Interview: Lair of the Minotaur
I HAIL I feels more like a first album, than the fifth. The outlook is the same… HEAVY FUCKING METAL.
Chicago sludge/doom metal trio Lair of the Minotaur have just victoriously with their fifth album, I HAIL I, the bands first album in sixteen long years, and even one listen to the record yields opinions that it has been more than worth the wait.
To celebrate the release of I HAIL I and the return of Lair of the Minotaur, Gavin Brown caught up with vocalist / guitarist Steven Rathbone to get the lowdown on the album, as well as talking about Lair Of The Minotaur’s return to the stage, beer recommendations and a metalheads guide to Chicago.
E&D: Your new album I Hail I is out now. How does it feel to return with this new album?
Steven: Triumphant. I never thought we would do this again. So, it feels like winning just to do it.
E&D: This your first full length album in sixteen years, do Lair of the Minotaur feel completely reenergised with this record?
Steven: Indeed. There is a new energy. Reborn in fire. Phoenix rising type shit.
E&D: How has the bands sound and outlook evolved since that last album Evil Power?
Steven: I feel like we are playing better than we ever have. I HAIL I feels more like a first album, than the fifth. The outlook is the same… HEAVY FUCKING METAL.
E&D: What have been the biggest influences on the sound and outlook of I HAIL I?
Steven: I heard a lion roar at a zoo one morning. It was all-encompassing and shook everything. I want my guitar to sound like that. Ripping. Roaring. Chest-rattling. The songs are supposed to shake you. Like a lion’s roar.
E&D: How is the new lineup of the band working out and how did it come together?
Steven: Great. Sanford Parker has been a big part of the band since the beginning. Our recording engineer, mixer and co-architect of LOTM’s signature sound. Our old bassist DJ is a teacher and needed to focus on work and family. So, Sanford was an obvious choice.
E&D: In between the full length albums, you have released EPs, most recently 2024s Dragon Eagle Of Chaos, how have they been received?
Steven: People like the singles, but we kept getting asked when another full album was on the way. So we’re happy to release a full-length. I, too, appreciate a good album that you can sit and listen to all the way through. So, I understand people wanting that. But the EPs have been little doses.
E&D: Were the members of the band still making music when Lair of the Minotaur weren’t making doing anything?
Steven: Yes. Sanford is in an industrial band called Black Cross Hotel and Buried at Sea. I have an electro side project called Laser Lucifer, and my old grind band 7000 Dying Rats. Chris is in Vanishment and Cokus, metal bands out of Seattle. And our original drummer, Larry, is in Pelican.
E&D: This year marks twenty years of your Ultimate Destroyer album. Do you look back on that album with fondness and what are your main memories of making that record?
Steven: Very fond of that record. It was really the first album that was written to be an album. The first album was our demo, plus 2 new songs. So, this was a complete idea. It was our sophomore record on Southern Lord Records. We recorded with Sanford at Volume Studios next to La Pasadita in Chicago. They have REALLY good burritos. It’s all char-grilled. So you could smell the steak grilling in the studio. I think it made us ravenous.
E&D: Are you looking forward to hitting the stage at Maryland Deathfest in May with this new material?
Steven: Hell yes!
E&D: Have you got live shows planned for the rest of the year after that?
Steven: We are playing Motoblot festival with High on Fire, June 20. And we are doing a record release show in Chicago on July 10 at the Hideout. More fest/show announcements soon.
E&D: How have your recent live shows gone?
Steven: Killer. Our last show was the Heavy Hell Fest in Indianapolis. We are looking forward to Maryland Deathfest. We haven’t played that fest since 2009.
E&D: What Lair of the Minotaur shows have been the most memorable for you so far?
Steven: There was a show in France that ended with the pit being covered in blood at the end of the show. That was a fierce pit. People bled.
E&D: You brought out an Evil Power Imperial Pilsner beer with 3 Floyd brewery in the past. Was it a cool experience doing that and would you do it again?
Steven: Yeah. That was fun. I found an old unopened bomber of it recently. Should I drink it? It was on tap at a few places around Chicago, too. We have played the 3 Floyds Darklord Day twice. Those guys are super cool. We would definitely do it again.
E&D: What are some of your all time favourite beers?
Steven: Dude. Give me a cold can of Pabst, and I’m happy. Personally, I don’t like dark beers. Make mine a macro. Rolling Rock or a Corona. Cold as fuck.
E&D: What are your favourite albums to listen to whilst you drink?
Steven: Jesus Lizard – Goat; Slayer – Reign In Blood; Ice Cube – Death Certificate; Craft – Fuck The Universe.
E&D: What are your favourite bars in Chicago?
Steven: Gold Star Bar.
E&D: What other spots would you recommend for a metal fan to check out in the city?
Steven: Two places right near Belmont and Elston. Kuma’s Corner on Belmont and Bucket O’Blood Books and Records on Elston. Kuma’s has gourmet burgers named after metal bands. The Lair of the Minotaur burger has brie cheese, pancetta, caramelized onions, and a bourbon-poached pear on a pretzel bun. Also, delicious with your favorite beer.
E&D: Who are your favourite ever heavy bands from Chicago?
Steven: Cianide. Usurper. Ministry.
E&D: What’s the extreme music scene like in the city at the moment?
Steven: It’s insane. Shows are selling out all the time. Lots of energy. Young and old. The new generation is definitely showing up. As an old goat from the 80s. It’s great to witness the never-ending strength of metal.
