Lelahel Metal: Interview Viserion

Meet Viserion, a Queens-based extreme metal band with influences ranging from black metal to grindcore. The band discusses their line-up changes and growth, showcasing their banshee shrieks and dissonant clashes.

Can you tell us about the origins of Viserion and how the band came together in Queens, New York City?

Ben and Matt founded the band with original guitarist John. Due to creative differences Ben took up the guitar and we recruited Cris from our other now defunct project “Moniasin” and Tasso who we had seen play bass and instantly knew was a fit for us.

Viserion draws influences from various extreme metal genres. How do you approach blending raw black metal with death, grindcore, and progressive dynamics to create your unique sound?

We want to create a sound that is black metal but also when you hear it you can say that is Viserion. All of our members have a passion and love for black metal but also enjoy the other extreme genres and those inspirations bleed into our sound during the creative process.

The band's name, Viserion, is inspired by the undead ice dragon from Game of Thrones. What significance does this name hold for the band, and how does it relate to your music?

We are all huge fans of the book series (please finish them George!) we picked Viserion from the show however. The imagery of the night king resurrecting him and turning into the frost dragon stood out to us. We plan on having more Game of Thrones themes throughout or music.

Having performed at the legendary Saint Vitus Bar, can you share any memorable experiences or challenges that shaped your performances there?

Just being on the stage that countless other bands who we look up to have played on was an extremely memorable experience. I can’t say there were any challenges. Everyone who worked the shows we’ve played there has made it smooth sailing from the door person to security, bartenders and the sound person are all amazing professionals.

Your debut EP, "Death Dealer," was released in January 2020, followed by the acclaimed full-length album "Natural Selection" in 2021. How has the band evolved in terms of songwriting and overall vision between these two releases?

With each release we believe in pushing ourselves. Having 4 members now has changed the way we approach songs as far as layering and harmonies. Cris and Tasso bring their own style and elements to our sound while we still maintain the brutality and rawness of Viserion.

Viserion's music delves into dark and nightmarish themes. Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind your lyrical content and how you convey these themes through your music?

We enjoy telling stories with our lyrical content. The first album was focused on the concept of Natural Selection and various ways that can lead to suffering. For the upcoming split each song is its own unique tale ranging from No Man’s Land in WWI to the centurion who stabbed Jesus.

With influences like Darkthrone, Watain, Agalloch, and Harakiri for the Sky, how do you ensure your music retains a distinctive and original cross-genre twist?

We are always consuming and keeping up with new artists and albums. Without knowing it or not listening to that mush music will influence your playing whether on an emotional level or just genre style. We take those elements and add them with our own style of playing and it gives us our distinctive sound.

The band has experienced recent line-up changes, marking a new chapter in your journey. How has this impacted the direction of Viserion, and what can fans expect from the band's future releases?

We all have the same vision for the band and bring our various strengths to the band. The direction is one of growth especially in terms of utilizing layering of the guitars as we have two guitarists. We also have a focus on getting our sound tighter than past releases. We believe you can already see the growth on our split album “The Iron Age of Kali Yuga” out July 28th.

Viserion's music is known for its banshee shrieks, demonic gutturals, and dissonant clashes. How do you achieve such a diverse range of sounds while maintaining a cohesive and powerful sonic identity?

A lot of it is just letting the song be itself. Some moments may call for an intense drum part or guitar part while others have a basic part but a groove with some gutturals behind it to make a segment shine. We’ve learned to not try to force riffs or parts into a song even if we may absolutely love them.

"Natural Selection" showcases a blend of intense aggression and eerie atmospheres. Can you share the creative process behind manifesting these bleak soundscapes that evoke a sense of vast nothingness?

A lot of that was due to the emotions of being laid off which two of the three members at the time were. We had a sense of anger to us about the situation and then the bleak atmosphere was due to the isolation of going through the lockdown and having our lives disrupted.

As an emerging band in the extreme metal scene, what are some challenges you've faced, and how have you overcome them to pave the way for your future?

Some challenges are finding the time to practice and work on new material while all having vastly different schedules. We make it work by each sacrificing some sleep or whatever we need to in order to get together and put in the work that needs to be done.

Viserion's performances are known for their chaotic fury and intense energy. How do you ensure that this energy translates from the studio to the stage, and how do you engage with your audience during live shows?

We take our performances very seriously as far as perfecting how the songs should sound live. We warmup before each set, especially vocally to ensure our energy matches what you hear on record.

Your next release is a split with the mighty Teloch Vovin. Can you give us a sneak peek into what fans can expect from this upcoming collaboration?

Fans can expect to hear 3 songs from us that showcase our brutality and anguish but with a newer more refined approach that the new lineup has. And from Teloch Vovin I believe people will become instant fans of them after hearing their tracks as well!

What role do you think Viserion plays in the larger metal scene, and how do you hope to contribute to the evolution of extreme music?

We try our best to support all underground and local bands especially within the NY area. We hope to share and spread the underground bands as much as we can.