Epicurean
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In the matter of only four years, Minneapolis, MN symphonic metallers Epicurean have moved up the underground ladder, signing a deal with the ubiquitous Metal Blade. The band’s cool blend of classic symphonic black metal (think mid-era Dimmu) and modern melodic metal is already starting to turn some heads, and their newest effort A Consequence of Design is a potent dagger right into the heart of the American metal scene.
As a band that is starting industry troubles right in the face (i.e. dwindling CD sales, an overcrowded market, et al), it is interesting to see how positive band remains in the wake of this situation. With that mind, we decided to pick singer John Laramy’s brain on a number of things, ranging from their not-so distant beginnings, the new album, those dreaded ‘beatdowns’ and how the hell his band is going to stay afloat in an era that can easily destroy a band of lesser determination…
Blistering.com: I remember when you guys just popped up on the scene in '04. Now you're on Metal Blade. Has this happened too fast for you?
John Laramy: Haha, no not at all. We had been out touring and killing ourselves to get the name out for a while at that point. So I definitely wouldn’t say it happened too fast, but it was pretty surreal to actually sign with them.
Blistering.com: For a band that has only been around for roughly five years, it seems Epicurean has already found its niche. You sound European, but you're not ripping off the Euro scene...
JL: Well, even from the beginning we never really were part of any “scene” or “core” or anything like that. When we first began we paid pretty close attention to our influences as far as what we “should” be doing as a band, but pretty quickly we all just said to hell with that and started making the music we wanted to make regardless of the genre. I guess that just sort of transformed into the sound we have now.
Blistering.com: I dig the "Breakdown free since 2003" tag on your Myspace. How tired are you of this shit and do you find it distressing that Epicurean might get lumped in with the whole deathcore/metalcore scene?
JL: I do have to admit I’m a little burnt out on the whole breakdown thing, yeah. You know, for whatever reason, people seem to dig it, but it’s just so overdone. There are bands out there that do good things in that genre, but I just wish that bands would do something different, and be more original.
Blistering.com: You know, there are about 7.8 million bands using keyboards - you've been using them from the start. Do you feel slighted?
JL: No, not at all. I think it’s pretty cool to see a resurgence of keys in metal.
Blistering.com: The songs on A Consequence of Design have been around for a few years. Was it a tough decision to go in and re-record/re-mix the album?
JL: No, I think both Metal Blade and ourselves wanted to get these tracks out and give them a proper release. So no, it wasn’t a tough decision at all.
Blistering.com: Are you tired of certain songs by now?
JL: Surprisingly no, haha. Maybe we should be, but truthfully, we’re all really proud of these songs and we still have a blast playing them live.
Blistering.com: What prompted the decision to sign with Metal Blade?
JL Well, Metal Blade was actually the label we wanted the most. Plus, for any metal band it’s kind of the equivalent to nailing the prom queen, haha.
Blistering.com: There is a preponderance of hooky songs here - "Lithograph," "Of Malice andMajesty" and "The Burden of Eternity" come to mind initially. For you, what songs on the album best represent Epicurean?
JL: Personally, I would say “Lithograph” would represent us best. It’s really up-tempo, and as the last song we wrote for the record, I think it’s the best song to show the direction that our music is heading.
Blistering.com: One of the cool things about A Consequence of Design is the subtle, dark progressive flairs that pop up, especially on "Anathema." Will this be something you explore more of in the future?
JL: Yeah, we’re all really into progressive music, so that’s an avenue we’re definitely going to continue exploring. I think there really has to be a balance, we didn’t want to get overly proggy and alienate too many listeners, but we are going to be exploring a few more progressive aspects on the next record.
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