Interview Without the Sky

 In this interview, the artist behind the one-man raw black metal project "Without the Sky" discusses the origins of the project, the blending of genres, the emotional atmosphere conveyed in the music, the decision to change the band's name, and future aspirations and projects.

 

How did you come up with the name "End." for your one-man raw black metal project, and what does it symbolize to you?

 

When I formed End. I was looking at it as my last project. I never intended on writing new material the plan was to release all of my back catalog in a way that was more true to what the songs meant to me. The name was meant to represent finality and an end to that particular chapter of my life.

 

Can you tell us more about your musical background and what inspired you to start this project?

 

I’m an entirely self taught musician. I started learning how to scream and growl in my early teens by listening to post hardcore and extreme metal while experimenting with my voice. When I was around 17 I met a bass player sort of by chance, we formed a band and started looking for new members. We found a guitarist quite quickly. But after more than a year we never found a drummer. So I bought a drum kit and learned how to play drums while also being the vocalist. I learned to play bass in my spare time and that eventually lead to me learning to play the guitar. It was some time within the last years of that band that I started working on what would eventually turn into End.

 

I was also part of a hand full of duos and bands in my home town in the years after my first band dissolved. Mostly as a guitarist and backing vocalist. It seems like the story is pretty much the same for every band I’ve been in. Eventually we either broke up in a spectacular explosion or the members all just slowly drifted apart. 

 

I think I just got tired of having to rely on other people to create music. I had learned everything I needed to in order to write and record songs alone so there was no excuse for me not producing something. In all the years I was in bands not an album, EP, or single came out of any of it. I wanted to feel like I had an accomplishment from the decade of work I had put into my music.  So I started  End.

 

As a one-man band, how do you handle the different instruments and vocal parts during the songwriting and recording process?

 

Generally I start working on the guitars first and build a basic song with guitar and vocals. Once the song feels like it’s starting to come together I get a drum track ready and record the guitars over the drum track. Once the song is complete instrumentally I start working on lyrics and vocals. So far nothing I’ve released has bass guitar in it. I don’t own a bass and most black metal doesn’t have audible bass anyways. I decided it was something I could skip until I find a cheap bass.

 

With my newer material I’ve started incorporating synthesizers which has changed how I do things quite a bit. I’ll start with the synth line, build drums from that and then record the guitars. 

 

Your music incorporates influences from punk, post-hardcore, and black-gaze. How did you decide to blend these genres, and what do you hope to achieve with this fusion?

 

In my opinion black metal as a whole has become stagnant and boring. There are so many bands and solo projects that just seem to be emulating 2nd wave black metal with nothing new to add.

 

Black-gaze was what got me back into black metal after years of not really listening to it. I found it to be an interesting new approach and also a logical progression of black metal.  I’ve always been a fan of post hardcore, it was my doorway into more extreme music.  Modern Shoe-gaze and black-gaze share a lot in common with post hardcore and by extension punk. They are all genres that I have some history with and that share enough in common that they fit together relatively well.

 

I think as far as what I want to achieve, it’s really about trying to make something different. I want to make music that is brutally honest and true to my own emotions.

 

 

Could you describe the specific atmosphere and emotions you aim to convey through your music, particularly within the context of the raw black metal genre?

 

Grief, depression, anxiety, anger, fear, and isolation are the main themes of my music. I try to make the atmosphere feel somewhat vague, confusing, and unnerving. Most of it is a projection of my anxieties.

 

I feel like raw black metal captures something similar to what live music does. It’s a truer representation of what the artist has made and not a studio perfected version of it.

 

What motivated the decision to change the name of the band from "End." to "Without the Sky"? Can you share the reasons behind this change and its significance to the evolution of your music?

 

There are about 7 other bands with the name End or END which makes my music nearly impossible to find on streaming services or on YouTube. There is also a clothing line called END. so it was a necessary change. I also wanted to pick a name that reflected a change in my music as I move further away from the standard black metal sound. The name is meant to convey a feeling that something is missing. Something you never knew you needed is just gone and there’s no way to get it back.

 

How do you approach the production and recording process to capture the lo-fi atmosphere that is characteristic of the second wave black metal sound?

 

Mostly I just don’t go out of my way to make the music sound “polished”. I’ve had people ask me if I mixed and mastered my music and the answer is yes I do mix and master my music. I’m just not aiming for a “clean” sound. In some cases I’ve actually added field recordings and radio static or tape noise back into the mix to intentionally make it sound dirtier. Sometimes I will EQ a guitar track to emphasize the static buzz from the amp. Some of the sound comes from having as many as 7 guitar tracks layered over each other “The Rotting Sun” is a good example of that. I also initially started with pretty minimal gear and was recording to a phone though a 3.5mm audio jack. All of that contributes to the lo-fi atmosphere. In a lot of ways I’m doing exactly what the second wave bands were doing at the time. Im working with what I have and embracing that my music isn’t perfect.

 

Are there any specific themes or concepts that you explore lyrically in your songs? If so, what are they, and why are they important to you?

 

A lot of my lyrics are deeply personal, often they are about incidents or issues in my life that I can’t seem to let go of. The things that really bother the hell out of me and keep me up at night. Often times when I do vocals they are somewhat spontaneous. I just let everything out at once even if doesn’t seem to make sense at the time. I’ve realized over the years that I make music because I need to. This outlet is necessary for me express myself properly.

 

Can you share some insights into your live performances?

 

I don’t currently preform live and I have no particular plans to play live in the future. I’m not interested in using a backing track, I feel like that takes a lot away from the live experience. I’ve thought about finding a drummer but I’ve been looking for a long time. I know a few local drummers but none of them are particularly interested in my project or black metal. If the situation ever arises I would love to make Without the Sky a live band. I just don’t see that happening any time soon.

 

How do you adapt your one-man project for a live setting, and what kind of experience do you aim to create for your audience?

 

As I mentioned I don’t do any live performances. Though as far as the experience I want to bring my listeners. I want to keep black metal and underground music alive. I feel like it’s something that’s fading Into obscurity. I would hate for the next generations to miss out on something thats helped me in my life so much. I also hope to help people feel less alone through my music. I was very isolated as a child and teenager and my only window outside was music, I realized through many forms of music that I was not alone in being angry and confused at world that breaks us down and makes us feel worthless. It’s my way of paying it forward.

 

What are your future goals and aspirations as a musician with "Without the Sky"? Are there any upcoming projects or releases that you can tell us about?

 

The plan for Without the Sky is to release singles for the next year or two and build up an audience. I plan on continuing to experiment with the music and keep working towards making something truly unique. The first single for Without the Sky will be on the 5th of July. The song is called “Luna”.

 

As far as other projects are concerned Im currently running a small black metal and dungeon synth cassette label called Rotting Sun Records. I also have a dungeon synth/dark ambient project called Under the Yggdrasil. In general I’m always doing something music related. I’m taking a lot of this one day at a time and just seeing where it goes.

Facebook