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Features - Column
 Dethroned Emperor #3 Column by Josh Haun | May 16th, 2008
A while back, I reviewed Lair of the Minotaur's awesome new album War Metal Battle Master. With their third release, the Chicago-based trio continues to refine their sound without losing the rough-around-the-edges primitivism that got them noticed in the first place. The album devastates with its straightforward, battering ram-like approach and recalls proto-extreme metal legends such as Venom and early Bathory without ever coming off as mere idol worship. I got the chance to catch up with Lair of the Minotaur guitarist/vocalist Steve Rathbone via e-mail in order to pique his brain about the making of War Metal Battle Master, life on the road and of course the spectacularly gruesome video the band recently filmed with director Gary Smithson for the album's title track. The following exchange is what ensued.
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Sonic Frontiers: Talk a little about the making of War Metal Battle Master. How did you approach this album differently compared to your prior works? What did you set out to accomplish?
Steve Rathbone: WMBM was written a little bit differently. I've been writing these songs over the entire span of the band. I started writing this album before Carnage even came out. On The Ultimate Destroyer, I tried to write the ultimate metal album. Just balls out, no fucking mercy. It was all written together like one song, except for the song "Horror". Carnage was our demo, plus two songs added. So, WMBM is our concept record, just a different approach to make an ultimate metal album.
SF: Lair of the Minotaur's lyrics and visual imagery are steeped in the world of myth and legend. What is it about ancient mythology that holds such a strong appeal for you?
Steve Rathbone: I grew up playing D&D and listening to heavy metal. I love horror movies. Greek mythology is filled with such violence and monstrosities, that it's perfect for metal lyrics. To tell you the truth, despite the hours of research I do for these songs, reading things that people only read when they have to…it's easier than coming up with random topics to write songs about. I think there are quite enough metal bands yelling about Satan and serial killers…or politics.
SF: Speaking of visuals, the video for "War Metal Battle Master" is a full metal over-the-top splatterfest. Talk a little about the conceptualization and making of the video. What has the general reaction been?
Steve Rathbone: Gary Smithson (directed videos for High on Fire, Goatwhore, Exodus, etc.) approached us at the Murderfest in LA in March '07. Said he wanted to direct a video for us. I told him I didn't want to make a normal video. I hate most videos. Such lilly ass shit. All we've ever done is live videos before. But I already had the idea for the title track, WAR METAL BATTLE MASTER. The chicks are Keres, demons that were attracted to blood from battles. They would grab the newly fallen, rip them apart with their teeth, drink their blood and drag the corpses to Hades. It was filmed outside of Lancaster, CA. About a ½ mile from the church in Kill Bill where Uma gets shot up. We have a few friends that do special effects for horror movies. So we called in a lot of favors. We're releasing a DVD with behind the scenes footage and live stuff as well. Southern Lord is releasing it this summer.
The reaction has been great. People have been freaking out about it. We've gotten contacted from horror magazines, Fangoria, Rue Morgue, etc. They all love it. This video is for the hardcore metal and horror fans.
SF: The press materials for War Metal Battle Master state that it's "a concept album about solving conflicts with a big fucking axe". Is this merely hyperbole or are there common threads and themes running throughout the album?
Steve Rathbone: All of the songs are about Ares, the God of War, or his offspring, but it's all about battles. There are some writings that describe Ares not as much a person, but the will to kill itself. I thought that was a cool concept and went with it.
SF: It seems like mythological or fantasy themes are generally the territory of European bands, whereas the few American acts that incorporate these themes tend to be a little on the tongue-in-cheek side. Why do you think this is and where does Lair of the Minotaur's approach fall?
Steve Rathbone: That's exactly why I even named the band LOTM. If you're too cool to like a band called Lair of the Minotaur, then fuck off [and] listen to whatever is popular now. There was and is this trend for bands to all sub-genre themselves. It comes from the commercialization of metal. Real metalheads know that that's what metal is about: dragons and swords and blood and titties. And somewhere along the way, popular culture decided it was cheesy. So most bands shy away from traditional metal imagery and lyrics. We completely embrace it. If you notice, nothing we do is in line with current trends.
SF: Additionally, songs about war and conflict have been popping up in heavy metal ever since "War Pigs." Why do metal and the idea of war go hand in hand?
Steve Rathbone: I like to think when we play, it's fucking war. That's the mentality. You kill them with riffs, with pounding drums, with gut punching bass. Makes sense to me.
SF: Whenever I listen to Lair of the Minotaur, I get a real old-school Venom/Celtic Frost/etc vibe, but not in a derivative way, more like you guys are taking that raw, evil thrash vibe and putting your own unique spin on it. Is Lair of the Minotaur influenced by these elder metal gods or am I way off the mark?
Steve Rathbone: No, [we're] definitely influenced by Venom/Celtic Frost. But yes, we try to create something unique. Not just a rip off/worship band. Not updated, by current standards. But progressing the framework. I listen to a lot of older stuff. Like Motorhead, Diamond Head, Sarcofago. As far as new bands, I'm really into Revenge and Craft.
SF: You guys just came off tour with Today is the Day and Mouth of the Architect and are getting ready to head out again with The Ocean. Does Lair of the Minotaur enjoy life on the road? What do you consider the best tour you've been a part of?
Steve Rathbone: Yeah, we have a great time touring. I love traveling. I like waking up somewhere new every day. Keeps you on your toes. I think we're going to get a GPS navigator for the van. This will be a new age of high-techedness for us.
Definitely had a lot of fun on the tour with Goatwhore and Cattle Decapitation. We're all good friends and both bands are kick ass. So it was great hanging out with bros, drinking copious amounts and listening to good metal.
SF: Lair of the Minotaur really stands out on Southern Lord compared to all the doom and black metal bands that dominate the roster. Do you see this as an advantage in getting your music noticed?
Steve Rathbone: We are an anomaly on the roster. I think a lot of the artists on the label had origins in metal, and drifted to different experimental areas. We represent the beginning and the end.
SF: Finally, what does the future hold for Lair of the Minotaur? How long will you tour behind War Metal Battle Master? Can we expect any more blood-drenched music videos?
Steve Rathbone: We're currently in negotiations for a few more tours after The Ocean tour. So we'll be very busy the rest of the year, including another trip to Europe this fall. Making announcements very soon! Already started writing the 4th album.
Would love to do another video. Maybe…keep your eyes peeled.
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If you haven't watched the bloodbath that is Lair of the Minotaur's video for "War Metal Battle Master," check it out at www.lairwarmetalvideo.com. You can also check out a variety of old and new tracks at the band's MySpace page.
In other news, Holland's HAIL OF BULLETS has recently released the excellent Of Frost and War on Metal Blade Records. The album is an exercise in oldschool death metal devoted to the time-honored subject of war with a crushing midpaced feel in the vein of prime Bolt Thrower. The recording sounds killer thanks to a mixing and mastering job by the mighty Dan Swano and tracks like "Stalingrad" and "Ordered Eastward" are so relentlessly heavy they roll over you like a panzer tank. The band features members of Asphyx, Gorefest and Houwitser, so you know you're in for some topnotch death metal here. Check out Hail of Bullets' MySpace page for a taste of their "Death Metal Supreme."
Although I haven't really covered thrash in previous installments, I can't go without mentioning how awesome Testament's new album The Formation of Damnation is. I can safely say this album kills 99.9% of all nu-thrash dead, and it's great to see the old-timers can still come back and teach the kids a thing or two about what Bay Area Thrash is meant to sound like circa 2008. This album is already guaranteed a spot in my year-end top 10. The Formation of Damnation was released back on April 29th by Nuclear Blast.
Finally, Vice Books is releasing True Norwegian Black Metal, a collection of photographer Peter Beste's work featuring members of bands such as Carpathian Forest, Emperor, Gorgoroth and 1349. Beste is often described as the "official photographer" of Norwegian black metal, and this is the first time his photos have been collected in book form. Check out Beste's website(http://www.peterbeste.com) for more information.
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Bands or labels interested in news, interviews, or reviews for future installments of Dethroned Emperor, please get in touch: jhaun@sonicfrontiers.net.
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