Interviews: Idol Throne

This is a new interview with the Thrash Metal/Power Metal/Progressive Metal band Idol Throne from the USA. Check out the interview and follow the band on his FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you plan it or came out just like that?

I had the name written down for a previous side-project years ago that never came to fruition. I really liked the name and the play on Idol/Idle and I brought it up to the rest of the guys and everyone seemed to really like it, so we went with it! The name seems to suit the music well and speaks to the imagery that we try to convey.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

My co-guitarist/co-founder of the band Martin and I really wanted to form a project that mixed the elements that we love from 80’s guitar-driven metal, namely Thrash, Power Metal, Neoclassical Shred, and Traditional Metal. We also have backgrounds playing in Progressive Metal and Rock bands, so we knew that subconsciously elements of more long-form music would make it into the songs we were writing. That said, we purposely wanted to temper those tendencies a bit so as not to become a full-blown prog metal band ala Dream Theater. Namely, we wanted an outlet to write melodic, guitar-driven music that we felt we couldn’t do in our other bands and projects, and within a few months, we discovered that we had great chemistry and the riffs and songs kept flowing. We love metal and the ability to play with different sounds and genres in our music. Most of all, we all have the love of the riff!

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Except for our bassist Trevor, everyone in Idol Throne has been friends for nearly a decade. We all played in local bands and kept up with and supported each other’s projects in the scene here in Indiana/Chicago. It is a cool dynamic because we were friends first, and bandmates second, which has made things easy when it comes to communicating musical ideas, etc. Although Trevor is new, he fits in perfectly and we are firing on all cylinders in 2022.

4. Each band member's favorite band?

Jason – Symphony X

Martin – Symphony X

Jake – Cattle Decapitation

Trevor – Wintersun

Aaron – 3 Inches of Blood

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

I always joke around that there’s a little radio in my head that is constantly pumping out riffs and melodies and chord progressions. To me, songwriting and composing music are therapeutic because I love to be able to get the music out and get it structured. It truly feels like I am emptying a cup and then starting back over again. I also love the process of building a song from a ground-up and seeing how it takes shape when everyone then adds their ideas and parts to it. It is also a cool dichotomy because there are numerous writers in the band, and everyone has a different style and different strengths and weaknesses. It really is a collaboration among the five of us, so that means there are always tons of cool ideas to develop and work on, and the music often takes very different directions than we originally intended, which is satisfying creatively.

6. Where was your last gig?

Our last gig was in Lafayette, Indiana at the Doom Room, an awesome set of venues that local scene maker Nick Maxson has run for the last decade. The city has a great metal scene, with very supportive fans that always turn out and make us feel like home.

7. Where would you like to act?

I have a major musical goal for myself to play some European open-air fests before long. I have had the opportunity to play some fests stateside with my other bands and projects, and I love the atmosphere of tons of people jammed together to celebrate metal, drink beer, and have a good time. I would imagine looking out at a massive crowd and feeling that excitement from the stage at one of the Euro fests must be an insane and incomparable experience!

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Like any band, I think we would love the opportunity to share the stage with some of the bands that really influenced us. I personally would love to share the stage with Symphony X, Heathen, Testament, and maybe on the dream level Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest. I am sure everyone would answer that question differently, but I think playing with our heroes as peers on the same stage would feel amazing.

9. Whom not?

I don’t think this comes down to playing with bands as much as it comes down to sounds/styles being sometimes incompatible. I love playing shows, and if the show is billed as a variety show or fest and fans come expecting all sorts of styles and genres, usually, folks are open-minded. That said, I have played lots of shows in the past where my band played well but stuck out like a sore thumb!

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?

I think that we have all suffered from stage fright at one time or another. Some of us have our own ways of dealing with that, but I’ve found that for me, I prepare to the point where I know the set inside and out and I practice to where the parts and actual act of playing guitar are second nature. I also focus on trying to have fun and really put on a show for the audience. That’s the beauty of live music, and contrary to what we all may think in our own minds, it doesn’t have to be perfect, but in metal, it MUST be fun!

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

I come from the school of thrash metal and thrash metal guitarists, specifically the lead players. Alex Skolnick and Marty Friedman really introduced me to lead guitar and from that guitar circle, I discovered the Shrapnel stable and then got into the neoclassical thing from there. Michael Romeo and John Petrucci were my gateways into Progressive music and the rest is history. Martin has a similar background as well and has dived even deeper into the world of Power Metal, all the while introducing me to some killer bands that I never would have heard otherwise. I would say we all share an affinity for Symphony X, Heathen, Testament, Forbidden, Vicious Rumours, Fates Warning, and the like. Metal bands were simultaneously heavy, melodic, thoughtful, and ambitious with their sound.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

We haven’t had any weird requests yet in Idol Thone, but I am sure we will soon! None of us are easily shocked, but we stand up to the challenge!

13. What do you think of your fans?

We appreciate everyone for checking out the band and for supporting us in any way they can. It means a ton, especially in the current climate that we all find ourselves in. Some of the best people we know we have met through the metal scene, and I think that says a lot about our community. If we love something we genuinely support it, and that means everything to a band like ours.

14. What do you think of our site?

The site seems like a killer and impassioned source for new music and content from the underground! Sites like yours are a huge resource for not only bands trying to get their music out there, but also for fans to find new music.

15. Something to add?

Thanks for the opportunity and for checking out our music! “The Sibylline Age” comes out on July 12 th , 2022, via Stormspell Records, and will be available on the band’s Bandcamp and streaming services on that day. We hope to play near you in 2023 and beyond and we have big plans for Idol Throne in general over the next few years! Give us a like and a follow on social media, we would love to hear from you!