Hail to thee!  First of all, what are the "seasons of the wolf", what
stands behind your band name?

- Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. The same seasons as all life on earth but for the wolves there is a set pattern which dose not change, and not meant to be disturbed. Dennis (keyboardist) and I chose the name simply because we like wolves. The name came from a song that Dennis was working on in 1988. We wanted something UN-typical. The wolf is a very misunderstood creature and so is our music. Also the name gives us the advantage of incorporating its many meanings into the lyrics of some of the songs. That is something that fans pick up on and understand only after hearing more of our material. As we move into the future and release more albums more people will come to find this out about SEASONS OF THE WOLF.

"Lost In Hell", a second CD by SEASONS OF THE WOLF, has been out for some time now… Any comments on this effort?

- "Lost In Hell" was officially released in the USA in April 99. Actually by the time this interview comes out "Lost In Hell" will be re-released in Europe with a bonus track called “Land Of The Dead”. That song was originally to appear on first album. "Lost In Hell" covers a lot more music territory than the first EP-length CD which brings into light the term we use “New Age Metal” Release date for Europe is October 18th on Adrenaline Records.

"Progressive, Gothic, New Age Metal band"… I believe, this is the way you prefer to define your band's style and musical direction, right? However, let me disagree with you… To my ears, SEASONS OF THE WOLF sounds more like a heavy metal act, of course, with some elements borrowed from other styles…

- Yes, many people of the world do not understand simply because they have not seen the band live, and they have not heard but only a handful of songs of the first CD. Many people that are hearing the new album Lost In Hell are saying ...”OK now I get it” SOTW is a metal band. But we are progressive in the way we incorporate our many influences from the past and present. Our lyrics tend to be on the dark side of Sci-Fi and horror. The use of keyboards create a New Age type atmosphere also to contribute to the over-all SOTW sound. We do not intend on getting stuck in a rut of playing the same sound over and over again. We like it heavy and fast or heavy and slow or sometimes soft and dreamy with dark twisted lyrics. The crunch of the guitar is always there somewhere.

There're two brothers playing in the band, so let me wonder if it causes any problems…

- We have never had problems being brothers. It has made the band a stronger unity than most bands. It has given the band a certain quality that most bands do not have within. I write a good portion of the music and my brother Wes (vocalist) writes most of the lyrics. Everyone pitches their ideas on some material. It works however we need it to create a song. There are no boundaries when creating a new song.

Everything you have released so far comes under the banners of Earth Mother Music, the label of your own… Why so? Have you received any offers from outside labels and if so, why did you reject them?

- We chose to have at it on our own. Many outside labels that have become interested never do what they say they are going to do. Recently we have become involved with Energie / Adrenaline Records from Milano, Italy. After a long time of getting to know the label we decided to deal with them for “Lost In Hell” release in Europe, South America, and Japan. We will most likely re-release the first CD with a couple more tracks as well. Out of all the companies we have came in contact with Adrenaline lives up to their commitments. We still handle everything in the USA on or own. SOTW has a very strong hold on its own destiny. Even though we have not the finances of a Large Corporate label, we aggressively put a lot of time, money, and effort into the music we believe in. What you get in the end is SEASONS OF THE WOLF with no outsider’s deciding what goes on.

What is the Bloodtree? It's image includes wolves and an yin-yang, could you tell me a bit about the concept (if there is any) as well as the principal idea behind it?  Is it related to Taoism or any other religions?

- The Bloodtree is the name given to our world wide fan club. The tree has many roots and branches. As the tree grows it is surrounded by good and evil. The 2 wolves sitting under the tree resemble unity. There is no religion behind it. It is common sense. Logic. The "Bloodtree" is also the title of a song that will appear on one of our albums in the future. It is one of our first songs written, but we decided to wait until later to put it out.

What are your beliefs and are they mirrored in your lyrics in any way?

- Many visions from dreams and fantasy are used when writing lyrics for a SOTW song. Some songs are purely inspired by the feeling of the day that went before. We have a consistency of Sci-Fi-Fantasy type lyrics in songs which connect to one another. It has much to do with an alien life form trapped on earth. A being from another world forced to spend life on earth waiting for the return of a rescue ship. Our main logo (“The Quilex”) is a spaceship design. Many people thought it was a cult symbol, but the cover of Lost In Hell will help to clear up the way people see the Quilex.
 
As far as I know, SEASONS OF THE WOLF comes from US… The sort of stuff you play is not really typical for Florida, the state which was always known for thrash metal bands such as TESTAMENT, ANTHRAX, etc. - therefore, I wonder about the crowd's attitude to SEASONS OF THE WOLF over there… Where do your main musical influences lie?  Do you have fans abroad (Europe for example) or you're more famous in US?

- SOTW is gaining ground on the east and west coast of the USA. In Italy, France, Belgium, Germany, Greece, and South America we are adding more names to the bloodtree mailing list. TESTAMENT and ANTHRAX did not come from Florida. Mostly bands such as OBITUARY, DEATH, and MORBID ANGEL all came from Florida’s death metal scene. Thrash metal did not come from Florida. ANTHRAX is actually from New York. Now in Florida we have had bands such as Marylin Manson, CREED, 7 MARY 3, and a handful of others that obtained big fat record deals. SOTW steers clear of all the trends that are happening. We have stayed true the original music ideas that brought us together.
TANGERINE DREAM (New Age) and BLACK SABBATH (Metal) combined with
influences from Alice Cooper, BLUE OYSTER CULT, IRON MAIDEN and older DEEP PURPLE. There are many more. UTOPIA, THIN LIZZY, MONTROSE. Yes, it is safe to say that most of the bands SOTW is influenced by are from the 70’s and early 80’s.

Are you familiar with the Russian metal scene? Do you have any connections with Russia? What about coming here and performing a couple of gigs?

- That would be fantastic. Although we do not know much about the scene in Russia, I’m sure we would have a blast. It is our goal to release another album and then concentrate on touring in Europe. No big connection there yet. But after the release of "Lost In Hell" and the next album "Nocturnal Revelation" we will see what happens.

What do you think regarding political situation in the world? According to Nostradamus apocalypse should occur this year. The Bible's book of Revelations states the same. What is your opinion on this subject?

- Who knows? I do not. We have a song on the subject of Nostradamus, and several other apocalyptic interpretations. Mostly always looking at the “matter” from a standpoint of complete uncertainty based on some one else’s inturputation of whatever.... There is a possible truth to it all. Who knows? One damn thing for sure is that we will find out. As far as politics...it is a subject that we avoid writing about. We don’t like to get preachy about anything.

What is love in your comprehension?

- Truth, honor, respect, unity, understanding and compassion... that plus a warm feeling you get in your heart that makes you have a stomach ache. hahaha..... That dose not seem to happen very often in this world.

There're plenty of bands using poetry of certain famous poets instead of lyrics of their own.  Would you ever do so, and if yes, whose works would you apply to? Are you lyrics influenced by literature in any way?

- Well yes...certainly. We use a part from a Shakespeare quote on the song "Vengeance". “Divines and dying men may talk of hell... But in my heart her several torments dwell”... It was very fitting for the Lost In Hell album.

Are you into occultism and magic in any way?

- As in any religion it all has things that are of interest. But to actually get into it. Be a part of it to the extent of believing in it and worshiping it and making it a part of our own lives. No. We all have certain respects to each other and the beliefs of others. We tend to keep it to ourselves. Music is our Magic. Music is the magic we share with others. Our lyrics for instance in "VooDoo Master" or "Witchfinder" on the new album are purely inspired by the fascination of Horror films, and books.

Do you think that a human could possibly live forever?  If so, how could it be achieved?

- Eat a lot of babyruth candy bars. hahaha.... We write many lyrics about the ancient belief of human blood sustaining and prolonging life. I would say Vampire or Vampyre mysticism.... but the human race has dragged those words through the mud over and over again until it means nothing. I kind of like the idea though and so does anyone else that dreams of living forever by feeding off all the scum of the earth.....hahahahaha..... Other than that I suppose being a vegetarian might help.

What about drugs? Don't you think that drugs bring certain person to
a different world and a much more different state of mind that he just can't handle. This causes a problem, but a strong, spiritually advanced person could cope with addiction and learn a lot of new things about himself and the world around…?

- Yeah it brings you to a different world all right. Its not for everyone. I went through it long ago and came out a stronger person for it in many ways. But that is the chance you take. I also had a good friend blow his brains out in a cow pasture. So go ahead, give it a shot. You could play "Russian Roulette" that would be quicker and easier I think. It’s not a fun way to find out about yourself. At this point we ...SOTW that is...are od’ed on life itself. Drugs can't do anything for you that you can't do for yourself. They only make it seem like your problems don't exist, and that can make the problem worse. Learn to play an instrument or get a fix from something else.

I guess you have a lot of things that you want to say to the world, so here is your chance to do so...

- Not really all that much to say. It is there for everyone in our songs. We hope that the world makes it into the next millenium so that we’ll get a chance to tour and meet all those that have supported our music. Thanks for this interview opportunity. I hope that some of you found it to be entertaining. It certainly would be great to come to Moscow, Russia and play a large metal show.
Until that day....
Thanks again....take care.
Barry (Skullywolf) Waddell
SOTW Bloodtree - may it grow strong and never die.

SEASONS OF THE WOLF contact -
Email: BloodTree@aol.com