Posted in Whathaveyou on June 18th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
Take a quick gander at the Bandcamp page of Maryland death-doom rawness slingers Torvus and you’ll see in the sidebar they’ve listed a gig taking place July 2 at a castle in Slovakia. Well, I don’t think that’s true, and I don’t even know if travel to Nové Mesto nad Váhom is allowed at this point in time, but listening to the songs on Torvus‘ upcoming demo, Dead Seasons, I see where they’re coming from. The trio, which features Zak Suleri of Et Mors, Seasick Gladiator, and so on, offer a melancholic extremity that recalls early death-doom’s underproduced majesty, a ferocity of exploration and a fresh sense of ripe decay speaking to the deathly atmosphere surrounding.
As it happens, Torvus have been confirmed for what’s sadly being billed as the final Shadow Woods Metal Festival, to be held Aug. 27-28 out in the woods in White Hall, MD, where they’ll join a lineup diverse enough to include the likes of Panopticon and Borracho and Dave Heumann of Arbouretum, as well as a ton of others. Torvus have a slew of releases going back to 2015, among them the sophomore full-length The Innate Disease released in February and a split called House Arrest with Roanoke, Virginia’s Gravity Kong, but they’ve never been shy about putting out demos either. Maybe songs show up later, maybe they don’t. Not knowing is part of the fun.
And hey, maybe they’ll be in Slovakia in July, what do I know?
Info follows:
New demo from the new era of TORVUS dropping on the 25th of June.
Five new tracks:
1. Stoned n’ Frosted 06:00 2. Las Gotas de la Felicidad 00:45 3. Dead Seasons 04:44 4. Obsolete 04:20 5. Words Within 04:34
Summer ’21 Demo. Releases 6/25/21.
Songs written during Spring 2021. Recorded May 2021.
Posted in Questionnaire on April 23rd, 2021 by JJ Koczan
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: Zak Suleri of Et Mors, Torvus, Cerulean Room, Seasick Gladiator, what lies below…, Desolate Cemetery, Blodleten & Guard
—
How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
Since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be some sort of entertainer. I never felt like I fit in, even with friends and family, so I was always acting out and finding ways to express my individuality. Poetry, music, and art helped me relate to the world and became increasingly important as I grew older.
Describe your first musical memory.
I was riding in the backseat of my mother’s car, around the age of four. We were living in Boston at the time, and she had the radio station on which was playing Jazz. I remember being absolutely fascinated by the notes and sounds I was hearing, and then disappointed when it was replaced with Classical music!
Describe your best musical memory to date.
There’s been a bunch, but the most memorable to me was one time jamming with Albert, the other half of Et Mors. We had just transitioned from being a four-piece band to a two-piece, and I was going through a lot at the time in addition to having doubts on whether to even continue as a band. We indulged in our usual warm-up routine, then improvised for 45 minutes. Towards the end of that session, it became intense. Tears started streaming down my face. I was just screaming, crying, and letting everything out I was feeling. It was pure catharsis. That session was later reworked to become the Tombswayer EP.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
I never really thought of anything as definite or certain, as my life was always subject to constant change. However, it was certainly disappointing to meet some of the musicians I looked up to who don’t practice what they preach.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
I feel artistic progression leads to learning more about one’s true self. Art is deeply personal. Even if we intentionally try to make it the opposite, the very idea and initiative must come from within. Artistic progression from an artist’s perspective will lead to them finding out their own nature and developing ways to accurately capture the feelings and ideas they’re experiencing at the time. As a society, artistic progression should lead to a more compassionate world.
How do you define success?
There is no success. Only you can decide when you look back on your life whether you stayed true to yourself within these very limited years we’re allowed.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
Being 22, I grew up in the age of the internet. I had one partner who particularly enjoyed real shock and gore footage she found in the depths of the web. In real life, I’ve seen some friends go down some very dark paths.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
I’ve been dreaming about creating a series of films. I have some rough plots and an old camcorder, so I suppose I’m halfway ready then! The soundtrack will most likely be done by Et Mors or what lies below… (my experimental/ambient project).
I have the first demo for my new slowcore/indie project coming out in two days (4/25/21) It’s called ‘Parting Lullabies’ and the project name is Cerulean Room. https://ceruleanroom.bandcamp.com/.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
Art serves to provide understanding to that part of the human experience that will never be fully explainable by any logic or science.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
I’ve recently been getting into film photography, so I’m looking forward to more late nights alone with a camera. Oh, and reuniting with the people I haven’t seen in over a year once the pandemic is over.
