t think we’ll see a release until early 2013 although there should be some new Orchid stuff out before then, just not a full length.

Both new songs played at last Roadburn tend to prove that new album will definitely won’t just sound like Black Sabbath, something that some people deplored about “Capricorn” (sometimes easily and abusively too), is that something you particularly had in mind when composing new stuff? The heart of your influences is larger than what we could think, of course mainly rooted in the 70’s heavy rock but does it also include more recent/actual bands?

I think the new material will show that we are capable of much more than sounding just like Black Sabbath. I don’t know if it’s intentional or unintentional. It’s just growing really. Most of material on Capricorn was written years ago at the genesis of the band or even before the band existed. Songs are written now with more confidence; tours have happened, reviews have been written, fans have been made. All of these things soak into your thoughts and give different perspective on what you think you can achieve.

The 2nd European tour came in between these both phases of studio recording, did it allow to test new songs (you played 2 at Roadburn but maybe more on the period)? Were the songs from the new album all composed before this new tour, maybe you found new ideas in the particular environment of such a tour with your friends of Lord Vicar and Sigiriya?

Well, we could have played more new songs for sure, but with the way things are today with video and the internet, we really wanted to keep some things under wraps and not spoil any surprises. A few songs were composed and tracked after the tour. I’m not sure if the tour influenced any of it, but at the same time, each day you live influences the next one.

Last year when I asked Theo if Orchid felt attached to the occult doom scene, he said that you guys never set out to be a part of a scene but if now I ask you the same question, I guess you could say something like “Orchid is not a part of a scene but a part of a family “The Church Within family”? It seems there’s a very deep friendship which is born between you and the guys in Serpent Venom, Lord Vicar and Sigiriya…

I feel pretty lucky to have been part of 2 tours now that were both really fun and memorable. All the bands that we’ve gone out with have been really great to us and I feel like I’ve made friendships that will last a lifetime. It’s just really flattering when someone like Jussi or Kimi tell you that the tour you just finished was the best tour and best time that they’ve ever had. I mean, those dudes have been around the scene a bit and to hear that from them just makes you feel good about it. I’ll absolutely never forget as long as I live all the fun and laughs that I shared with the Serpent Venom guys. Those guys are some of the best people that you could ever hang out and have a few beers and tour with. I miss them dearly and look forward to the next time I get to see them. The whole Church Within family and starting our journey with that label has been a truly great experience.

Theo already knew rather well some parts of Europe before touring with Orchid, was it also your case? How did you enjoy both tours towards the material and cultural aspects? Did you learn things from the 1st tour that helped you being more at ease for the 2nd?

I had been to Europe twice before we toured. Both times as a tourist though. I love the old world and all the culture. I love seeing new places and thinking about all the history there. The main thing I learned from the 1st tour to the 2nd was that it’s really nice to get some rest and not be hung-over every morning. I think we all took care of ourselves much better the 2nd time. No one got sick. The first tour, everyone got sick at some point.

If I’m not wrong you have a regular job, how do you deal with your boss when there’s a tour scheduled, is that taken on holiday’s time or …? Can you imagine you leaving this job for just playing in Orchid or do you feel it’s yet too late considering your age and responsibilities? (I don’t mean at all you’re too old for this!!!)

Well, lucky for me I have a great job at a place where my bosses are very cool people who are happy to let me chase my dreams as long as it doesn’t become a hassle for them, so far, so good. It hasn’t reached a point where I’ve needed to leave beyond whatever vacation or personal time that I have saved up. I’ve been here for over 10 years, so I’m pretty well known and liked where I work. I can see how this might all change in the future, but I’ve always just thought I’d wait until life forces my hand on that issue. Yeah, I do indeed feel like it’s too late in life to gamble with my future when I have a wife and kids along for the ride with me. I’m not sure how everything will work out, but I’m willing to entertain the idea of music for a living if it’s a win-win situation for everyone involved. I just have to go along for the ride and see what happens with it. 

When arriving at Roadburn, one of the 1st thing I heard from different sources was a rumor about Orchid being signed by Nuclear Blast, something not confirmed since then, is there a part of truth in that? did they approach you during a date in Germany or … ? Will the new album be released by Church Within?

There’s been a lot of interest in the band from larger labels for well over a year now, so after many months of negotiations and making sure we had the right deal for us, we have indeed signed with Nuclear Blast. I still find it a bit funny that some people seem to think that this will somehow change what we are doing. They signed us because they love what we did on Capricorn and they just want to expose our sound and style to a much bigger audience and see what happens. It’s a chance for a bigger level of success, but in the end, the public will decide what kind of level the band can operate on.

How do you feel the fact that you already toured (a part of) Europe twice but never did a real tour in the States so far? Does it concretely reflect more interest from Europe than from your homeland for Orchid or it’s maybe just logical considering your label is German? Do you have live dates planed for the 2nd part of 2012 in the US?

It’s really just a function of being on a German label. I think we’ll play around the US at some point, but there’s nothing planned right now. Any offers that we’ve ever had for US touring haven’t been possible either financially or time wise. Someday something will probably line up right though. I don’t think there is any doubt that the European audience is way more into what we do than the US audiences.

The hall where you played (Het Patronaat) at Roadburn was pretty singular which made your performance even more memorable… I suppose this gig was one of your best memories with the band so far, how did you get into and enjoy it?

Without a doubt, Roadburn is one of my favorite musical memories. It was just so cool and we were treated so well by everyone involved. It’s really a great festival and well organized. When we arrived in Tilburg, one of the first people I ran into was my friend Aesop who plays drums in Agalloch. He’s from San Francisco as well, so I felt a little less foreign right away. Soon after we ran into our friend Boris, who put on the show we played in Nuremburg last year. He told us he was the stage manager for Het Patronaat and that he’d brought me his old Laney for me to play through. So right away, we unexpectedly had a friend on our side helping out. That really eased my mind a bit. I was actually a bit more nervous than usual throughout the day, but once we went onstage to get set up, all that faded away. Stuff like that is still kind of a surreal experience for me. I haven’t done this enough to be jaded yet.

You seem interested in always improving your sound, looking for new vintage amps, what about that Laney Supergroup that you got before the tour for example? Are you generally faithful to the same guitar over the years?

As weird as it may sound, Theo is the total gear nerd in the band. He’s really the one who is always working for me on getting a great sound and having the right equipment. None of this would be happening without his involvement. I really don’t think that much about gear or guitars. I generally just like to plug in and play as odd as that might sound. There’s a reason that the Gibson SG is so prevalent in this genre. It just works and is nice to play.

Margarita is a word that comes back regularly in your FB posts (!), is that your fave drink? I suppose that having played consistently in Germany and Poland helped you discovering great beers and vodka too?

Ha! I do love some good tequila and margaritas are a really enjoyable drink. There is a very large Mexican population where we live and I will admit that the food and drink of that culture is definitely among my favorites. I really overdid it last week on our independence day (July 4th), so I’m off the margaritas for the time being. I get freaked out when I wake up and don’t know what happened the night before.

Well, thanx a lot Mark, what can we wish you for the 2nd part of 2012? Can you tell us briefly if all ORCHID merchandising is still available (vinyl especially)?

Wish us good luck I suppose. I expect that a lot of things are going to happen to Orchid over the next few years. I expect some chaos, so hopefully it all works out well. I’ve heard from Church Within that the 1st vinyl pressing sold out a while ago. I expect he’ll repress at some point, but I don’t know when. Huge thanks to the people for buying it all. Keep a lookout for news of our first Nuclear Blast release as well. We’re really excited about the new material that we’ve finished and can’t wait for people to be able to hear it.

http://www.orchidsf.com/

https://www.facebook.com/orchidsf

http://www.doom-dealer.de/

my ROADBURN 2012...

That's my report : no long descriptions, no setlists... just my shit !

***** THE TOP 3 :

ORCHID : the equivalent of CANDLEMASS special "epicus..." show last year = MEMORABLE... a bit more than an hour of HITS (from the ep and album) with a fantastic sound, and two new songs that ripped... The guys are very impressive of fluency and should blow everything away with their new album.  I've very rarely felt such a communion between a band and its fans, pure moments of shared happiness !

YOB :  Mike and his buddies did something I hardly could have expected with playing the cultish "the unreal never lived" in its entirety (and the song "adrift in the ocean" as unexpected bonus)... The sound was HUGE, just perfect for a 1hour and 15 minutes LESSON of epic and crushing heaviness; particularly at ease in his killer growls, this gig confirms my opinion that Mike S. became definitely the most complete vocalist of the Doom scene.

 

NECROS CHRISTOS : ten times heavier than on album, imagine the carnage ! one of my fave DM gigs ever, certainly the best DM vocal performance I've seen Live; they definitely have created their own style... impatient to see them again in June at the Hellfest !

+ bonus gigaplus : the DIAMOND QUEEN from The Grass Company

**** Other significant HIGHLIGHTS

SIGIRIYA : excellent performance from the welsh band; Stuart is incredible on stage : very incisive and groovy, funny to see how he's always smiling during his awesome solos ! great vocal performance here too

LORD VICAR : due to some little problems with the sound, particularly on Chritus vocals, they needed a bit of time to be at their usual high level, but the set was globally memorable with obviously a good part of songs from their brilliant sophomore album

OM : no photos, definitely too dark to take good photos (at least in my position with my camera) but a perfect ambiance though... massive heavy sounds with refinement, tightness and dark emotions

 + bonus superplus : our own cocktails with RHUM and grapefruit, plus the excellent general ambience reigning during the festival

*** GREAT

VOIVOD : playing "dimension hatröss" in its entirety, that says it all !

CHURCH OF MISERY : too bad about the Bass problems but the new singer is very competitive and this australian guitarist is always a fucking master !

THE WOUNDED KINGS : I liked very much the few moments I've seen, but too short ... I'm ashamed towards such a great band and so nice people : in March I already missed a great part of their gig in Rennes cause I had been too longly talking with the singer of TBDLB and now I just see the 1st song of their set, feeling very bad at that moment I need to go outside during a little hour... victim of a serious technical problem of proportions in what I was smoking :(

THE OBSESSED : good set but I was expecting better, with let's say ... more taste ! Wino did the job, nothing more special.

DOPETHRONE : I expected something a bit wilder from Montreal's trio, they seemed a bit stressed and tired, certainly the consequences of  Vincent's guitar that had been stolen during the travel ! but their filthy Sludge ripped and to see Carl hammering is drums so heavily was amazing.

DANAVA : no photos as I was too much in the back of the small Stage 01, but the set was good with if I'm not wrong all the songs from "hemisphere of shadows" except one, adding two great songs of the sophomore album for maybe the bluesiest gig of my week-end.

HUATA : the french band was very awaited by their recent and old fans and attracted quite many curious too I guess... thinking something like "who are these druids playing fuzzy occult Stoner/Doom with a bottle of chouchen in hands ?" A bit stressed, having to face again some sound problem capacities, but soon in their set, the french band presents finally to the world "the Atavist  of Mann" and it makes no doubt that new fans have been conquered by their extreme heaviness, accentuated by very tight and serious performances from the guitarist and Ronan on vocals.

MARS RED SKY : would deserve a better mention certainly, but I saw only about 10 minutes of this french band that really  needs more attention (including from me first !).

SAVIOURS : sweat, hair and Metal... that's the 3 words that come in mind when thinking about their performance, very catchy brand of metallic Stoner n' roll !

CELESTIAL SEASON : very good moment with those dutch death/doomsters playing their "solar lovers" album 17 years later; didn't remember that the Stoner overtones were so nicely present there, great !

BONGRIPPER : too bad I was really tired for one of Saturday's last gigs, but they were immensely brutal which along with my last joint (before leaving back to France) definitely finished me !!!

+  the listening session of the new ST VITUS : great idea and thanx for this special rolling paper !

+ the enormous breakfasts I took at the hotel

*AVERAGE

40 WATT SUN : should be seen in another context, to play on the biggest scene wasn't appropriated at all

WITCH : a few good moments/riffs but their repertory is definitely too unequal.

- DISAPPOINTING  :

SLEEP - how can this get so much praise ? too fucking noisy, most of the songs were so hardly recognizable ! he, look at the photo ... seriously, does a band who originally play some Sabbathian stuff need so many amps ???

- the TRAVEL to arrive at Tilburg, late after various successive problems that led me to miss D.USK !

- Too many people at some point this year, that's a serious problem for the smaller rooms... it was impossible to see CONAN for example unless you arrived at least 15 minutes before; that has been the only band I personally missed for that reason but that was the same problem for most gigs in Stage 01 and the Green Room. I saw LORD VICAR, DOPETHRONE, NECROS CHRISTOS, HUATA and a few others, in rather great conditions, just because I was there about 20 minutes before the gig started ! Otherwise, if luckily there's still one or two places in the hall you have to pray not being behind 2 or 3 giant dutch or vikings !!!

Nothing dramatical and hard to live at all, this is just to say that this is a waste of time for discovering bands like I used to do last year or at the Hellfest for example...

All in all this was pretty memorable, a little bit under2011 for myself but not so surprising as last year  included more DOOM bands I think... But I'm a bit afraid about next year, considering that E.W. will be curators, I fear this will bring many more people pretending for a ticket to the festival, including certainly mainstream people... the price of success !

THANX to the organisation and bands for all those great moments :)

ORCHID : interview with Theo Mindell !!!

It's pretty rare to see young bands unanimously acclaimed like ORCHID is, since the release of their monstruous "capricorn" debut album. But there's absolutely nothing hasardous in this increasing notoriety, people are more and more nostalgic with 70's sounds and what ORCHID has achieved is pretty singular : make something delightfully new and good, with old recipes, perpetuate and refresh the heritage of Black Sabbath and more generally the 70's heavy rock style, while keeping faithfully intact the original spirit of these gloomy early years...

About six months after the album release, some nice gigs and new compositions in the work, I felt it was time to ask vocalist Theo  Mindell a few questions...

http://www.myspace.com/orchidsf
http://www.doom-dealer.de/sites/start.htm


* Hey Theo, thanx this is an honour to feature Orchid here... Almost every tasty doomster speaks about you these past months, but except that you released an ep before "capricorn", which was a very nice debut , we don't know much about your history, background, etc..., could you briefly sum it up ?  
T :   Well,i started thinking about the idea of a band like Orchid in 2008 I think.I hadn't been in a band for years.I just got tired of all the B.S. that had come along with being in a band for me in the past.But I started writing songs on guitar...just really sloppy ideas with a few titles and melodies.I had played in a band with Mark Baker a few years back before Orchid.i knew he was the only guitar player that was capable of doing the kind of thing i was trying to do.i bugged him until he finally agreed to jam with me.we went through a bunch of different bass players and drummers until we finally found Nickel and then later,Carter.That was the true beginning of Orchid.

* Why this band's name ? Any common characteristics with your music or anything particular that could have justified this name over another one ?
T :   Well,surprise-surprise...I got it from the Sabbath song title.But also i wanted a band name that didn't sound like a cliche heavy metal/rock band name...Something that would kind of counter the sound of the music and evoke feelings of psychedelia and the late 60's-early 70's.I think if we had been called something really dark or evil,it might have seemed a little forced or put on.I wanted something a little ambiguous that gave us some room to grow.I've always liked the way the name hung on us.

* The EP and CD covers are simple but catch directly the attention while the inside artwork of the album is very rich and personal, as it's you who have released the general artwork,
what's your position about that ? A few weeks after the normal version of "capricorn" (yet superb) , Church Within has released the limited "book" version, very enriched and in a special format, who did have this idea ?
T :  you know,that was the owner of Church within's idea.Oli is such a great guy in that way.he just totally cares about making cool music and giving people something really special.when we had ideas for the C.D. packaging,he never once said "ooh,I don't know.that sounds really expensive".he always goes 120% ...As far as the artwork goes,I guess i try to do things that i feel will draw people into the "Orchid cosmos" and get across the way i feel about the music we make as a band together.

* Just like your artwork, "the batcave", your rehearsal place seems to be a very special place, with an occult and refined decor ... looks like a very cool place !?
 T : ha ha!...Yeah ,it's our club house.That was kind of an attempt at "method acting"...I figure if you want to try to make music that evokes a certain time and feeling,it helps to be in an environment that sets you up to do so.I think it definitely helps us get in that zone.

 * Your sound, the general atmosphere, some riffs, the production, your look, many things made it impossible not to evoke the Black Sabbath's influence, but, as others certainly, I see before all ORCHID as their best disciples in 2011, you can't obviously avoid systematic remarks, maybe sometimes awkward or a bit tiring ?
meanwhile some songs, still perfectly in the global mood, really show a rising personality, like "he who walks alone", "electric father" and "albatross" ... how do you see the band's sound evolution for the next album ?
 T : As far as the comparisons to Sabbath? I don't really get to bothered about it.I love Sabbath.they've been one of my favorite bands since i was a really little kid.I dont know how I could possibly write heavy rock songs with out that sound or identity coming out in them. It's just what i think is cool.I think there are a lot of other influences that are pretty present in Orchid's sound as well.But people will always take the shortest road to a destination even if it's pinning some kind of a "rip off tag" on you.If that's the worst name tag I ever have to wear in my musical life,I'll wear it proudly.As far as the growth of Orchid's sound...I'm not sure because I'm probably too close to it to get any true sense of whatever evolution is happening.I think Orchid knows what it is but isn't afraid to play with that sound a little.I dont think any of us want to keep writing the same song over and over.but it seems like when i sit down with a guitar and sing,there is always a little bit of desperation in the sound that comes out .that's just what moves me when i write music.even when the other guys throw ideas in the mix,they seem to get "Orchidized"..., meaning put through the natural filter that has become the sonic identity of the band.I think we're all pretty comfortable playing the music we play.we all grew up on it in some way or another.I think we all just want to keep trying to bring knew things to it that we haven't tried yet to keep it interesting.Sometimes there are challenging moments when you're getting comfortable with a new song.I guess that's just a natural part of stretching out our idea of what our band IS.
      As far as us as players...I think we're becoming a better band all the time.more intuitive with each other.the songs might be more manifested by us as a group and less of their identity taking shape it the recording process.i think with something like Electric Father or Albatross for instance,the guys in the band may have kind of felt like "whoa...i didn't know that's how that was going to sound" when they finally heard it finished and mixed...I have all these sounds swimming in my head when i sit down and write songs that the other guys aren't aware of until after the fact sometimes.When we rehearse, i can almost hear what the finished song should sound like recorded.I'm pretty hyper focused in that way.That still happens,but i think with the new stuff we're doing,those sounds are coming more directly from the band at the time of writing and arranging the stuff together.It's always been a struggle for me to let things breath.I suppose I'm trying to learn to trust my band mates with my children,ha ha! I even hear Mark's songs finished in my head when we're working on those.i have issues.

* Just as for the ep you've worked with Will Storkson for the production "Capricorn", but this time his name is mentioned first, did you work differently ? He's playing keyboards too on the album but does he also play live with you ?  
 You know,i'm not sure why that was.i think we may have felt like he drove more on that road trip than the one before so it was the right thing to do...i've definitely learned what a huge asset he is.he just has a great ear for capturing sounds and what you think you hear versus whats really going on in a song.I think we have a great balance with him as far as him letting us get a little "out there" but keeping classic sonic quality.If i were left to my own devices,our records could end up sounding like a mix of the Stooges Raw Power and Sabbath bloody Sabbath...I'd love it,but it might sound pretty soupy.I'll just keep piling fuzz and reverb on until you cant hear anything.

* What about your lyrics, you seem to be very attached to the occult image ? Who's the electric father :  a god, a guru ?T :  ha!  no...the Electric Father is a satellite listening to everything we think and do...kind of a "big brother is watching you" trip.

* The occult doom scene is actually in an interesting dynamic, do you feel particularly attached and identified to this scene ? Which bands do you enjoy most ?  T :  Not really to tell you the truth.We never set out to be a part of any scene,just to make music we loved.Sometimes timing is just on your side and there are enough bands with a slightly similar thing going that you can be associated with some musical "movement".It seems like that always helps bands get heard in the beginning.It can also be a noose around your neck if you don't have the songs and talent to transcend any attachment to what,later,might be considered a musical trend.No one says much about GruntTruck any more.but, i remember hearing a lot about them ,and other bands like them in the height of the "grunge" movement.I do love a lot of what people are calling "doom" music for sure.but i always just thought of Orchid as a dark,heavy,classic rock band.almost like really dark 70's stadium rock to tell you the truth.i suppose that's what Sabbath and Alice Cooper were... and What Pentagram were hoping to be.I've never shied away from a catchy chorus if i can put one in our songs.I just cant submit to the idea that being traditionally melodic is sounding like a sell out.i wouldn't be being true to my self if i tried to sound super sludgy and heavy ALL the time just to fit in to a musical category.But ,"doom" seems like a pretty wide and loose genre compared to the rest of a lot heavy music...Electric Wizard are pretty sonically different from The Devil's Blood or Pentagram.but,i hear people refer to all of those  bands as doom.so,whatever ,i'm not bothered.people can call our music whatever makes them feel comfortable listening to it.i like a lot of the bands that get put in that section in the record store so i'm proud to sit on the shelf next to them.

* You're born 1969, did your parents bought you "black sabbath" or "paranoid" for your first anniversary ?!!  when did your interest start for heavy musics ?
 T :  No,i don't think my parents listened to that stuff.My dad was 16 years older than my mom and was British.He listened to old sailors hymns about leaving your woman behind when you went out to sea and might die...really downer tragic stuff...Ha,maybe that's where i got the "doom" in me from.And ,he listened to classical music.My mom listened to the Beatles,Neil Young ,bowie,and Bob Dylan.that was my first introduction to music.The first two records I ever bought for myself were Yellow Submarine and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.I was ten years old i think...I've been trying to sound exactly like both of them ever since.

* What kind of deal do you have with Church Within ? Am I wrong if  I suppose some bigger labels have yet tried to contact you ?
 T :  Oh my...i don't know if i really want to get that in depth into the inner workings of Orchid's business opportunities.Oli has been so good to us.we're a pretty loyal lot.i hope to be involved with church within in some way or another for years to come even if we get some help from someone else in the future.Mark really handles that stuff and he does a great job.

* You're gonna play at the next Hammer Of Doom in November, the bill is impressive, I guess you're all  very  impatient !?  Any other European dates that could be organized in this same period ? is Germany the country where you the most interest from in Europe ?
  T : Yeah,i believe we're playing in Holland,France,a few more dates in Germany,Switzerland...we'll be in Europe for a couple of weeks.i cant wait.

* You had holidays in Europe last year with your girlfriend, Germany, ITaly and maybe more, how did you enjoy coming down this different part of the globe ? T :  It was great.I've spent a fair amount of time in Europe because of my work as a tattooer.One of my best friends lives in Verona ,Italy so I'm there at least once a year but usually more.it was cool to share that with her and watch her experience seeing really old things for the first time.Europe just has a completely different rhythm than the states.people seem more relaxed to me.

* You gave quite many gigs since the release of the album, which songs do you especially like to play live and is there one that has always a special success ? Which bands did you enjoy most to play with ? Any interesting new bands in the L.A. area ?
T : Hmmmm...I always really enjoy playing "Down into the earth" live.It just has everything I like to hear out of a live band.Heavy groove and a real journey.People always seem to respond to that on and Eyes Behind the Wall.Maybe because they both go out with a bang...Not sure.As far as bands from L.A.? I'm not sure,we don't spend much time there.we've only really played shows in the bay area ,where were from.And,a the Planet Caravan festival that happened in North Carolina a few years back. we've played with Astra from San Diego a few times who i really like.they're phenomenal players.really great!

* Thanx for your words Theo, add anything if you wish  
T :  Thanks for your time and supporting Orchid!