Comments on: WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM DRUMMER AARON WEAVER ON BLACK METAL AS PROTEST MUSIC, WHY SCION IS SATANIC, AND THE GIANT WOLF CHASING THE SUN

By: AreYouHereNow?

AreYouHereNow? — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 07:34:16 +0000

I do not intend to express these thoughts in a confrontational manner, Pescarojo. Your comment simply sparked some thoughts in my own mind.

Who’s ideas are fully formed? Is there such a thing?

“It is not ignorance, but ignorance of ignorance that is the death of knowledge.”
“There are no whole truths: all truths are half-truths. It is trying to treat them as whole truths that plays the devil.”
-Alfred North Whitehead

I am glad that Aaron is fully willing to discuss the fact that the band makes compromises and that they are not any kind of an ideal example, that they are simply doing the best they can. Every human compromises their ideals. In fact, I believe all ideals should be compromised at one point or another.

“We think in generalities, but we live in detail.”
-Alfred North Whitehead

I have never given WTR a reasonable chance. I certainly will after reading this interview. GREAT STUFF!

By: Pescarojo

Pescarojo — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:52:53 +0000

Interesting interview, interesting band. I am loving Black Cascade. They have the sonic aspects of black metal, but definitely not the nihilism. I like his ideas, although in some cases they don’t seem fully-formed. I’m looking forward to watching these guys continue to evolve.

By: drupgyu

drupgyu — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:38:55 +0000

A good interview that allows for a window into the band… I like lyrics and lyric sheets, otherwise, for all I know, I could be supporting some NSBM crap…

By: Dustin

Dustin — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:43:29 +0000

I would love to see how long you would last if you took up their life style. Being able to be as independent as they are takes strength and will power, a trait that seems to be diminishing in our race. I dig this interview, best one on the web I’d say.

By: OhDear

OhDear — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:06:46 +0000

Awesome interview — rare to read a conversation where both people are aiming for clarity (even if it’s a clarity on the subject of Ragnarok) rather than trying to seem super-cool.

One thing, though: Aaron’s reference is to an “atlatl”, not an “addle addle”. It’s…well, here:

http://www.atlatl.com/

By: RichF

RichF — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:36:32 +0000

Typical hypocritical poser ramblings. I hope their music is better than this interview might imply.

By: Harold

Harold — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:17:09 +0000

I’m looking forward to seeing what a Wolves in the Throne Room show is like. I love the band, and I love that they stand for something that is spiritual and intelligent, and not suicidal or depressive. There is a place in black metal for that, of course, but it’s pleasing that these guys are choosing to do something different.

By: Gugnir

Gugnir — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 05:30:48 +0000

This man is brilliant. I really enjoyed this interview, and I think more people need to adopt the “transcend from materialism” world views the band hold true. Like several others have said, it really gives me a deeper appreciation for WITTR.

By: unclesherm

unclesherm — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:51:02 +0000

great interview. very interesting.

By: Satan Rosenbloom

Satan Rosenbloom — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:43:59 +0000

Sammy, I don’t think that SP420 is saying WITTR are the most popular metal band on the planet, but you’re just plain wrong if you think that WITTR, Southern Lord and black metal in general get no press and have no fans. WITTR have received a hell of a lot of coverage/buzz in the metal press and beyond – including writeups in Pitchfork, Brooklyn Vegan, even Slate.com. They’re touring with Pelican. They played the Scion Rock Fest. Sunn0))) and Southern Lord got a writeup in the New York Times a couple years back. Tell the crowds at Sunn0)))’s recent sold-out anniversary gigs that they’re not a huge force in the music industry. You can’t just look at sales figures to determine a label’s level of “force,” though I bet that their sales would surprise you given the kind of music they push. Southern Lord’s been extremely influential for their packaging and distinctive curatorship too.

Also, I’d argue that black metal might be the BEST known subgenre of metal, given the mythologizing behind the murders/arsons that surrounded its early days in Norway, and all the attention outside of the metal world it’s received (see the multiple documentaries/books written on the subject, many of which were made in the last few years).

In any case, who cares how popular a band is if their drummer has as many insightful things to say as Aaron Weaver does?

By: Sammy

Sammy — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 03:12:36 +0000

Yeah SP420, go out to a bar right now, even a metal show, and ask the first 500 people to name one Wolves song or album or even the genre and let’s see how you define “popularity skyrocketed”. Because Southern Lord Records is SUCH a huge force in the music industry.

By: Head Ov Metal

Head Ov Metal — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:53:07 +0000

Thanks for using my pictures from Red 7:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/headovmetal/sets/72157608119475628/

By: SP420

SP420 — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 01:03:48 +0000

“Kind of begs the question: Who exactly is interviewing a little known trance/ambient/death metal band for 6 to 8 hours? They’re not exactly a household name in a genre that is far from a household genre, even within the metal community.”

What the fuck are you talking about? Their popularity skyrocketed after they signed with Southern Lord.

Good interview indeed. He is pretty smart, aside from his obsession of how people perceive the band and his calling mythology “truer than the scientific reality.” That made me lol out loud; he has a few screws loose in that regard.

By: Sammy

Sammy — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:55:20 +0000

Kind of begs the question: Who exactly is interviewing a little known trance/ambient/death metal band for 6 to 8 hours? They’re not exactly a household name in a genre that is far from a household genre, even within the metal community.

By: Carl

Carl — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:42:29 +0000

I thought the idea of Scion holding a festival with such a line up of metal bands was really odd too, but if it wasn’t for Scion, I and plenty other people would not have heard of Wolves in the Throne Room. I know its very square of me to defend the “man” but the fact is whether its their cars or your music, everyone is at heart trying to sell something. I don’t want to see metal bands featured in every car commercial i see but it is nice for once to see a company like Scion catering to a sub culture outside the hip hop crowds and of coarse their doing it to sell more cars but who cares, that is at least a fair and much more pure essence of capitalism.

By: vaXzine

vaXzine — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 06:50:20 +0000

Yeah.. great read.. Lookin forward to seeing WTR tomorrow night in Austin.

By: Joe A.

Joe A. — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:45:16 +0000

Pretty good interview, but I still think these guys have a few screws loose (or at least the drummer does. This whole literal new-age belief stuff is fairly grating and his definition of Black Metal as anti-modernism is downright screwy.

By: David Bee Roth

David Bee Roth — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:50:28 +0000

That was an unreal interview, SR, and it really helped to clear up some of the beliefs surrounding the band. Always glad to see a black metal band that can lay everything on the table like that.

By: VInnie

VInnie — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:48:26 +0000

I agree with Jo’s statement. This interview has given me a much deeper appreciation of and provided greater depth to a band for which I have a great deal of respect.

Excellent interview.

By: Nick Abrahamson

Nick Abrahamson — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:40:41 +0000

….black metal dude who IS appropriating norse mythology, rather….duh.