Tell us more about the concept/storyline behind “Into the Noise”.

THOR: This story line is a combined effort by myself, Mike Kischnick, and Steve Price. Also songwriting for the song "Back For More" was shared by myself, Ben Frith and Adam Riddle.

A mighty Warrior who was once killed in battle (refer to the album "Triumphant"  the song: A Viking's Funeral) returns to seek Revenge but does come back in his form previous to his death. He returns as a "Zombie Viking" who seeks vengeance against those who crucified him. When he looks in the mirror it is not a reflection of himself that he remembers who stares back from the glass but an image of his Evil Twin. His mind has been altered with so much vile hatred that he will spare no mercy on the murderers.

He is the dark avenger and goes back "Into The Noise".

STEVE: It is the battle between Good and Evil – the dark side of Thor but still uplifting.

Who are some of the characters we encounter, like The Sound King? Tell us more.

THOR: There are many characters that Thor and his Berserkers (Mike Kischnick- The Swordsman, Steve Price-The Lightning, Paul Falcon-Falcon, Mike Favata-Favatar, Jet Starsystems, Count Dante) come across. One being the "SoundKing" who can burst eardrums with his SuperSonic Blasts from his "stratoscopumus" instrument.

Of course there are encounters with Queens, Kings, Mammoths, Seductresses, Ogres and more. Visits to other dimensions and strange worlds are also part of the story concept.

How did the songwriting process work for this album? Did the lyrics come first? Did the music come first?

STEVE: A little bit of both for me.

 THOR: In ancient times, the Vikings would sit around the campfire while the minstrel played the instrumental which led into singing or talking about the tales of great battle. Then the instrumentalist would segue into another impressive tale of battle. So it was the combo of instrumental and vocal songs. We used these ancient methods but only updating them. There are 8 vocal songs on the album as well as 4 great instrumentals by Steve Price and Mike Kischnick on lead guitars. I was always a great fan as well of the Ventures, The Shadows, The Tornados who had massive radio hits with no vocals. So here are some Heavy Metal instrumentals. So some lyrics came first and then the music.

What about the songwriting for the awesome instrumentals like “Berserker”?

THOR:  A creative burst of energy from Steve Price.

STEVE: Just an expression of Passion of Guitarness.

What’s the 411 on the Berserker Guitar Challenge?

THOR: I'll let Steve explain that.

STEVE: It is a publicity stunt.

What does “TLB” stand for?

STEVE: Personal meaning to Steve Price????

THOR: I'll let Steve explain that. It was written solely by him. I thought it was "Thunder Lightning Bolt."

”Thor’s Revenge” definitely throws down the gauntlet. Do you want to talk more about that song?

THOR: I feel I explained a lot about that song and concept in the first question.

STEVE: For me it’s the defeat of Evil and the rise of Good and the return of Thor!

“Fight For You” is more about inner strength, right?

THOR: Yes, never giving up. Even if you have a tough time or get beaten up and you believe in your cause or woman as in this song you must "Fight For Her"!

“If Tomorrow Never Comes” has a grim edge- what were inspirations behind that one? And what does “Chichilliub” mean?

THOR: This is an example of an alternate world. "Xompteq" where a Warrior loves a beautiful Queen. The planet is being destroyed by violent earthquakes in a collision course with another planet,  and the Warrior who loves this Queen (who cares very little for the warrior) wants to save her. "Will You Love Me Then if we crash into the Sun" "Lets escape in my ship that I have Built" Would you Love me then my Queen Chichilliub (they have weird names on this planet).

“Back For More” is a triumphant anthem! Fantastic song! Any comments?

STEVE: For me, it’s Hope.

THOR: Written by Myself, Ben Frith and Adam Riddle. Ben plays drums Adam plays bass and guitar, further overdubs by Steve Price is another story about a man "who's strange". He has a nervous breakdown and loses his powers and intellect and becomes a timid creature. He suddenly says, “thats enough!” and is out for war as he returns to his former self and crushes everything in sight. He shows his might.

Any personal favorite songs on the album?

STEVE: Fight For You, Evil Twin, TLB.

THOR: Yes. All 12 songs.

 Tell us about the videos for “Evil Twin” and “Thor’s Revenge”.

THOR: Evil Twin was produced by Jared Richter and Mike Donatucci of Zero Gravity Studios and shot in Florida.

STEVE: Thor’s Revenge is still in Post-Production. Evil Twin is Loki at his worst, but in the end he gets his just dessert.

Any fun behind-the-scenes stories while filming those?

THOR: No there was no fun.

STEVE: Yes. Steve Price (SHHHHH) is Loki and amazing editing!

The cover art’s awesome! Who was the artist?

THOR: Art Of Revenge

What can you tell us about the upcoming tour?

STEVE: Looking forward to it! It’s been a while since a new stage set.

THOR: The 1st leg of 3 will start on the West Coast with Vancouver March 5, Seattle March 6 Portland, March 7, San Francisco March 8, March 9 Sacramento March 11 Las Vegas March 13 Los Angeles.

How many of the new songs are you incorporating into the live setlist?

THOR: 3

Are any of the shows being filmed for a possible DVD?

STEVE: Yes. All.

Thor, what about your shows on MTV Canada?

THOR: They have been showing off and on a as segments.

How hands-on are both of  you with your website and Myspace page?

STEVE: I am very.

THOR: I let the webmaster handle those

Is there anything I didn’t ask that you’d like to tell Perch readers?

THOR: Watch out for "Into The Noise" We would like to thank Athena Schaffer and The Perch  readers for all the support you have given THOR. From The Beastwoman album, Thor Against The World, Devastation of Musculation and now Into The Noise and Beyond. I salute you!

How was the South American tour?

Awesome! We always have a great time there, more of a vacation than a tour. The fans down there are quite possibly the craziest anywhere, and they did not let us down. We are definitely going to return sometime late next year.

Did the songwriting process differ any on "The Atrocity Exhibition" than your previous album?

For me it always starts with a guitar and my piece of shit four track. Decidedly low tech! But I usually have song titles bouncing around for a while that may influence where I may go with a song. Lee puts his riffs under a microscope, really thorough. And Rob bounces ideas around, and we see what sticks.

How does the songwriting process work for Exodus? Do the lyrics come first? Does the music come first?

Music is almost always first, but titles may come before the riffs.

The prominent percussion in "Call To Arms" seems like a celebration that Tom Hunting is back in the fold. Is it?

The whole album is, to me at least. Paul was awesome to have in the band, but Tom and I communicate on another level. But when you play with one drummer only for the first seven or so years of your musical life, that's to be expected.

"Funeral Hymn" sounds more like a dose of vengeance than mournful. What are some of your inspirations behind that one?

Good question! I'm not sure. Vengeance and reckoning are certainly the main influences behind that one.

Both the title track and "Garden of Bleeding" had a profound edge to the lyrics. Can we talk more about the inspirations behind those?

The title track is just me putting out my own personal feelings on religion and true human nature. Garden is just a fantasy. A sick one perhaps!

Do you have a personal favorite song on the album?

It changes all the time. But lately it's been Children of a Worthless God.

You've  made a video for " Riot Act"? Tell us more about it.

We worked with Jon Schnepp from Metalocalypse. Visually it is so fucking awesome, we are really happy with it. And since I hate making those things, I'm glad this one was actually enjoyable!

Speaking of  Jon Schnepp, tell us more about your guest appearance on Metalocalypse. (I love that show!)

We had met Brendon and Tommy at a show of ours in Hollywood, and we hit it off. They were possibly shocked to learn just how big of fans we were. We know every episode, every little detail. And they were big Exodus fans. So they invited us, the whole band, to do

a guest spot. And since we are basically cartoon characters, it was a perfect fit.

Any stories behind the cover art?

When I saw Seth Siro Anton's work, I was blown away. So we threw some ideas around, and he just kept improving on it more and more. We couldn't be happier, it came out perfect.

How many of the new songs are you including in your live set? Which ones are they?

Not sure which ones, but there will be plenty of them. We always play a lot of new stuff whenever we put out a new disc. No point in making one if you don't.

You toured the U.S. in January and February?

Yes, with Goatwhore, Arsis, and Warbringer. It  proved to be a good time!

Did you film any shows or backstage stuff for an upcoming DVD?

Rob's always filming, to the point where we want to smash his camera! What we will do with it and when, we don't know.

Exodus is the cause of the Whiskey in L.A. banning mosh pits? What happened?!

Just a bit too much of a good time! Exodus style of course.

Speaking of DVD's, you have an instructional one?

Yeah, it's called "A lesson in guitar violence". It came out pretty cool, the response has been really good, it's selling well too. It was a learning experience though. You usually fuck up the licks or the dialogue. It proves to be a bit hard to get them both right!

What do you do on your "down time" on the road? Do you bring videogames or movies or anything with you? If so, which ones?

Down time? What's that?! Haha, I usually watch some movies or take in some sports. Football, basketball especially.

How "hands-on" are you guys with your web site and Myspace page?

I am very hands on with our web site, I know most of the regulars personally. Rob and Lee handle the world of myspace.

Is there anything that I didn't ask that you'd like to tell my readers?

That about covers it!  Thanks for the support!

This is an amazing concept - bringing anime to life with a soundtrack. Which came first - the comics themselves or the bigger concept?

The whole concept came to life over time. I was just experimenting with dramatic recorded sounds like explosions and thunderstorms, against cellos and violins. These combinations of sounds seemed to imply locations and events.  My imagination would run away with me. Before I knew it I was seeing characters and locations unfold in my mind to match what I was hearing. The concept grew from that, so I would say the music came first.
 
How does the timing work  with record release and publishing schedules?
 
I have a few tricks up my sleeve for this. I don’t want to say too much, but the next CD, being released around spring/summer in the new year, will be packaged in an unusual way, the comic book and audio will be a single product in a unique size/distribution format. The comic will also be available separately at a later date, in the regular news stand format.

Can you tell us more about the overall storyline?

Well I wouldn’t want to give it all away! I will say it’s a dark fantasy tale, where a timeless hero will face off against his oldest nemesis. Lyra is a character who gets caught up in that conflict, and that will be the catalyst for a journey through heaven, hell, and everywhere in-between.

How did you get involved with this project in the first place?

I started up the project after being excited by the potential of merging comic book visuals with cinematic audio. Since then I have produced and directed the project from scratch.

Why is the story on the first album told from Lyra’s perspective?
 
Well the first album really covers a lot of ground, story wise. Mostly it’s about Lyra, her fall from grace, and her first encounters with Sirian, and her visions of a dark omnious character known as Loki. I knew that if I wanted to do an album in 'song' format, that I would have a female vocalist, and her lyrics would narrate the tale. However, this limited the involvement of other characters, and limited the depth of  Lyra's impact, since she was narrating rather than voice acting. The next CD features voice acting from all of the characters, the lyrics/voiceovers will match the bubbles/text in the comic. I’m taking it in a different direction, and really making the comic book and the CD entirely cohesive.
 
Sirian was modeled on you?

Hah, people ask that a lot. I think he's the type of Hero I’d want to be, with the powers I’d like to have. Certainly, he's a lot cooler than I am! Really, he's just a character from my imagination, the reason he has my guitar is because I dreamt up that guitar for him, and thought it was so cool, that I should have one made!
 
Tell us a little more about the characters & what makes them “tick”?

Sirian is nomadic character. He's lived for hundreds of years, perhaps thousands. A pretty solitary and isolated figure, with his own set of standards and morals. Whilst he does possess great power, as time goes by he has grown tired and apathetic. Understandably, as there is a certain sorrow attached to living for a few centuries, and watching everything fall apart and rise up again around you.
 
Lyra is a direct counter to Sirian, fiesty and energetic. She is dealing with a whirlwind of emotions as she comes to terms with her supernatural situation. Saying any more would spoil the fun!
 
Loki is a complete sociopath. The only company he keeps are endless swarms of damned souls he bends to his will. Much like Sirian he has been around for ages, and has gone his own path. His path, however, has been a insane quest to augment his own abilities, grow more powerful, and expand his influence.
 
There are a load of other notable characters that will appear across the saga, but that’s enough for now!
 
Did the music or the lyrics come first for the actual songs?
 
I generally have the storyline/event timeline worked out, and go from there. Then I break it up into sections, so I would have a song title and 'plot' first, that would set the scene. Such as 'Our Own Devils' which is about Lyra's disturbing visions, and coming to terms with the darkness inside her. I start off with the loose plot and title for the song, then arrange the sounds and melodies that fit the mood, and then refine vocal lines and lyrics to tie it all together.
 
It’s hard to say though, sometimes musical ideas inspire me to take the story in different directions, sometimes the lyrics give me ideas to add depth to the storyline. All the mediums bounce of each other in my mind!
 
Each chapter is being released as a 4-issue mini series?

I previously mentioned the first Album covers a lot of ground. Perhaps too much! I realized it was impossible for me to show all the visuals for that much content right away. So in the near future, I will be going back, and releasing a comic book for each track on the first album. The first CD is split into 3 chapters, and so there will be 3 mini series of 4 comics each.

Any personal favorite tracks or parts of the storyline?

My favorite track from the first album is probably 'Ascension.' Especially Elysha's vocal solo. It’s a great performance, lots of energy in that track, but still manages to be pretty soothing. I still really dig the guitar solo/explosive section of the song 'City Falls' that really sets a mood/scene for me right away.
 
As for the storyline, I think the opening statement of the first comic really sets the mood, and gives the reader instant empathy for Sirian’s character. I also had a lot of fun doing the voice overs for that. Not gonna to spoil it though!
 
Is the story going to continue in more albums/comics?

Most definitely. There are 2 new albums in the works, one is due to be released spring/summer next year as mentioned earlier.
 
The other is quite a different offering altogether, featuring a series of ambient tracks, lots of choral vocal harmony though, so Elysha will still be on there! It does still link directly with the storyline, and the tracks represent flashbacks into Sirian’s past. It'll probably be ready later in the new year.

There are going to be videos?

I’m working on it. We did have one in production, but I wasn’t happy with the way it was going, and pulled the plug. It was unfortunate, but that’s how things go sometimes.
 
Is the entire story going to be told in an anime long-form format?
 
Whilst I do have plans (and storyboards!) to eventually make full length animations to bring the story to life, we are currently a long way off that goal. That being said, I’m extremely committed to Eternal Descent, and I hope over the coming years I can help it grow into a recognized title across the comic book, anime, and music industries.

Are there going  to be live shows to support this project?

I think the answer is yes, the issue is when and where. If Eternal Descent is done live, it will be a highly visual based show, and will require an impressive stage rig. I think once the UK fanbase is big enough, we'll take it to one of the mid sized London venues. Currently though our fanbase is spread all over the world, everywhere from the USA to Japan, so it'll be a while!
 
If so, are you going to bring on more musicians (since you did the lion’s share on the album)?
 
When live shows are sorted, there will need to be additional performers. I would either collaborate with another act, or arrange a session band. Currently I have no plans to involve other musicians in the writing/recording process.
 
How hands-on are you with the website and Myspace pages?
 
Well, I maintain them personally at the moment. I do my best but it’s actually  pretty hard going to keep everyone in the loop, I have a lot of other work to co-ordinate, such as the CD, Comic book, and some other stuff underwraps!

Is there anything I didn’t ask that you want to tell Perch readers?
 
Well if you've got this far, thanks for reading! Hopefully I didn’t bore you too much? Maybe I even inspired you to check out Eternal Descent! No? Ah well, worth a shot.