1.) To kick things off, tell our audience a bit about the origin story of the band “BLACK SEA OF TREES”.
I’d been a lead guitarist since I was 16, playing in various bands over the years. In 2014 I started writing the material that would become The Spiritual Beast and teaching myself how to sing at the same time. The name came from a Japanese novel about the suicide forest at the base of Mt Fuji, a place I’d actually visited in 2013, which left a real impression on me. By 2018 I felt ready to put the band together properly. Funnily enough, everyone who reached out to me ended up joining, and they all happened to be from different parts of Europe: Jan on drums from Norway, Francesco on bass from Italy, and Tanil on lead guitar from Turkey. Given that most of my musical inspirations are European, it felt like a perfect fit. And they’re genuinely great people and excellent musicians. Our lineup shifted slightly for this album, Tanil relocated interstate, so Chris stepped in on lead guitar. So now we’re half European, half Australian, which feels like its own kind of accidental identity.
2.) Who took the lead on the lyrics for the song “Cult of the Sun” and what was the spark that brought that track to life?
I had the whole story fleshed out in the very early stages of writing, so the concept always dictated what each song needed to be. When I write albums I give the titular name to the song I feel is the emotional crux to the album. Every theme I’m wrestling with across the record – spiritual, religious, governmental, artistic and existential converges here. And the answer the song arrives at is: it’s all pointless. The composition reflects the characters psychological state. Constant tempo and time signature changes push and pull the listener, mirroring the emotional unravelling of someone whose entire worldview is collapsing beneath them. He built his power and stability on shifting sand, and he’s only now realising it’s completely out of his control. The one stabilising element in the song is a repeating three chord motif, a circular pattern representing the sun. The song also begins and ends on the same riff, another circle, but the ending is discordant and unsettling. The realisation offers him no liberation, the sun’s power over him remains absolute, even now that he can see it clearly.
3.) If you had to describe the “BLACK SEA OF TREES” sound to someone who hasn’t heard
you yet, what would you say?
I would say it’s an eclectic mix of metal genres, not trying to be pinned down by one specific
sound. It swings from death metal to prog rock and atmospheric acoustic and branches into experimental/psychedelic moments for good measure. All the while keeping itself anchored to a dark, introspective tone.
4.) How has the songwriting evolved for the new album ? What does that process look like for you
Lately?
Cult of the Sun came together much faster and easier than The Spiritual Beast, there was no
agonizing over songs and re-writes for years. The concept for Cots was much simpler which I think made it
easier to bring all of the pieces together. I’m currently going through writers block for the next album so I feel
like the process is going to be different again. When we released TSB I was already half way through
writing Cots, and unfortunately at this stage I only have a few loose ideas, even thought I have a fleshed
out concept.
5.) What are some of the recurring themes or messages you find yourself exploring in your lyrics?
All Black Sea of Trees albums revolve around the occult, philosophy, spirituality and folklore
with introspection and the self at the center. The lyrics seek to paint a picture of the pitfalls of
humanity as a whole and aid the individual, either through catharsis, instruction or warning.
6.) The cover art for “Cult of the Sun” is striking, who was the creative mind behind that vision?
That was myself, we keep everything in house from the music production to the film clips! Full
creative control!
The cover obviously pulls from the Egyptian inspiration to the concept. The pharaoh wielding a
priest’s staff with sun iconography and wings represents his relationship to the sun god and the power
bestowed on him. He is set between the domineering obelisk with the foreboding eclipse symbology and the jackal, an ominous of death. The piece is bordered with hieroglyphics depicting the prophecy of the king’s
demise. All of this is set before the background of a barren wasteland. Needless to say I think it paints a
pretty good picture of what you’re going to get in this album, don’t expect a happy ending.
7.) Do you find your energy translates better in an intimate club venue or a massive festival
setting? Also, which show stands out as your all-time favorite?
I can’t speak to the festival setting as we’ve never played one before, but I think we would do
well in that space, especially with some of our more intense songs. My favorite show was one we played in a
country town of Ballarat in a venue that is now closed. The crowd was young and drunk and it was just great energy, I was getting too excited and needed to calm myself down with going too hard on the growls. That’s probably a normal experience for most bands but I find Melbourne crowds to be unsettlingly stoic, and often wonder if they enjoy music at all.
8.) Who are the “inspirational” artists that actually made you want to pick up an instrument and
play?
Metallica inspired me to pick up a guitar, Opeth inspired me to get good at it, start a band and
write music. Blackwater Park is the most inspiring thing to shape my artistic life. Bands that added to that
are Cult of Luna, Devin Townsend, Mastodon, Gojira, Katatonia, Tool, Russian Circles, Isis etc.
9.)If you could sit down and collaborate with any artist or band right now, who would be at the
top of your list?
I don’t know about collaboration but to sit down and see how Oranssi Pazuzu do what they do
would be amazing. To achieve their level of mind blowing darkness and intensity is something I’ve
always dreamed of. The same goes for Wilderun, I’d love to pick their brains about their process. In my
opinion, these two bands are the best artists in the heavy genre right now and they fill me with so much
inspiration and hope.
10.) What’s the current pulse of the metal scene from your perspective?
It’s pretty bleak from my perspective. It’s hard to find bands to obsess over anymore, besides the
two I mentioned, I tend not to listen to new metal these days. Live venues keep closing down and
festivals keep getting canceled. The bands we do see are the same old faces touring some nothing album
to keep the money coming in. And being in a band nowadays seems to be more about being a
content creator than anything else. We’re also very isolated from any sort of community or support, whenever I
think about the metal scene it fills me with a sense of hopelessness, so I try to ignore it and just
concentrate on what I’m doing.
11.) Are there any endorsements or gear brands you’re currently working with that you’d like to
shout out?
I wish! No, I doubt that will ever happen but I personally love my Schecter, in tandem with my
Axe FX it always produces a sound that punches way above its weight.
These are instrumental in sculpting our specific sound.
12.) What does the tour calendar look like? Any big shows or festivals we should be marking down?
Alas no, we’re in Australia so with every passing year a venue closes down and festivals go into administration. You have to already be successful to be considered for what little is on offer so our best bet is appealing to an international crowd. We do have plans for overseas shows but not anytime soon.
13.) Where’s the best place for fans to keep up with you and dive into your community online?
We’re across all social media platforms but signing up to our mailing list through our website
will give you better insights on upcoming news.
Apple Music
www.blackseaoftrees.net
Instagram:
YouTube:
