Black metal is once again alive and kicking in the UK—bands like Nine Covens, Winterfylleth and Fen have all been busy recently, releasing their finest albums to date. But the new kid in town is an ensemble called Voices, consisting of members from My Dying Bride, Akercocke and Diminished Fifth. Metal Editor Sander had a chat with Sam (guitars/backing vocals) and Pete (guitar/vocals) and discussed the origins of this new band and the state of black metal in the UK.

(((o))): Can you start by telling us a bit about the band? When did Voices form and what were the circumstances? Who is in the band now and what instruments do they play? How would you describe the musical genre you play?

Sam: There are currently four members to Voices. That’s Peter Benjaminon guitar and vocals, Dan Abela on bass, David Grayon drums and myself on guitars and back-up vocals. We all came from various bands that were based in London for years, most notably Akercocke, and through either playing shows together or recording in the studio together, we all slowly began to regard one another as like-minded people. Then the music that came out of this is merely an extension of that deeper communication.

Pete: For this first album we have been focusing on an aggressive and experimental black metal sound, although this idea has no restraint, creatively or musically speaking.

(((o))): What are the main influences for the band?

Sam: The most influential force is London. London to us is a catalyst for extreme thought patterns and behaviors. The music is a cathartic extension of this inner city loathing that surrounds the people and places of London.

Pete: We’ve all a need to be creative in this shattered negative universe, without the restriction or boundaries forced upon us by the modern world.

(((o))): Your debut album Voices From The Human Forest Create A Fugue Of Imaginary Rain was released this year. Can you tell us a bit about the writing and recording process?

Sam: All the songs on this first album were born out of long and sometime arduous improvisation. This is the single most unique part about this band. We do not structure songs meticulously, but rather take a free approach in which we allow the atmosphere of the rehearsal space in that particular moment to flow into song form. We then place together the most interesting moments, and a song is born.

Pete: We recorded this album very freely as this is the feel, the atmosphere and the genesis of Voices. We opted to record the takes with no click-track or metronome so this freedom and the natural human qualities such as tempo changes remain in the sound, resembling the way we first wrote it. The tempos are up and down and not fixed. We enjoyed this somehow forgotten sense of urgency in the extreme metal sound. A lot of it was recorded in one take, just as if we were in the rehearsal room.







(((o))): What is the meaning behind the album title? And related to this, is there a theme on the album?

Pete: The Human Forest represents the city we live in, an ugly man-made mechanism of swirling chaos. It churns out all kinds of negative experiences to those that dwell here. Jealousy is my main symptom.

Sam: Thematically speaking, this record is affected by many unavoidable factors such as the grind we are faced with each day living in the claustrophobic city—alongside our personal turbulence during the time of creation. In many ways it is abstract, as it deals with our inner turmoil, which I don’t think we fully understand. Our more recent music, which will hopefully be on the next record, is far more centred on a very vivid and narrative-based idea. Kind of like a soundtrack to a film.

(((o))): The album is an amazing extreme metal achievement with some of the fastest blast beats and double bass drums I’ve ever heard. Being a drummer myself I can totally relate to the difficulty of this process. Does your drummer use any special techniques? Are the bass drums triggered in any way?

Pete: Thanks! Yes David uses Ddrum pads instead of actual drums for the kicks, so they’re triggered. I don’t think we even recorded the hi-hats, as he wanted to have more drums than typically found within the recorded drum sound.

As far as techniques, with him I think it’s a case of thinking of the biggest pair of tits you’ve ever seen in your life and all the longing and jealousy that conjures up—and then fucking blast! No mercy.

Sorry, am I allowed to swear?

(((o))): We encourage it. Who are Voices’ musical heroes?

Pete: I can’t speak for everyone but I am a fan of avant-garde and challenging music, at the moment most notably Ved Buens Ende, Bohren and Der Club Of Gore. A lot of obscure black metal too. But Kate Bush is my overall musical hero. David is a massive fan of David Sylvian, Killing Joke, Depeche Mode. David doesn’t really enjoy listening to metal anymore.

Sam: I understand that as well though. I still enjoy visiting some choice extreme metal acts, particularly in a live context, but I consider other artists more influential. That includes Kate Bush definitely, Scott Walker, Nick Cave and recently a Norwegian artist called Susanne Sundfor, her album The Silicon Veil is one of the most melancholic and beautiful pieces of challenging pop music I’ve ever heard. I want her to guest on the next record.

(((o))): What do you think of the state of the black metal scene, and more specifically the British black metal scene at the moment?

Peter : I think it’s better than it was a few years ago. There seems to be a new buzz about the genre in the last couple of years with some great bands coming out and we are starting to see more and more people turning up to black metal shows.

I think the trouble is we need more innovative thinkers to push the parameters of the genre into something new and strange. Everyone can play a blast beat these days but I believe there is always a new direction, a new touch or feel you can implement if a band is ready to really think about it—how to push their extremity.

(((o))): Do you have any specific pre-gig rituals?

Sam: I try to bring along a copy of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, or Graham Greene’s The End Of The Affair, and I pick a random page to read moments before hitting the stage. This is to feel a deep and crushing sense of jealousy.

Pete: I prefer to spend time on my own and gather my thoughts.

(((o))): What is happening to the other bands the Voices members are involved in, such as My Dying Bride, Akercocke and Diminished Fifth? Is David still involved in My Dying Bride or was it a one-off session only? Is Akercocke still going? Or is all your focus now on Voices?

Pete: David has been playing live with My Dying Bride for about two years but he seems mostly focused on Voices at the moment as it is his creative outlet. But of course, he is playing sessions otherwise. As far as Akercocke goes, I have no idea if we will play again.

Sam: Diminished Fifth are currently at the mixing stage of the first full-length record. We are hoping to use Dan Abela for this as, of course, he is someone we know well and can trust. The sound is a more commercial form, yet still extreme in its own way. The best way to give you an idea of the sound is to tentatively say it sounds somewhere between Gojira meets Neurosis meets Akercocke!

(((o))): Finally, what are the future plans for Voices? Do you have any big gigs coming up?

Pete: We hope to play some festivals this year and some other gigs but we like to choose the gigs that are right for us, so we can ensure it’s a special occasion for ourselves and the audience.

(((o))): Thank you very much for talking to us!

Pete: Cheers, Sander

(Many thanks to Raymond Westland at Ghost Cult Magazine for setting up this interview)