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By: Sander van den Driesche
Earlier this year Bast came onto the metal scene from out of nowhere, well for me at least, with their debut album Spectres that was released on Jon of Conan’s new label Black Bow Records and on Burning World Records. Spectres absolutely blew me away and seeing them live supporting Conan in Glasgow and more recently at Damnation Fest made me realise how lucky we are with a band like Bast in the UK. I asked the band some questions to look back on this hectic year for them and also to see what the future might bring.
(((o))): I’m pretty sure a lot of our readers would have heard of Bast before by now, but just for clarity, can you introduce the band and give us some background in how it all started please?
Bast: We are a heavy metal three-piece residing in South West London. We started out in 2008 as a two-piece, and played a number of gigs just as guitarist (Craig Bryant) and drummer (Jon Lee), until a third member joined us the following year. 2011 saw a line up change, with Gavin Thomas taking over bass duties. We released our debut album, Spectres, earlier this year.
(((o))): 2014 must have been a very turbulent year for you guys. Your debut album was released, it got lots of positive reviews and you played lots of gigs. How did you experience all of this?
Bast: It’s certainly been the busiest year we’ve ever had; Spectres opened up a lot of doors for us and has enabled us to do things we couldn’t have achieved before its release. We’re generally just very pleased with the way people have responded to the album, as we weren’t honestly sure how it would be received. We knew we felt very strongly about it, but you never know for sure until it’s out there – it’s been an incredibly positive experience overall.
(((o))): What are your highlight so far?
Bast: Touring with Conan was great (12 shows in total across the UK and Ireland), we’re massive fans of what they do and it gave us the opportunity to perform to new audiences, in places we’d never previously visited. We were also lucky enough to be invited to play at Into The Void and Damnation festivals, as well as being confirmed for Roadburn in 2015. Supporting Yob and Pallbearer was also an evening we’ll never forget – the atmosphere was electric in a way that few gigs manage to achieve – the bands were on top form and the audience was fantastic.
(((o))): Is Spectres a concept album?
Bast: It is. It’s about a young man in distant antiquity venturing into a cave as part of a coming of age shamanic ritual. Inside, he must confront the spirits venerated by his ancestors and tread the same path his forefathers have walked before him. To us it’s a cautionary tale of being careful what you wish for, but all formats of the release include lyrics in the liner notes, so we strongly urge listeners to read them along with the record and draw their own conclusions.
(((o))): When can we expect a new album?
Bast: We are currently in the preliminary stages of writing new material for a follow-up to Spectres. The concept is taking shape and we’re already jamming new passages and discussing song structures, but it tends to be a fairly slow process for us. We try to keep revising our ideas until we’re all completely happy with it. This was our approach to writing Spectres and it yielded results we are very proud of, so ‘when it’s ready’ is probably the only answer we can give.
(((o))): What I love about Bast’s music is that it is not just doom, but very progressive doom including elements of black metal as well. Can you tell us about your influences please?
Bast: Between the three of us, we listen to a very broad range of music, a lot of this tends to be within the doom and black metal spectrum, but we definitely draw from hardcore, progressive, death metal, and post-metal too. We each have our own individual leanings, as far as our preferred genres are concerned, but our long-term goal is to draw elements from all of these and produce the most cohesive blend of things that inspire us.
(((o))): What do you think of the current heavy music scene in the UK?
Bast: Heavy music is not only alive and well in the UK, but seems to be in very healthy condition. It‘s certainly one of the most exciting times to be a fan since we were young, having heard some of our all time favourite records, among some of the most ambitious and exciting albums we’ve ever heard, being released over the past few years right on our own doorstep. Having played in pretty much every corner of the country this year, as well as attending countless gigs and many festivals between the three of us, there seems to be no shortage of great bands and eager audiences on our fair isle.
(((o))): Can you tell us about the gear you use to create your heavy sound?
Bast: Our live setup is a simple one. Craig uses a Gibson Les Paul Custom through a Marshall JCM2000, whilst Gavin uses a custom EGC through an Orange AD200B, with a Darkgless Microtubes B3K Bass Overdrive.
We use a few effects pedals, but nothing that’s especially tone-bending – we like it raw. The recording setup was very similar to this. To us, it’s important for the album to be a close approximation of our live show as we consider ourselves – first and foremost – to be a live band.
(((o))): Not a lot of people might know that Craig actually does all the artwork for the band. Craig, what are your heroes when it comes to artwork?
Bast: There are a few obvious influences that work within the realms of heavy music that you’re probably familiar with – Jon Dyer Baizley of course, Florian Bertmer, Aaron Horkey and the like. Stylistically I take a lot from these artists, but conceptually, I increasingly take inspiration from the works of Vania Zouravliov and lesser-known horror/manga (Ero guro nansensu) artists, such as Suehiro Maruo, Takato Yamamoto, Junji Ito and Shintaro Kago. The latter of which is most certainly not for the faint of heart.
(((o))): If you were to organise your own festival, what 5 bands would you book without thinking twice?
Bast: Probably Witchcraft, Oranssi Pazuzu, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Krallice, and Twilight… There’s six, we couldn’t decide on five between the three of us. Sorry!
(((o))): Kind of similar question, what band would you release a split without thinking twice if with if they would approach you?
Bast: Perhaps Oranssi Pazuzu? We opened for them earlier this year in Paris and it still remains one of the best sets we witnessed in 2014. Our sound is fairly compatible too, so why not?
(((o))): Next year you will play Roadburn, which is absolutely amazing, so congratulations. It is a very prestigious festival to play. Are you planning anything special for that show?
Bast: We’re incredibly honoured to be invited to play. As for our plans, it really does depend on how long a set we’re given, but we’ve got our sights set on having something new to sneak in by then.
(((o))): Besides playing Roadburn, what else do you have planned for 2015?
Bast: A longer and more comprehensive spate of shows in Europe is a definite goal for 2015. Perhaps even a short tour on the run up to Roadburn, but nothing is set in stone as of yet. We’re also very excited to be a part of Incineration Festival in May alongside the likes of God Seed, Alcest and Aura Noir.
(((o))): What up and coming bands should we look out for?
Keep an eye/ear out for Ophiuchus, who also hail from our small corner of London. They’re an awesome death/progressive metal hybrid, with elements of black metal and doom – they just getting off their feet currently, but you’ll undoubtedly become familiar with them in the coming months after they expand on their current demo. Definitely worth checking out!
(((o))): Any final words for the fans of Bast?
Bast: Whether you picked up a record or simply managed to stomach the entirety of our set, we’d like to extend our sincerest gratitude to everyone who’s taken the time to check us out and show their support this year – helping to make 2014 one that we’ll never forget. See you all in 2015!
