THE WAR INSIDE MY HEAD: AN INTERVIEW WITH CAVE SERMON

Melbourne's own Cave Sermon started out as a pretty good instrumental project that was that rare example of the form where the music has enough drama and dynamism to carry you through. I kind of did wish they had vocals, though. And then Cave Sermon – Charlie Park, to you – released a new album by the name of Divine Laughter that did have vocals, and not only any vocals, those gifted by the throat of the netherworld owned by friend of the show Miguel Méndez (MICO), and the result is an early AOTY contender and an album entirely out of this world. So, reason enough for me to pick the brilliant brain – Charlie Park, to you – about some of the music that has inspired him over the years. Cool.

As always, check out my various interview projects and other cool shit. And if you'd like to keep abreast of the latest, most pressing developments follow us wherever I may roam (FALSE!) (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and now also a tape-per-day series on TIK TOK!), and listen to my, I guess, active (?) podcast (YouTube, Spotify, Apple), and to check out our amazing compilation albums. You can support our unholy work here (Patreon), if you feel like it. Early access to our bigger projects, weekly exclusive recommendations and playlists, and that wonderful feeling that you're encouraging a life-consuming habit.

What was the first album you bought with your own money, and where did you buy it?

It was the CD for Jimi Hendrix – Axis: Bold as Love. I can’t remember exactly where I bought it but it was somewhere in Melbourne.

What 2-3 albums did you hear the most growing up?

Jimi Hendrix – Live at the Fillmore East. Another Hendrix album. This was in my dad’s car CD player for years (along with a bunch of other blues albums). He always used to absolutely blast it through the car speakers whenever he was doing any work on the farm, so now I smell sawdust and old leather gloves whenever I hear any of these songs. I still think "Machine Gun" is the best live recording ever captured.

This Will Destroy You – Tunnel Blanket. Got really hooked on this album when I was around 18. I used to see people slapping the doom/drone label on this, but now I feel like it has much more of the black metal spirit.

What albums taught you the most about the technical aspect of making music?

Convulsing – Grievous. I remember listening to Grievous for the first time in my kitchen in 2020. I can’t think of another album that had such an immediate impact on the way I wrote music. I even had to put Grievous and Errata in the ‘do not listen to these anymore unless you want to accidentally steal riffs’ bin for a while. I think the Convulsing influence is still pretty obvious in my music though.

Panopticon – Autumn Eternal. My favorite black metal album, and one of the few metal albums that I think actually manages to create a setting of some kind, which I think is really important. Most black metal albums with wilderness cover art don’t feel that convincing to me, but this one truly makes me feel like I’m in a forest in Vermont or something.

What is the last album that absolutely shocked you?

Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter – SAVED!. I don’t think I was quite prepared for how emotional this would make me, especially the last two songs. Most of the art that moves me does so because I find myself relating to it in some way. I don’t think this is the case here, but I think the vocals and the instrumentation are executed so terrifyingly that I can’t help but be sucked into the mind of the creator. I can see why certain people would completely break down at Kristin Hayter’s shows.

What album relaxes you or centers you the most?

I’m not sure if I really listen to music for relaxation or centering. The closest I get is probably playing that Zach Bryan self-titled album while I’m cooking. Or sometimes I play Sunn O))) – Life Metal really loudly through some noise cancelling headphones when I go shopping for groceries.

What are the 2-3 albums you’ve listened to the most recently?

The Beths – Expert in a Dying Field. First and last tracks from this album are perfect. Really well produced too.

Burial – Untrue. Never been but this sounds like London to me.

Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour

I don’t know what to say about this one. It’s just a nice album.

What album is grossly underrated?

State Faults – Clairvoyant. I don’t feel connected enough to this scene to know whether it’s underrated or not, but I absolutely love this album. It flows really well and has a real identity to it. The instruments are played with real conviction and the melodies are so sticky. Classic Jack Shirley production as well, feels like something’s about to explode.

What album would you recommend from your local scene?

 Diploid – I AM YOURS. AND I AM HERE AGAIN.

 

Class Traitor – Broken Energy Highway

Armlock – Trust