WONDERFULLY WICKED we’re getting a lot of attention from North think that’s because they started from America.â€? certain cities where they all had these big communities and they grew from each other, and I think that’s happening in Denmark.â€? As for the future of Konvent, Withington Brink wants to see how far the band can go. Now, ready to promote their massive and INTERVIEW WITH BASSIST HEIDI WITHINGTON BRINK acclaimed debut, Konvent are set to tour Europe, playing concerts in places they’ve “From the beginning, I’ve always had the BY DOUGLAS MENAGH idea that we can take this far,â€? she says. never performed before. and Norway, we don’t have as many bands “The other guys were like, ‘yeah we’ll see, we onvent is a doom and death metal band don’t think so.’ But I think they’re starting to from Denmark, who released their le- that make it outside the underground, but I “We’re all getting more excited about getting think we’re getting there.â€? be like, ‘fuck, what’s going on?’ People are thal debut, Puritan Masochism, through more shows,â€? says Withington Brink. “Getting actually liking it, and we’re getting attention Napalm Records on Jan. 24, 2020. more festival gigs, being able to maybe go Konvent wrote and released a demo in 2017. on tour with a bigger band as support, and we never thought we’d get. Their ideas are Soon afterwards, they got picked up by not just Europe, but perhaps at one point changing of what we’re capable of, and “I like the way we take something that can Napalm Records. what we’re able to do.â€? đ&#x;’Ł sound very deadly, and then put it on these going to the States, because apparently heavy, slow melodies,â€? says bassist Heidi Withington Brink on the band’s pulverizing “When we got approached by Napalm Records in 2018, that’s when it started getting sound. serious with the songwriting. Most of the beginning of 2019 was spent on writing [Puritan Konvent formed in 2015 and also feature Masochism].â€? Rikke Emilie List on vocals, Sara Helena Nørregaard on guitar, and Julie Simonsen on drums. “At the time, one of my room- On song writing, Withington Brink says the process is open and collaborative, in that mates was teaching another girl to drum everyone gets involved. [who was] on the same level as me,â€? says Withington Brink. “We got together, and her sister was Rikke, who is now the lead singer, “Me or Sara come up with a few riffs, and we both do one or the other,â€? she says. “It’s a and they both knew Sara through the metal very fluent working process.â€? community.â€?
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After their formation, Konvent made their bones in Denmark’s underground metal scene. “There is a big underground scene here,� says Withington Brink. “If you compare it to the other Scandinavian countries, like Sweden
With the release of Puritan Masochism, Konvent are meeting acclaim and elevating the metal scene back home. “I think with Sweden, they have this death metal scene, and they also have this great ’70s rock scene,� says Withington Brink. “I
INTERVIEW WITH SINGER / BASSIST ALLISON “SUNNY� FARIS BY MARIKA ZORZI
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The lineup on this album is Faris, Laura The cohesive power of Blackwater HolyHopkins (guitar/vocals) and Sarah McK- light is amplified in Veils of Winter. enna (synths), with new guitarist Mikayla Mayhew and drummer Eliese Dorsay “We definitely operate within the circle of fleshing out the band’s sound in exciting a family dynamic, sisterhood, coven, and ways. creative partnership,� Faris says. “I think it comes out more in Veils of Winter because “Their addition 100 percent influenced of the fact that it was a true collaboration. Veils of Winter,� says Faris. “This album Going into recording, we all wanted to was a collaborative effort between all of give each other space to be ourselves, us; there is absolutely no way the album and support each other in being our“We’ve definitely grown and matured, as selves. That dynamic is something we’re musicians, individuals and as a group,� would sound the way it does if they were not a part of it.� always working on, but was certainly a singer and bassist Allison ‘Sunny’ Faris says. focus point heading into the studio.� Portland, Oregon’s Blackwater Holylight, as the name suggests, are all about contrasts. They create a fluid union of sound that's heavy, psychedelic, melodic, terrifying, and beautiful all at once. After their highly experimental, self-titled debut, the band are now trying a new and more mature sound with Veils of Winter, released through RidingEasy Records.
“We are all so dynamic as individuals,� she continues. “It really keeps a lot of doors open for us during the writing process. I love all our differences, because it allows space for us to present ideas to each other that we would never have gotten to on our own, or if we were all confined to the same influences both in life and musically. It’s amazing to lay down foundations for each other, and be able to get excited about each other’s ideas and grow from them.� Although they’re a heavy band, Blackwater Holylight’s songs aren't attached to riffs. Their sound is hypnotic, with orchestral structures that build tension and intrigue before turning the song on its head, not by simply getting louder or heavier, nor by just layering elements. “We knew we wanted to be heavier than
16 NEW NOISE
the first album, and had more ideas on production,â€? Faris says. “Working with our engineer Dylan White was a dream, and he really helped us unfold our ideas on this into the recordings. All of these sounds and combinations are just another example of us giving space for all our individual ideas.â€? She goes on to explain that the themes of Veils of Winter are a pure celebration of life and respect. “All the lyrics on the album reflect life situations we went through both in our personal lives and as a group. Themes of loss, love, weight, and grief. Also, empowerment and growth. Both the music and the lyrics were outlets for healing in some way or another. We all feel we want to create an environment in which we feel safe to play music and create. We’re just trying to put ourselves out there and say, ‘Hey, we’re allowed to be here’ and just be honest and rock out!â€? “We are giving a voice to women/non-binary, or women-identifying people,â€? Faris says. “There are more and more femme bands coming to the surface, and I think it’s really beautiful that everyone can get up on stage and support each other’s music. We want to show that anyone can hop on stage, and they don’t have to be a certain way to fill the masculine outlines that have been drawn out for years. You can just do what you want, and it’s powerful and amazing.â€? đ&#x;’Ł
