| Whereas once it was written off by metal enthusiasts the world over as talentless, overtly ideological, poorly produced slop played by teenage extremists desperate for a cause, the mostly Norwegian import we know now as black metal has since caused many a naysayer to make an abrupt about face.
Nowadays it’s impossible to watch half an hour of MTV2 without seeing a Dimmu Borgir or Cradle of Filth video as all the while the press heaps praise on their latest releases. Once almost an oxymoron, the North American Black Metal (note the capitalization) movement has seen a considerable upswing, with acts such as Dragonlord, Summon and Texas’ Averse Sefira gaining recognition for their Transylvanian brutality.
Ready and willing to jump right in the middle of this cacophony are San Jose’s own symphonic extreme metallers Lords of the Manor. One of the most unique voices of the South Bay metal scene since the much-missed Cactus Club days, the Lords are fresh off a four month hiatus, armed with a rejuvenated rhythm section and more importantly, resolve.
“Good,” says lead singer Josh Dickerson. He is, of course, talking about how it feels to be active again, now that Lords’ revolving-door history with drummers seems to be at an end. The band has been around with most of its original lineup intact since the members were in high school about nine years ago, according to their own calculations.
How the band got together is a little hazy to Dickerson, who jokingly cites “A lot of drugs” and “boredom” as possible reasons for the initial union. Most bands founded under such pretexts would likely have sputtered out barely a month into their career, but Lords of the Manor (a somewhat deceptive name, given that two of the six members are female) ironically found their niche in the wintry buzzsaw sounds of Scandinavia.
Dickerson says the band “just wanted to do something different, to bring metal to a more…orchestrated beauty. ‘Cause right now, it’s real sludge. I think we can do something better with it.” Big talk, but the Lords delivered, becoming a popular live institution in the South Bay at venues such as the now-defunct Cactus Club.
Density and melody were the names of the game for Lords of the Manor, who combine blastbeats and dual-layered guitar lines with eerie keyboard-driven effects, topped off with Dickerson’s tortured rasp and melodic vocal interludes courtesy of keyboardist Jessica Zumwalt and rhythm guitarist Julie Matthews. No surprise that it takes a larger-than-average lineup to pull the whole thing off.
The band, however, isn’t so quick to label what it is they play, despite being called “black metal” by many.
“I think there’s black metal influences, and there’s also alternative rock influences and classical influence,” says Dickerson. “I mean, people are always gonna say what they’re gonna say. I don’t necessarily agree with it, but if that’s what they feel comfortable saying, that’s OK too.” |
Ardent black metal fans may also be taken aback at Lords’ choice of lyrical themes, which often trade diatribes about death and despair for anthems of determination and self-empowerment.
Interestingly, when quizzed for musical inspiration, the first two bands that come to Dickerson’s mind are Nirvana and the Doors, followed quickly by Emperor and At The Gates.
A broad mishmash of progenitors, to be sure, but Lords of the Manor have deftly woven them into something that works, although the death/black inclinations maybe more readily obvious to most. Which is just fine, seeing as extreme metal is finally starting to make inroads to the mainstream after decades of bludgeoning away in near-total obscurity.
“It’s just perfect timing, is all that is,” says Josh. “It’s good that those bands are coming up. It’s good for that whole sound to be acceptable, so then when a band hopefully like us decides to do something unique, it’ll hit the mainstream so hard that it’ll be like another revolution.”
The configuration of the band has seen its up and downs (they’ve gone through three bass players and five drummers by Dickerson’s estimate), and one stage of the band even included a violin player, who wasn’t prepared for the requisite grueling schedule and dedication that Lords’ career demanded.
“It’s cool, though,” Dickerson says. “If he ever feels like he’s ready to try again, we’ll take it on.”
The addition of the violin is one example of how the band has always been keen on trying new things, but Dickerson says much of the experimentation process is simply spontaneous.
“Just play what comes out, you know?” he says. “It’s not so much like a voluntary plan.”
The band also took a break from songwriting during the break, in which Dickerson says “a lot of drinking” took place.
He adds, seemingly in his defense: “You need to go out and experience life, otherwise you’re not going to have anything to write about.”
Now that Lords of the Manor have had ample to get out and live, Josh says the band is ready to dive in headfirst and continue the writing process. The band is also drafting plans to relocate to Southern California and continue their musical endeavors there.
“We went there and played a couple shows, and the reaction was great,” Josh says. “Not to mention we have other connections down there that we have to tap into.”
No one needs to be told that the move is going to be tough, but Josh says the challenge will be worth it.
“Anything good is scary and hard,” he says. “So if it becomes a challenge, there’s a reason for it.”
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