Interviews: Ophidian Memory

On this new occasion, we had the opportunity to interview the Death Metal/Melodic Death project Ophidian Memory from the USA. Check out the interview and follow the project on his INSTAGRAM PAGE!

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

Growing up, an elementary teacher nicknamed me Blake the Snake and it stuck for a while. When I joined my first band in high school we chose stage names for fun, and mine was Kobra. Years later when I started having thoughts of a solo project, I wanted to keep the theme of snakes so I went with Ophidian. The Memory part came from the idea that the music was solely mine and that my memories influenced the creation of the music. This was before I decided to go the route of concept storytelling through the Ophidian Memory Universe I have created.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Initially, Ophidian Memory was supposed to be a black metal solo project, but as I wrote more and more songs I realized I was straying very far from black metal. Unintentionally, most of my musical ideas fall into some category of melodic death metal, but I like to blend in the rest of my favorite subgenres such as black metal, thrash, progressive metal, and early metalcore to create an original and identifiable sound.

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

One man band

4. Each band member's favorite band?

Some of my favorite modern bands currently are Revocation, Fallujah, Black Crown Initiate, and Warforged. My favorite bands of all time are Death, Gojira, and Tool.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Overall, my enjoyment of creation both in a musical sense and a narrative sense is what brings me to write new songs, but many bands I enjoy will inspire an idea or concept that influences me to bring lots of variety to the music.

6. Where was your last gig?

Most recently I had been filling in on guitar for a band called Silva, at The Amsterdam Bar and Hall in St. Paul Minnesota.

7. Where would you like to act?

I would love to play anywhere! I can start small in Iowa and the other Midwestern States.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

If I could open for any band, it would be Slipknot since I am from Des Moines and so are they. They are one of my all-time favorite bands.

9. Whom not?

It would be an honor to open for any band, I would not turn an offer down if I had the means of performing.

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

I was lucky to start performing in public when I was young so by the time I was in a cover band my stage fright had mostly gone away. It is okay to be a little anxious, but usually after the first couple minutes of the first song the feeling will go away and you can get lost in the music.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Slipknot because they are also from Iowa, Trivium due to the fact Matt Heafy started at the age of 14, and Blackbraid because that is a solo project that has turned into a massive and incredible black metal band.

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

I have yet to have a fan ask a question I thought was weird haha.

13. What do you think of your fans?

From the few that I have met online, they are very nice and seem to be into lots of different types of music, which I think is cool. I enjoy getting to share my music with people all across the world. I have even gained a few fans that I look up to as artists and creators.

14. What do you think of our site?

You guys have so many bands! It is great to see a site that gives exposure to a lot of smaller bands. You do a good job at giving people lots of countries and subgenres to choose from to find the exact band or album listeners are looking for. I plan to submit one of my songs to your playlist after it is released. The cursor is also awesome \m/

15. Something to add?

If you are interested in keeping up with Ophidian Memory, follow me on Instagram @ophidianmemory as well as Spotify and Bandcamp. Also, check out my other band Mourning Veil, we are a blackened death metal band with two albums out and we hope to play more live shows soon. More unannounced projects are in the works, but expect more Ophidian Memory next year!