Die US-amerikanische Metal-Band Of Virtue veröffentlicht am 29. September ihr brandneues Album „Omen“ unter dem Label Arising Empire. Die Band präsentiert sich in ihrer Musik unverfroren und packend, wobei sie eine Vorliebe für melodische Grundlagen, kraftvolle Gitarren und vielseitige Gesangseinlagen zeigt. Bevor das Album jedoch in zwei Wochen erscheint und unsere Rezension in acht Tagen folgt, hatten wir die Gelegenheit, uns mit Gitarrist Damon Tate über das Album zu unterhalten und gewähren euch somit einen kleinen Einblick in das kommende Werk. Das vollständige Interview könnt ihr hier nachlesen.
Frontstage Magazine: Your new album „Omen“ showcases an impressive evolution in your sound. What creative influences and ideas drove this change?
Of Virtue: OMEN is us figuring out what we want to do and pushing our sounds to its limits. There were hints of this on WHAT DEFINES YOU and sometimes, it just takes repetition to get where you want to be. The thought process was simple. Take the best parts of our favorite songs and push everything to the limits. If we want to experiment a little more with the sounds, get as weird as you can and see where it takes you!
Frontstage Magazine:The diversity in your music on „Omen“ is striking. How do you integrate so many different styles and influences into your music while still maintaining your artistic identity?
Of Virtue: Our identity is in our differences! All of us love heavy music so that is the foundation of what Of Virtue creates but, everyone has their own pleasures that found ways of making it into OMEN. Whether it’s the pop flourishes, synth wave breaks, post rock crescendos etc – these are all natural extensions of what we love so as long as it’s authentic to us, that is our identity and it cannot be lost.
Frontstage Magazine:The lyrics on „Omen“ are often vivid and poetic. Could you elaborate on the writing process behind the lyrics and how you ensure they establish an emotional connection with your listeners?
Of Virtue: A lot of this record came about during the pandemic which was a dark time for all of us in the band. There were personal demons we had to confront while dealing with economic crisis, health issues, loss of family and friends – all while not knowing if what we love (making music) had been taken away from us forever. In Michigan, there were severe lockdown mandates that prevented us from getting together and because of that there were significant chunks of time where we didn’t talk. When we finally were able to get back into a room together, it felt as if we were re-learning some things about ourselves. We still felt connected even after all that time apart so when it came time to write for the record, we had a pretty good idea of where to go emotionally because of everything we could see in the world.
Frontstage Magazine:Your album „Omen“ has a certain dark atmosphere. How did you capture this mood musically, and what message do you wish to convey to the listeners with it?
Of Virtue: This record is dark because the state of our lives at the time felt that way. It was hard to envision a world where we didn’t have the one thing all of us hold so dear. Just acknowledging that fact made it clear the record was going to have a very specific tenor. We want our listeners to understand that throughout everything, the core of our message remains unchanged. Through adversity we can persist and succeed.
Frontstage Magazine:The versatility of your vocal performances is evident on „Omen„. What challenges and joys come with presenting so many different vocal nuances in your music?
Of Virtue: Tyler and myself both grew up listening to bands that were able to shift between so many different styles seemingly with little effort. Once we established that we wanted a much larger level of vocal depth in our music, the challenge was figuring out what worked best for both of us to excel while not losing sight of the songwriting aspect in the process. It can be hard to have one singer stretch his wings (let alone 2) so the fact that Tyler and I could do that on this record is a testament to our selflessness for one another. We were able to bring the best out of each other and work towards filling in the gaps or weaknesses we perceived to be there as well.
Frontstage Magazine: The album title „Omen“ seems to convey a certain warning. Could you provide more insight into the message you wish to convey to listeners with this album and how the title aligns with it?
Of Virtue: For me, OMEN is a case of “if I knew what I know now, back then”. This is a set of stories and memoirs that I would give to my younger self to let them know what is going to happen if they were to continue with the self-destructive behavior I was going through. You cannot change the past but only take the position of where you’re are in life and do your best moving forward. Addiction, loss, relationship struggle, depression / anxiety, social and cultural beliefs are all discussed in the 12 songs that comprise this new record. When people listen, they will be able to feel the weight of everything from not just the last 3 years, but throughout our lifetimes.
Fotocredit: Alex Bemis
