1 Sloth Herder was founded in 2009 , why did you decide to form the band ? How were the early Herder Sloth ?
We formed with a desire to write aggressive, fucked up songs. In the early days it started with just drums and guitar, then we added vocals and played as a 3 piece until we were able to convince Luke (our bassist) to join. Our approach hasn't changed much since.
2 Your music combines different styles , doom , sludge , hardcore , grind and black , how do you define the style of the band?
The style or genre is best for the people who listen to us to decide. It's difficult these days as most bands crossover many styles of extreme music, it makes labeling obsolete. Frankly we think it's a good thing not to be cornered into one genre, letting you freely experiment with all styles in the best interest of the song. We have referred to ourselves as a Power Slob band.
3 Capture all the energy released an album in your music I guess should not be easy , how is your way to work in the studio for composing the songs ?
All of our material is written, dissected, and then reassembled in the writing process. And always during our rehearsals. Songs won't be considered for a release until we're happy with the result. This way when we go into the studio we know every part inside and out.
4 So far you've released two EP but soon also editareis a split with Horde of the Eclipse , with respect to these two Eps , how was the process of writing and recording ? Pleased with the impact that you have achieved them?
Our writing process almost always starts with us exchanging riffs or sections of songs we've written. Then we add drums so that we have a skeleton of a song, over time we will flesh out parts and transitions to make sure everything fits and has that sloth herder charm and then bass and vocals are incorporated usually throughout this process. Once everyone is happy, and we all have to be happy, the song is finished. As for recording, Sluggard was recorded live in single takes and we did vocals separately. Abandon pop sensibility was approached differently as we tracked each instrument separately. Both ep's got a fair amount of attention and we were very pleased with peoples reactions. Especially in regard to Abandon Pop Sensibility.
5 I guess your musical influences are varied , what groups have inspiredyou to compose your music?
That varies a lot between the 4 of us. Definitely a lot of hardcore and grunge and obviously black metal and grind of course. everything from sonic youth and the cure to deathspell omega and blut aus nord. However Assuck was probably the main influence for founding the band.
6 Speaking a little of your impending split release with Horde of the Eclipse , how to realize the possibility arose? Are there substantial variations with respect to what has been offering Sloth Herder , in his earlier works ?
We have played a number of shows with Horde of the Eclipse and we wanted to do a split with them mainly because we think they kick ass but also because we have very different styles but a mutual admiration for each other. I think everyone will be pleased.
7 I imagine your attending a concert should be an experience , does a concert for you involves an obligation or something that you feel comfortable?
Playing live is very important for us as a band. We feel any material that we write and release we should also be able replicate in the live setting. The first real shows took place in Spring 2010 as a 2 piece, vocals were added that summer and then bass was added to the live lineup in late 2011. Every now and then due to extenuating circumstances, we have periods of time where live shows take a backseat. However, once we return, we always make a strong comeback regardless of the situation. We would love do to some small tours in the future and continue bringing our music to unseen fringes of the underground
8 U.S. extreme scene is in good health and have recently appeared many bands that have managed to combine the sound of black with other such as the sludge , the grind or hardcore , do you you feel part of this scene , how is live from the inside the emergence of new bands?
Yes and no. Yes we are part of the very much alive American underground scene, but it's hard to feel at home in something so vast and often cliquey. Seeing the scene flourish is always good. It brings more opportunity for all bands and loads of cool shows. At the same time it can be frustrating trying to establish your band.
9 How were your beginnings in music , first concert , your first records you bought you ? Why you decided to become musicians ?
All of us have had life long affairs with music, we've all been playing music and instruments since we were little kids. So it just sort of happened that we became musicians, I don't know there was ever a conscious decision. We grew up in family's with parents or siblings that played, so it's something we were all exposed to our entire lives.
10 Abandon the cover of Pop Sensibility , who 's design ? Relate how your music with the cover?
The album cover is a picture taken from our bassist Luke's childhood home in Jefferson, MD. It has this bleak, hopeless yet eerily calm atmosphere to it. That was our goal. We wanted a departure from the typical metal imagery, and we felt it was a more accurate representation than your typical satanic imagery associated with the style.
11 What is the main theme of your lyrics and that inspires you when writing ?
Overall themes are alienation, struggle, and collaboration. These three things can be connected while appearing to be polarized. Personal growth is important to this band, and is usually achieved through experiencing these three things. From there we touch on all
sorts of subjects. Anything else and it wouldn't fit with our musical output. As far as inspiration goes, its pretty much everywhere. Our ownactions and of those around us, whether experiencing it first or second hand. While its easy to draw inspiration from something negative and picture perfect for a grim story like war and degradation which we have done and will do in the future, you need to see the forest for the trees.
12 Your two self-released EPs have been to for you and your esta'n available on bandcamp, is there any label interested in releasing your material ?
There has been some interest. We will be working with a label for our next release. We released the split with Horde of the Eclipse through Unholy Anarchy Records, but we plan on trying to remain free agents. Working with labels and also self releasing material.
13 A prominent part of the edition of your split with Horde of Eclipse, I have Quee future plans for the band?
We are currently writing a full length album and are working with a local label. We plan to begin recording soon and are hoping for an early 2016 release. No big plans for shows or tours in the near future, but we will be playing one off shows regularly. We also just re-recorded 4 old songs from an early, unreleased demo that you can download for free on our bandcamp.
14 Thank you very much for taking the time to Black Metal Spirit , if you want to add something for the followers of Sloth Heder, this is the place . I hope the questions are to your liking .
Thank you for the opportunity, Fran. We will continue to churn out the ugliest music we can for those who want to hear it. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Bandcamp.
Iron Bonehead Productions – IBP 228
Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition
Limited to 500 copies. 140g black vinyl housed in a 300gsm jacket with matte varnish, flooded black inside. Includes a 250gsm cardstock insert.
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