The War Inside My Head: An Interview with The Blood Mountain Black Metal Choir

Back when I started this "music-appreciation" interview series my motivation was two-fold: On the one hand I found through my interviews that really there's nothing artists love more than talking about other people's art. The second was that, beyond the infinity long and in-depth interviews I do from time to time, I wanted a way to highlight artists I love or have just sprouted into my consciousness that was quick and fun. Listening to The Blood Mountain Black Metal Choir's debut demo, Folklore, the other day, was one of those moments where it became quite clear quite fast that this was a project I wanted to highlight, fast, beyond the blurb I did on them recently (they were also, very wisely, written up by the good people over at No Clean Singing).

The connection between the grand, semi-atmospheric tradition of black metal and that subsection of music known as American folk, or that which has some of those sensibilities, is at this point established. With bands like Panopticon, Nechochwen, Primeval Well, and others, it's basically a whole genre of music. I could also say that I am somewhat invested in those kinds of bands, having interviewed both Austin of Panopticon as well as Ryan from Primevall Well/Skythala in the past. Which makes what TBMBMC did on their demo all the more impressive, to me. By taking a bit of Americana and top-loading it with freezing cold atmospheric black metal of a more European kind, they sound like a fully formed force, creating beautiful, dynamic music that wears its influences on its sleeves while creating a powerful new statement. It's great, is what I'm saying. All the more enjoyable given this wonderful interview filled with great music and great anecdotes. So, yeah – full support.

As always, if you're new to this metal blog of bones you can also check out the various interview projects I have going on as well as the weekly recommendation posts. And if you'd like to keep abreast of the latest, most pressing developments follow us wherever I may roam (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Bluesky, etc), and listen to my, I guess, active? (no) podcast (YouTube, Spotify, Apple), and to check out our amazing compilation albums. You could also possibly support my 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. It's probably a bad idea, but to each their own. On to The Blood Mountain Black Metal Choir.

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

The first album I ever purchased with my own money was Slipknot’s All Hope Is Gone around release day in 2008. After much begging and pleading, my parents agreed to let me purchase the album – but only the censored version. I wore out that CD after putting it on loop for months. If my memory serves me correctly, I’m pretty sure I just got it at Walmart which seems fitting for a censored Slipknot CD in 2008.

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

Having grown up in a conservative household deep in the Bible-belt, it was difficult to discover new music that truly resonated with me. I had two options: be sneaky about what I was listening to or get parental approval for the content of an album before being able to listen. As a result, much of the music played around my childhood home was heavily curated. The first albums that I ever really latched onto were from my dad’s CD collection. Kansas’ greatest hits CD The Best of Kansas was the first "album" that I can recall having on repeat. However, as I got a little older, I was able to branch out and discover new artists organically. Being a child of the suburbs in the 2000s, it should come as absolutely no shock that Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory also became a staple in my rotation.

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

I have always be enamored by the lore and creation of Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago. Justin Vernon is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest creatives of my lifetime. The immense amount of creativity that went into creating that 2008 masterpiece while utilizing such minimal gear has always inspired me. His intense focus on details and layering has always been a great inspiration in my creative process, despite the wide genre gap between us.

What is the last album that absolutely shocked you?

Holy Fawn’s Death Spells is the first to come to mind, and that should say something considering it’s already about seveb years old. I have always loved the sound of shoegaze-esque music. But I always struggled to find a band whose songwriting truly stood out amongst the oversaturated crowd of fuzzy-guitar-led music. But Death Spells unlocked something in me that has rarely ever been done in my life and I will always love that band, and especially that album, for it.

What album relaxes you or centers you the most?

To avoid sounding like a broken record, I’ll put a plug on the endless praise I could give for Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago and instead give the attention to Sufjan Stevens’ Seven Swans. That record has been the soundtrack to many of the happiest and darkest moments of my life. Rarely has any other musical piece weaved together joyfulness and grief in such an effective way. It’s virtually therapy in an album, for me at least.

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

The Giles Corey self-titled album has apparently been my top played album of the last 6-months according to my personal streaming stats. I am not sure what that says about me, but I am sure it’s something a therapist would like to talk to me about. In the winter, I find myself really enjoying some DSBM as a way to romanticize the bleakness of the season. NONE’s Inevitable has been playing non-stop for me recently. It’s a shame they called it quits, but I also understand the desire to go out at the top of your game.

What album is grossly underrated?

This should come as no surprise given the music I make, but I wholly cherish the music of second-wave of Norwegian black metal despite how abhorrent some of its most prolific members are (or were) as individuals. That said, my favorite Mayhem album is their 2014 comeback record, Esoteric Warfare. To some of the “truest” black metal enjoyers, I’m sure it’s blasphemy to consider anything other than their 80’s and 90’s output to be their peak. But something about that album just ignites a spark in me. The dissonance, the fury, the pure unbridled evil energy. When it first came out, I remember thinking to myself, “Wow, these guys are at their best decades into their career,” only to read online that apparently others do not think the same.

What album would you recommend from your local scene?

I want to give a shoutout to the wonderful people from Low Before the Breeze. These guys make some of the most ferocious blackened-screamo out there. I was very fortunate to get to meet them recently at a show locally here in Georgia, and they were as kind as they are talented. As of now, they only have singles and EPs out, but they just recently announced a new album and I’m super excited for it, so that’s my album recommendation even though I haven’t actually heard it yet.