What is your own perspective of the new album? Whats the concept of it for you and the band? I see this album as the most ambient, melodic and darkest that you have ever released.
This was the first album where I really kept the live show in mind while I was putting it together. We’ve been touring a lot for the past few years and I know we’ll continue to tour, so I wanted to have a heavy set that would be enjoyable to play live. The themes I was writing about were heavy anyway: sleep, the internal abyss compared with the great abyssal universe, suicide, nightmares. It became a very collaborative effort with great musicians I’ve worked with for years and we recorded it together in Dallas at John Congleton’s studio.
What were your influences for this album?
My own experience with sleep paralysis became an underlying theme because I had started researching sleep and dreams and the subconscious. I read Memories, Dreams, Reflections by Carl Jung, and in that book he records a dream where he drops into a dark and colorful cave. The first line of the dream is “I let myself drop.” That visual—the drop into the mind—that’s where Abyss comes from. I also incorporated many influences outside of myself, things I’ve read, world news, stories of others, films.
About your voice—every album is in some way different, I mean, every album is like if you were expressing something way different, in Abyss for example, your voice matches the album title so perfect that it gives the right mood for the album, like if everything were harmonically connected. Tell us a little bit of how you have developed as an artist.
Thank you, that’s cool to hear. Well, I write in a very instinctual way. I don’t “decide” to make an album, it’s just that I’m constantly writing and I tune in when a group of songs starts coming together, and my ideas or interest in their themes becomes stronger, and in that way the album begins to form itself.
What about the tour? Any memorable experiences so far?
This tour has been magical and grueling. Playing alongside Wovenhand every night has been an honor, and I’ve also gotten to meet and hear stories from so many lovely people who’ve come out to the shows.
This is the second time you play here in El Paso, what is your opinion about our humble city and the crowd?
I think it’s a beautiful, unique place and the people are really cool. One of my good friends (and also our violin player) Andrea Calderon is from here! And our great tour manager (plus lighting!) Luis Mota too.
Txt & Photo: Saul Torres