Good afternoon, thank you so much for answering these questions. How's everything going in New York?
Hey thanks for having us. Everything is good here. Hope all is well with you!
1. Viserion started around 2019. What led you to create the band? Why did you choose the name Viserion, and what does it refer to?
Me and my brother Matt were in a death metal band for awhile but I had always wanted to create black metal which is my true passion. We chose to name ourselves Viserion after one of the dragons from the “A Song of Ice and Fire” books by George R.R. Martin.
2. In 2021, you released your first album. However, there hasn't been much activity from the band since then until the recent release of your new EP, "Fire and Blood." You've also added a new bassist and guitarist. How has all of this affected the band?
Once we made the lineup change we took some time to play shows and build chemistry with each other. This time period helped us to build our sound that culminated in our latest release. We want to continue the momentum we have and are currently working on new songs further expanding on our sound
3. "Fire and Blood" was self-released on January 16th. How did you approach the songwriting and recording process for this second EP? How involved were Tasso and Cris in the work on the new EP? What brands of instruments did you use in the process?
For songwriting we would have either myself or Cris bring a skeleton of a song to the group. We would then jam together experimenting with different rhythm patterns and changing some parts until the song became more fleshed out and then we would add lead parts etc. Every member of the band writes and has input with us trying every idea out until we are happy with where the song is. As for instruments we used PRS and Epiphone guitars, a Carvin bass and a Tama Kit
4. In your early days, your sound had certain references to the more classic side of black metal. However, the sound of this new EP, while still retaining a recognizable black metal sound, seems to explore different textures, both in the guitars and the atmosphere. How would you describe the sound of the new album? What bands and styles influenced the composition of the EP?
I would describe the sound of the new album as Melodic Black Metal with some atmospheric and classic parts included. We listened to a lot of bands such as Gates of Ishtar, Ultar, Satyricon and 1349 which all had certain influences on the writing process.
5. There's an aroma of destruction, fantasy, and lost battles throughout the music of this work. I suppose that's partly due to a theme centered on "A Song of Ice and Fire," and more specifically on the Targaryen family, hence the EP's title. How did you decide to approach composing an EP with this theme? Did you adapt the lyrics to the music, or vice versa? Will George R.R. Martin finally finish writing the saga?
We had written Reign of Fire very early and I knew I wanted to create a song centered around Aegon the Conqueror and his dragon Balerion. Next we wrote Mad King which with its chaotic atmosphere was the perfect topic for the song. This then led to us sticking with the concept and the songs wound up all fitting the lyrics. I sure hope he will!
6. Several people are listed in the album credits, but Billy Pfister's work stands out. He had a particularly unique role. How would you describe Billy's contribution? How was the entire mixing, mastering, and recording process carried out?
Billy is an amazing engineer, producer and musician in his own right and his contribution and ideas are scattered throughout the album. From him laying down keyboard parts to getting the best out of each take he is an integral part of the album. For mixing and helping produce in his own right Chris Grigg also played a pivotal role in Fire and Blood. The atmosphere of the album especially is because of him as is the idea of the Blackfyre outro and the Harrenhal ending. Jacob Buczarski mastered it perfectly and helped to really complete the album’s overall sound.
7. You opted to self-release the EP, currently in digital format. Why did you choose self-release? Are there possibilities of releasing an album in other formats with a record label?
We currently have CDs and Cassettes available through the label “Terminus Hate City” who we’ve partnered with.
8. For the cover art, you used a work by the French painter Hubert Robert. It's interesting how works by artists from centuries ago fit perfectly with the imagery and themes of extreme metal. Why did you choose this particular piece? How did you adapt it to what you were looking for?
This piece stood out to us due to the striking imagery of horror as a city is engulfed in flames. This alluded to the theme of the album which is the terror and destruction that dragons in Westeros are capable of.
9. You're from New York, what's the extreme metal scene like in such a big city? Is it difficult to break into the scene in such a cutting-edge and immense city? What similar bands from your city would you recommend?
The scene in New York is strong and diverse. On any given day you can see several underground metal shows from various sub-genres. If you're dedicated and you put in the hard work then you can succeed. As far as other similar black metal bands I would say Woe, Yellow Eyes, Krallice, Malghast and Jotunheim to name a few.
10. Have you prepared anything special for the live presentation of the new EP? What would you like to incorporate visually to better reflect the album's themes?
We have the plan to play the album front to back for the release show and are investing in some lighting and other stage items to reflect the tone of the album.
11. How did you get started in music: the first concerts you attended, the first albums you bought? What event in your lives pushed you to want to become musicians?
Some of the first albums I bought were Morbid Angel “Altars of Madness”, Darkthrone “Translyvanian Hunger” and Death “Scream Bloody Gore”. For concerts I remember seeing Nine Inch Nails and Mastodon in my teens. Me and Matt both were in band in elementary school and we continued to foster that passion the older we got.
12. Which album represents the essence of black metal for you? What are the most recent albums you've bought?
I think that Translyvanian Hunger is still the absolute perfect essential black metal album. The last albums I bought were Malghast “Penumbral Void”, Woe “Legacies of Human Frailty” and Bloodbark “Sacred Sound of Solitude”
13. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit. If you'd like to add anything for Viserion fans, this is the place. I hope you enjoy the questions.
Thanks for having us. Thank you everyone who has supported and listened to “Fire And Blood” We appreciate all of you.
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