In the beginning of God's preparing the heavens and the earth
the earth hath existed waste and void, and darkness is on the face of
the deep, and the Spirit of God fluttering on the face of the waters
and God saith, 'Let light be', and light is.
Sometime in November of 2019, you
were invited to listen to a new Heavy Metal album in the name of Lord of
Light. That album, entitled Morningstar, was uploaded on digital platforms
and not later than few days, it reached record labels and fans, with an
enormous positive response.
Songwriter Nicklas Kirkevall
will introduce for the first time Lord of Light to the world.
How did you get into music as a fan, and how as a
musician?
I listened to a lot of rock music before that point but
hearing "Aces High" with Iron Maiden kind of sealed the deal for me. That was
around when I was 13 years old and I had just picked up the guitar after
wanting to play for many years. I started with classical piano when I was quite
young but there was always some measure of rock aspirations in me and with some
good teachers, the early versions of Guitar Pro, and the greatness of Steve
Harris and his men, I got a very strong start.
Did you play in other bands before Lord of Light?
I played keyboards with a few different bands of a more
AOR oriented nature before, and did some gigs long ago, but that role never sat
very well with me. I think I had more energy that needed out than playing bell
pads and piano hooks made possible. Also, the sound of an electric guitar
through a good high gain amplifier is one of the most beautiful sounds there is
in this world.
What's the idea or meaning behind the name of the band
and what pushed you to create Lord of Light?
The music is what’s been bouncing around my head for the
better part of a decade now. There are riffs and melodies that don’t seem to
want to leave me so I have to make something of them not to go insane. Light is
the perfect theme for it all because it represents all the things that I want
to relate. Without light there would be no life, so it makes sense to honour
it.
How would you describe Lord of Light to someone who is
not familiar with the band?
It’s heavy metal. It’s prog/power. I don’t know, the
influences range from Toto to Meshuggah, and we’re equally traditionalist and
trying to push the envelope. Only analogue synths were used and we had a tempo
track or metronome for only a short few moments. Heavy metal that’s vibrant and
organic, and at the same time as hard hitting and powerful as we can possibly
make it, is the goal.
How long did it take you to write, perform and record the
songs of Morningstar and can you tell us a few words for each
track?
We spent about a week in the studio for all the basic
stuff, and then I did a few weeks alone for the different vocal and guitar
parts. After that the synths took several months to properly finish. It was a
pretty arduous thing, to be honest, but I chalk a lot of that up to my
inexperience as a producer. I’ve done studio work before but this project is
different in many ways, and there were many good lessons learned during the
process.
To speak a little on the songs it was "Presage" that kind
of cemented this whole thing. I had actually written the music for "Ballad of
the Righteous" before that but "Presage" was the first track with all the
instrumentation down, so that’s where it started to seem like there was
actually something exciting and worthwhile to make of it all. I rewrote it into
"Typhoon" and wrote the rest of the material after that. "Morningstar" was the last
to be completed and the one where I dared to go off in new directions the most.
When the album was completed, it was uploaded on Spotify
and shortly you created a YouTube channel, where you also uploaded the album.
Did you search for a record label before or you just let it "happen"?
There were plans to make a proper pitch to some labels
but in the end I wanted to get to work on a new release as soon as possible, so
we kind of just let it out to clear the slate and focus on the next step. The
positive response we got was quite unexpected given how little effort we put in
to getting it out there, but a very welcome boon after all the work we put in.
It’s fantastic to have this kind of response with No Remorse Records, releasing Morningstar, and going into the next release.
Where would you place Lord of Light in the current music
scene and which are your expectations for the future?
I think there is much to be done within the world of
metal that hasn’t been done already. Some times it can feel like there aren’t
any more uncharted waters to explore, but I sincerely hope we get the
opportunity to prove otherwise in the coming years. I know we’re not the only
ones, but I think we have the chance to contribute something really meaningful.
Morningstar will be released on CD format via No
Remorse Records on March 13, 2020.
Nearly after 30 years, US metal legend HEIR
APPARENT returns with a new album! Seattle, WA's Heir Apparent was founded in
1984 by guitarist Terry Gorle. During 1985, Heir Apparent signed with Black Dragon
Records and completed the first album "Graceful Inheritance" that was
released in 1986. Up to this day, the debut album of Heir Apparent is
considered as one of the best US metal albums of the 80s.
After highs and lows in the music industry and lineup
changes, finally the band was signed by Metal Blade Records and released their
second album "One Small Voice" (1989), one of the best progressive
metal albums of all times. Although the future looked bright, tensions
surrounding commitment and finances within the band caused a rift that split
the group.
In 2011, Crystal Logic had a detailed interview
with Terry Gorle regarding the history of Heir Apparent and you can read everything
about the past HERE.
"The View From Below" is the title of
the third Heir Apparent album that is set for release on October 15th of 2018
via No Remorse Records.
"The View From Below" is produced by
Tom Hall and Heir Apparent. Tom Hall has also produced all the previous Heir
Apparent releases and he has also worked with Queensrÿche on
"Queensrÿche" EP (1983) and "Empire" (1990), among others.
Tracklist: 1. Man in the Sky (Schwartz, Shaw) 2. The Door (Gorle, Shaw) 3. Here We Aren't (Sakiya, Shaw) 4. Synthetic Lies (Gorle, Blair, Shaw) 5. Savior (Gorle, Blair) 6. Further and Farther (Gorle, Shaw) 7. The Road to Palestine (Gorle, Shaw) 8. Insomnia (Gorle, Shaw)
Lineup: Will Shaw – Vocals Terry Gorle – Guitar Derek Peace – Bass Ray Schwartz – Drums Op Sakiya – Keyboards
Terry Gorle is a very intelligent person and you
can regard Heir Apparent as "thinking man's metal band", something
that was used in the past for Queensrÿche. We tried to approach Heir Apparent
and "The View From Below" differently than most interviews and since
we already spoke about the past 7 years ago, now we are talking about the
present, the future and the world. This is a very special and thoughtful
interview with Mr. Terry Gorle.
- Heir Apparent are back with a new album, nearly
30 years after "One Small Voice". "One Small Voice" was
different than the debut album "Graceful Inheritance", and so it is
"The View From Below" compared to the other two. One name, three
albums, three different musical statements. What connects those albums?
TG: The bassist, the drummer, and the guitarist! This
seems like a question for the critics to answer, since my only goal is to write
good songs that are fun to play, and utilize the talents of the singer. The
band has a general philosophy about mankind being the guardian of the planet,
and the importance of rising above cultural delusions and inequality, so I
suppose there is a continuity in the general themes of our song lyrics.,
- "The world has made its choice, there is
no turning back now". Does the world reflect each one of us and are there
choices that can't be undone? Or we just gave away everything to the "Man in
the Sky"?
TG: Will’s lyrics alternate between statements from a
personal view, a cultural view, a view from a segment of society, or a
generalized impersonal overview of a world condition. This leaves many things
open for interpretation by the listener, and I think it allows every person to
find what they connect with and relate to. Personally, I think almost anything
can be undone, but whether or not problems can be fixed depends on the power of
the forces responsible for creating and prolonging the problem, or their
ability to indoctrinate and control perceptions…
- "We hold the key to unlock the door and
open our minds". Isn't this a choice or "The Door" is so well
hidden that there is no choice after all? What choices Heir Apparent did in the
past that should be better locked behind the door?
TG: Again, the listener has the freedom to find their
own interpretations. To me, the lyrics represent oppression by any form of
government or cultural institution that hides the truth from the public. This
is a common element in several of our songs over the years, speaking to
individual strength and the quest for knowledge. To be independent in the sense
that you use your own mind and not be an unquestioning follower or victim of
deception.
- "Everything gone in an instant, sometimes
over before it began". The new album is completed and it is out there. Do
you believe that in the current music industry MUSIC and ART really matter for
the masses or everything is few clicks in fast-forward and everyone has an
opinion for everything despite his knowledge or not? Are we here or "Here
We Aren't"?
TG: Well, the sad state of an instant gratification
society and the constant propaganda of marketing to either drain your wallet or
drain your brain is disconcerting. I hope that people can pull their heads out
of the sand and be smarter than that. For me, this is a very emotional
melancholy song about birth and death, the occasional feelings of futility that
everyone feels from time to time, and the idea that our lives are
inconsequential within the bigger picture of our infinitesimally small place in
this vast universe over billions and billions of years. Ultimately, this life is
all we have, so we owe it to ourselves to make the very most of every moment to
be the very best we can be. Although there are no lyrics at the end of the
song, I am trying to express despair becoming a sense of hope in the solo.
- "On these new paths deep inside my brain,
all the charts and graphs can hardly explain". Have you followed new music
over the last three decades and where do you believe Heir Apparent can stand
today? Does it matter after all or you just want to create your own ART despite
the "Synthetic Lies" of the industry?
TG: "Synthetic Lies" was conceived as a
prelude to "Savior", and far more of a science fiction story about
the human mind and its perceptions and vulnerabilities. I don’t follow music in
general, as my time and extra money is limited. When I have time to listen to
music, it’s usually something at least 25-50 years old. This album was written
with a hope to appeal to a wide range of people. In 1985, the audience for our
music was 14-30… now it is 14-65… We made no effort to go backwards or copy the
past. We simply set out to write songs that we enjoyed playing that provided a
landscape for Will’s talent. Hopefully the industry, or at least some people
within the industry, will appreciate the fact we have come out of nowhere to create
something unique and valid, that does not copy any trend or cater to shallow
formula consumerism.
- "Man and machine sharing thoughts".
How was the recording procedure of the new album? Do you believe that the way
technology has evolved it affects music positive or negative?
TG: The process of recording this album was new to
us. We did not use a traditional studio or record as a band playing at the same
time like on the previous albums. I engineered all the instrument tracking at
my house. Will recorded his vocals at Tom Hall’s house. The album was also
mixed by Tom at his house. Digital recording allows endless variables, so you
need discipline to say when enough is enough. We had time and budget
constraints, so in that sense it was similar to using tape and analog… at $50
an hour, time has not changed over time. ;-)
- "Comfort is the enemy". The new
album has a strong artistic vibe but it might be out of current trends. How
"Further and Farther" do you believe you can go with Heir Apparent?
TG: It all depends on the fans and the industry.
Today’s trend is tomorrows leftovers, so all we can do is create something we
are proud of and let the people decide. We feel this is our most complete and
comprehensive album that Heir Apparent has made. Our work is done for now. If
the story of a band who can come back after 30 years to create a great album
becomes something the industry decides to get behind, then we will take
advantage of that opportunity. We know there is a certain existing fan base
that will buy this and enjoy it. Our ability to survive as a band beyond this,
let alone ever come close to the dream of being professional musicians, depends
entirely on forces within the industry deciding to support this to an audience
that as of today is unaware we even exist. If someone in a position of power
decides this album represents a new trend, here we go… those things are out of
our control.
- "All roads lead to Palestine".
World, politics, jobs, daily life, the complete system of modern society seems
lost. Are we really lost and every individual is trapped in daily routine? In
the '60s and '70s people of the art made a difference with public statements.
Can this happen again or we will never find "The Road to Palestine"?
TG: Good questions… to one extent or another, we are
all living within those traps. As artists, all we can do is attempt to educate
and spark conversations that open minds. People need to want to change, they
need to want to make the world a better place. Sometimes the sacrifice required
takes too much effort, and the day to day struggles provide an excuse for
inaction. If mankind is capable of rising above their cultural delusions and
vengeance in order to unite and find peace, all roads lead to Palestine.
Mankind has a limited time to utilize science and technology to create a
sustainable planet that can feed 10 billion people by 2050 without accelerating
the extinctions of plant and animal species that are necessary for balancing
this biosphere. We must unite in science and bring our best minds together
before it’s too late.
The sad alternative is that cultural delusions and
greed-driven politics will result in tribal factions fighting for diminishing
resources, which will only buy the ignorant “winners” a short amount of
additional time in a world far too damaged to recover. I’m not siding with the
fatalistic, I’m presenting the reason for being reasonable.It’s time for mankind to unite toward
preservation of life on this planet. To bring this full circle… Art, and the
ability to create it, is a luxury that can only exist when not eclipsed by
whatever else is required to survive.
- "Chasing the dream". There are
many positive reviews on the new album and you are already planning live shows
for 2019. I hope "Insomnia" won't reach Heir Apparent and the silent
whispers will turn to shouts. In every aspect. So which are your future plans?
TG: We are very encouraged by the early reviews.
Now we wait for actual sales and the continued interest from promoters to tour
and support the album. We have done the work and made the investment and
sacrifice to be here for the fans, and we hope for the very best in return.
- And finally, why "The View From
Below"?
TG: These are very strained political times in
America and around the world.The
resurgence in nationalism, paranoia, prejudice, greed, propaganda, and
corruption. “The View From Below” represents anyone looking at the world while
suffering from oppression or inequality, either social, political, or
institutional. Also, the album art suggests evolution and the connections that
exist between everything in this universe… from a spiral strand of DNA to a
spiral galaxy. Life, and existence. We look forward to performing for you in
2019, and celebrating this.
At the moment, Heir Apparent are booking dates
for live shows in 2019 and confirmed shows so far include:
Up The Hammers Festival (Sat 16 March 2019)
Athens, Greece
Rock Hard Festival (Sat 8 June 2019)
Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Headbangers Open Air (Sat 27 July 2019) Elmshorn,
Germany
