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From Gnosis

1. Hi Darren/Adrian, how are things at the moment?

Just finished the last rehearsal before Academy next week.

2. You_re going into the studio in a couple of weeks to record your second album _My Sullen Sulcus_. Are you completely ready, or is there still some last minute preparation to be done.

it is actually called The Sullen Sulcus and there is a song My Sullen Sulcus. We are as ready as we will ever be i suppose. We usually leave about 10% that still has to be worked out in the studio as we never seem to get the right effect for certain parts at rehearsals. In the studio everything sounds different and usually better and we sometimes re-work some things that suits the mood of the session, usually the vocals

3. What is the new material like? How does it compare to your previous releases.

The new material, well it seems we are cutting the shackles of the MDB references in our new songs, there is a bit more tempo to them but still some very slow tortured stuff like before. We are spending longer in the studio this time with a gig and a break for the weekend so we can consume what we have done already. The new stuff will have a lot of attention to detail, which was, perhaps, lacking in the debut-but everyone says that so i won't bore you any longer.

4. Like _Dust_, you_re going to record _My Sullen Sulcus_ at the legendary Academy Studios with the equally legendary Mags. What do you think recording there contributes to your sound?

Mags knows what we want and is open to any suggestions we may have. He is a dream to work with, something we found lacking in Ireland. When you go to Academy you know the basic sound you are going to get and Mags just gets that other 10-20% that we are looking for.

5. Speaking of _Dust_, how were the critical, commercial and public reactions to it?

The reactions to Dust have been amazing in the press and public and our lowest mark has been 6/10 in one magazine. even people into Doom can see where we are coming from which is always a bonus.

6. I was astounded that you had to release _Dust_ yourselves, especially given some of the shit, which gets released. Were you annoyed at not finding a deal worth taking up? Will the new one be self released too, or have you got some respectable offers from labels?

Annoyed would be an understatement but it is not the end of the world. We write music first and foremost for ourselves and anything after that is a bonus. We have had some offers and are still in talks with two labels at this point. We have received some offers from labels but there is no advantage to most of them as they are basically offering what we can and have done ourselves. maybe not with the same promotion as a label would give us but fuck it-we are always building new contacts and this will continue. At this time The Sullen Sulcus will be self released.

7. The music you play is heavy, slow, dark and depressing _ what influences you to play this way?

8. What do the two simple words _doom metal_ mean to you, both musically and attitudinally?

Musically anything played slow and with passion can be defined as Doom Metal-without feeling you are nothing. As regards attitude, that is a tough one. Basically someone into Doom is not listening to it for a quick fix, they want to find something deeper in the music and lyrics and this holds true in their lives also-they question everything instead of being force fed the same shit from the press all the time.

9. How do you compose your music? Does it come mainly from jamming or from the members coming up with riffs alone? Do you need to be in a certain (negative?) frame of mind to come up with good stuff, or can you do it all the time? Do you compose sober or under the influence of various substances?

Music can come in varous forms, from jamming together or someone comes to rehearsals with a riff and we go from there. A negative frame of mind is probably 90% of the time for all of us so we generally are writing continuously. As regards various substances we do not like to broadcast our various pastimes, habits call it what you will it is a personal thing.

10. Darren, I find your lyrics quite strange. They are depressing and full of bizarre imagery, but quite difficult to fully understand. Are you mainly inspired by poetry/literature or by daily events and feelings? What metal lyricists do you most admire? Bizzare imagery?

I do not se where you get this but anyway, wait til you read the new stuff now they are full of starnge imagery and thoughts. I read alot of books and poetry. At the moment I am going through a phase of the poetry by Sylvia Plath-now there is a depressed woman. Her words touch me deeply everytime i read them. As regards Metal lyrics i loved early Anthema and MDb stuff and lately i tis In the Woods and Beyond Dawn lyrics I am really enjoying. My lyrics come from various situations in my life or tha I have read that give me a certain feeling and make me think about a certain situation. Obviously they are all dealing with the negative side of the thought process, what is the point in writing about happy stuff-they will and shold remain forever.

11. Describe the Mourning Beloveth live experience. What emotions does playing live give to you, and what emotions do you think you transmit to the crowd? Do you have any live plans for the coming months?

You know yourself John that we can sometimes play shit live and sometimes play very well. Live experience for me is again venting some anger and depression in a different environment and sometimes the songs take on a form of their own...What we transmit to the listeners, I don't know really you tell me.

12. You are both involved in various other metal ventures in Ireland _ could you tell us something about them?

I am writing for Metalworks magazine, Irelands only Metal magazine. it is bi-monthly and issue 1 was released last week. the plan is to give media coverage to our little scene here in ireland along with some of the top names in the Metal scene. it is a steep learning curve but one we are willing to climb.

13. What was the last (a) album you bought, (b) gig you saw, (c) book you read?

Haven't bough an album in a while as i am saving for the recording but the last one was probably Maudlin of the Well-the double release Bath and Leaving your Body Map-the last gig I really adored was Opeth and Katatonia-amazing night. The last book I read wa a biography on Carl Yung, the philosopher

14. There are literally thousands of bands out there. Why should somebody check out Mourning Beloveth as opposed to other bands? What sets you apart?

We play with feeling and passion-unlike alot of shit going around at the moment

15. OK, thanks for the interview _ any last words?

Goodbye

Mourning Beloveth (Ireland) _Dust_ _ self released album _ 2001
The band name says it all really. Mourning Beloveth. What else could they play but doom metal? Dark, heavy, slow doom metal. Very good doom metal. Doom/death to be precise, but with definite nods towards funeral doom in places.
Mourning Beloveth_s modus operandi is pretty simple. They use the classic guitar, bass, drums and vocals _ no keyboards, no violins, no flutes, no female vocals. They create their dark, claustrophobic atmospheres through slow, heavy mournful riffs _ at times the guitars almost seem to be weeping. These riffs are often repeated for long stretches, giving them time to work into the listener_s mind, almost hypnotising him. The lead guitar work (not solos!!) is excellent, developing and embellishing the main riffs while never disturbing the flow of the songs.
Particular mention should be given to the excellent vocals. The two vocalists alternate between the prominent low, tortured growl and brilliant plaintive clean singing, sardonic spoken sections and whispers. The band clearly put a lot of work into the vocal lines and the use of the different types of voice.
The sound on the album is excellent _ heavy, clear and dark. No surprise when you consider that it was recorded at Academy Studios and produced by Mags.
If there is one criticism I have it_s that the finaly track isn_t arranged as well as it could be, and as the rest of the album is: there are a lot of very good parts (and one of the best riffs of the whole album), but some how it doesn_t flow as well as the rest of the songs, and seems to meander a bit in the middle. But this is only a minor point.
I_ll end the review with a question. Given the woeful quality of so much metal released nowadays, howdid Mourning Beloveth end up having to release _Dust_ themselves? A scandal.
So basically, if you_re a doom fan and you haven_t got _Dust_, e-mail the band at darren@mourningbeloveth.com and order it NOW.