SATAN’S HOST – Virgin Sails
- Posted on 30-12-2013
Although Satan’s Host had shared their infinite darkness for close to 30 years, their most recent masterpiece Virgin Sails is my first experience with the band. I wanted to explore the minds of the band, and gave them a few questions to allow us to become more familiar with the Colorado foursome.
First of all congratulations on a fantastic album. Do you guys feel you have accomplished something of a milestone with all these awesome reviews you are receiving?
Patrick Evil: I always believe we do our best when writing new material. To me it is so satisfying when you get great feedback after you release a new album. It’s always a milestone when you get the final product in your hands, it feels surreal.
Anthony: Thank you! We strive to always out do the last effort, and I think we have shown how we have grown musically and lyrically with ‘Virgin Sails’. When you have a signature sound, you don’t have to worry about sounding fresh because the new material will portray freshness naturally, we like to explore all aspects of various Metal genres in our music and it comes very easy and naturally for us.
Harry: It’s a great feeling to know others see the same as we do about the new material. We pour our heart and soul into the music and it is showing.
USA is not that familiar for creating black metal masterpieces. Have you ever felt US black metal bands aren´t getting enough credit for their work compared to the more classical BM countries like Norway and Sweden? How is it being a pure blooded black metal band in the US?
Patrick Evil: I think a lot of US black metal is not taken seriously. I think there is this false sense that true black metal stems from Norway. They have had the greatest success from there. The truth in my eyes is the musick is worldwide a collective whole of underground metal. There are many great bands all around the globe just waiting to be unleashed. I think in Satan’s Host we stand forward above many bands because we don’t get caught up in all the hype and trends that go around. When we write we write as fans as well as musicians.
Anthony: Well true Black Metal to me is music that is about Satan, Satanic and Occult topics, and about the darkside of life; not like the second wave of Black Metal that is about other topics out of scope from what I just mentioned, I enjoy Absu and Infernus, as far as USBM, and I know there are many bands on our label Moribund that are from the US, and I think they are getting recognized little by little more compared to the Scandinavian bands. I think being a pure blooded black metal band in the US for Satan’s Host has been good, we grow more every year and with every release and we have been getting good recognition so far, but their much more ground to cover and we just keep working it by spreading our music however we can. The Fans have been great spreading out message to other, and we encourage them to keep helping us, and we are truly endebted to them and are very appreciative to them.
So on to a few standard questions: Influences! In my ears there is no doubt of the parallels to King Diamond, but I might be totally mistaken too. Can you tell us a bit of your musical background and who your biggest influences have been through the years? Have they changed a lot?
Patrick Evil: I don’t really try to be influenced by other bands I approach our music as a creation waiting to be forged unto reality. There have been so many bands that sound the same I think it is important to have our own sound so when you here Satan’s Host you know right away who we are. I love listening to music all the time but when I write, all I listen to is our music so I keep the energies flowing to what we set out to create.
Anthony: As far as the band prospective on how we relate to others, probably a lot of old school Metal, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Venom, Mercyful Fate, Scorpions, we all love different stuff. Right now me and Pat really dig Attic, they are great new band. But we usually don’t follow any trends or have any outside influence towards what we are doing as a band and musicians. As a drummer I have a lot of different influences in Metal and many other genres of music from R&B, old Country, 50’s music, Classical, and Latin, I like to learn all kinds of rhythmic styles and incorporate them into my own. I’m a big fan of Lars Ulrich, he has always been such a tight flowing drummer, the early stuff Pete Sandoval did with Morbid Angel, Nicko McBrain is a big influence, Eric Carr, I always thought David Grey from Akercocke and now Voices was amazing, Gene Hoglan, Igor Calavera, Steve Ashiem, Neil Peart, the list goes on and on, lol.
Harry: We are all influenced by a number of GREAT musicians from the past and present. Yet Pat, and I have still remained somewhat similar to the original sound on "Metal from Hell". I think it is largely due to our NOT letting outside influences change our vision, but enhance it.
When you guys are touring, do you play music in the bus for all to listen, or is it kept to a personal level? Do the musical preferences differ between the band members? Can you agree on a current rite album (except your own of course)?
Patrick Evil: Yeah we listen to all kinds of music or other times we don’t listen to anything at all. We never have conflicts on what to listen to were having fun just being out and playing live soaking in the culture of the areas we visit.
Anthony: When we travel we pretty much just listen to own thing, we all like different stuff, I’m probably the biggest odd ball of the bunch, I listen to all kinds of weird stuff, lots of Latin stuff, Classical, R&B, lots of Maiden, Mercyful Fate, King Diamond, Pink Floyd, Classic Rock, and oldies from rock and country. Me and Pat are pretty much into the same stuff as far as Metal.
Harry: We have yet to be on a lengthy enough tour. We are all working toward that goal. We feel everyone should have a chance to hear what we have to offer and judge for themselves AFTER they see and hear our LIVE experience. We are writing new material ALL the time. Being creative is a natural thing for us.
I just have to ask this question. Your alias´. I must admit my eyebrows rose a bit when I saw what nicks you have chosen. What’s the background for them, and what are your intentions for using them?
Patrick Evil: I have been Patrick Evil all my life I think it is fun to have these stage names because that’s who we are we don’t put on a fairy tale we are who we are and proud of what we have done in our music. It is so exciting for us to write create and perform after all these years, we still feel fresh and we surprise ourselves when we write songs and forge it into life, it is so fun.
Anthony: Well for myself, I was introduced as the "Evil Little Hobbit" on my first album with Satan’s Host ‘Power~Purtiy~Perfection…999′, our prior singer Eli Elixir was the one that gave me that name, a close friend of mine had already been calling me and my family Hobbits because we were all and still are huge ‘Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit’ fans and since we are all shorter than most people he started calling us his Hobbit family, Patrick Evil gave me the name ‘Evil Hobbit’ which I go by, I HATE the moniker ‘Evil Little Hobbit’, Eli went and had the layout artist put the name ‘Evil Little Hobbit’ on the album without me knowing and I’ve always hated the name. I take my drumming and musicianship very serious, I’ve been drumming for over 35 years and have made a living at it since I was 13 years old, it dismays me when individuals in the industry do not take us seriously, METAL plus all music in general came from Lucifer, and I think that when people look down on us for our dark and Satanic image who are in the industry are really clueless to what is really going on, don’t be raising the devil’s horns to make yourself look cool when in truth you are a fucking poser. I think it is very comical how people in the industry act like they are ‘Evil’, that they are really cool, and then they slam us for what we are and what we are about. I just like to be myself and be true to my essence, I am who I am in real life as I am on stage, I like to work hard, I like to put the time in, it is a passion, and I put 666% into myself and this band and I try to give the fans and the listeners something that is real. Margar is actually a name that Marcus had long before he joined Satan’s Host. A friend suggested it to him and he adopted it because it sounded dark and menacing. When Marcus joined Satan’s Host Margar seemed like an appropriate stage name for a dark and evil band. Margar is not a different person than Marcus, it is just an emphasis on that side of his personality.
Harry: If you are talking to me than I have tried to maintain a separation between the 3 different styles of bands. Having separate personas helps maintain my sanity. I like to fit the music as much as possible for continuity.
I really hope that more people will check out your music in the future. Do you have any long term plans for touring and future releases?
Patrick Evil: Yes we are always looking to play out live and perform across the world and tour. Right now we have been already working on the next album. I think that is what drives us the most is writing and performing new music endlessly. To many bands get stale touring performing the same set over and over for years that is the business record companies want to make as much money as possible on every release I think they can make their money just as easy by putting out new albums and giving the fans what they want not going years between releases a lot of bands will look back and wonder where all that wasted time went and nothing to show for it.
Anthony: We are working on some key performances in 2014 and we are busy in production to the follow up to ‘Virgin Sails’ with a planned 2014 release.
Harry: We are working on NEW material now and are pursuing touring and stronger management.
With all that said, I am really looking forward to dive into all of your previous material, and I´m also looking forward with great anticipation to your future work.
Patrick Evil: Thanks for all your support and to all the legions worldwide we will have a new album out in 2014 and play as many places as we possibly can, we are a never ending machine and will keep pushing the envelope as best we can to bring the best Metal From Hell to the masses as we can!!! www.satanshost.com
Anthony: Awesome! Thanks for taking time for us Lars, it is greatly appreciated, thanks to all the Fans and press that have supported Satan’s Host!!
Harry: We are sure you will like it just the same as "VIRGIN SAILS". We have ALL worked very hard on whatever we do and give it our collective 1000%. Looking forward to seeing everyone on the road soon!
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