The Royal Arch Blaspheme expresses freedom

Hello how's it going? As of we speak I'm listening to your new CD that's some heavy brutal shit.
Thanks. Everything has been going quite well the past few years. My hope is the next one is only heavier.

I want to know how this band came into fruition how long this band been together now?
The Royal Arch Blaspheme was conceived in the summer of 2008. I wanted to start a project where I can have 100% creative control and have the freedom to try new things and explore my inner self. My intent is to explore and expand sonically and lyrically with each release.

You been involved in USBM legends Krieg and Profanatica before this band. How is this band different from these two bands?
I think since Neil is the main force behind Krieg, there are elements of Krieg that bleed into this project. And since I’ve contributed many riffs to Profanatica’s collection of songs over the years, elements of Profanatica will also bleed into this project. The differences will be more in the approach. Both Krieg and Profanatica have a lot of history and with that come expectations. With RAB being a new project, it provides more freedom to try new things, take a different approach

The band will be releasing the self titled debut on June 23rd on Hells Headbangers in the US. When is the release date for Europe?
Hells Headbangers are the sole providers worldwide.

Hells Headbangers been releasing material from Profanatica for quite some time so how's your relationship with Profanatica far as professionism goes?
Paul and I are very pleased with Hells Headbangers. They are absolute professionals who take a lot of pride in their company and the production of their work is proof. I have a lot of respect for Chase, Nathan, and everyone else at Hells Headbangers. When it comes to album artwork, they bring a lot of great ideas to the table that I believe would be hard to find at many other labels.

One thing I like about the label, they are a very true label that understand, repect and have a true sincere passion for metal.
Absolutely, they are very passionate about metal and the bands they support.

The USBM scene never got the respect it deserved for a long from our European counterparts cause of the press hyping the Norweigan scene for so long. You think that it's about to change now cause of the novelity wearing off from the Norweigian BM scene. I feel that the USBM have a lot to offer.
You are very right. US black metal has never received the respect it deserves. To some degree this may show to be a good thing. It keeps it rough around the edges. I believe that’s healthy for this genre.

From what I hearing so far I love the simplistic approach you took in recording this CD. There's none of that bullshit intro stuff plus it's not all fancy and symphonic which is a welcome break for me.
I never cared much for keyboards in metal. My approach is to keep the emotion of the riff in the forefront, not buried. I only add elements that accentuate the pain and emotional power of the riff. Some of the best and most memorable horror movie themes are very simple repetitive melodies.

I hear alot of Possessed influence which is fuckin great. Posssessed is one of my favorite bands since they first came out. Plus there's a lot of feeling of dred and horror in this release.
The Exorcist is a brilliant song that has great influence on my playing. I’ve always enjoyed horror movie themes in general. These are things that still inspire me. Someday I’d love to score a horror movie soundtrack. That would be a great musical challenge.

What band influenced Royal Arch Blaspheme? Like I said I hear little Possessed, old Death and Autopsy?
Yes, old Possessed, Death, Bathory, and NME. For me, it always goes back to the early albums of this genre (Possessed - Seven Churches, Bathory – The Return, Death - Scream Bloody Gore, and NME – Unholy Death).

What role these bands had in your developement as a musician. Which bands today you site as influence in your developement?
These bands played a big part in my musical development. They took their influences and developed something new. They didn’t just copy it. Possessed, NME, and Bathory were all obviously influenced by the mighty Venom though they each did something unique with it. Lately I’ve been interested in a lot of dark atmospheric industrial music and I’m interested in exploring what I can do by adding guitar and bass to that genre in a separate project.

How would describe your album when you put it in your player and listen to it. What the first thing that come your mind? Me brutal ugly, and primitive that's how I decribe this album.
On the surface, just as you described: brutal, ugly, and primitive. Although underneath the surface there is another layer of beauty and power.

In my own opinion metal and horror always been connected one way or another. What's your opinion of the current horror movies that's coming out? I'm planning to see the remake of Nightmare On Elm Street. I feel it's going to better than the classic.
So far, of the remakes, I like what Rob Zombie did with Halloween. New technology has really enhanced horror movies. While I still like to watch the old ones for nostalgia, the limited “special effects” look very dated. Although, on another level it makes some more entertaining to watch!

Thanks for your time I enjoy listening to your CD anything you like to add.
I’d like to thank those who supported any of the musical projects I’ve been involved in over the years.