After John Haughm founded Pillorian as a blacker version of Agalloch, the other ex-members of the folk black metal group also formed a new band together with Aaron Gregory (ex-Giant Squid): KHÔRADA. With their stylistically unusual debut „Salt“ the post-doomers caused mixed reactions, with some praising the record, while others couldn’t get into it. In our interview, guitarist Don Anderson answered questions about the unique sound of his new band, the grave extent of environmental pollution as well as the expressionist artwork of his new record.
Greetings! Thank you for taking the time for this interview. How are you doing?
Very good! We’ve just completed our first ever three shows and they went very well. We played two of these shows with Yob who we’ve been longtime friends with and fans of.
You founded KHÔRADA after Agalloch disbanded and Giant Squid also didn’t exist anymore at that point, right? How did it come to you deciding to form a new band together?
The three of us from Agalloch have been longtime friends of Aaron and Giant Squid. Agalloch played a show way back in 2006 with Giant Squid. So, when Aaron became more available we immediately thought he’d be perfect.
Did you already have a clear vision of what kind of music you wanted to make at that point or did that just come naturally?
It came very naturally. We had very, very vague points of departure. But, we were attracted by the risk and the possibility of what a collaboration with Aaron might sound like.
Would you say that in KHÔRADA one can hear influences from your former bands?
I think so. A band is a sum of its parts. If you hear a little of me in Agalloch – you’re really hearing “Don Anderson”. So, by that logic, there is something of Agalloch by default in KHÔRADA. Same can be said for Aaron and Giant Squid. However, we really didn’t want to mimic or obviously repeat what we did with our previous bands. This was an opportunity to do something different and we would have been foolish to repeat ourselves.
Does it bother you when your music is compared to that of your former bands?
Not at all. I’m proud of all I did with Agalloch, so there’s no reason to be bothered by it.
What about your former band mates from Agalloch and Giant Squid? Do you still sometimes hear from each other or is there no more contact?
Everyone in Giant Squid are friends. I wish I could say the same for John and the three of us. But, we are only on business terms. The breakup left no room for us to remain friends with John. It’s sad, but it’s completely the fault of John.
With „Salt“ you released your debut a while ago. The reactions to me seemed to be quite split. Did you already beforehand expect people’s opinions to be that divided?
Yeah, a little. It’s not surprising. Fans of Agalloch are very intense and committed – and I’m humbled by that. I know what that’s like. But, that can lead to strong feelings about a new band. I totally get that too. It doesn’t bother me. I see it as an indication that we did something unexpected which is better than trying to rehash the past.
What do you think was the reason because of which some people couldn’t quite get into your sound, while others praised you for it?
It’s hard to make assumptions. I imagine a lot didn’t give it a fair chance because they were too personally connected with Agalloch. I also assume some didn’t like the “clean vocals”. I think those that praised it were impressed we didn’t just do Agalloch part 2.
Especially the pre-release track „Ossify“ caused some skepticism among the fans. Why did you release this particular song in advance?
The label really pushed for that song. We didn’t want to use that song initially, but were talked into it. Which is fine. We trust Prophecy and wanted to honor that trust. In hindsight, maybe “Glacial Gold” would have been a better choice… I don’t know. It’s hard to choose a debut song because, as with Agalloch, each song is very different and cannot sum up the whole album.
Which track on „Salt“ would you consider your personal favorite and why?
I think “Glacial Gold” came out the most emotionally strong and at the same time musically interesting. But, I’m also really happy with the diversity of genres that make up “Seasons Of Salt.”
On „Salt“ you mainly deal with the damage inflicted upon nature by humanity. Why was it important to you at that exact time to focus on these things?
Because climate change is real and we currently have an administration that denies it. It would be irresponsible not to place these issues at the forefront of our lyrics and concerns.
Environmental protection is still a very problematic issue. Do you think that we as consumers have the possibility to bring about change at all or do you think that the problem is rather the unwillingness of the states to create stricter regulations and to enforce them consistently?
I think it’s the state. I think it’s capitalism. As long as profit and production are valued more than our environment, we’re fucked.
Back to your current album: „Salt“ generally expresses great misery, in my opinion. Would you say that there are still some positive moments to be found on it?
Yes, there is always some hope there. Or at least a kind of peace knowing that, in the end, the world is bigger and older than us and that humanity is only one chapter written upon this planet. That might sound catastrophic, but there is also a kind of “zen” quality to that sort of thinking. It’s acknowledging that there is something bigger than you.
There’s also something dirty and desolate about the artwork of Cedric Wentworth. How did he come to create this picture and you then using it as your cover?
We were all struck with the amount of color included as well. Not many “metal” albums have this much color or this color scheme. So, even that technical aspect was attractive. But, I agree that it is also desolate – those portraits capture the anxiety of our current moment.
The production sounds a bit blurry to my ears, while still packing a punch. What was the idea behind this approach?
Well, we just recorded too many damn guitars! We’ll restrain ourselves next time.
How did it come about that you were signed by Prophecy Productions for the release?
I’ve been a fan and admirer of Prophecy since the beginning. I was already active with Sol Invictus and had played Prophecy Fest 2016 with Sol Invictus. The folks at Prophecy have always been very supportive and encouraging. They were the second record label I approached and after they agreed, I didn’t bother looking at anyone else.
Looking back, are you still completely satisfied with your debut or would you do some things differently now?
Yeah, I mean, maybe less guitars!
Do you already have ideas for another album?
Yes. We have demos in the works.
At this point I would like to go through our traditional Metal1.info brainstorming with you. What do you think of while reading the following terms?
Greenwashing: Capitalism with a green face.
Experimental music: Once you’ve made music, it’s no longer an experiment. This idea is attributed to Edgar Varese.
Clean vocals – Screaming: both are great and should be used when the song calls for it.
Prophecy Fest: An incredible time playing in a cave with Sol Invictus!
Expressionism: I’m a fan and feel that Cedric’s work certainly shares in the early expressionist painters.
Pillorian: Who?
Thanks again for your answers. Are there any last words you would like to address to the readers?
Thank you very much for your support!
4. Januar 2019 Stephan Rajchl
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