Belgium has a thriving scene and at its center is the city of Ghent (amongst others) – that has spawned so many great bands that one can hardly count them.
A not-so-new but still not very popular name is Witch Trail, publishing a new full-length these days via Consouling Sound and Babylon Doom Cult, home to many other famous Belgian bands. The trio is more than worth checking out if you want to expand your musical horizon as they are another great example of this year’s tendency of combining styles that are usually pretty hard to imagine bundled up together – the are the connecting link between noise and black metal.
First off, you will find our brief review of the album and beneath it the full-length interview in which they display an interesting combo of clownish humor (Laurens) and lengthy, deep answers (Hendrik); they explain the story behind their “Sportocratic Republic of Kampioenenland”, why Laurens doesn’t want to learn how to count and which Sonic Youth guitarist is their favorite.
Witch Trail – The Sun has Left the Hill (released on November 19th, 2019 via Consouling Sounds and Babylon Doom Cult)
A not-so-new but still not very popular name is Witch Trail, publishing a new full-length these days via Consouling Sound and Babylon Doom Cult, home to many other famous Belgian bands. The trio is more than worth checking out if you want to expand your musical horizon as they are another great example of this year’s tendency of combining styles that are usually pretty hard to imagine bundled up together – the are the connecting link between noise and black metal.
First off, you will find our brief review of the album and beneath it the full-length interview in which they display an interesting combo of clownish humor (Laurens) and lengthy, deep answers (Hendrik); they explain the story behind their “Sportocratic Republic of Kampioenenland”, why Laurens doesn’t want to learn how to count and which Sonic Youth guitarist is their favorite.
Witch Trail – The Sun has Left the Hill (released on November 19th, 2019 via Consouling Sounds and Babylon Doom Cult)
Sometimes, certain boundaries should not be crossed. For example combining Motown Soul and Classic Hardcore – that just doesn’t work. Nevertheless, some unexpected combinations might work, just remember Zeal and Ardor combining gospel and black metal.
Witch Trail do something similar – they create their own unique blend of post-metal taking a lot from Sonic Youth and Thurston Moore’s solo work and combining it with pure post-metal. And once again, Belgium (more specifically Ghent) proves to be a brilliant soil for unique combinations as the trio is really able to provide a fresh start to a genre as trodden as post-metal. They take the classic noise-licks and use them to replace the regular post-metal riffs. This way they also implement the pop-appeal of good noise-rock into their songs.
How they start “Lucid” with a noisy take on a nearly surf-twang guitar riff and then build the shrieking vocals around it, always leaving those easy and pumping noise-rock elements at the core of the song and right in the middle of our ears – impressive! Sometimes you must think of the Beach Boys (“Stupor”), but sharing the record with Stiff Little Fingers and Discharge (“Sinking”); suddenly Kim Gordon and SY show up on your mental stage (“Silent Running”) - but interestingly all of the songs are not sung by any of those but by a guy like Fenriz.
These 29 minutes full of twists and turns, of clean-distorted noisy-ness and of blastbeats, of infernal shrieks and a unique soundscape really captures any open ear.
Thorsten
Witch Trail do something similar – they create their own unique blend of post-metal taking a lot from Sonic Youth and Thurston Moore’s solo work and combining it with pure post-metal. And once again, Belgium (more specifically Ghent) proves to be a brilliant soil for unique combinations as the trio is really able to provide a fresh start to a genre as trodden as post-metal. They take the classic noise-licks and use them to replace the regular post-metal riffs. This way they also implement the pop-appeal of good noise-rock into their songs.
How they start “Lucid” with a noisy take on a nearly surf-twang guitar riff and then build the shrieking vocals around it, always leaving those easy and pumping noise-rock elements at the core of the song and right in the middle of our ears – impressive! Sometimes you must think of the Beach Boys (“Stupor”), but sharing the record with Stiff Little Fingers and Discharge (“Sinking”); suddenly Kim Gordon and SY show up on your mental stage (“Silent Running”) - but interestingly all of the songs are not sung by any of those but by a guy like Fenriz.
These 29 minutes full of twists and turns, of clean-distorted noisy-ness and of blastbeats, of infernal shrieks and a unique soundscape really captures any open ear.
Thorsten
So guys, your third record is out soon – what does it mean for you to be already on the third one?
Hendrik: It still feels like a first in a way. Every record since “Nithera” has been something new to us. We’ve grown to know the process of recording and releasing by now, but musically it’s all very fresh and exciting.
Laurens: I can’t count, I’m not following.
Laurens: I can’t count, I’m not following.
The second record seems to be more sludge infused than the new one – was that a direction you took deliberately?
Hendrik: The second record, Thole, was an expedition into a new frontier, which you can interpret as us trying to slap anything we fancied onto what we were already doing, in the hope something stuck. It may have resulted in some more obvious influences and sounds at times. As we were aware we hadn’t found the cohesion we were looking for but found the progression worthy of a release, we designated the record as an EP. The new record feels like it has all come together rather nicely, finding a sound which we can uniquely identify with. However, as we do like some experimentation, I assume the feeling won’t persist.
Laurens: I don’t think we deliberately try to insert genres or influences in our music. We just write what sounds good or clicks for us, which makes writing together all the more rewarding. Influences of the stuff I’ve been listening to at the time of writing do unconsciously translate themselves though, but I don’t like thinking too much about it.
Laurens: I don’t think we deliberately try to insert genres or influences in our music. We just write what sounds good or clicks for us, which makes writing together all the more rewarding. Influences of the stuff I’ve been listening to at the time of writing do unconsciously translate themselves though, but I don’t like thinking too much about it.
Have you been a threesome all the time or has there been any major changes in the line-up?
Hendrik: We’ve always been a trio, though I came in just before the first full-length in 2015, as the replacement on bass guitar. The dynamic we got going on is just too good to risk a line-up change, we’ll try to expand ourselves before expanding the band. A one-off collaboration is something we do have in the works, either as a live occasion or a recording in due time.
Laurens: I think Hendrik hits the nail on the head.
Laurens: I think Hendrik hits the nail on the head.
How are you going to perform the new songs live as they appear to be more difficult to play?
Laurens: With our instruments, I think. I recently started playing on a click live, as to circumvent my aforementioned problems with counting.
Hendrik: I’m sure we can manage, but having to take in account any possibility of course, we have made arrangements to ensure a smooth show. In our backstage cryo-freezer we’ve got three lookalike androids primed that we’ve given fashionable hairstyles and some of our old bandshirts. Bring out some free booze to the people in the front and you’ve got them all fooled. Then we can just hang back, relax, and not tune our instruments for the next show.
Hendrik: I’m sure we can manage, but having to take in account any possibility of course, we have made arrangements to ensure a smooth show. In our backstage cryo-freezer we’ve got three lookalike androids primed that we’ve given fashionable hairstyles and some of our old bandshirts. Bring out some free booze to the people in the front and you’ve got them all fooled. Then we can just hang back, relax, and not tune our instruments for the next show.
There is a concept behind the new record – can you quickly give a hint or explain what it is about?
Laurens: We noticed that all our songs started gravitating towards sleep and dreaming, both music and lyric-wise. So we decided to make sleep and our experiences with it the main theme of the record. I think there’s a bit of nervousness and urgency present in the songs, which has been my experience with sleeping for a long time. I’ve given up on wanting to sleep better recently, and paradoxically I’ve started sleeping better. Sometimes to get the things you want you just have to let them go, I think.
Jeffrey: We made a record that reflects on the concepts and different ways of dreaming and sleeping. Without realising the farce of what you are seeing, your mind shows you incredible things that you perceive as real, and it sometimes affects your mood in the morning or even through the entire day.
For my part in it, it was fun to create suggestive lyrics that follow the shattered logic of dreams and combine them with the shattered way we make our music. Just like dreams, the music is prone to impulsive, fickle decisions and things you would not normally fit together. To quote Mitch Hedberg: “I’m laying in my bed and next thing you know, I have to build a Go-Kart with my ex-landlord.”
Jeffrey: We made a record that reflects on the concepts and different ways of dreaming and sleeping. Without realising the farce of what you are seeing, your mind shows you incredible things that you perceive as real, and it sometimes affects your mood in the morning or even through the entire day.
For my part in it, it was fun to create suggestive lyrics that follow the shattered logic of dreams and combine them with the shattered way we make our music. Just like dreams, the music is prone to impulsive, fickle decisions and things you would not normally fit together. To quote Mitch Hedberg: “I’m laying in my bed and next thing you know, I have to build a Go-Kart with my ex-landlord.”
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“I’m laying in my bed and next thing you know, I have to build a Go-Kart with my ex-landlord.”
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Coming from Ghent – is that important for a band like you as the city is getting more and more attention worldwide as one of the new epicenters of modern alternative music?
(If the city benefits you – can you explain how?) |
Hendrik: I can’t say for sure if it’s getting that much attention, being on the inside you can’t see how others perceive your local scene. But seeing how relatively small Ghent really is, there are quite a few artists and bands in Ghent that I count close to my heart and see as an inspiration, so I do believe something is going on.
Laurens: We’re spoiled here. There’s a show going on somewhere almost every day, and it’s all more or less within 20 minutes walking distance of each other. It’s insane. The only exception is August, when the whole city goes in shutdown for about a month, because of a ten day city-wide party in July. But even then other cities are close by. I remember having to miss Spectral Wound and Afsky in Kortrijk last month because I had class that evening, but hey, they were playing in Antwerp as well the day after, so I went to see them there. It’s a luxury. I guess it benefits us in the sense that we’re able to discover something new almost every week.
Laurens: We’re spoiled here. There’s a show going on somewhere almost every day, and it’s all more or less within 20 minutes walking distance of each other. It’s insane. The only exception is August, when the whole city goes in shutdown for about a month, because of a ten day city-wide party in July. But even then other cities are close by. I remember having to miss Spectral Wound and Afsky in Kortrijk last month because I had class that evening, but hey, they were playing in Antwerp as well the day after, so I went to see them there. It’s a luxury. I guess it benefits us in the sense that we’re able to discover something new almost every week.
Which bands serve as your inspiration?
Jeffrey: I like Link Wray, Killing Joke, Turia, Sylvester Anfang II and Boards Of Canada. Not really for the ideas, but for their attitudes towards music. Taking chances and crossing dissonance with beauty. And Sean Connery movies.
Hendrik: In no specific order of importance, to name a few: Brutus, Morbus Chron, Stake (formerly known as Steak Number Eight), The Comet Is Coming, Paul Kalkbrenner, Sonic Youth…
Laurens: Metallica, In Solitude, Absu, Burning Witch, Alkerdeel, Morbus Chron, Bathory,… It goes on. Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of the stuff from Nordvis and Haeresis Noviomagi, as well as to Interpol and Sad Lovers and Giants.
Hendrik: In no specific order of importance, to name a few: Brutus, Morbus Chron, Stake (formerly known as Steak Number Eight), The Comet Is Coming, Paul Kalkbrenner, Sonic Youth…
Laurens: Metallica, In Solitude, Absu, Burning Witch, Alkerdeel, Morbus Chron, Bathory,… It goes on. Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of the stuff from Nordvis and Haeresis Noviomagi, as well as to Interpol and Sad Lovers and Giants.
A few short questions (maybe you can also explain your answers):
Lee Ranaldo or Thurston Moore?
Lee Ranaldo or Thurston Moore?
Hendrik: That’s a hard question… I do have more affinity with Moore’s solo work though, so I guess that wasn’t difficult after all.
Jeffrey: Tough one, I feel like Sonic Youth works together as an inseparable unit. Nothing is overplayed, it feels as if they are all trying to play behind each other. If I’d have to choose, it would be Kim Gordon for her vicious vocal style. Honorable mention for Lee Ranaldo’s vocals and lyrics on “Mote”.
Jeffrey: Tough one, I feel like Sonic Youth works together as an inseparable unit. Nothing is overplayed, it feels as if they are all trying to play behind each other. If I’d have to choose, it would be Kim Gordon for her vicious vocal style. Honorable mention for Lee Ranaldo’s vocals and lyrics on “Mote”.
Nevermind or In Utero?
Hendrik: Both records have some pretty bangin’ tuunz, and production wise they each have their merit. I’ll take a boxset containing both please.
Jeffrey: Nevermind. I love the repetitive pummelling of songs like “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “Breed” and “On A Plain”.
Laurens: I’ve never really listened that much to Nirvana actually, I don’t know why.
Jeffrey: Nevermind. I love the repetitive pummelling of songs like “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “Breed” and “On A Plain”.
Laurens: I’ve never really listened that much to Nirvana actually, I don’t know why.
Darkthrone or Behemoth?
Hendrik: Pink Floyd, shoot me.
Laurens: Isengard.
Jeffrey: If Darkthrone is good ice cream, Behemoth is simply a bad piece of ice cream.
Laurens: Isengard.
Jeffrey: If Darkthrone is good ice cream, Behemoth is simply a bad piece of ice cream.
Amenra or The Devil’s Blood?
Jeffrey: Amenra, good music to break your head to with a friend’s ridiculous sound system.
Hendrik: Amenra for sure, they’ve taken me on some spectacular trips, in all sorts of meaning of the word. The Devil’s Blood does have a different kind of beauty which I do treasure too.
Laurens: The Devil’s Blood, but Amenra holds a special place as well. Both bands strike some heavy chords for me.
Hendrik: Amenra for sure, they’ve taken me on some spectacular trips, in all sorts of meaning of the word. The Devil’s Blood does have a different kind of beauty which I do treasure too.
Laurens: The Devil’s Blood, but Amenra holds a special place as well. Both bands strike some heavy chords for me.
You already appeared at Roadburn twice – can we expect you to be there again soon? Are there some other festivals you would like to play at?
Hendrik: We sure hope so, it’s an amazing place with a great balance between things you want to see and things you didn’t know you wanted to see. Any festival that has a mind for eclectic combinations, saxophones at seven, blastbeats at ten and breakcore at twelve. Sonic City in Kortrijk is on my list for sure.
Laurens: I’m definitely going next year. It’s an amazing festival, and I’ve been aching to see Oranssi Pazuzu (among others) live for a while. As for playing on festivals: as long as they have beer for breakfast, beer for lunch, and beer for dinner, I’m good.
Laurens: I’m definitely going next year. It’s an amazing festival, and I’ve been aching to see Oranssi Pazuzu (among others) live for a while. As for playing on festivals: as long as they have beer for breakfast, beer for lunch, and beer for dinner, I’m good.
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A few months ago you performed at Retranchement together with Celestial Wolves and Swamp Machine – can you explain the location a bit because it was a bit difficult to understand through the graphic Facebook announcement?
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"As long as they have beer for breakfast, beer for lunch, and beer for dinner, I’m good."
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The official proclamation of the “Independent Sportocratic Republic of F.C. Kampioenenland” - a joke or something really important to you?
Hendrik: I believe this Belgian tv show about a local football club with inherently trivial dilemmas that endlessly runs on our national television has a profound impact on society. Therefore, we aim to establish a republic for those affected by this phenomenon, just north of the border in the Netherlands, where every house is a football canteen, where time stands still at fifteen minutes past winning a match, and where there is canned laughter for every joke uttered and any tear shed. Then we’ll put it on fire.
In general, how important is history to you? Obviously you named your band after a historic event.
Laurens: I’m studying history at the University here in Ghent, It’s where I’m learning how to count. So for me it’s important. Haha, I get that it sounds probable but Witch Trail isn’t named after that.
In general, how important is history to you? Obviously you named your band after a historic event.
Laurens: I’m studying history at the University here in Ghent, It’s where I’m learning how to count. So for me it’s important. Haha, I get that it sounds probable but Witch Trail isn’t named after that.
Do you see any limitations for the band?
Laurens: Hendrik is left-handed but plays right-handed, and Jeffrey is right-handed but plays left-handed. I’m a drummer. I don’t see these as limitations though.
Jeffrey: The way we make our music hinges more on wonderment and curiosity than on wanting to fit in, and fitting in means not doing certain things. It’s not “anything goes” though. I recently managed to write something the rest of the band found too ridiculous to play, which is in a way a compliment.
Jeffrey: The way we make our music hinges more on wonderment and curiosity than on wanting to fit in, and fitting in means not doing certain things. It’s not “anything goes” though. I recently managed to write something the rest of the band found too ridiculous to play, which is in a way a compliment.
Final question: You are seemingly going to stick to some kind of 25 month-cycle and release your third album on November 15 th , 2019 after Sept. ‘15 and Oct. ‘17 – thus the next one will be released in December 2021 – can we expect a Christmas album?
Laurens: As I’ve said, I can’t count (yet). But we’re working on new stuff, yeah. We’ll see where it goes.
Thanks guys! Hope to see you on a German stage soon!
Hendrik: Thank you for your interest and patience for reading through this, and it’s always a pleasure playing Germany, see you in 2020!
Laurens: Thanks for having us. Likewise, hopefully soon!
Laurens: Thanks for having us. Likewise, hopefully soon!
