Interviews: Summoner's Circle

We have had the opportunity to interview the Doom Metal band Summoner's Circle from the USA. Check out the interview and follow the band on their  FACEBOOK PAGE.

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

BLIND: In our original conception, we were just a bunch of nerds that were into D&D, heavy metal, and Lovecraft horror. So, we wanted a name that spoke to those influences. Gog and our original rhythm guitarist, Magog, had previously been in a band together and wrote a riff that the other band members didn’t want to work on, but they loved. They called the riff, Summoner’s Circle. Later on, when they started this band, they took that name as the band name and that riff was later used to create the song “Minotaur” on the Become None album.

2.Why did you want to play this genre?

BLIND: I think metal music holds a special place for all of us despite our varied musical tastes. To us, heavy metal allows us to perform as characters and create a show that is ours to create. It's not just the music but the visuals, the storytelling, and the art we get to create. It's a total package for the creative mind and I would encourage more people to dip their toes into the genre, especially bands that dress up and put on a show.

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

BLIND: Many of us knew each other from previous bands that we'd played within the past. Our original lineup was the same, and as some members decided to leave, we replaced them with other musicians with more passion for the style of music and show we create.

4. Each band member favourite band?

BLIND: My favorite bands are Opeth, Swallow the Sun, Immortal, Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth, Ghost, Belzebubs, Extol, Insomnium, Into Eternity, Scar Symmetry, Devin Townsend, Orbit Culture, and Zeal & Ardor. I could make a list that goes on for days, but these are my normal go to bands when I just want to put some music on.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

BLIND: I love the art of it. When the others write a new song, I will listen to it and see what visuals and emotions come from it. When writing lyrics, the feel of the song will have me see a story and I'll write about that. With our new album, CHAOS VECTOR, I originally conceived the story out of a dream I had many years ago. Over time, I fleshed out that nightmare of a scene into a complete story and we wrote the album about that. Every song coincides with a chapter of a short story that is available to read for anyone interested Lovecraft-inspired cosmic horror.

6. Where was your last gig?

BLIND: Our last gig before the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the entertainment industry was in our hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, at a venue called Scruffy City Music Hall. We headlined an event that combined a masquerade ball with a black mass. It was appropriately called the Black Mass-querade.

7. Where would you like to act?

BLIND: We were fortunate to be added to Children of Bodom's Hexed North American Tour. With that tour, we got to play many bucket list venues like The Corona Theater in Montreal, The Baltimore Soundstage, and Irving Plaza in New York City, just to name a few. We would love to play some of the big metal festivals like Heavy Montreal, Hellfest, or Wacken Open Air. So, we still have some goals to achieve.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

BLIND: We've already played with many acts that we love, such as Children of Bodom, Swallow the Sun, Wolfheart, GWAR, Whitechapel, and more. But there are still some bands we have yet to play/tour with that we'd love to share the stage with. Off the top of my head, I'd love to perform alongside Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth, or Ghost. But I'd also like the opportunity to play with In Flames, Avatar, Tribulation, Satyricon, Seven Spires, or Lord of the Lost. I feel it's good to mix up the metal subgenres from time to time.

9. Whom not?

BLIND: I mean, I can't think of a band I wouldn't want to perform with. We all know those bands that seem to get themselves into trouble with things they say or do, but I think it would be unprofessional to try and call out those bands as someone we wouldn't want to play with. If we were offered a gig with Lady Gaga, we would take it. You can't be short-sighted in this business.

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?

BLIND: I can say that some of us have experienced it. Mostly as a rush of anxiety before taking the stage. I, for one, tend to get anxious the day before a gig. I worry about all the things that might go wrong and lead to a bad show. But then the day comes and the moment we take the stage, all that worry, and anxiety is gone. I may get anxious, but Blind doesn't, so walking out as Blind takes all that negativity away.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

BLIND: We've been very much inspired by other costumed metal bands. I can't say one stands out above another. But there are some that started in a specific genre of metal and over the years have developed into something much grander and more impressive. I think that's where bands like Dimmu Borgir and Behemoth shine the most. They allowed themselves to grow, musically. And I feel that growth has been for the better. Yes, I still love their older works, but I love how they've grown as musicians and the quality of music they make today.

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

BLIND: We do a human sacrifice at during every show. Sometimes it is arranged in advance, like we've sacrificed Laura from Feminazgûl several times. On tour, we would reach out to locals that would be in attendance and ask for volunteers. Once we were asked if we could perform our sacrifice on a fan's child. We had to respectfully decline their inquiry as even we are not above the optics of simulating an act of violence on a child. So, we had to insist that sacrifices be at least 18 years of age. We do enjoy that fans bring their kids to our shows and they're never afraid of us or our set. They seem to eat it up like it's a dark Christmas pageant. We'll accept that.

13. What do you think of your fans?

BLIND: We have some of the best fans in the world, I'm certain of it. When we first went to Canada on the Hexed Tour, we thought no one would know who we were or even care. Yet, in Montreal, the metal heads there look up the bands coming through on tour. By the time we performed, this crowd of French Canadians were singing along to our songs. We were just blown away by that. To this day, our most dedicated fan base has come from those who saw us perform in Canada. We love hanging out with fans after a gig and getting to know the people who come to see us, and we've made some lifetime friends on the road. Next to performing, our favorite thing to do is meet our fans and hang out with them.

14. What do you think of our site?

BLIND: I love that you do the album breakdowns by each song and artwork interpretation. It's a unique way of getting all the details of a release and finding out who a band is and what their thought and creative processes are.

15. Something to add?

BLIND: Our new album, CHAOS VECTOR, releases worldwide on August 27th, 2021. The title track single and music video are available now. Pre-order the album now and take a journey into the cosmic horror of Summoner's Circle.