Post by The Centurion on Sept 18, 2006 23:17:47 GMT -5
What better way to start off the new interviews section than a brand new Interview with Transfigural Form!!!!!
Enjoy, post away
Dan: Welcome back to the Centurion Outpost Todd, what have you been up to lately?
Pope: Not much at all, just promoting the new Transfigural Form CD Destroyed anywhere and everywhere that i can.
Dan: So tell us about Destroyed, what can we expect from this release? What do you feel really sets it apart from other TF material?
Pope: What people can expect is like nothing they've heard me do before, this is all out thrash. The keyboards are gone, the death metal vocals that were a staple part of the previous albums are all but gone (except on a couple tracks), this is the album I've been wanting to record for years but never had the ability to so in the past. What sets it apart from the other Cd's is the production and songwriting. the sound isn't muddy, the guitars aren't overly distorted to the point where all you hear is bzzzzzz. You can actually hear the bass guitar on this album, how cool is that? I've had problems in the past where I've either mixed the bass too low (like on Refusal) or it just was loud enough but too muddy (like on Blood). This album really stands out from the others in all aspects. It's just raw aggressive thrash, without being too raw, Even the songwriting is drastically different from the previous releases. It's a lot more technical and thought out.
Dan: A few years ago you announced the end of TF what made you decide to bring the band back?
Pope: Well, the reason it came back was because I had leftover songs that I had written during the recording of the Eden In Ruins EP "The Unknown". I wanted them to have a home but they just didn't fit with the direction Eden was headed into. So I got an itch and decided 'why not, what could it hurt?'. After that it just took on a life of it's own. So here I am 3 years later, with a new full length album and scratching my head wondering where the time went.
Dan: What lyrical themes have you brought into Destroyed?
Pope: Well, since the disc as a whole ends the trilogy of full lengths thus far (State of Decay/Refusal/Destroyed) the main theme running throughout the album is destruction, be it spiritual o
r physical. Granted I had no idea what the title of the CD would be until after I had mixed and mastered it. Let alone did I know it would fall in line with the other two discs.
Dan: Do you feel that Christians nowadays try to avoid the harsh realities of sin and spiritual decay?
Pope: Honestly, all kidding aside, I feel society desires to turn away from the reality of sin and spiritual destruction. People don't want to know that after they die, that could be the end of everything for them, so they go to Church but they don't believe. They basically talk the talk without walking the walk and that's more dangerous to do than not believing at all. People feel that if they're 'good' then they won't suffer. How people can be deluded into thinking such a thing is mind boggling but all one needs to do is just take a look at the state of the world and society today. It seems to me that the more people want to follow God the further they want to walk away from him in hopes that he'll grade on a curve and let them fly by the seat of their pants into heaven or ride in on the coattails of others, but He doesn't. The bible says God will destroy the wicked, it also says Christ is the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through him. Jesus didn't come to condemn us but to save us through him and with out that saving Grace God has given us by the sacrifice of Jesus, humanity will, as a whole spiral further away from him and into complete and utter spiritual destruction because of the path they choose to walk. There ends my mini sermon about destruction.
Dan: What are some of your favorite songs from Destroyed and why?
Pope: There are three tracks that really jump out at my on this CD. The first one being the opening Cut 'Informity X'. This song is about the non believer who is rapidly wasting away due to sin. He/she searches out every doctor worldwide only to find out that what ails them, is not physical or mental at all, but spiritual and the only doctor who can cure him/her is God. The second track is 'Angry Kid' . Some parents seem to have a tendency of placing blame on others when something goes wrong in their kids life. Music is always first on that list and Metal happens to be at the top of it. This song that Brandon Ohlgren and myself wrote in 2003, originally had different lyrics. I re-wrote 90 percent but kept what i felt was the backbone of the original track Brandon penned the words for "like columbine, like all the time". The original lyrics, though they spoke volumes, I was not comfortable with singing due to being a little on the profane side at the time of their writing, hence the rewrite. Don't get me wrong, his lyrics were not bad, just not appealing to the fans of Transfigural Form. I've always done my absolute best to get our fans worldwide to realize common sense is where wisdom comes from, but listening is where it all starts. The parents of these kids, where are they? What are they doing? do they even care about what is happening to their children in school? If they did, we would never have to bear witness to these tragedies on television or in the newspaper. the third track is 'A Foundation For Pain' every time we open our mouth, our words condemn or acquit us. God holds us accountable for EVERYTHING we say. Scripture says "what a man speaks, he believes in his heart." those are Christ's own words. So the next time you allow your anger to get the best of you, stop, think, then think again before you open your mouth and let loose with your speech. Because what you say, could destroy the very person you're speaking to.
Dan: TF has always been known for its dark imagery and uncompromising lyrics, was this intentional or something that came naturally?
Pope: This is just something that comes out naturally, none of my lyrics are hard to figure out at all. They're as in your face as the music is and I prefer it that way.
Dan: Back the music, what influences did you specifically have in mind while writing this record?
Pope: I really didn't have any influences or a certain band I was listening to at the time I started recording this CD. I have this little ritual I go through when I start writing songs, I shut out every form of music but classical, so when the material ends up coming out sounding like another band, it happens without my even thinking about it. I really have no idea what this new album could even be compared to myself as far as influences are concerned, but I do hear some slayer, Kreator and a couple other things in there at times.
Dan: What are some albums that you have been loving lately that you would recommend to the masses?
Pope: Bach - RCA Victor Best Of Bach (i highly recommend it just for the orchestral take on tocatta and fugue in D min), Carl Orff - Carmina Burana, aside from that I haven't really been listening to much music due to the fact that I've already started writing the follow up to Destroyed and only have a half hour here and there to listen to anything. Classical albums can soak up three to six hours of my time easily if I'm not careful
Dan: Well thanks for chatting with me this evening, any final words for the masses?
Pope: Just a phrase I put on the Eden In Ruins Cd 'Human Urge' in 1999 when I reissued it on mp3.com "You can't coast into Heaven, but you can drift into Hell."
Enjoy, post away
Dan: Welcome back to the Centurion Outpost Todd, what have you been up to lately?
Pope: Not much at all, just promoting the new Transfigural Form CD Destroyed anywhere and everywhere that i can.
Dan: So tell us about Destroyed, what can we expect from this release? What do you feel really sets it apart from other TF material?
Pope: What people can expect is like nothing they've heard me do before, this is all out thrash. The keyboards are gone, the death metal vocals that were a staple part of the previous albums are all but gone (except on a couple tracks), this is the album I've been wanting to record for years but never had the ability to so in the past. What sets it apart from the other Cd's is the production and songwriting. the sound isn't muddy, the guitars aren't overly distorted to the point where all you hear is bzzzzzz. You can actually hear the bass guitar on this album, how cool is that? I've had problems in the past where I've either mixed the bass too low (like on Refusal) or it just was loud enough but too muddy (like on Blood). This album really stands out from the others in all aspects. It's just raw aggressive thrash, without being too raw, Even the songwriting is drastically different from the previous releases. It's a lot more technical and thought out.
Dan: A few years ago you announced the end of TF what made you decide to bring the band back?
Pope: Well, the reason it came back was because I had leftover songs that I had written during the recording of the Eden In Ruins EP "The Unknown". I wanted them to have a home but they just didn't fit with the direction Eden was headed into. So I got an itch and decided 'why not, what could it hurt?'. After that it just took on a life of it's own. So here I am 3 years later, with a new full length album and scratching my head wondering where the time went.
Dan: What lyrical themes have you brought into Destroyed?
Pope: Well, since the disc as a whole ends the trilogy of full lengths thus far (State of Decay/Refusal/Destroyed) the main theme running throughout the album is destruction, be it spiritual o
r physical. Granted I had no idea what the title of the CD would be until after I had mixed and mastered it. Let alone did I know it would fall in line with the other two discs.
Dan: Do you feel that Christians nowadays try to avoid the harsh realities of sin and spiritual decay?
Pope: Honestly, all kidding aside, I feel society desires to turn away from the reality of sin and spiritual destruction. People don't want to know that after they die, that could be the end of everything for them, so they go to Church but they don't believe. They basically talk the talk without walking the walk and that's more dangerous to do than not believing at all. People feel that if they're 'good' then they won't suffer. How people can be deluded into thinking such a thing is mind boggling but all one needs to do is just take a look at the state of the world and society today. It seems to me that the more people want to follow God the further they want to walk away from him in hopes that he'll grade on a curve and let them fly by the seat of their pants into heaven or ride in on the coattails of others, but He doesn't. The bible says God will destroy the wicked, it also says Christ is the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through him. Jesus didn't come to condemn us but to save us through him and with out that saving Grace God has given us by the sacrifice of Jesus, humanity will, as a whole spiral further away from him and into complete and utter spiritual destruction because of the path they choose to walk. There ends my mini sermon about destruction.
Dan: What are some of your favorite songs from Destroyed and why?
Pope: There are three tracks that really jump out at my on this CD. The first one being the opening Cut 'Informity X'. This song is about the non believer who is rapidly wasting away due to sin. He/she searches out every doctor worldwide only to find out that what ails them, is not physical or mental at all, but spiritual and the only doctor who can cure him/her is God. The second track is 'Angry Kid' . Some parents seem to have a tendency of placing blame on others when something goes wrong in their kids life. Music is always first on that list and Metal happens to be at the top of it. This song that Brandon Ohlgren and myself wrote in 2003, originally had different lyrics. I re-wrote 90 percent but kept what i felt was the backbone of the original track Brandon penned the words for "like columbine, like all the time". The original lyrics, though they spoke volumes, I was not comfortable with singing due to being a little on the profane side at the time of their writing, hence the rewrite. Don't get me wrong, his lyrics were not bad, just not appealing to the fans of Transfigural Form. I've always done my absolute best to get our fans worldwide to realize common sense is where wisdom comes from, but listening is where it all starts. The parents of these kids, where are they? What are they doing? do they even care about what is happening to their children in school? If they did, we would never have to bear witness to these tragedies on television or in the newspaper. the third track is 'A Foundation For Pain' every time we open our mouth, our words condemn or acquit us. God holds us accountable for EVERYTHING we say. Scripture says "what a man speaks, he believes in his heart." those are Christ's own words. So the next time you allow your anger to get the best of you, stop, think, then think again before you open your mouth and let loose with your speech. Because what you say, could destroy the very person you're speaking to.
Dan: TF has always been known for its dark imagery and uncompromising lyrics, was this intentional or something that came naturally?
Pope: This is just something that comes out naturally, none of my lyrics are hard to figure out at all. They're as in your face as the music is and I prefer it that way.
Dan: Back the music, what influences did you specifically have in mind while writing this record?
Pope: I really didn't have any influences or a certain band I was listening to at the time I started recording this CD. I have this little ritual I go through when I start writing songs, I shut out every form of music but classical, so when the material ends up coming out sounding like another band, it happens without my even thinking about it. I really have no idea what this new album could even be compared to myself as far as influences are concerned, but I do hear some slayer, Kreator and a couple other things in there at times.
Dan: What are some albums that you have been loving lately that you would recommend to the masses?
Pope: Bach - RCA Victor Best Of Bach (i highly recommend it just for the orchestral take on tocatta and fugue in D min), Carl Orff - Carmina Burana, aside from that I haven't really been listening to much music due to the fact that I've already started writing the follow up to Destroyed and only have a half hour here and there to listen to anything. Classical albums can soak up three to six hours of my time easily if I'm not careful
Dan: Well thanks for chatting with me this evening, any final words for the masses?
Pope: Just a phrase I put on the Eden In Ruins Cd 'Human Urge' in 1999 when I reissued it on mp3.com "You can't coast into Heaven, but you can drift into Hell."