Interview with SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY

A. I come from a very musical family.  I grew up having a father that exposed me to classic rock.  My first real memories of music come from looking at his vinyl collection(a collection I now own).  Looking at and eventually being allowed to listen to his vinyl(Beatles, Zappa, Jethro Tull, Elvis, etc) was a huge influence.  My mom’s side of the family was more into country music(of old), so I also got great inspiration from rhythm guitar playing that way. Each side of the family always had people who played guitar, and I told my mom I wanted to play when I was three.   From there was a stretch of lessons, a period of boredom with lessons, and then the realization that I could write my own music.  That being said, music is not my career. I have a very stressful career and music is my escape from it.

A. Music is my preferred form of entertainment. However, I do like to go to the movies with my wife.  Or, we will sit around on Sundays and watch movies.  I also enjoy reading. I have previously enjoyed philosophy(Nietzsche and Emerson being some of my favs), but lately I haven’t been doing any heavy reading.  Lately, I’ve been reading some graphic novels.  I’m currently making my way through collections of Spawn, The Shadow, and an issue of Weird Tales. I just finished the graphic novel interpretation of Ayn Rand’s “Anthem.”    Given that I feel all meaningful writing should aim to tap into and/or represent the human condition, it is quite easy to relate that to creating music.

A. Shroud of Despondency has been around since the late 90s and has gone through many transformations ever since.  However, I have always been the main writer and Ron Blemberg has been the primary vocalist for a very long time.  There was a period from 2011-2014 where I assembled a lineup and we were active in playing live and writing albums together.  However, I am a near impossible person to be a bandmate with.  Most people don’t like to work at my pace, especially those who want to, understandably, have their ideas come to life. I remain on good terms with most of my former bandmates, and most have projects of their own that I enjoy on a personal level.

A. I created Shroud of Despondency when I was 16 or 17 and living in my home state of Upper Michigan. However, I have lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the last 20 years or so.  It’s interesting, because growing up in the desolate north definitely influenced my proclivity for having positive feelings related to isolation, individuality, and nature. Living in the city has definitely created an almost more ‘urban’ version of Shroud of Despondency.  One dominated by chaos, changing paces, and grime.  Of course, the commonality in both “versions” of Shroud of Despondency is that I like to deal primarily with death and ruminations on the experience of death.

A.  I created the name in the late 1990’s.  It came to me after experiencing the suicide of a close friend while in high school. It seemed an appropriate moniker, considering I was, myself, dealing with alienation, self doubt, and sadness.  The name has grown with me into adulthood.  I sometimes wonder if it is at all still appropriate, as my lyrical themes have grown as I have grown, but even when dealing with more cosmic themes(as found on the upcoming split with Michigan’s LanzerRath) I tend to deal primarily with the so called “negative” emotions.  

A. Shroud of Despondency played many shows in the short period of time between 2011-2014.  I’d say playing shows with Absu, Deicide, Deceased, and Inter Arma were all probably the highlights. However, I don’t think I get the same release that everyone else seems to get from playing live. I get that release from writing.  Playing live takes away from writing and writing keeps me sane.  So, I call them memorable simply because I enjoy the aforementioned bands as a fan of metal done properly.

A. I honestly couldn’t even tell you where the above mentioned shows were haha.  I’m truly not interested in playing live.  However, I am a regular concert goer. Lately, I have really enjoyed seeing progressive and classic rock shows at The Pabst and Riverside Theatres.  Certain outdoor fests would make me possibly interested in playing live, but it’s not something I seek, I would just consider offers.

A. Why would legends ever want to play with us?  Ha!  However, given that I do love selfishly watching bands, I would say it would be a blend of progressive rock bands and metal bands.  King Crimson, Rush, Mercyful Fate, Priest(with KK and Tipton), Yes, Sigh, Blue Oyster Cult, Bruce Springsteen.

A. Create for yourself. I wouldn’t have to give that advice to younger self because, I feel it’s quite obvious, I try not to concern myself too much with anything outside of actually creating music. My emotion is invested in the musical process, not necessarily the outcome.

A. Start saving money so you can retire earlier, you idiot.

A. This is really tough.   The first songs that really hit hard were from the first album.  Both “Sleep Well(Do Not Awake)” and “The Emptiness in My Tears”, I recall as meaning a lot when I wrote them. I would also say that the last album I released, Air of Abrasion, has some of my most serious ruminations on death and decay because they were coming from a place of total sincerity. The last track, “Entropy Divine”, in particular.  But, “New Trees” and “Half Open Gates” from the Pine album probably have my favorite lyrics.

A. I don’t particularly enjoy the material on the first album, For Eternity Brings No Hope, but I do get a lot of fans asking me questions about it. One fan asked me to make a playthrough of the acoustic song “Something of Nothing.”  So, 20 years after I wrote it, I had to relearn it.  He made a video of himself playing it, too.   When we were playing live, “New Trees”, “Half Open Gates”, “A Man Can Dream” and “Long Hours” seemed to go over quite well.

A. I write in many ways. Sometimes a song starts with a riff.  Other times, I intentionally sit down sans riff and let everything flow.  For the upcoming split with LanzerRath the tracking was absolutely insane, as none of the riffs were written before I sat down to track. In fact, many of the songs I have written in the last ten years have been written the following way: My writing process is usually spontaneous.  I sit down with a guitar and record riffs that could work together, experimenting with arrangement ideas.  This process takes about an hour and a half or two hours for each song.  Once the desired riffs are planned, I set up a metronome and record the initial guitar track. Once that is complete(which takes longer than the actual riff writing itself), I write the second guitar.  The second guitar is where I begin to experiment with the melodic component that any additional guitar with harmonize with. At any given time, one of my songs could have 6 guitars playing at once, depending on how bonkers I decide to go with the leads.  From there, I program the drums.  My songs use formulas and always have repeating parts, but this is the most tedious and annoying part of my writing. Once the drums and initial guitars are in play, I will add my harmonies, additional melodies, bass guitar, and symphonic arrangements.  Given that I live in Wisconsin and Ron lives in Michigan, and there is about 5 hours between us, I will prepare the lyrics at my house.  Lyrics are an interesting puzzle piece.  I put my pencil to paper alot to write, so sometimes songs have lyrics that have existed for years that I just edit to fit songs.  Other songs I write once the music is complete, hearing the patterns in

A. I wouldn’t say I try to get any message across. Shroud of Despondency is completely apolitical and I think every human has to deal with this life in his or her own way.  I guess, I can say I’ve grown into an understanding that within all this chaos, sadness, and obvious decay there is beauty.  My music has always juxtaposed the ugly with the beautiful.

A. I am an insufferable person to be in a band with. I am on good terms with my past bandmates, many of them having projects themselves that I personally enjoy, but I totally understand that I am not fun to be in a band with.  Ron and I don’t argue because he understands that I am going to write the music and lyrics, even though he contributed the riffs to 2018’s Cull album, and he is there to help me bring those lyrics to life with his sick metal vocals.  I feel I have potential to be a good bandmate outside of Shroud of Despondency, but the pace I like to move at is not something I expect others who, understandably, want to have their ideas fully recognized to understand or cater to. Plus, I find playing live to be stressful.  It takes away from writing and writing keeps me sane.  Others seem to really get a release from playing live, and rock on I say, but it’s not for me. I suppose we get past them by me being willing to admit that I am an acquired taste.

A. My plan is to get the split with Michigan’s LanzerRath out and to, hopefully, get it to some ears. I feel it is a strong split, full of two bands with original interpretations of what black metal could/should be.  It is available for pre order/order on both of our bandcamp pages. After that, business as usual for me.  Create, create, create.