The Prophecy
By: David E. Gehlke
Since this scribe stumbled upon United Kingdom’s The Prophecy’s utterly debilitating 2006 release, Revelations, a nice little rapport has been built up between yours truly and the band. You know, the type where regular correspondence is traded, merch is sent across the pond, and updates are given, all leading to the release of their newest (and best), Into the Light. A band that is on major upswing, as evidenced by their festival billing slots and critical response, The Prophecy is the first band to the emerge from the British Gothic doom scene to strike a similar pose to that of its forerunners – My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, and Anathema.
The comparisons end there, for The Prophecy is an entity all its own, especially in the form of singer Matt Lawson’s blend of anguished clean vocals and devastating growls, and guitarist Greg O’Shea’s resourceful guitar playing. Into the Light (due in February via Code666 Records) volleys between the harsh, death metal flavour of old Gothic doom and gentle, swooning atmospheres that can practically put one at ease, only to have it shattered when the walls cave in. Since there is now a veritable dearth of bands of this ilk, The Prophecy (rounded out bassist Gav Parkinson, and drummer John Bennett) find themselves hitting their stride at just the right time.
Having already touched base with Lawson for another publication, O’Shea felt it was a good time to check in with Blistering for some coverage double-duty. The affable Brit waxed on his role as a lone guitarist (the band lost second guitarist Christian Moore-Wainwright prior to the release of Revelations), the recording process for Into the Light and various odds and sods regarding band and touring life. Here’s how it went…
Blistering.com: It’s been two years since we last spoke and if anything, the band as grown immensely. Are you pleased with how things have gone? Where can you improve and what moments of success have made you proud? Do you fear repeating yourself?
Greg O’Shea: This year has been the biggest one for us yet, a new label and a new album…scary and exciting all at the same time! We’ve got a new situation where the songs we’ve been playing on our recent European tours are actually on our new album rather than us having to play catch up with really old or totally brand new tracks to make up for losing our second guitarist. We’ve managed to do it because of our new chilled and free mentality as a four piece and in no small part Gavin, who with his big fuck-off amp has managed to fill the sonic boots of a guitarist and a keyboard player!
We feel confident in what we’re writing more than ever before and these songs are working as a full metal band or when they’re stripped down for the acoustic set…I think that’s a good sign. Really, the thing that has made me the most proud is how the rest of the guys have embraced the new approach to how we make music, the past year has reminded us that first and foremost we’re a rock n roll band – no matter how dark the lyrics subject matter or how heavy the music is…there is still Motley Crue screaming to get out!
Blistering.com: Pivotal album #3. What was your approach heading into it? This is now the third consecutive Prophecy album where you’ve gradually moved into new territory…
O’Shea: The approach was loose - it was just scarily organic. For albums in the past we’d practice hard to a really strict structure and routine and then have meetings on top of meetings about the structure of the next practice with big flow charts and stopwatches...it was like being in the army! But with Into the Light, the reins came off and everybody trusted everybody else…so after eight years of me being a control freak, it was like the band was given a new lease of life. After playing with pretty much the same people for all that time, it felt a really natural progression to say, “Here is the general idea, lets have a four count…and lets see what we can make,” the motto that everybody worked to was to “make it big” to compensate for not having the extra strings behind us. But after just a couple of hours, I realised that using that space to unleash John’s technical funk chops, Gav’s groove and Matt’s clean soaring voice was going to make for a really expressive, open and honest album. I’m really looking forwards to sharing it with people when it comes out in February because I know that everyone will be able to identify with its concept and its overriding feeling of liberation.
Blistering.com: Did the success of Revelations provide any motivation when writing Into the Light?
O’Shea: Of course we want to be the biggest band on the planet….but name a band that doesn’t! I only think about success in terms of how much fun the crowd is having when we play and how many people I see in a festival crowd with our t-shirts on. We have a laugh keeping scores with other bands (we don’t beat many…but I think that’s because ours are viewed as collectors items people don’t want to ruin by going to gigs in them…*coughs*) in the dressing rooms. The last festival we played in Ireland, Exodus beat us by seven shirts which I thought was more than respectable!
Blistering.com: What was it like working with [producer]Greg Chandler? He’s quickly becoming a go-to guy for the top doom metal bands.
O’Shea: He is brilliant, but he has a dark side and in fact he has two sides, dark and darker! A total absinthe fuelled animal when he’s playing out but when you walk through the studio doors the change is unbelievable…it’s like he flicks a switch and becomes the ultimate recording guru! The bonus for me was that Studio Greg uses the same amps as Prophecy Greg and even though I’ve had my current rig for about a year, he showed me how to work it properly and pointed out some buttons I hadn’t noticed…he didn’t charge me for the lesson either! He really is a diamond… uncut!
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