Agalloch – Experiment With Sorrow
Oregon's Agalloch are considered as one of the most groundbreaking and original bands in any extreme metal genre. The band has managed to combine genres seemingly unrelated before into one, cohesive and unique artwork. With the band on sabbatical, most of it's members are centering on another project – Sculptured – we spoke with bassist Jason William Walton about his current activities and his work with Agalloch.
Hey Jason, I'd like to start out with current events, I understand Agalloch is on sabbatical right now, and the emphasis is on Sculptured?
That is somewhat inaccurate. Agalloch is not always an active band. Between albums we write material and plan releases, but rarely play live or anything. Don and I just finished the Sculptured record, but John is planning more for Agalloch.
When will the Sculptured album be released?
Fall 2007 or Winter 2008. It’s hard to say at this point, it’s just so early.
How different musically is it from Agalloch?
Quite different. It is atonal, jarring and confusing at times. It's very harsh and uncomfortable at times, and then very melodic and beautiful at others. You can recognize Don’s guitar licks but other than that, it is entirely different.
Agalloch has a very distinct feel and theme to its music and lyrics; does Sculptured have a different one?
yes, completely. Sculptured changes a lot from album to album, but the new one focuses on the body, and the flaws within the body, and how the body becomes a prison in which we are all entombed.
Is Sculptured going to tour in support of the release?
No, each of us live in a different city, so the logistics of that would be insane. Plus the nature of the music is so complex and difficult, that it would be very hard to perform live.
Back to Agalloch, I wanted to go back to the roots of the band, though some of the basics evident in "Ashes Against The Grain" were already evident when you started out, the band has certainly changed and matured throughout the years, what was the idea behind the band's music when you started out? Was it your intention to experiment and re-structure your music as you did later?
Yes, we have always wanted to evolve and experiment. Now we are better songwriters, and better musicians than we were with Pale Folklore, and also we have wider variety of influences and ideas, so it’s only natural for us to change.
Though people tend to no longer view Agalloch as a metal band, your roots were deeply imbedded in metal, what bands, or certain genre, influenced you the most when you started out?
Black metal, Gothenburg Swedish death metal, anything heavy and melodic with a sense of style. Plus also bands like Ulver, Fields of the Nephilim, and Godspeed you Black Emperor.
The band's big breakthrough came with "The Mantle"; did you understand the importance of that album while you were making it? Or was it something you came to understand once the reactions came?
We knew it was important as far as sales, and taking the band to the next level, but we couldn’t worry about that too much. We just made the record that we wanted to make. It’s a great album, but the legendary status it received kind of baffles me. It’s a very unfocused and meandering album. We were all shocked that everyone loved it as much as they did.
To what extent did your place of residence influence the music and feel of that album?
Oregon was very important to the making of The Mantle. All the photos were taken in Portland; much of the album was influenced by places in Portland. The city should use this album as a marketing technique for tourists.
Since that album came out, Post rock has been slowly growing into a stronger and more important musical genre, was it an influence on your music? Or do you think it was your music that helped that genre grow?
No, post rock was growing strong before we adopted it. Perhaps we helped metal fans discover post rock, but that’s about it. Not many bands combine post rock with metal like we do.
You've mentioned an influence from such bands as "Godspeed You! Black Emperor", what is it about their music that is evident in Agalloch's music?
if you listen to songs like “Limbs,” it just reeks of post rock. It is mostly in the song structures and guiar work. Its hard to describe. Its very evident if you pay attention.
While most people expected you to go further into folk or Post rock after "The Mantle" was released, you went into heavier grounds with "Ashes Against The Grain", what was the idea behind making a heavier, more electric album?
Well, in many ways we were sick of Neo-Folk, and we wanted to strip things down. We knew everyone expected us to go even more folky and lighter, but that is not at all what we wanted. We wanted to go heavier. That is our roots and our soul.
I know you're involved with several other projects besides Agalloch, can you tell us about your work with subterranean masquerade, by fellow Israel Tomer Pink, and why did it end?
Tomer asked me to play bass, and I did. The full length I didn’t play on because I was busy with other things. That’s about it really.
What's the idea behind "Especially Likely Sloth"? When did you decide on doing that album?
I’ve done ELS for 12 years now. It's my longest running project. I am working on a new album now.
What instruments and equipment did you use to create the unique sound and feel of the album?
A 200 keyboard and a 4 track. That’s it. Plus lots of time and imagination.
Agalloch has a strong fan base in Israel, was there an option for he band to play here? Is it something you'd consider?
We’ve had offers to play almost everywhere in the world. We so rarely play live, our real lives get in the way. Of course we’d love to, but it’s a miracle when we play anywhere.
Finally, what's next for you? Are there any musical directions you wish to explore that you haven't? Where is Agalloch going to in the next few years?
There are always musical dimensions and places I want to explore. Always. If I told you whats next, that would ruin the surprise.
