Ultimate
mix of Black and Death Metal the band EMACIATION
has risen from beneath the remains from the US scene, unleashing
their latest effort to date entitled Planet In Bliss.
Conjuring relentless melodic aggression with onslaught guitar
works and unstoppable double bass drumming one has to think does
the band have time to rest. Like they say no rest for the wicked,
but with all due opportunity singer/guitarist Lord Kirby Ray sets
the foundation of the bands future and current happenings. Entering
the fortress of self inflicted pain Lord Kirby summons my attention
about EMACIATION.
Lord
Kirby Ray: Hello Jussi, & thanks for taking time
to interview myself on behalf of EMACIATION.
Jussi:
Why is Jimmy from Aminion taking over the drummer position?
Lord Kirby Ray: He is actually a temporary drummer with
us. We have had 20 members come through the band over our 9 years
as EMACIATION, so we are used to working with
new members. Jimmy & the guys in his group, Aminion are close
friends of ours. So we asked him to fill in after the departure
of Alex Caliber. Sir James (Jimmy) will be doing several shows
with us in 2005 & possibly performing on our forthcoming CD.
Jussi:
What was the reason for Alex Calibur departure?
Lord Kirby Ray: Alex Caliber went on to concentrate on
his band & other projects. We thank him for everything he
did with us & his amazing playing on our last CD, Planet
In Bliss.
Jussi:
What is the idea of having two drummers (one main drummer and
backup drummer)?
Lord Kirby Ray: We actually only play live with a single
drummer. We have worked with as many as 4 to 5 drummers at a time
to always have backups available. We would always like to have
our basic lineup, although you can never have to many backups
available for live shows.
Jussi:
In the past EMACIATION has shared the stage with the bigger named
acts (Cannibal Corpse, Hypocrisy, Exhumed, Death Angel, The Misfits,
Macabre, Nuclear Assault, Suffocation and Lullacry) what was that
like to be on the same bill with these groups?
Lord Kirby Ray: We have been lucky enough to have played
many fest type shows with world known groups as well as more intimate
shows with only 3 bands. It’s always amazing to us to be
performing with our influences. It’s also great to meet
them one on one to talk about stories, concepts, & such.
Jussi:
How did they treat you?
Lord Kirby Ray: We have had a great majority of them
treat us well & with respect. Some have even become fans of
ours & friends as well. It seems to me that the most successful
musicians I have met personally make it a point not to sweat the
small stuff, or worry about the critics, & are still fans
of music themselves.
Jussi:
How did you come across Christophe Szpadjel (Belgium artist logo
designer for such bands as Emperor, Old Man’s Child, Enthroned
and others)?
Lord Kirby Ray: He found us on the internet in the late
90's. He said he was fascinated with the concept of our logo &
offered to do a final design for us. We of course agreed. Christophe
even did it for free as he does for many of the bands he has done
work for. We are forever in his debt & thankful.
Jussi:
How did EMACIATION come into existence?
Lord Kirby Ray: Myself & "Immortal" Stu
Faris are the founders of the group here in Missouri. We had played
together in The Honey Offering, & Gikk (1989-1996). We had
been doing more avant garde / rock projects for years. He &
I both has always loved hard metal & rock & wanted to
do something of that sort. We wanted to do catchy yet classically
influenced heavy music. We also wanted to have a good stage show.
That’s how EMACIATION began. The word "Emaciation"
has meaning for us on different levels. Most of all we feel it
fits the withering away of mind, body, & spirit when exposed
to injustice & oppression.
Jussi:
How has the response been for Planet In Bliss?
Lord Kirby Ray: It has been good so far. It has led us
into several interviews with radio, magazines, & webzines
from all around the globe. It has helped expand our fan base tenfold.
We have had many show offers from bands & clubs after hearing
it. It was recorded & mixed at Echo Echo Studios in Scott
City Missouri with Brandon Drury. It’s our favorite to date
as well.
Jussi:
Do you think the current material varies in a more melodic way
than material of the past?
Lord Kirby Ray: Somewhat. We have grown as a band &
learned more about what we want to create. We do love the melodic
feeling of music & have used it more within the band when
writing material. For instance, a song like Ancient Fortress
from Planet In Bliss is far more melodic
than a song like Analyzed Remains off of our first CD,
Of Earth. The songs where more basic
back then, & even more death & thrash influenced. Now
there is more black, power, glam, & rock included.
Jussi:
Is there a scheduled date for the fourth upcoming CD release?
Lord Kirby Ray: We are hoping for a release of our forthcoming
CD titled, Earthly Oddesy at the beginning
of summer 2005. Some titles from that will include: Turns
To Gold, Death Rattle, Bloodlust, Against The Storm. We will
also re-visit an early EMACIATION title, Blasted
Sighting Of An Ectoplasm. The new material is a lot of fun
to play live.
Jussi:
Asides being amongst one of the many bands to grace the stage
at the Milwaukee Metal Festival and City of Roses for 2005, are
plans within the making of doing a tour in the near future?
Lord Kirby Ray: The band consistently plays live shows
all year long, primarily on weekends at fests. The shows for this
year are coming in now & will be updated shortly at our official
website. Most likely these years shows will all be in the US.
We are working on visiting Europe for 2006. We just did a show
in Wentzville Missouri with our good friends in: Harkonin, Aminion,
& Thanatos Eternal. Also we're looking forward to performing
with Sodom & Sadus at Minneapolis Mayhem 2 in Minnesota later
this year.
Jussi:
Can you tell me more about the album concept ideas for Planet
In Bliss?
Lord Kirby Ray: The concepts we talked about were mutual
feelings between lead guitarist, D.W. Iron Aden, & myself.
We discuss topics such as paranormal, oppression, addictions,
history, daily life, & bloodlines. Aden & I are on the
same page as to where we want to go musically. Input is now coming
from our bassist, Magnum Brandor & keyboardist Viveca Venom,
for our next CD.
Jussi:
Upon listening view one can hear the dark imagery that the band
presents lyrically, are there certain ideas or inspiration behind
what goes into the songwriting?
Lord Kirby Ray: I do 90% of the lyrics & Aden does
dabble in it as well. I would say the ideas & inspiration
come from things we deal with in our lives firsthand as well as
what we see on the news, or learn about history. Of course, we
also take influences from our favorite bands & composers.
The singing style I am most influenced by is a mix of Kreator,
Borknagar, & King Diamond.
Jussi:
Was the recording of this album more difficult than ones of the
past? If so, please explain?
Lord Kirby Ray: Not at all, in fact while working with
Echo Echo studios we actually found it a lot easier than ever
before. After recording several times in the past, we are now
better prepared for the studio when we go in. I would even say
that it affected our writing style over the years. An example
would be writing a song that’s almost impossible to pull
off tightly in the studio or anywhere else. You learn to write
what you can play comfortably.
Jussi:
Seeing that EMACIATION like other bands that do not like to be
labeled in any particular music category, how would you describe
your music to a new person that has never heard of the bands music
before?
Lord Kirby Ray: Thrash, Glam, Black, Classical, Power
Metal. The music is meant to be something people can grasp, head
bang, & raise a fist to. Nothing complicated, just in your
face, catchy, & intense. See the band live to check out the
face paint, spikes, leather, & theatrical show.
Jussi:
Is EMACIATION more of a live band that utilizes its band power
musically compared to some bands that excel more in a studio frame
than a live setting?
Lord Kirby Ray: The live show is what we love the most,
although to record & offer our music to our friends &
fans is almost equally satisfying. It’s almost certainly
the live show that has gotten us where we are today.
Jussi:
What can a new listener expect upon hearing EMACIATION’s
music?
Lord Kirby Ray: To feel old school metal influences along
with modern metal facets.
Jussi:
Anything new to report from EMACIATION?
Lord Kirby Ray: At this time we are working on updating
the website constantly with news & historic archives. Feel
free to stop by & take a look. All our tour dates, interviews,
& new music info is posted there as soon we have it available.
Thanks for your insightful interview. We hope to speak with you
& your readers again soon.
Jussi:
Thank you Lord Kirby Ray for taking your time with this interview.
Many extreme blessings to you and the rest of EMACIATION. |
