BLOOD MONOLITH emerges as a brutal new force in extreme metal, blending raw aggression with deep-rooted influences. In this interview, the band delves into their formation, sound, and uncompromising vision.
I moved
from California to northern Virginia in 2022, and as a result was playing in
multiple bands that were located 3,000 miles away for a couple years. When I
left one of those bands (Vastum), it freed up a little time for a new project.
I figured it was probably best to do something local, so I started talking to
people in the DC/VA area, and luckily I found Tommy, Nolan, and Aidan.
2.
Shelby, you mentioned wanting to create something "uglier, weirder, and
more aggressive." What does that mean to you sonically and thematically,
and how did it shape The Calling Of Fire?
I’ve never
really played in a band that reflects my favorite era and type of death
metal—like early to mid 90s Cannibal Corpse, Nile, Cryptopsy, Suffocation—that
type of proto-technical blasty stuff. That’s what I listen to the most, and
while I’ve brushed up against it in other projects, I really wanted the new
band to be boiled down to that type of speed and brutality. I wanted the lyrics
to be heavy thematically too—not necessarily political or anything but
reflecting all the horrible shit happening in our world right now. To me, the
reality of America in 2025 is the ugliest and darkest place we can be, so
that’s what I wanted to capture on the album.
3. The
band's home base in the Washington DC/Northern Virginia area is described as a
source of inspiration tied to themes of mass murder and corruption. How has
your environment influenced your sound and lyrical content?
You can’t
avoid witnessing that shit if you live in the DC area. Ultimate power and the
corruption behind all of it. I live 5 minutes from the Pentagon. Being in the
shadow of that level of evil, just the most bloodthirsty and backwards empire
maybe in the history of the world… If you’re paying attention at all, that’s
going to color the type of art you’re making.
4.
“Prayer To Crom” was the first track you wrote and released—why was this the
song that best represented BLOOD MONOLITH’s direction, and what’s the story
behind it?
Since it’s
the first song Tommy and I wrote together, I think it just has the most urgency
and energy behind it. We wrote it the first time we got together to jam, it’s
half his riffs and half mine. When it came to writing the lyrics, I think I was
just reading quotes from Conan The Barbarian one night, I’m not even sure why.
Something about the lone, alienated figure standing against an insurmountable
evil resonated with me. Like yeah, we’re all gonna die at the hands of this
thing, but are you gonna go down quietly, or are you going down with steel in
hand? “On this day, one stood against many” and all that…
5. With
members from punk, grindcore, and death metal backgrounds, how did your
different musical experiences blend during the writing and recording process?
It just
makes for well-seasoned musicians, I guess. If you learn different styles and
techniques it’s gonna be easier to just hop in and do whatever. Aidan started
out playing gospel music at a very young age, and I think if you listen
closely, you can hear that influence in her drumming. Tommy and Aidan have
played a lot of punk, grind, and powerviolence, and while I think Blood
Monolith is probably the most technical thing any of us have done, I don’t
think we could’ve created the album without that diversity and experience.
6. The
Calling Of Fire channels influences from both old-school legends like Morbid
Angel and modern forces like Dead Congregation. How do you strike a balance
between paying homage and pushing boundaries?
It’s not really a conscious formula. If you’re just steeped in that type of music, both old and new, I think that’s just what comes out when you write. Like, I’m not thinking to myself, “OK, I’m gonna write an old-school section, better add some new-school stuff in there to even it out”. Death metal is just in my DNA now, after listening to it for 30+ years. Blood Monolith is just what I hear in my head, and my best attempt at extracting it.
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Like I said
before, I’m not really trying to make political statements with this album, but
I also want to have a degree of reality, and reflect a vision of modern life. I
don’t want to overexplain my lyrics either, so I’ll just say a lot of them are
about subjugation, power, technology, and the abuse of both humans and animals.
The forces of greed and excess exploiting the powerless.
8. The
DIY ethic seems to remain strong in BLOOD MONOLITH, despite the big names
involved. How important is that independence in your creative and production
process?
Creative
freedom is my #1 priority, just as personal freedom is outside the realm of
music. The Calling of Fire was written and recorded without any recorded label
involved. We did it exactly how we wanted, and when it was completely finished,
we brought it to Profound Lore, who, lucky for us, wanted to release it. Chris
at the label understands and respects the vision of the artists, which is super
rare (Dave at 20 Buck Spin is also great about this, which is why I’ve worked
with him so much in the past.) I had some ideas about Blood Monolith that I
know other labels would have had issues with, like not having any social media
presence. Chris was totally cool with that, and in fact, I think this will be
his third release in a row of bands who don’t participate (Pissgrave and
Caustic Wound before us). The freedom to abstain from aspects of the industry
that I find toxic is very important.
9. Nick
Blinko’s artwork adds a unique visual layer to The Calling Of Fire. How did
that collaboration come about, and how does his visual aesthetic complement
your music?
Licensing a
piece from Nick Blinko was the realization of a dream I’ve had for decades.
I’ve always wanted to have his art on the cover of an album I played on. I’m a
huge Rudimentary Peni fan and specifically a fan of his art and writing. It
seemed right for Blood Monolith, just that pipeline from weird, early DIY
anarcho-punk to weird, modern DIY anarcho-death metal. I knew that the band
Iron Lung had worked with Blinko in the past, and I talk to Jensen from Iron
Lung every once in awhile. So I just asked him, and he put me in touch with a
gallerist in London who handles licensing. There was some back and forth, but
I’m very happy with what we got.
10. With
the album dropping May 16th via Profound Lore Records, what can fans expect in
terms of live shows or future releases? Is BLOOD MONOLITH meant to be a one-off
or a long-term war machine?
There will
be both live shows and future releases, but unfortunately I can’t talk about
either at present.
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