REVEREND BIZARRE – Interview with bassist/vocalist Albert Witchfinder

Doom metal music has been a passion of mine since I first heard the dark bar chords of BLACK SABBATH. I didnt realize there was a whole scene entirely devoted to this sound until I discovered CATHEDRAL. From then on I was hooked. I bought any doom band that I heard or read good things about. Ive amassed a large collection of great doom albums by such bands as AVERNUS, CANDLEMASS, MY DYING BRIDE, ANATHEMA, SHROUD OF BEREAVEMENT, THE OBSESSED, MORGION, ORODRUIN and many others. Recently, I discovered a Finnish band called REVEREND BIZARRE. REVEREND BIZARRE truly grasps the concept of how to create dark, floor-rumbling heaving doom metal. Unfortunately not long after discovering this doom metal gem, the band is singing its swan song. The group's front man, Albert Witchfinder addressed a few questions about its forthcoming album and the bands demise.

When I requested an interview with the band, you mentioned you are now creating the bands last album. Why did you decide to end the band?

As you can imagine there is not just one reason. We had troubles with our ways of working, in our personal relationships inside the band and all kinds of shit, plus I had several personal problems. This band was the easiest burden for me to cut out, so this is what I did. My wish was to see the other guys continue, but it just would not be. There is time for everything. We did this for over ten years. I guess it is enough. I lost my interest in doing gigs, being fucked up and fighting with everyone. I wish I could disappear after all my things with RB are done. When saying this I want to let you know that the last gigs we did had much more friendly atmosphere. I bear those days in my soul with delight.

You also mentioned you stopped doing gigs. What made you want to quit touring? If a promoter contacted you about doing a one-off gig, like a doom metal fest, would you make an exception?

No we would not! There wont be a comeback. I hate the way bands quit nowadays and then return after few years because of the money. And the reason why we decided to do the final gigs last December was to be able to really concentrate on this last album, which is now under work. The original plan was to do few more gigs, but I am happy with the way it ended. The last ever gig was very emotional and great happening.

This album will mark your swan song. Can you give our readers some details about this album?

Heh, hehI think I wont spoil the surprise as it will definitely be a one! Let me just say there are some spices in our music this time that you havent tasted yet. In a way this is a death blow for many things we once had. And well, as this is our final record I guess death is what we need too. Musically it will be wider than anything we have done before. Lyrically it is very dark and honest. Right at the very moment we still have many troubles to be solved when it comes to mixing this mammoth. It will be a double CD, you see.

Do you feel this album will be your grand finale, the best in your monumental discography?

I do think that this might become my own personal favorite, but it is hard to say as the mixing is not over yet. Maybe the sounds will be fucked up and I wont be able to listen to it at all, but yes I like the very sick and strange vibe this album has. It is just what was needed to make our repertoire complete. I view all our albums and records as one large thing rather than separate records. This is the missing and final piece. It would be pretty stupid to go to the studio with a mission of trying to do your best album. It does not work that way. Probably you would end up having the worst album! Everything comes as it comes.

On past efforts you played amazing covers of BARATHRUM and BURZUM. Will you be recording another cover track on the new album? I see on your website that members of the band enjoy music outside the realms of metal. Would you possibly cover a non-metal band using your doomed style?

There wont be any covers on the last album. We will record one or two more covers outside the album sessions and with these we surely touch the world outside of the metal music. These sessions will become the final recordings we ever do as REVEREND BIZARRE. I can reveal to you as much that this confirmed cover song is a piece by MR. VELCRO FASTENER. Their music is labeled as electro I guess. When it comes to black metal, there is one unreleased cover version we did in the same sessions with Crush the Insects. It is BEHERITs The Gate of Nanna, which became a live favorite too! This will be released on a split with ELECTRIC WIZARD or if that fails then it will appear on the rarities compilation. I would have liked to do at least two more black metal covers with RB if we had continued. These songs were The Winter Beats Incessant by JUDAS ISCARIOT and At My Funeral by SIGH. All these cover songs are ones that I wish I had written myself. I dont know how doomed the style of my new band is, but we will do many covers of non-metal songs in near future. Songs by DEATH IN JUNE, JOY DIVISION, BABY DEE, CHANGES, THE DOORS, THE CURE, NICO and so on.

Looking back on your career, what are some moments that stick out in your mind?

At this point I rather remember the good things and there are too many to mention. Obviously the first tour that we did abroad, with REVALATION and MIRROR OF DECEPTION, is one of these momentsand the trip to the USA. Fantastic experiences! It is hard to describe how it feels to play with bands that made me want to start this band of ours. CATHEDRAL, ELECTRIC WIZARD, COUNT RAVEN I could go on. In a way to meet Lee Dorrian for the first time was biggest thing for me as it was CATHEDRAL´s first album that opened this whole new world to me. That band list you know! The last gigs we did were amazing too. I dont have too many good memories from the studio. Making Return to Rectory were quite good times. Or so I remember it now. Oh, and making the demo back in 1999. Those times are so far away now. They have become something magical. I could talk to you about our trips for hours and still something would be left untold. I know that when this all is over for good I will enjoy traveling back in time and thinking everything we have gone through. These have been hard but wonderful years. The adventure we had when trying to get to Sheffield, that bar in Brooklyn where I met the late Richard of GRAND BELIAL'S KEY, the bartender in Pittsburgh

If you had the chance to do your career all over again, would you change anything?

This is a hard questionbecause if I would have all this knowledge I have now and I would still be back at that time when we started I would do many things in different way. I would not lose so much time doing nothing; I would not be in touch with a few rip offing people etc But then again this all would mean that REVEREND BIZARRE would not be what it is, so in that sense I would change nothing. Maybe I would not have started this at all, hah hah hah. Seriously speaking even when I wasted lots of time just being miserable with everything, this was a good lesson to learn and full of magnificent experiences. I just wish we had done all of these things in shorter time. It is a bit late now to start doing things that I have just been waiting for to do for many years. Then again maybe now is just the right time. Maybe I was not ready before.

This is a very different interview for me in the fact that it is the first interview with a band about to retire. Looking back on your career, what are your thoughts on how the metal community perceived REVEREND BIZARRE? Do you feel you left a positive impression?

When we started we were treated as shit, but it all changed slowly and some people started to have interest and even respect towards us. The last years have been pretty good. Our recordings have received a good response and the gigs have been sometimes cathartic. Of course we have remained in a very small scene, which suits us fine. In a larger metal community we probably mean nothing to the most. And to be honest the modern day metal scene does not mean much to us anyway. Most of these youngsters, who listen to shitty bands and wear these black uniforms to hide the fact that they are more or less pathetic nerds, will never be able to understand what we tried to do unless they open their minds and stop posing and acting to be harder than what they are. Our music is for those who are open and honest. Still REVEREND BIZARRE has always accepted everyone, even these nerds, hah. Mostly our audience was outsiders and fucked up punks and mentally disturbed hobos, plus it has to be said few beautiful girls who did not fit that picture too well. I like to think we did something positive to these people. I also wish our work wont be forgotten too soon, but that it lives on and reaches one day even these kindergarten black metal fans, without pointing my finger to anyone hah hah. .

What does life entail after REVEREND BIZARRE? Will you continue making music (doom metal, I hope)?

I am already busy with many things. My new band THE PURITAN is about to do the second vinyl record and the first CD. This summer WERWOLF LODGE should do the first recordings. It is twisted and sad acoustic music. Armanenschaft´s first LP is coming out later this year and we will probably do some new stuff sooner or later too. This is extremely primitive black metal. I could say that NOW my really focused musical career starts as I will get rid of many things that slowed me down. With RB I had to do lots of emails, interviews etc. All that will be left behind or put to a more minimal scale. I wont be doing pure doom metal anymore, I did what I wanted to do and now it is time to do different things, but some of the things that I am doing now are much more heavier and extreme than what RB ever was. People seem to think about THE PURITAN as doom too. I cant say that I am too happy about it, but in the end I do not care.

Is there anything you would like to say to all of those who have, over the years, praised and supported the dark, doomed virtues of REVEREND BIZARRE?

This is bit boring, but all I can say is thank you for your support. I am happy that we have been able to offer these people something they found interesting and pleasing. I truly hope that our work wont be lost and forgotten. There is still much to find. Some of our things are not as obvious as they seem to be. Take care and total control! Without you it all had been even harder and with some of you it was almost too hard!!!

http://reverend.shows.it