There are Wolves in the Throne Room

Wolves In The Throne Room are a hard band to really get a fix on. Whether musically, spiritually or simply in conversation you’re not sure where the next statement is coming from. I think that’s part of the reason I have become such a big fan so quickly. By and large Black Metal tends to annoy me, or at the very least bore me with it’s sedentary nature. For a genre claiming to be so cutting edge it’s truly amazing how much this silly quest to be “true” breeds repetition.

Wolves In The Throne room cast all that aside in hopes of finding a much more transcendent and spiritual path through extreme music. Their songs are complex and constantly moving even when trying to write something as straight forward as their new album Black Cascade. They constantly challenge themselves and in turn challenge us to feel something through their music. They don’t dictate what you feel, only that the music reaches you on some level.

Black Cascade is a wonderful album but not a surprise coming from Wolves who have raised the benchmark for all extreme bands to follow. The interview I held with them was as all encompassing as their music. Thoughtful, intelligent, direct and even a bit pretentious Wolves In The Throne room delivered honesty and integrity in this interview the exact same way they have with their music.

CRAVE ONLINE: Who are Wolves In The Throne Room? Give us a brief history.

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM: There are three of us.  We live in Cascadia.  WITTR is best seen as an evolutionary form of Black Metal, which of course evolved from other forms of music.  We feel that Black Metal manifests a powerful transcendent spirit that is deeper and more universal than Satanism or Nihilism. 

It demands that we reawaken to a mythological, supra-sensible reality.  It demands that we experience a psychological apocalypse.  Once one experiences this sort of opening, one might reasonably choose a Satanic path, but WITTR is not interested in this sort of thing.   

CRAVE ONLINE: What does the band have in store for 2009?

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM: There is a good deal ahead of us.  Our new record, Black Cascad, is out.  Between now and mid July we will tour the whole of the United States, play the roadburn festival and spend about a month in Europe.

CRAVE ONLINE: How did the band get involved with Southern Lord Records?

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM: Greg Anderson and SL heard our debut album, Diadem of 12 Stars, and thought that the band would fit on his label’s roster.  We are very pleased with Southern Lord.  It is a label that gives bands complete artistic freedom while still offering the support that labels can provide.

CRAVE ONLINE: A lot of Black Metal purists say that the bad production value is what makes Black Metal “true”. What is your opinion of that idea?

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM: Lo-fi production is part of black metal tradition because the music comes from an underground, non commercial culture.  Making a “good” sounding record is very expensive and requires collaboration with more people.  On a 4-track, an artist can manifest his personal vision in complete isolation.  I appreciate lo-fi production, but WITTR is not interested in that sound or approach right now.     

CRAVE ONLINE: Wolves and other bands like you have really raised the bar on what Black Metal can sound like. Was that you intention all along? What was your intention?

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM: Our intention is always the same whether we record or play live: we seek to reveal the realm of transcendent spirit.  We’ll use whatever techniques or aesthetics are appropriate at the moment.  We wanted Black Cascade to have an imperious, noble sound.  Sound wise, we are more interested in Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath than any more contemporary metal band.

CRAVE ONLINE: Talk to me about the “Malevolent Grain” EP. What can fans expect from this vinyl release?

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM: We did this record because we wanted to collaborate with Jamie Meyers, the vocalist who lent her voice to Diadem of 12 Stars. The EP has two tracks.  The first is features Jamie’s vocals in the lead position.  The second is an intense black metal track. 

CRAVE ONLINE: With each studio album you have grown musically. What new ideas and growth can we expect from “Black Cascade”?

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM: Black Cascade is unambiguously a metal album.  We tried to create the most focused and powerful record we could.  Our next release will probably be more unconventional.

CRAVE ONLINE: It’s clear presentation is important to the band. Who puts together the artwork and execution of your releases?

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM: We have a direct hand in the creation of all visual aspects of WITTR.  Many of the photographs associated with the band are collaborations with a good friend of ours, Johnny Delacy.  For instance, the art for Black Cascade was created on a camping trip in the mountains near our home. 

We do the art direction and Johnny takes the pictures.  Steven O’Malley did an amazing job on the layout.  I think he captured our intention perfectly.  We try to represent a uniquely Cascadian occult spirit.