Interview with Shroud of Despondency
Shroud of Despondency are a cosmic black metal band formed in the late 1990’s in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, they released a split EP with LanzerRath on May 10th. All answers by Rory
Alicia
Can you Introduce the band?
Rory
My name is Rory Heikkila. I handle all the instruments, lyrics, programming, and clean singing. Ron Blemberg handles all the extreme vocals. We occasionally see it fitting to invite guests on to handle other things(extra leads, psychedelia, vox, etc).
Alicia
Where did the name come from?
Rory
I created the name in the late 1990’s. It came to me after experiencing the suicide of a close friend while in high school. It seemed an appropriate moniker, considering I was, myself, dealing with alienation, self doubt, and sadness. The name has grown with me into adulthood. I sometimes wonder if it is at all still appropriate, as my lyrical themes have grown as I have grown, but even when dealing with more cosmic themes(as found on the upcoming split with Michigan’s LanzerRath) I tend to deal primarily with the so called “negative” emotions.
Alicia
You have an album coming out can you tell us about the recording process?
Rory
For the upcoming split with LanzerRath the tracking was absolutely insane, as none of the riffs were written before I sat down to track. In fact, many of the songs I have written in the last ten years have been written the following way: My writing process is usually spontaneous. I sit down with a guitar and record riffs that could work together, experimenting with arrangement ideas. This process takes about an hour and a half or two hours for each song. Once the desired riffs are planned, I set up a metronome and record the initial guitar track. Once that is complete(which takes longer than the actual riff writing itself), I write the second guitar. The second guitar is where I begin to experiment with the melodic component that any additional guitar with harmonize with. At any given time, one of my songs could have 6 guitars playing at once, depending on how bonkers I decide to go with the leads. From there, I program the drums. My songs use formulas and always have repeating parts, but this is the most tedious and annoying part of my writing. Once the drums and initial guitars are in play, I will add my harmonies, additional melodies, bass guitar, and symphonic arrangements. Given that I live in Wisconsin and Ron lives in Michigan, and there is about 5 hours between us, I will prepare the lyrics at my house. Lyrics are an interesting puzzle piece. I put my pencil to paper alot to write, so sometimes songs have lyrics that have existed for years that I just edit to fit songs. Other songs I write once the music is complete, hearing the patterns in my head then writing the words. The split with LanzerRath is an example of the latter. Then I get with Ron and record the vocals. Then I mix.
Alicia
Do you have plans to tour this release?
Rory
It’s not a popular answer, but I have no interest in playing live music. Shroud of Despondency had a few successful live lineups from 2011-2014, with Jon and Jeremiah(now of Lost Tribes of the Moon)contributing writing ideas and such, but I don’t feel my methodology and intent is designed for a live environment. Preparing to play live takes time away from writing and writing is what I need to do to stay sane. I have a stressful career and a very negative outlook on humanity and I do not get the release that others seem to get from playing live. I get that from creating. I think that not getting that makes me a pretty insufferable person, not one suited for any type of give and take relationship, at least one fully satisfactory to the other parties involved. That being said, I do love attending shows, am on good terms with most of my former bandmates, and view live music as one of the purest forms of entertainment(minus the current pathetic addiction to cell phones at concerts) and I regularly attend metal, rock, prog rock, classic rock, and country shows.
Alicia
Can you tell us about the music scene where you’re from?
Rory
Another unpopular answer, but I don’t concern myself too much with scenes. I like what I like, my musical fixation spans many genres, but also am not into social obligation in the form of pretending to like something subjective(art) that I may not happen to enjoy. Milwaukee and Michigan have had many bands that I find inspirational and that light a fire in my belly to create more, but I’ve also disliked many of the bands that gain hype in scenes. It is not my intent to name bands or anything, because I think that anywhere humans go there will be worthwhile art, but I also enjoy contrary opinions while viewing it all as quite meaningless in the face of actual creation. I would never have thought a split with LanzerRath was a good idea if I didn’t find value in their art. The same could be said of all of their side projects on Northern Spire Productions too, but I’d hardly say they are from where I’m from. There is a great deal of distance between my place in Milwaukee, Ron’s place in Upper Michigan, and the LanzerRath homebase in Lower Michigan.
Alicia
Was music something you’ve always wanted to do?
Rory
Yes. My mom told me that I told her I wanted to play guitar when I was three years old. I was raised in musical households, always having access to guitars and people who could play them, and I started taking guitar lessons at a very young age. However, I became quite bored with the idea of a guitar lesson once I realized I could write my own music. My father showed me a full major G bar when I was 12 or so and from there my primary interest was getting to know the instrument on my own terms. However, later when I was 15 or so, heavy metal lit a fire in my belly to get better and I spent countless hours learning metal songs, practicing, and then formed some metal projects of my own. I settled on Shroud when I was 16 or 17, and it’s been my primary mode of expression ever since.
You can check out Shroud of Despondencys music and social media below