Band: SCULPTURED
Country of origin: USA
Style: avantgarde doom metal
Questions by: Kai Mathias Stalhammar
Answers supplied by: Don Anderson (vocals, guitars, bass and keyboards)

Darkest hails, Don! Unfortunately, I’m utterly unconversant with your band, it’s past days and history, consequently I’ll have to ask you to introduce SCULPTURED to Vae Solis’ audience...

- Greetings to you! SCULPTURED is roughly two years old now and has put out one album called “The Spear Of The Lily Is Aureoled” on The End Records in the States.  It has since then served as my personal means of expression and art.  Right now we have a total of four members who all are highly involved with the work.  As for the music and lyrics, they are all written by me.  Hopefully if all goes well, we will record a new album in late January for The End Records.

I must admit that you chose quite an unorthodox name for a band... Why «Sculptured»? Did you take it simply because this name sounds pleasant for the ear, or there’s some kind of special meaning you’ve put into it?

- Well, I do think it has a wonderful ring to it, and I like the fact that it is one word.  I suppose if you were to attach any sort of meaning to it, it would have to be towards the music.  I think the music (i.e. the harmonic function and arrangements) of SCULPTURED, to me sounds sculpted rather than written.  I don't know if this idea may be agreeable with the listeners, but for me I find it to be very true.

The End Records define your style as «avant-garde progressive death metal», however personally I don’t agree with the last word in this determination. Yes, SCULPTURED’s creations are enough ‘progressive’ and enough vanguard, but does your band have anything to do with death metal, even if it is ‘progressive death metal’? I’d like to know your point of view...

- This is a very good question, and one that I have talked about in different variations in other interviews.  I would like to, with this second album, completely ostracize myself from the style "death metal" or “metal” in general.  I think short of the guttural vocals and electric guitars, we have nothing to do with death metal.  I think also, the modern death metal uses the guttural vocals as a contrast and they are no longer used to sound brutal or scary as they were in the past.  This is certainly why I still use guttural vocals.  They are simply a contrast to the clean vocals and present another sound tool to express myself.  The next album will have more clean vocals, because I find the guttural ones to be too limiting for the new material.  Undoubtedly the word "progressive" is one that I wholeheartedly embrace.  People often ask me what my influences are, my biggest influence is Evolution.

The effort you made your debut with possesses undoubtedly impressive layout. It is rather unpretentious, but in the same time, it fits your music more than anything else... Colors’ selection and the art itself lacks any drawbacks, and there’s nothing I could cavil at... Can you tell me who was the author of this tremendous work and did you take part in designing the cover & layout?

- I had nothing to do with the layout aside from supplying the picture of the lily and the band.  I am very happy with the layout as well and thank you for the kind words.  Both The End Records and Mad Lion Records did their own layout.  The import version looks very different from the domestic one.  I really like them both.  The next album I will be much more in charge of the overall look and layout.

Some sort of inimitable husky (almost whispering) voice strikes as the main type of vocals on «The Spear...» CD, however it also features «clean» singing, the one which I really like. Who is responsible for it, you or Brian?

- Brian does all of the clean vocals on "The Spear..."  The next album I will be singing clean as well.  I have a higher range and Brian has a lower one, so it will work very well.  But, I will still keep some of the guttural vocals.

There’re a couple of session musicians who participated in the recording of your debut CD, for example, «Together With The Seasons» feature backing vocals done by John Haughm and guitar solo performed by a guy namely Damien Koemans... Would you mind telling us few words of these people? And, also, what forced you to invite supplementary musicians?

- Both John and Damien are very good friends of mine, in fact, Damien and I were in an old band together.  I really enjoy Damien's soloing and find it rather unorthodox and fitting.  I will try to get him to do another one for the next album.  I always am looking for new musicians to work with and add their fingerprints to my music.  I have a couple of new surprises up my sleeve for the next album too.  Burke Harris, who does all the trumpet work, is the owner of the recording studio that I record at.  He has some albums out himself that are jazz and very good.  Of course I will always have him appear as long as he is willing to do it.

«The Spear...» CD contains the track entitled «Fulfillment In Tragedy For Cello & Flute» which is «... strictly atonal, which means that there is no key, tonic or harmony employed throughout the entire piece» - that’s what written in the commentary to this tune... Can you enlighten us a bit more regarding this track, as well as explain the reasons for including it into the CD of yours...?

- I am a big fan of modern classical music.  I have also experimented with composing little pieces by use of Finale and midi technology.  Fulfillment In Tragedy was a small work that I did that I was very happy with and thought, why not include it on the CD.  The technique that I used was called twelve-tone.  It was developed by Arnold Schoenberg in the early 1900's and recently expanded upon by composers like Charles Wuorinen, Stefan Wolpe and many others.   Composing in the 12 tone style greatly removes all barriers put up by standard harmony.  No longer is one controlled by the tonic and dominant relationship.  Every note is as important as the other.  The trick is in arrangement of what are called "rows".  In these rows there exists all 12 notes of the chromatic scale (arranged however) that can be played backward and forward and then inverted and also transposed.  What came out of “Fulfillment In Tragedy…” was a pretty "hummable" little tune.  The form I chose to work with was an Invention that was developed by J.S. Bach.  Now what we have is a sort of marriage with Baroque form and 20th Century style.  I think after you listen to “Fulfillment...”, at least 10 times you can really hear a "song" in it.  All of these notes are controlled and have a specific meaning to being where they are.  If anyone is interested in listening to more of this style, please listen to the works of Anton Webern and the later works of Arnold Schoenberg.  I did not do this track to be pretentious or to show off.  I think I will someday abandon metal all together and work with classical music.  This will be when I get much older and have studied it more.

I always liked the idea of incorporating such instruments as saxophone, trombone or trumpet into the metal music, hence it’s evident that I was enchanted with Burke Harris’ trumpet... Who decided to invite him and are you going to use this (or alike) instrument(s) in future?

- Well, like I mentioned above, Burke owns the studio that I record in.  This way I had heard him play and discovered how good he was.  When I was working on the song, "Her Silence", I wanted a solo instrument, but not a guitar or keyboard as would be the usual way.  So, I thought well, why not have Burke do one?  And he obliged.  Yes, he will definitely be on the next album, and has already recorded an IRON MAIDEN song with us for a 2CD Compilation / Tribute coming out on Twilight Records.

«Take a journey straight into our heart indicating that love can be cold and very painful... Love has two sides and get ready to see it’s darker one, from the heart-broken» - these are the excerpts from The End Records’ flyers, promoting your CD. Do the aforementioned words belong to you, and if not, do you feel that assertions stated above appear as appropriate ones?

- They belong to where I was when I was writing “The Spear...”, they no longer will apply.  The next album will have nothing to do with love.  It is a topic that I have become tired of writing about.  As I said, Evolution is the primary influence and the lyrics as well as the music must move on to new things.  Also, the End came up with the promotion words.

I consider your lyrics one of the most exciting and poetic in the whole doom / death metal scene - they’re romantic, though still very dismal and anxious, portraying the darker side of romanticism... The subject of ‘love’ seems to be the most important for you, am I right? Could you share with us your view on this feeling, as well as on it’s antipode, i.e. hate? Do you have your own interpretation of the love’s essence or you prefer to consent to other people’s opinion in regards to this topic, f.ex. such as Marquis De Sade?

- Thank you for the words about my lyrics.  Lyric writing is still something I am not all together comfortable with.  Romance is important to me, but more than that, life is important.  I find it better for me to write about life issues.  Everything I write about is autobiographical to some extent.  I think any artist really does live out the work, and the work is a greater reflection of that artist.  Love as a feeling is something that accentuates ones life.  It makes both the lows and the highs greater extremes then what they were without it.  Right now I am in love.  I also know that I am loved.  Two people, when in love, enter a grand emotional kingdom.  There is a purpose and a goal involved in a working relationship.  Love to me is work, it is wonderful and rewarding toil that is constant.  Hate on the other hand is nothing more than a waste of energy.  I see no real point in hating.  Certainly I do hold disgust for certain people and certain things in life, but to dwell and spend time actively hating is foolish.  My emotion is better spent on myself and the ones I love.  The more you build yourself up, the less reason you have to hate.  Most hate is built on self loathing anyhow.  And to answer your last question, yes I have my opinion in regard to the essence of love and hate, and the above statements are that.  There is no reason to consent to anyone else's ideas.

And once again regarding your lyrics... Seasons of the year are mentioned there quite often - why do you pay so much attention to this theme? Does the weather inspire your creative self? Is there any season you’re fond of most of all?

- Yes, you have certainly hit on a very important part of SCULPTURED.  Like I have mentioned before, Evolution is my biggest inspiration.  The changing of the seasons is constant evolution.  Winter corrodes Summer's work, and Summer rebuilds Winter's death.  There is always progress and change.  I believe that my emotions and personality are tied in with the seasons.  I honestly feel like I change with them.  I do not mean to say, that I am happy in Summer and sad in Winter or vice versa.  All seasons are beautiful and a sight to hold.  But there are distinct feelings and auras that are directly linked to the seasons, and this is what I enjoy writing about.  On a smaller note, not only are the seasons an inspiration, but also day and night.  There is something amazing and awesome about the very early morning hours.  In one sense I greatly fear the early morning, and in another I am completely obsessed with it. "Lit By The Light Of Morning" is about the morning hours.  Again, there is the subject of Evolution, being that, the early morning is the birth of a new day.

If I’m not mistaken, you’re officially signed to Poland’s Mad Lion Records (while The End distributes your stuff in US and Japan). Are you pleased with the way they promote your band? If you asked me, I’d tell you that this label (I mean Mad Lion) doesn’t seem to be a respected one within the bounds of European underground... I heard many people dragging them into shit due to Mad Lion’s unsatisfactory work and lack of promotion...

- Yes, I have heard the rumors as well.  To he honest I am not 100% aware of their promotion in Europe since I am in the Sates.  They have sent many nice glossy flyers and plenty of full page ads, so I know they are doing something.   My only main concern is that they seem to be promoting mostly in Poland.  Which I do not like and hope they are promoting through out Europe.  The only thing about Mad Lion that I was upset about was the terrible delay in the releasing of “The Spear…”   Otherwise, I am happy as they have gotten us on the Thrash Em All comps out of Poland and they are supplying me with my free copies as mentioned in the contract.  So all is well now.

By the way, can you reveal us few items of your deal with Mad Lion? Do they pay for the studio rent and suchlike stuff?

- Yes, they are paying for the second release, but I had to finance the first CD.  Otherwise, everything else is your normal deal.

We can behold some kind of power and thrash metal revival nowadays, don’t you think so? Some consider it to be a new trend, others hail the neophyte bands paying tribute to the originators of aforementioned genres... As to me, I’m itching to know your opinion of this tendency...

- Yes, I am totally aware of this trend.  To be honest I do not listen to any of these bands.  I think it is a disaster to digress into the past.  I think calling these bands "tributes" is only a cop out because they can't do anything new.  I do not want to listen to any retro-bands.  What interests me is something new.  If you can't do anything new, then please don't do anything.  I think this trend is like anything and it will pass.  I hope it does.

What is your view on humanity in the whole and so-called ‘misanthropes’ (spawning everywhere in infinite number), in particular? Does human race play important role in the earthly evolution or we’re just useless and wretched scum which should be annihilated?

- What an enormous question.  With the approaching millennium, humanity is at a crucial point.  There may be an Enlightenment period or great paranoia.  I do not believe that the world will end.  Instead I look at the millennium as a time for enlightenment and a renewal of human ideals and institutions.  I think great things will happen and we have a lot to look forward to.  As for misanthropes, I think this idea is a trend in the metal underground due to too many people reading Nietzsche and not understanding him let alone not being able to spell his last name!  I think there can be positive misanthropy.  Misanthropy is not trusting your fellow man.  This is something I strongly adhere to, am I a misanthrope?  I do not hate anyone, as I said before, hate is a waste of my time.  It is far more important to me to channel any sort of human energy into myself.  Of course I believe the human race plays a vital role in evolution and I do not think we are done evolving.  I think what the human race needs most is an evolution of intellectuality and of our fears.  I think to eventually exist in the millennium we must shed some age old ideas, this could be christianity, democracy, for America the constitution and so on.  I think it is silly to think that humans are wretched scum that should be annihilated.... that would be too easy.  There are too many talented and wonderful human beings that prove we are more than flesh and blood.  Let me put it this way.  All human beings have the ability to be forward thinking, bright and productive individuals, some just simply do not use that ability.  There are some worthless humans, and I feel they will be weeded out.  Social Darwinism will take its toll.

I hope you wouldn’t mind to answer one more question concerning human kind? There’re plenty of diverse theories accounting for our origin, more than one can imagine... Do you adhere to any of them, or you have your own explanation of mankind’s conception?

- At this point in my life I find evolution to make the most sense.  And I have come to this conclusion after years of college.  I think this question is too big to get into in its entirety here.  There is far too much fossil evidence for me to think any other way.  I think it is obvious where we came from and how we evolved.  I think if anyone takes the time to fully educate themselves, and by this I mean to go to school, I feel that many of the social ills like racism will be annihilated.  I fully believe that we all came from Africa.  I believe we are all one race.  The oldest skulls of ancient humankind have been found only in Africa, while later and more evolved skulls have been located all around Europe.  I think that possibly, we came from a single mitochondria woman, or Eve as some like to call her.  And, as humans evolved and harnessed fire we eventually spread through out the world.  You also must keep in mind that at that time all of the earth's plates were one.  Again, in order to live in this coming millennium we need to advocate education and enlightenment, there can be no other way.

What do you know (and think) of Russia as well as it’s people? Have you ever heard any metal bands coming from my country? Would you like to visit Russia and perform a couple of gigs here?

- I really love the new MENTAL HOME CD “Black Art”.  I am not just saying that because we are label mates.  It is a strong and amazing release, and much better than "Vale".  I would love to visit someday, I never turn down an opportunity to visit a new culture, I think it would be a blast.  I know very little of Russia and would be very interesting in visiting sometime, even if it was not for a gig.

The sun sets down, and the moon arises upon the darkened lustful sky... My essence is numb and I’m too exhausted to ask anything else... So, naturally, it’s time for the final spells of the SCULPTURED ones...

- Thank you for a very good interview, I truly enjoyed myself. My sincere best wishes to you and the readers.  Thank you for the support.

SCULPTURED contact -
Email: Sculptu117@aol.com