INTERVIEW: SPELL

Three men, three albums and three words: Hipnotizing Heavy Metal. SPELL is a band from Vancouver that have recently released their third album, “Opulent Decay”, via Bad Omen Records. Here you are an interview with them. Enjoy!

-Hello! Thanks for taking your time. What have you all been doing in the wake of this pandemic?

Hey Diego, thanks for asking. We’re keeping pretty well… We lost jobs and our tour plans and album release party were cancelled, but we’re healthy and have enough to get by, so we count ourselves pretty lucky. 

-Could you please give our readers a brief history of the band including the STRYKER’s times? Why did you change your name from STRYKER to SPELL? What’s the difference?

Sure. The three of us started playing together back in 2007 as STRYKER. We released a tape and 7” under that name. We were much younger then and still learning how to write music, so it was a lot more directly inspired by our idols… JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT, TRIUMPH, etc. In 2013 we decided to change our name to SPELL. This was partly to avoid confusion with the other Canadian band, STRIKER, but also, we felt that our sound was developing and becoming our own, and SPELL was a name that we could take in a more unique direction. Since then, we’ve released three albums – “The Full Moon Sessions” (2014), “For None And All” (2016) and now “Opulent Decay” (2020). I’m proud to say that they’ve gotten dramatically better each time!

-You guys have been together since 2007. What does it take to make a band with the desired consistency, bearing in mind the different profiles, personalities, day routines, etc.? A common aim, maybe?

We’re all different people with different ideas, but we’ve been playing together so long – 13 years now. Nearly half our lives! We’ve grown up together, musically, and that makes us brothers. We don’t always see eye to eye but I think we have enough respect for each other’s perspectives that we take the time to listen to each other, even if we disagree. Our musical goals are diverse enough that we feel there’s a lot of room to try out new things and incorporate many different influences. Even when we disagree, we know that it comes down to a common goal – to make our music the best it could possibly be – so we work to make this happen. I think our music is the better for it, rather than having the entire direction dictated by one person.

-SPELL works well as a power trio, but could you ever see your musical line-up expanding?

(Laughs) We don’t have any plans to expand the line-up. As mentioned above, we’re a brotherhood of three. We’ve traveled the world together playing music and collaborated for 13 years. We don’t mind working with other people, like our producer Felix Fung who takes on a creative role alongside us in the studio, but I think it would be pretty hard for someone else to get on the same level as the rest of us after so long together.

-Let’s talk about “Opulent Decay”, out April 10th and released on Bad Omen Records once again. What makes Bad Omen the ideal label partner for SPELL?

We appreciate how the Bad Omen label is curated. We have enormous respect for every other band on the roster, and we appreciate this very much compared to some other labels who put out records by every low-quality, trendy, flavour-of-the-month band that comes along. We put a lot of time and effort into our music rather than relying on gimmicks, and we appreciate that Bad Omen works the same way and gives us the platform to take our time until we get things just how we want them.

-You make what you call “Hypnotizing Heavy Metal”, what’s that? Can you mention a few bands that are an inspiration for SPELL’s music?

Sure. Obviously we love classic hard rock and heavy metal, but we love all kinds of other music too. Diana Ross. Brian Eno. Miles Davis. Genesis. Kate Bush. Sun Ra. Sacred Blade. We much more interested in great songwriting and musicianship than we are in genre labels. If it’s great music, we’re interested. We call ourselves ‘hypnotizing heavy metal’ because it doesn’t quite fit into any other category.

-You have done videos for the songs “Psychic Death” and “Deceiver”. Can you tell us a bit about these videos? Would you say those two tunes are the best representation of the new material?

Sure. We’re very proud of these songs, but I wouldn’t necessarily say they’re the ‘best’ on the album. We picked them because they might be the easiest to understand after one or two listens. Our music is dense and diverse and it might take a few runs through the whole album to get the full picture. These two songs are, in some ways, ‘less weird’ than the rest of the album, and show two different sides of what we do. We also did a video for “Dawn Wanderer” which represents a third dimension to our songwriting style. From there it gets better, stranger, and more interesting!  

-Musically, how would you compare the new album to your prior efforts?

It is by far our best. We continued to focus on tight, catchy songwriting, with depth. This album will continue to grow after many listens, rather than getting boring or annoying like many. We’re much better players than we were on the last album, and we have a much better understanding of how to compose music. In particular, we made sure not to make the album too pretentious or ‘up-our own asses’ – this isn’t about making some overly complex thing that nobody actually enjoys. This is about making the most enjoyable possible music that people can dance to and sing along with. 

-What was the process like creating the new album? When it came to the songwriting for this album was anybody more prolific than usual this time?

Most of the time, Cam will come forward with an idea and we’ll work on it together. Everyone has a say and adds their own personality to it. Sometimes it’s a painful process, but it’s always the better for it. Al and Graham bring song ideas forward too, so we all have our stamp on this record.

-Are there any particular songs that were more difficult for you to write?

“Dawn Wanderer” took me a long time to finish – many years. I had the bulk of it down, but couldn’t quite fit the verses and guitar themes together in a way that made sense. I was so thrilled when it finally clicked in my mind as I slept one night, and I couldn’t be happier with it! “The Iron Wind” was also a challenging song to write. It’s probably our most complex song to date, and it went through many months of revisions before it turned out how we wanted it. We never push songs through if they aren’t as good as they could be.

-Your lyrics are inspired by Romantic poets like Keats, Shelley and Coleridge. Can you tell us a bit more about the lyrical themes of “Opulent Decay”?

Sure. For me, lyrics are incredibly important. Poetry, like music, has transformative power. This album is about the contrast between opulence and austerity, or decay. When is opulence something to be desired, and what are its limitations? When can austerity give you strength, and what takes it too far? Decadent wealth is one example of that: I have seen adults so accustomed to luxury that they are unable to cope without constant gratification, brought down by the slightest discomfort. I have also seen truth-seekers devote themselves so slavishly to asceticism that they deny nearly all physical pleasures and joys. “Opulent Decay” examines this balance and the dangers that await on either side.

-This new record has some breathtaking artwork. Can you tell us who created it and a bit about the concept?  Why doesn’t it include the logo on the cover?

We spent a long time searching for the perfect cover artwork for this album. We didn’t want to use something that’s been used before or has become cliche in the heavy metal community. We feel that our music is a bit different than what others are doing, and we wanted our album cover to reflect that. In Vancouver there is an ancient bookstore with endless piles of used books and a giant basement overflowing with disorganized dusty stacks that have been there for decades. I spent days exploring this basement, searching for inspiration. Eventually, I found a book of art by Max Ernst (the German Dadaist/Surrealist). I’ve been a big fan of his for years, but I had never seen “The Eye of Silence” before. When I opened the book and saw it, I was in awe. I knew it was perfect, and luckily I was able to license it from the Estate of Max Ernst.

-Canada seems to have some killer metal bands these days like CAULDRON, STRIKER, SKULL FIST… What do you feel it takes to get your name out there within the metal community nowadays?

That’s hard to say. I’m not sure if we’ve done it yet! We’re big fans of CAULDRON (and their former band, GOAT HORN) and we love SKULL FIST too (as well as their former band, 30 YEARS TOO LATE). Shout outs to FREEWAYS, who just released a great album on Temple of Mystery Records! There are tons of great Canadian bands, and many terrible ones too, of course. If you find out how to get your name out there in the metal community, let me know!

-Of course, right now is probably not the best time to ask about touring with all that is happening in the world. But once life goes back to normal what are your plans for touring to support this album?

Well, we had planned to tour Europe this summer, but that obviously had to be postponed. Our new plan is to tour Europe next March and hopefully also in June, and we’d like to play in Canada and the USA before then, depending on how long this lockdown lasts. We’re very eager to play our new material! 

-On the topic of touring, what places of the world would you love to perform in the most? And are there any other bands that you would like to partner up with to tour?

We had an incredible time touring Europe a few years ago, and can’t wait to do that again. Everywhere we went, we were received with such kindness. It’s amazing to show up in a country where you’ve never been before and meet people who know all your lyrics! We would love to tour with Canadians like FREEWAYS or SMOULDER, or our American pals like IDLE HANDS, and we love being on the road with Europeans – our tour last year with LUCIFER was wonderful! 

-What have been some of the most memorable moments of your career so far?

Our show at Hell Over Hammaburg (Hamburg) was one of our very favourites, as well as our performance at Wings of Metal (Montreal) a few years ago. Both absolutely wild, high energy nights with jam packed rooms of rabid fans. We also love playing in LA and Long Beach – every time we make it down there, the energy is completely unbelievable!

-Now I would like you to say the first thing that comes into your mind about these 4 terms:

*GHOST (The Band):

To be honest, none of us have really listened to GHOST. We have nothing bad to say about them, but we wanted to avoid having them subconsiously influence our sound, because obviously there are some overlaps in what we’re doing, so I’ve avoided hearing them.

*OCCULTISM:

We believe in magic and the power of the unspoken – music is magic. It has the plower to alter our reality in a way that we cannot understand. Mystery and the unknowable are just as powerful as fact and knowledge. There are many systems at play upon us and our reality, and it is hubris to assume that after hundreds of thousands of years and countless beautiful systems of belief and understanding, we’ve only now finally landed upon the ‘one path to Truth’ (ie., science) and all others are nonsense. Everyone in history has believed that their truth is reality, and we are no different. Science is Truth to the scientist. God is Truth to the Christian. The Stars are Truth to those who lay their faith in them. Some readers may be thinking ‘Ok, but only science can build skyscrapers and get us to the moon!’ Of course, but this is circular logic: building skyscrapers and going to the moon are not universal values, but values of a scientific society. Do you want to peer into the future, get advice from a deity, or talk to the dead? Science can’t do that, but sane, intelligent people with other belief systems have confidently done these things for thousands of years. So, we believe in the powers of mystery, and in science too. Each system pursues its own ends. As Hamlet said, “There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy”.

*SIBYL VANE:

This song is our examination of the character in Oscar Wilde’s book “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. The character of Sibyl herself is a brilliant metaphor. She is a poor actor, playing Shakespeare’s heroines to make a living. Her life is immersed in the drama of tragedy, and in her innocence she lives her roles with total conviction. Until, she falls in love with Dorian Gray. This makes her feel like faking love onstage is a mockery, and she can no longer be a convincing actor. In an ironic twist, Sibyl’s sudden inability causes Dorian to fall out of love with her, which plunges her into a heartbreak that parallels with her theater performances. Although she received accolades for playing tragic roles on stage, for her own experience she is ignored and abandoned, and in misery she takes her own life. This story shows how fickle we are be with morality, and it proves that there is no fine line between fiction and reality.

*TRAPPED UNDER ICE (Compilation):

A fantastic compilation put together by a great label! We’re proud to be on it amongst these other great Canadian bands. Our contribution, “Silent Towers”, is also our first song with drummer Al Lester singing lead vocals!

-Name ten favourite albums of all time.

Oh man. That’s a really difficult question. There are hundreds of favourite albums, and they change all the time depending on what we’re listening to at that moment. Here are some of the first answers that come to mind. These are just picks from Cam – I’m sure my bandmates would have very different ones!

NINA SIMONE - High Priestess of Soul

FLEETWOOD MAC - Future Games

THE DEVIL’S BLOOD - Come Reap

WISHBONE ASH - Argus

BEATLES - Rubber Soul 

KATE BUSH - Hounds of Love

GENESIS - Selling England By the Pound

RUSH - Moving Pictures

STRAWBS - Grave New World

NEU! - Neu! 

KING CRIMSON - In the Wake of Posiedon 

KRAFTWERK - The Man Machine

-Thanks for your time. Is there anything else you want to say or add?

Yeah – listen to our new album! Sit down and listen to the whole thing. Twice. It will grow each time and you won’t regret it. There is magic in that music and you’ll know when you’ve found it.

Diego González