If 2013 kind of ends sadly with the demise of TGoS, I'm convinced that PILGRIM will considerably reinforce their position within the Doom scene in 2014; indeed everything indicates that those young hopes will become pillars of the US scene with their upcmoing sophomore album, about which Jon Rossi (Guit/voc) kindly agreed to speak to me, along with his appreciations on the tour of course... Thanx a lot mate :)
Hi Jon ! I left you pretty enthutiastic in Paris a few days ago, how has been the tour going on since the beginning (Belgium, England, Spain) and those last dates in Holland, Denmark and Sweden ?
-The tours been good so far! Just about every
show has been packed or sold out. That's really flattering! We feel really
fortunate that Windhand wanted to take us with them. Sweden last night at
Truckstop Alaska was wild and a lot of fun, definitely my favorite show thus far.
People in Sweden get drunk as fuck! All the shows have been solid aside from a
few little hiccups (in Bilbao, Spain the power cut out during the opening bands
set and didn't return for 2 hours. Then in Denmark only about 10 people showed
up). The overall chaos of the shows is building. We're all getting exhausted so
the passion is more furious now and the playing is tighter. It was getting
pretty boring there for a while, at least for me personally!
This tour covers a great part of western and
northern Europe, did you have special expectations about new visited countries
like Spain and France ? Have you seen or heard things that surprised you?
-Not really. A lot of the stereotypes and smack
talking about the different countries is pretty spot on. England was uptight
and whacked out, Spain was wild, Holland was reserved but passionate, those
kinda things. I've never eaten so much Bree in my life. It's good but it smells
like farts. I also like how the toilets here have a piss and a shit button.
Very crafty. Also rotaries are way more convenient than four way intersections.
What’s fun and boring or disturbing in Europe
for you and does really make a change over life in the States ?
-Driving from venue to venue is BORING AS FUCK.
I've never slept so much in my life! The constant waiting around is such a
bummer to me! I have the most fun when we're playing and our crowd is into the
music and is rocking with us. I also really really enjoy meeting new people.
I've talked to a ton of people I've only ever met on the internet discussing
music. It's cool to finally meet all these dudes! I hope I didn't give off a
bad impression, I'm usually pretty drunk after sundown! The States are the
States. The more I dwell on it, it's really pretty much the same there as it is
here, except for some minor differences like I listed above. I like Europe but
I don't think I'd ever come love here.
After a common US tour last winter, the fact of
touring again with Windhand makes things easier for everyone I guess, was that
the band that asked for you or a business between labels and bookers ?
-Garrett Morris (the guitarist of Windhand) and
I have known each other for a while, we used to listen to each other's bands on
MySpace Music back in the day hahaha. I must have been 16 or 17 then. Eventually
we stayed at his house a few times and our bands became friends. We always
talked about wanting to tour. They asked us to come with them and now it's
finally happening! There's no label interest or bookers involved between us.
We're just great friends.
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Count Eric the Soothsayer left the band just a
few weeks before you were supposed the enter the studio for your 2nd album, was
it a sudden decision you didn’t see coming ?
-That is a very long and personal story. I
suppose it was rather sudden. I will say that I am deeply saddened by the
situation and wish it hadn't ended the way it did. It was all so stupid. It was
sex, drugs, and rock and roll. It was stupidity.
The recording was delayed of about two months,
did you look for a new bassist immediately or did you know you had to handle
the bass duties for the album and maybe re-arrange a few songs ?
-No, I'm rather comfortable playing the bass.
I'm actually quite glad that I got to do it. Back with Elric, I would write the
baselines and then show him how to play them. We're going to take our time
trying to find a new bass player. Our good friend Braddock (the drummer of the
amazing ICE DRAGON) is filling in with us for this tour. He's doing an amazing
fucking job. What a guy. So handsome and muscular, he makes us look like
fucking losers haha.
With the experience of the 1st album, tours,
Roadburn… the band has quickly matured, was your approach of studio different
this time?
-We got really lucky with our sound Engineer
Mike Moebius. He fucking rules and he basically made our next record a fucking
masterpiece sonically. It's funny, just days before we chose him we were
scrambling for someone, ANYONE to record the record and just get it fucking
finished. We were so tired of sitting on it. At the last second we got a call
from Henry our manager recommending Mike. Mike had just done the first NATUR
record and we are really good friends with them, so it all came full circle.
Our approach was very calculated this time. We knew exactly the feel and sounds
we wanted. We experimented with tone just a tad. We've been sitting on these
songs for so long that it was like child's play blowing through take after
take. I think it only took about 3 days to finish all the tracking. Fuck it
came out good.
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| https://www.facebook.com/richardnursephotography |
-Well the record will be called VOID WORSHIP,
and I feel like that's the general mood of the record, conveying the misery of
the void, but through powerful and engaging music, not weak atmospheric sort of
bland stuff. It's hard to speak on the theme of the record as a whole. There's
a lot to it! It's more of a song to song basis like the first record. There's
fast upbeat tracks, there's instrumentals, there's 5 minute hammers and 11
minute epics. It's got everything! I'm very proud of the work we've done this
time around.
I know you’re a great fan of Black Metal stuff,
particularly Darkthrone and Burzum and this we can hear in a song like
“Adventurer”, is there still some of those elements in new album which bring a
kind of epic north vibe, the beginning of “Paladin” perhaps… ?
-I think that the influence I'm drawing from in
black metal is the fantasy aspect of it. That epic, radiant, adventurous
feeling you hear. Folklore and fantasy collide a bit.
We’ve been lucky to get to hear 3 new songs in
Paris, new album will contain 8 ones, if possible could you please give a
couple more song titles and the album title ?!
-PILGRIM II: VOID WORSHIP
Intro
Masters Chamber
The Paladin
Arcane Sanctum
In the Presence of Evil
Void Worship
Away From Here
You’re actually in Scandinavia, do you feel any
special vibes within the northern darkness, the call of the ancient ones ? Do
you see a difference between scandinavian people and Spanish/French ones ?
-Nah, not really. Perhaps if I was left in
solitude and could reflect on these things I would feel that. But being on tour
means you're stranded in the van and at gas stations and populated areas so
it's difficult to get into that mindset, at least for me personally! I have
noticed how absolutely beautiful everyone here is, with their log flowing
golden white hair. True nords!
What’s next for Pilgrim after this tour ? you
guys told me that new album should be out in April ? Which continent would you
like to play on next - in 2014 or a bit later ?
-Asia! I want to go to Japan so bad! Yeah, the
record will be out in March or April.
Well, hopefully this interview was not as gay
as last one, hahaha ! thanx a lot Jo, all the best to you and your mates for
the rest of the tour and future. Hail the wizard !
-I shall forever pray at the altars within the
Temple of Perdition! Hails!
https://www.facebook.com/hailthepilgrim
