The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Francis Roberts of Old Man Wizard, King Gorm, etc.

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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

It’d take awhile to itemize it, but when I boil it down I basically look for new ways to have fun, and one of my favorite things to do is writing music. Right now I’m working on a new Old Man Wizard album (the songs are recorded! Now for the boring business side lol) and the first full-length Yaga-Shura album (that one is further away from being done). I’m toying with ideas for a second King Gorm release but that’s not really past the ideas phase. I’m focusing a great deal of my energy on my YouTube channel at the moment, too. I scored a portion of the upcoming film “The Spine of Night” which is the first feature-length film with my name in the credits!

Describe your first musical memory.

I may have it mixed up, but my parents either got me a toy guitar in Tijuana as a kid, a toy keyboard as a kid. After that it was recorder in school and then clarinet, and then generally not liking music for years before discovering the electric guitar as a teenager.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

I have a few that are pretty close to a tie:

-hearing my songs on an LP for the first time (it’s cool every time, one of the best feelings).

-being told I have created someone’s favorite song or album (also amazing every time it happens).

-watching a theater of people who (mostly) didn’t speak my language trying to sing along with a song I wrote.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

When I was growing up I always firmly believed in the power of good, and that even the worst people can find ways to redeem themselves. Although I’m still an optimistic person, I no longer believe that.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

When executed purely, I think it leads to true honesty.

How do you define success?

Are you able to experience happiness regularly? You’re successful.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

I typed out my answer, but even looking at it written down made me physically uncomfortable, so I’ve decided I’d rather not force you to read about it. Let’s just say that I’ve seen exactly one thing so fucking vile that I’d probably choose to erase the memory completely, given the choice. I guess it’d also be nice to unsee the entirety of whatever disgusting images people showed me in the early 2000s on rotten.com and other old internet nightmares like tubgirl.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

A hobby I come back to from time to time is creating video games. At some point I hope I make one that I feel good enough about to share publicly.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

To inspire the imaginations of others (ideally leading to the creation of more art).

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Spending time with my friends. Visiting my dad’s new home when it’s safe to travel by plane.

https://www.facebook.com/Old.Man.Wizard/
http://twitter.com/oldmanwizard
https://www.instagram.com/oldmanwizard/
http://oldmanwizard.com/
https://www.facebook.com/king.gorm.usa/
https://www.instagram.com/king.gorm/
https://kinggorm.bandcamp.com/
https://francisroberts.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/f_c_r_
http://instagram.com/francisroberts

Francis Roberts, Story From Another Time (2020)

King Gorm, King Gorm (2020)

Old Man Wizard, Blame it all on Sorcery (2018)

Being released exclusively as a tape and a download on Nov. 6, Story From Another Time is not at all the first 2020 release from Old Man Wizard and King Gorm guitarist/vocalist Francis Roberts to be put out under his own name. To trawl through his Bandcamp is to fine a swath of recent live and home-recorded offerings based around weaving soundscapes from synth and electric guitar, but the prolific nature of Roberts‘ work is befitting the form of what he’s doing — as well as someone with home recording capability stuck this year in a pandemic lockdown — and the atmosphere in which he’s operating is cinematic enough that he’s doing actual soundtracks and scores at this point.

Dude keeps busy though — and if you didn’t hear the King Gorm self-titled (review here) earlier this year, you should do that too — but one of the two 18-minute tracks on Story From Another Time is streaming now, and tapes are limited to 33 copies, so as far as I’m concerned, this is a good time.

Word came from the PR wire thusly:

FRANCIS ROBERTS TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM

Known for his work in Old Man Wizard and King Gorm, producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Francis Roberts will release the cinemtatic album Story From Another Time on November 6th in digital and cassette formats. The two tracks, each over eighteen minutes long, are described as ” a film score for your imagination” — and they do indeed transport listeners to “another time.”

Roberts said of the album, ” I wrote and recorded this a few months ago, inspired by additional material and concepts that didn’t make it into my score for a portion of the forthcoming film The Spine of Night. I was so pleased with the result that I decided I had to let it sit while I planned a more proper release. I did this to push the limits of my ability to compose campy 1970s style cinematic music. It’s one of my favorite recordings I’ve created.”

“I used pretty much all of my synthesizers and samplers to record it, with the basis of side one being a heavily edited and resampled guitar improvisation and the basis of side two being seemingly endless string loops and bizarre Berlin school style sequences. The album artwork is from a painting called Slayer of the Old Wyrm by Valin Mattheis, one of my favorite currently active artists (whose work you may recognize from my releases with Old Man Wizard). The album will be available digitally and as a very limited cassette (33 copies).”

Preorder the album on bandcamp: https://francisroberts.bandcamp.com/album/story-from-another-time

https://francisroberts.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/f_c_r_
http://instagram.com/francisroberts

Francis Roberts, Story From Another Time (2020)

San Diego’s King Gorm will issue their self-titled debut album on July 31. “Beyond Black Rainbow” is the first single from the record, which runs a tidy nine cuts and 38 minutes, primed for a classic-style LP issue either at the behest of the band or some adventurous imprint that might pick them up subsequent to the initial self-release. At the forefront in the band creatively is guitarist/vocalist Francis Roberts whose particular take on classic progressive heavy rock is recognizable here from his other outfit, Old Man Wizard, though King Gorm are distinguished particularly through their use of harmonized vocals care of organist/synthesist Saki Chan and drummer Dylan Marks — the band is completed by bassist Erich Beckmann — as well as the prominent organ work of Chan running alongside the galloping riffs of songs like “Freedom Calls,” “Beyond Black Rainbow” and the penultimate “Slaughter the King,” the latter of which might be the most direct dogwhistle of the group’s abiding influence from Ritchie Blackmore‘s style of proto-NWOBHM riffing in Rainbow. To go with these rushing pieces, the band also offers broader-reaching cuts like “Four Heroes” on side A and “The Witch of Irondale” on side B, as well as the distinctive centerpiece “Song from Brighter Days” that rounds out the first half of the record following the quiet interlude “Irondale Burning.”

The band take their name from a Danish king who ruled from 936-958 and was known as “Gorm the Languid” or “Gorm the Old,” and the album follows a plotline around Irondale at least to some loose degree. The opening “Intro” that feeds into “Freedom Calls,” as well as “Irondale Burning” and the concluding instrumental “Ultimate Reality” all add to an atmosphere that stands in league with the medieval theme further bolstered in the lyrics. Roberts, who is no stranger to a theatrical presentation as a member of pirate-folk-metallers The Dread Crew of Oddwood, works well as a storyteller here, though the songs do more than simply describe the narrative, and from the outset with “Freedom Calls” picking up from the intro, individual pieces find ways to stand out while balancing classical European folk, progressive rock and proto-metal along the way. This, coupled with the four-piece’s glam-style image gives King Gorm a peculiar niche to occupy, but being superficially weird only suits them all the more since their songwriting is so precise and the performances as captured on their debut so assured of their purpose. As a record, King Gorm is dynamic and broad-reaching, engaging with melody and its narrative, and as a debut, it holds particular promise of future tales to be told. As the verse of “Freedom Calls” puts it, “Irondale — our return was foretold by the stars/A hero’s born, delivered by the fire and the sword.” An auspicious beginning, indeed.

While perhaps King Gorm‘s legend has yet to be written, the potential for intertwining folk and prog and early metal as demonstrated in “Song from Brighter Days” or in “The Witch of Irondale” speaks to the drive toward individualism at root in the band’s persona. Those listening who might be less familiar with Roberts‘ prior work might find some likeness in his approach with Ghost or perhaps Opeth‘s Mikael Åkerfeldt, and I don’t think that’s coincidence, but what comes across most of all in these songs — the narrative aside — is that individuality, and that proves to be just one among the reasons for the album’s ultimate success.

You can see the video for “Beyond Black Rainbow” premiering below, directed by Reece Miller. Preorders for King Gorm‘s King Gorm are available through Bandcamp.

Enjoy:

King Gorm, “Beyond Black Rainbow” official video premiere

Official music video for the song “Beyond Black Rainbow” from California rock band KING GORM’s debut album.

https://kinggorm.bandcamp.com/

Filmed and edited by Reece Miller

Music and Lyrics by Francis Roberts

Guitar, Vocals – Francis Roberts
Bass Guitar – Erich Beckmann
Drums, Vocals – Dylan Marks
Organ, Synth, Vocals – Saki Chan

King Gorm on Thee Facebooks

King Gorm on Instagram

King Gorm on Bandcamp

Digging deep on some of this stuff, and I like that. I mean, yeah, you’ve probably heard Enslaved and Lowrider by now, and maybe Black Rainbows, but stuff like Burning Brain Band, Jointhugger and King Gorm could be new to you. I hope so anyhow, that’s why I picked the tracks. That and I thought they were cool. Pretty simple process when it comes down to it.

I did the voice tracks for this one while my son played (first) with kinetic sand and (then) on the piano, so that’s kind of a mess, but I’ve come to enjoy that and it’s a good show either way. If you manage to check it out, stick around for the end, because the last two songs, the long ones from Dire Wolves and Stonegrass, are absolutely killer. I was recently put onto both records and I have absolutely zero regrets. Cardinal Fuzz put out the Dire Wolves LP in April and Stonegrass is out through Cosmic Range Records in Toronto digitally now with LP to follow. Both albums are worth your time if you have the time.

And as always, thanks for listening if you do.

The Obelisk Show airs 5PM Eastern today on the Gimme app or at http://gimmeradio.com

Full playlist:

The Obelisk Show – 05.29.20

Circle of Sighs	Kukeri	Salo*
Lamp of the Universe	The Eastern Run	Dead Shrine*
Lowrider	Pipe Rider	Refractions*
BREAK
Enslaved	Homebound	Utgard*
Wren	Seek the Unkindred	Groundswells*
StoneBirds	Only God	Collapse and Fail*
Jointhugger	I Am No One	I Am No One*
Saavik	He’s Dead Jim	Saavik*
Black Rainbows	Hypnotized by the Solenoid	Cosmic Ritual Supertrip*
The Burning Brain Band	Bolero/Float Away	The Burning Brain Band*
King Gorm	Beyond Black Rainbow	King Gorm*
BREAK
Dire Wolves	Flow & Heady / By the Fireside	Flow and Heady*
Stonegrass	Tea	Stonegrass*

The Obelisk Show on Gimme Radio airs every Friday 5PM Eastern, with replays Sunday at 7PM Eastern. Next new episode is June 12 (subject to change). Thanks for listening if you do.

Gimme Radio website

The Obelisk on Thee Facebooks

Those who’ve followed guitarist/vocalist Francis Roberts‘ work in Old Man Wizard or the pirate-themed Dread Crew of Oddwood should have some notion of what to expect from the relatively new outfit King Gorm, but the vibe — not to mention the band — is different across the latter’s impending self-titled debut, which is set to release July 31. The San Diego-based troupe dig into classic heavy progressive rock with a deft and masterful hand, retaining an air of cultistry without proving any more cartoonish than they intend. A track from the record, “Beyond Black Rainbow,” proves the point nicely, but is just a snippet of the band’s organ-heavy, weirdo-friendly wares. I’ll hope to have more to come on this one ahead of its arrival.

Until then, the PR wire brings ample backstory and info:

King Gorm release new single “Beyond Black Rainbow”

San Diego throwback rockers KING GORM have just released their new single “Beyond Black Rainbow” via their Bandcamp. The song is recommended for fans of Rainbow and Deep Purple.

Listen to the song here: https://kinggorm.bandcamp.com/track/beyond-black-rainbow-2

From King Gorm, releases July 31, 2020.

Some bands often claim they are ‘taking it back to the days of old’, but in King Gorm’s case it is quite literal. Much like their namesake – a Danish ruler from the 900s – the San Diego collective focus on telling bard-like tales, though updated in the form of classic rock. Their self-titled début album is a bold first step, reinventing familiarity by taking the legends of old and putting a modern spin on them.

Across the record, the listener bears witness to Hammond organs and screaming guitar solos duking it out, while bass lines and frantic drumming run like madmen underneath. The freshness of this music can be attributed to numerous factors, one of which being that it was recorded live from the floor (with only vocal overdubs), thus the chemistry of the musicianship shines through such as on “Four Heroes”. The band are also unafraid to go exploring, resulting in tracks like “The Witch of Irondale”, which swings from insistent prog rock to proto-doom in its 7-minute duration, or “Slaughter the King” and “Ultimate Reality”, two songs showcasing the wild nature of the band’s live show.

So which legends’ names are heard echoing within the album’s walls? Ritchie Blackmore figures prominently, not least for his fantasy-driven lyrics and powerful rock riffing (especially during Deep Purple and Dio-era Rainbow days). Elements of Led Zeppelin (the dragons and wizards-driven “Song From Brighter Days”) and Pink Floyd also float to the surface, such as in mastermind Francis Roberts’ soothing bard-like voice (which, for a latterday reference, also bears comparison with Motorpsycho or Arjen Lucassen). But this is more than an homage – there is a real sense of taking this music to places where those bands did not reach, reshaping it in exciting ways.

King Gorm is the sound of a band who may be relatively new to each other, but certainly not new to the game. With their combined experience in an eclectic mixture of bands like Old Man Wizard, Dread Crew of Oddwood, Kirby’s Dream Band, Beekeeper, Eukaryst, White Wizzard and others), there is no shred of doubt that these four can and have put together a top-notch rock n’ roll record that is bound to capture both classic rock and fantasy fans alike.

Track listing:
1.Intro
2. Freedom Calls
3. Four Heroes
4. Irondale Burning
5. Song From Brighter Days
6. Beyond Black Rainbow
7. The Witch of Irondale
8. Slaughter the King
9. Ultimate Reality

King Gorm are:
Francis Roberts – electric guitar, vocals, music & lyrics (Old Man Wizard, ex-Dread Crew of Oddwood)
Erich Beckmann – bass guitar (Kirby’s Dream Band, Grim Luck)
Dylan Marks – drums, percussion, vocals (Beekeeper, Fermentor)
Saki Chan – Hammond organ, ARP Odyssey, mellotron, vocals

https://www.facebook.com/king.gorm.usa/
https://www.instagram.com/king.gorm/
https://kinggorm.bandcamp.com/

King Gorm, King Gorm (2020)