BRIMSTONE COFFIN

                                                                         Interview With Justin                                                               

MG: Great to meet you, can you give me a very brief history of Brimstone Coven

Justin: The band formed in 2011.

Corey knew me as a guitar player but had seen a drum video of me and thought it would be fun to start up something in the retro/occult vein.

Initially John was on bass but very soon Andrew joined and John moved to vocals. At first we had one or two originals and mainly cut our teeth on a bunch of Black Sabbath covers. From there it is history. The original tunes started flowing in and continue to evolve.

MG : Meaning behind the bands name?

Justin: Brimstone basically is sulfur and Coven alludes to a coven of witches. It really ties into the occult vibe and imagery that we were going for to go along with the music.

MG:Whats the response been like to the new album?

Justin: The new album is actually a re issue of the first two albums. Overall I think it has been extremely positive. Not everyone is going to love it. We do though and it seems that a lot of people agree with us. At the end of the day though all we can really focus on is writing music that we would listen to or music that we enjoy.

MG: its near enough a double album why so many tracks?

Justin: The reason for so many tracks is as I mentioned before it is a re issue of two albums. The first EP which I played on then the second full length which did not feature me on drums because my wife and I were preparing for a baby and had just bought a house so I needed to focus on non band stuff for a bit. You can really hear the progression of the band in the songs and production so it doesn't actually just serve as a snapshot of the band but more of a roadmap of where we began, where we went, and alludes to where we are going.

MG: The artwork instantly catches your eye, did the band have a lot of input into the conception.

Justin: Yes. We actually had a good friend, Creighton Hill do our artwork. In fact we have basically hired him as our artist. He is amazingly talented and gets the vibe that we are shooting for. We basically point him in a direction and he delivers amazing results. He of course always consults with us during every stage of his artwork to make sure we are all seeing eye to eye.


MG: The album artwork would make a cool tattoo , any one in the band have it as a tattoo or planning to ?

Justin: To my knowledge no one is planning on getting that as a tattoo.

A couple of the guys have a brimstone insignia. It WOULD make a great tattoo. You should get on that.

MG: Can you give me a couple of tracks to listen to if I was totally new to Brimstone Coven

John: Son of the Morning and The Black Door. It really shows our progress through the years and shows you what we are. Son of the Morning has the softer side, but still rocks out. The Black Door shows our vocal harmonies and their strength.

MG: Personal favourite is "Seance" its deep and earthy and totally spaced out , have the band messed with the Occult at all ?

John: I can't speak for the rest of the band. We have all looked into it at some point. No I am not a member of the occult. No I do not hold rituals. My rituals would have to be playing live.

Everyone in that room is a part of it. We sing about some of the darker things in life you were taught to fear. Even though you feared it, you still dipped into it out of curiosity and said "I want to know more." Was Ozzy a member of the Occult?

MG:When you're writing new material, where do you get your inspiration from? Do you walk around in the woods in the winter , chill by a lake?

John: Most of the material is written by Corey. But getting together at band practice, having him start a random guitar riff, then the drums come in, then the bass, then the vocals...... WOW. It's a high in itself. The four of us lock on to that jam. And it flows through your body. The chemistry that the four of us have.

That's what inspires me. I let my mind read the songs and process the images. Sometimes I can imagine that walk through moonlit woods. Watch the Native Americans dancing around a fire. Travel through space and time. It's pretty wild what my brain comes up with when playing.

MG: So whats the scene like in North America? Would their be plans to get across to Europe?

John: As far as all of North America. I can't be the judge. It's all over the place. Strong I guess. Where we are from, the scene is booming. There was a Metal-core scene, a small Indy bump. At the moment there are some kick ass metal bands in the area. But for what we do, I believe we are the only ones locally. I CAN say that there was mention of a festival with a tour branching off of it. I can't really give any more details than that. Just keep checking in.

MG: If you could share a stage with any 3 bands dead or alive who would they be?

John: I hate this question. HAHAHAHA. There are so many combinations. Okay..... On the spot, in my head right now I see a 4 band bill: Asteroid, Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Witchcraft, and Brimstone Coven. Oh Damn would that be epic. Is that even bookable?

MG: What have you guys been listening to recently ?

John: Can't speak for the rest of the band. Having a full time job, and being a full time dad, there really isn't much time for listening to music. Besides shows, practice and driving. So the mix in the van right now has been some Asteroid, King Diamond, Uncle Acid, The Absence, Pink Floyd, Arsis, Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Witchcraft, Graveyard, Amon Amarth. It's all over.

MG: Four words to describe Brimstone Coven?

John: Good Old Stoner Rock! What you hear on that CD, Vinyl, YouTube video. That's us having fun. Doing what we love. And we can't wait to introduce it to new people.
 
MG: Final words for your fans
Everyone: Behold! Believe!
 

Review:

Seb Di Gatto