Hi! “Prophets of Demise” is your debut album. How would you describe the overall sound and musical direction of the album?
GLEN – I would say it’s an old-school heavy metal album with lots of dynamics.
SHAWN – “Prophets of Demise” is a Pure 100% Heavy Metal record. I really don’t know how else to describe it. We are all very proud of how it turned out.
With such a talented lineup of musicians coming together, how did the creative process unfold during the making of “Prophets of Demise”?
GLEN – Shawn and I arranged and recorded all of the songs, then once that process is complete, we send tracks to Henning and Joe so they are able to record their parts in their home studios. The entire “Prophets of Demise “ record Was a fun and productive process!!
Can you tell us about the themes and lyrical content explored in the album? What inspired the concept behind the songs?
SHAWN – most of the lyrics I write are very dark and sinister in nature, because it ties in with the heaviness of our music. To write lyrics about butterflies and blue skies just wouldn’t work. Plus, I’m a big horror movie fan, so most of the time a lot of my lyrics are just about horrible things I conjure up in my head 🤣🤣
The band has described the album as “100% uncompromising heavy metal.” How did you ensure that the record stayed true to this vision and what were some of the challenges you faced along the way?
GLEN – We set out to do just that and I think we achieved that very well on this album. Musically, we have never really strayed away from writing heavy metal music, so this wasn’t anything difficult to do, really.
As seasoned musicians with diverse backgrounds, how did your individual experiences contribute to the unique sound and dynamics of Withering Scorn?
GLEN – Well in this situation it worked out very well. Sometimes the chemistry is off when you put a certain lineup together, whereas in this situation, we all get along and work very well together! Could not be happier.
Glen and Shawn Drover, you have previously played together in Megadeth. How does it feel to collaborate again and how has your musical chemistry evolved over the years?
GLEN – It’s always great because we have the same vision, which makes things that much more enjoyable
SHAWN – we both still enjoy creating new music as much as we ever did but at this point we have gained so much knowledge over the years with the recording process and how the business works so that’s a great thing but at the end of the day we are doing this because we love music and creating heavy metal songs so that has never changed.
Joe DiBiase, having played with Fates Warning for many years, how has your past experience influenced your approach to bass playing in Withering Scorn?
JOE DIBIASE – Yes and no. A lot of the music on the Withering Scorn album is vastly different than anything Fates Warning had done. Much faster and straightforward. And heavier. But I was able to draw from my Fates Warning days on some of the slower, more melodic parts, specifically Eternal Screams I actually really enjoyed playing a style that was slightly out of my wheelhouse. It was a good challenge!!!
Henning Basse, known for your work with Metalium and Firewind, how did you adapt your vocal style to fit the sound and atmosphere of Withering Scorn?
HENNING – Over the years, I have had several projects, bands like Sons of Seasons, Mayan. Even now I do different, dark more aggressive music, where the approach is different compared to the let’s say “typical power metal style” – It’s not a high-pitched and clean technical path. It is more mid-range driven with distortion. Plus fact I can identify feel in myself into dark themes regarding the lyrics very much… its like an actor taking over a role: you‘re diving into another world, living it celebrating it.
“Prophets of Demise” has been in the works for nearly three years. What were some of the key moments or milestones during the album’s production that shaped its final outcome?
SHAWN – with the pandemic, everything was so wacky that we often were focused on these world events, and thus, didn’t always have our complete focus on writing a new record. I got Covid in a bad way as well, so that knocked me on my ass for a bit, but over the course of time, we made this record the way we wanted it to sound, so I’m glad it took a while to complete it, to be honest. We were in no rush to finish it, certainly.
How did you approach the recording process and what kind of atmosphere were you aiming to create in the studio to capture the essence of Withering Scorn’s music?
SHAWN – because we recorded this record at our own studios where we live, there really was no “vibe” that we were going for other than making the best heavy metal songs we could, but it’s always been our mission to do that, so it was business as usual, really.
With the album set to release soon, what are your expectations and hopes for how it will be received by the fans and the metal community?
SHAWN – “Prophets of Demise” was released on July 7, and the response so far has been fantastic. Really great reviews right across the board, and fan reactions to the record have really been great as well!!!!!
Withering Scorn brings together musicians from different countries and backgrounds. How did this diversity influence the band’s creative process and contribute to the overall sound of the album?
SHAWN – we all have the same musical vision, so living in different parts of the world really didn’t effect anything, really. As long as the musicians creating a record are on the same page, it’s really not that hard to make a great record.
Are there any specific tracks on “Prophets of Demise” that hold particular significance to you as a band? If so, can you share the reasons behind their importance?
GLEN- I love all the songs on “Prophets of Demise” equally but for different reasons. I love the diversity of the songs on the record, which for me, is much more exciting than having the same kind of songs throughout the record.
In the current metal landscape, how do you think Withering Scorn stands out and what do you believe sets the band apart from other heavy metal acts?
SHAWN – We really aren’t trying to stand apart from any bands, we are just trying to make a bunch of great heavy metal songs. We certainly aren’t trying to re-Create the musical wheel here, just to stay true to the kind of music we enjoy creating and playing, so to that degree I think we really succeeded.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for the future of Withering Scorn? Do you have any live performances or additional projects in the works? Thank you for your time!
SHAWN – We are already writing musical ideas for our next record, so that is keeping us busy in a great, creative way. After all these years of making music, I personally am still as excited now as I ever was making a new record.
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