Interviews : Enforsaken

So, Enforsaken started with just Steve Stell and Pat O'Keefe...did they sound much the same then as you do now?

Well, Enforsaken was a project to both Steve and Pat back in '98. They recorded a two-song demo tape which were Standing in the Shadows and Into the Everblack. The tape got some decent reviews in a few underground 'zines, but due to a lack of band members as well as other full-time commitments, the project was on the shelf for a while.

Two songs were recorded for a comp put out on Steve's label, Soulside Recrods. Are any of those CDs still available?

I do believe that Steve has a few comps left, so if there is anyone interested in obtaining that fine collection of sick tunes, Email him through our website. The comp features a bunch of underground favorites such as Skinless, Fleshgrind, and the mighty Entombed doing an amazing cover of the Misfits' Hollywood Babylon.

After the comp went out, Enforsaken died for a little while as Steve and Pat went back to their full time bands. Do you know why they decided to resurrect the project and get a full band going?

Steve and Pat felt that the time was right to make things happen. At the same time, they asked Joe to join them on guitar as well. Those three have been jamming together since about '94, so it was a natural choice to have Joe included in the creative process.

How'd you hook up with them?

The band that I was in at the time, Through Ashes, broke up in January of 2000, it also featured Joe on guitar. However, he had already joined Enforsaken and writing songs with them in late '99. Steve asked me to join and I had no second thoughts about it, I could tell that he was ready to make this a full-time commitment.

Were you singing in Through Ashes?

Yes. We released a 5-song demo tape in '99 entitled Until the Day Comes. That was the first metal band that I did vocals for. A lot more 'clean'singing than in Enforsaken, but then again, two different styles of metal and I was experimenting a lot with my vocals.

Was it a big leap from Through Ashes, Deadpornstar and The Fallen to the Enforsaken sound or were you guys all headed that direction already?

I think that there are elements from each of our previous bands that fall into line with the Enforsaken sound.

Can you remember what the first rehearsal was like, what songs were played?

We went through the demo songs because those were the only songs with lyrics to them. Of course, we almost always end our practices with Incarnate Solvent Abuse by Carcass because...well...it's fuckin' Carcass!

How'd you find Eric Kawa for bass?

Eric answered an ad that we placed for "a REAL bass player, and not a failed guitarist turned bass player" I'm serious, that was the ad that we placed! You would not believe how many guitarists pick up the bass just to join a band, but do not really study bass playing. It is much more than just copying the guitar riffs, which many people do. The great bass players act as a foundation in determining the underlying feel of any song. Eric is very original in his bass playing by adding little elements to each of the songs, which really give it a drive that many people do not notice, but everyone in the band is very satisfied with.

Is Enforsaken his first band?

Who knows?! Eric always keeps himself busy with various projects, but Enforsaken is his primary band.

How do you guys write songs, what's your process?

Steve, Joe, and Pat are the writing team, period. Steve or Joe will write a song, bring it to the table and jam it out with Pat for either a few hours, or it make take several days. Once the song has a skeleton to it, then the entire band collaborates in arranging the song before it is finalized. Sounds simple, but it is one hell of an ordeal!

The Scandinavian influence is undeniable on Embraced by Misery and you do it so naturally and so well that no one can really use it against you, but is there ever a sense of, "We're Americans, why are we playing like Swedes?"

It is just our influences getting the best of us. We do not pick how or what we are going to play, it's just whatever comes out and whatever makes us happy I guess.

Will you continue in this direction or try to move away from that style?

This is what we do best with our abilities so who knows, maybe the next recording will be different. We have already begun to write new songs that are showing progression, but they are not that far off in what we have done.

The Acting Parts is my favorite song off the CD. How did that one develop?

Funny you should ask because that was the least ready song to record! Actually, the music was ready to go, but the lyrics were flat-out horrible. I can say that because I wrote them! After we laid down the music for the recording, it was time to do the vocals. The first day that we did vocals, I did about two or three songs. In between each song, I would be hurrying to redo the lyrics for The Acting Parts. The second and final day of recording, we leave The Acting Parts as the last song to do the vocals for. Just before we go to record it, I finish the lyrics then show it to the rest of the band. They ask me if I was satisfied with them and that is when I just went for it. I finished my parts, and we go back to listen to the song...everyone was floored at how the song sounded, not just because of the lyrics, but of the overall musical feeling of the song.

What's your favorite song on the CD and why?

I like 'em all, of course, but my favorite would be The Acting Parts. The sheer spontaneity of the song in the studio along with its frantic energy is what makes it a band favorite as well.

How much live playing did you do during the writing of Embraced by Misery?

Not much at all! We played a few shows here and there, but since the inception of the entire band back in March of 2000, I can only account for us playing a total of 5 shows. This is something that usually is out of our hands. We try to book as many shows as possible, but we do not book shows for the sake of "playing" shows. There are virtually almost no all-ages metal shows in the Chicago area, but we intend on changing that trend! The last club to really adhere to all ages metal shows on a regular basis would have to be the legendary Thirsty Whale, which closed down in the summer of '96. Since then, all-ages metal shows have been very few and far between.

Is playing live important to the band or just something that needs to be done?

Playing live is very important to the band and like I said before, we intend on creating more all-ages metal shows in the near future. The problem that we keep facing is in finding a venue that is willing to do these shows on a regular basis. We are not a 'studio-only' band. Recording is generally a painful process, but with a happy ending most of the time! Live is where we want to be when the music is out there ready to go. The CD has been out since June 12th in the US, and we have played absolutely no shows! Our biggest frustration has to have been the Opeth/Amorphis show in April. We were slated to play that show, and it was supposed to be a huge step for the band, however, certain individual[s] prevented us from performing for the people that were there to see us. There is already talk of us heading over to Europe next year for a few gigs which would be incredible, but it is just such a disappointment and very frustrating to not be able to play for your home scene.

Talk a bit about your recording session with Chris Djuricic.

What can I say about Chris? He made the recording process not very painful at all! Sure, the band had its moments in the studio where it looked like we were going to erupt, but Chris was there to make a bad situation a very hilarious one! Chris always strives for an original sound from a band, and I believe he accomplished that with our recording.

After you recorded and mixed the album, you sent it off to Trevor Sadler at Mastermind Productions for mastering and your site says that he added "the finishing touches". What happens in the mastering process and what are "the finishing touches"?

This was the first time that most of us had ever dealt with mastering on a recording. Basically, Trevor upped the volume, and cleaned up the highs, mids, and lows of the recording so that everything sounds smooth from start to finish. Trevor always does great work and his track record certainly proves it, so we were thrilled with the final outcome of the CD.

How'd you end up releasing Embraced by Misery on Lifeless Records?

We were the local act last year in Chicago on the "Death Across America" tour which featured Dismember/Kataklysm/Krisiun/Shadows Fall. Matt Bachand [guitarist for Shadows Fall] approached us after our set and expressed interest in helping us put out a CD on his label - Lifeless Records. As of late, Shadows Fall has been extremely busy. They have recently played the Beast Fest in Tokyo, recorded a mini-cd exclusively for Japan, and have been auditioning like mad for a new drummer. Therefore, Matt hasn't been able to give us the push that we really need here in the US, but that is O.K. because we knew going into the whole thing that Shadows Fall is a extremely active band, both touring and recording, and that has precedence over everything. So we definitely have to be D.I.Y. about a lot of things, especially in the promotional side of things.

Carlos del Olmo Homberg did your cover art. How did that come about?

Steve had the idea to ask Carlos if he had any "leftover" artwork that he was willing to show us. The first pieces that he showed us were awesome, but we felt that he could do something more to fit the overall vibe of the CD. So Steve asked Carlos to come up with something that he felt would be fitting. The idea that popped into Carlos's head was what ended up being our cover art.

The promo I received had a version of Carcass' Incarnated Solvent Abuse, but I know the final US release didn't have that track on it. What happened?

We could not obtain the proper copyrights to release the song on the US release of the CD, even though Mike Amott himself sent us an e-mail saying that he was cool about it. We were obviously disappointed with that, but don't worry, that track will rear its ugly head soon enough!

LifeForce Records just picked up the album for European distribution, how'd that come about?

Stefan of LifeForce showed great interest in the band by hearing a track off of the Lifeless Compilation 2001 CD. Historically, LifeForce has been known to carry a roster of hardcore/metalcore acts such as Martyr A.D., Caliban, and Heaven Shall Burn. According to his website, we are his first 666% metal act ever signed! So we are obviously ecstatic to be a part of the LifeForce team. He is currently doing a full-on promotional blitz for the CD, which was just released in Europe on August 20th.

So now that your CD is out in both the US and Europe, what do you do next?

Good question, what do we do next? Well, our plans are to play many, many, many more shows of course! We shall see how well the CD is received and so far the e-mails have been very gracious, thanks to everyone who has shown interest in what we are doing!

Well, that's it for us...take the last words, man!

Thanks to Deadtide.com for your continued support of Enforsaken and we will try our best to take things to another level. We hope you will join us for the ride!