Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 08:18 PM by Lilliana Tseka
A few months after the release of “Your Doom has Come” from Clouds Taste Satanic, we had the luck to get in touch with Steven Scavuzzo and ask him a few questions about the band and their future plans.
Greetings from Greece! Tell us a few things about the band and its history.
Clouds Taste Satanic started in 2013. It’s made up of Steven Scavuzzo (Guitar), Sean Bay (Bass), David Weintraub (Guitar) and Greg Acampora (Drums). Sean, David & I (Steven) played together prior to CTS and the writing for that band was moving away from the Post-Rock we had been playing into more Doom-Like territory. I had written a 45 minute song that was very much inspired by Dopesmoker and early Earth (it became To Sleep Beyond the Earth) so it made sense to fold what we were doing and move on with a new band.
Clouds Taste Satanic is an unusual name. How did you come up with it?
I was a big fan of the Flaming Lips record Clouds Taste Metallic and that records title. We wanted something a little more Doomish so we changed it around a bit. I still like the band name. So far it has not gotten old.
You have an interesting sound, can you tell us the typical approach you take when composing a song?
Every song starts with a riff and builds from there. We tend to write utilizing traditional song structures but then try to subvert that tendency a little bit by extending some sections and adding some quieter parts for dynamics.
You are an instrumental band. You decided that based on necessity or on the belief that vocals would take something away from your music?
A little of both. We have worked with vocalists in the past but their contributions tend to create issues. A great vocalist whose tone and lyrics complement the band can add a great deal. Unfortunately, finding that person can be a problem. There are many bands I love where it seems like the vocalist adds little. Their lyrics are not particularly interesting or they have nothing to say so I will focus solely on the music. Bongzilla is probably my current favorite band and their vocals are pointless. I don’t think it’s necessary to add a vocalist who just fills up space. A band’s music alone should be compelling enough to move you. If you can find someone who can add to that, great. If not, why bother? Besides, singers always complain that the music is too loud and they can’t hear themselves. It gets fucking annoying after a while.
You are from New York, specifically from Bronx. To be honest New York isn’t famous for your style of music (though I could be mistaken, I have never visited New York, so my knowledge on your city’s underground scene is minimal). How hard it was (or not) to create those 2 great albums in a city that is used to different sounds?
New York has every kind of music imaginable so you are always going to find like-minded people for whatever you are doing. Brooklyn has probably one of best clubs in the world for underground metal (including Doom/Stoner) in St. Vitus and several others that clearly support the cause. Social media makes it even easier to connect. That said, there is something exciting about being into a type of music that your average music fan is not that familiar with. We consider it a rather exclusive club. Others are welcome but there is no pretending with Doom. You either love it or you don’t. If you don’t, don’t bother.
What kind of music do you like to listen? Name a few artists that you believe that influenced your music.
Aside from the usual (Black Sabbath, Earth, Sunn O))), Sleep) and the Bongs (Bong, Bongripper, Bongzilla), the less usual would be the Krautrock bands from the ‘70’s like Can, Tangerine Dream and Amon Duul. Music needs wide open spaces with no limitations. I think they inspired that direction in music.
Speaking of personal taste in music, have you listened to any recent releases that impressed you?
Belzebong has the best record of the year. A close second is a band from Philadelphia who we are playing a show with this week called Wizard Eye. Both highly recommended.
Following your facebook page I see that you participate in live concerts. So I have to ask, do you prefer lives or consider yourself a, mostly, studio band?
I personally prefer the studio because I enjoy every aspect of what it takes to get a piece of vinyl in your hands. From the writing of the songs to the band bringing them to life to the recording, putting together the art and seeing the entire concept come to life is amazing. Of course, playing live has its own unique rewards which you will never find any place else. We’ll take both.
Both of your albums had great covers. John Martin’s Last Judgment for “Your Doom has Come” and a Giotto di Bondone creation for “To Sleep Beyond the Earth” were both great options. Tell us how you decided that style of artwork for your albums.
Each album is a complete concept so everything, including the cover art, has a purpose to further that concept. The first cover with the burial scene and Satan in the clouds was just so perfect in regard to the band name and the record title that we couldn’t imagine using anything else. The art for the Revelations theme of Your Doom Has Come was perfect as well. There is something about classic art that is timeless and will never date your music. We will continue that into the next record but after the trilogy is completed, we may move in other directions.
What are the future plans for Clouds Taste Satanic?
Live shows this winter and we start work on the next album in March. The material has been written. The only question is whether it will be a single or double record. We have the concept, the cover and the title. The only thing left is to make it happen.
Thank you for your time!
Thank you.
