Getting to Know… Anthems of Gomorrah | Interview 🎤

In the 289^th Q&A in our Getting to Know… series, we get the inside scoop from Floridian metal band, Anthems of Gomorrah.

“The

goals of this band are to write and release as much music as possible to as large of an audience as possible.” YES! That’s a killer goal, 🎙 Anthems of Gomorrah, specifically 🎙 TK (vocals, guitar, synth).  So, with TK throwing that out there, 🎙 PS (guitars, bass), what makes this Floridian metal band special? “We play what we play.” Fair enough! To be fair, there’s a lengthier response to that first burning question poised to Anthems of Gomorrah but no need to spoil it in the intro! In this 289^th  Getting to Know Q&A, we get the inside scoop on the band’s genesis, goals, musical influences, and of course, current, and future musical endeavors. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into 🎤 Getting to Know… Anthems of Gomorrah: Interview No. 289!

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Starting things off,  for those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes Anthems of Gomorrah distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

🎤 TK: I would say our band has its own sound. We write what comes to us instinctively, there’s no real definitive plan or structure for a song. It all just comes naturally.

🎤 PS: We play what we play. It just comes out. We know where we want to go with a song, but by not trying to restrict ourselves to one sound, genre, whatever, there’s more flexibility with what can be done with it.

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Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did Anthems of Gomorrah form and what were some of the goals or visions you had early on?

🎤 TK: I had the idea for what would become Anthems of Gomorrah back in 2004. I had just discovered extreme metal and that’s what I wanted to do musically. I ended it back in 2012 but when PS and I reconnected during the [coronavirus] pandemic, we started taking music very seriously again. I asked him if he wanted to do this with me and here we are. I would say that the goals of this band are to write and release as much music as possible to as large of an audience as possible. We’ve both been sitting on original material and ideas for literal years. Now we have an opportunity to do something with all of it.

🎤 PS: This formation of the band was created through common interest. We have known each other since high school but we didn’t play music together until later in life. I think our goal to write and release material that we are actually proud of and want to play. We’ve both attempted to get people to jam with us, but no one is interested in trying to write something as much as they are playing cover songs and just hanging out. Having someone who is as serious about creating something as you is a necessity to make bands work.

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Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting out? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

🎤 TK: Oh, way more. I was an edgy, angry elitist high school kid when this band originally started. Way more interested in clout chasing and boasting than making real music. We’ve all been through that stage as kids though, I think. My perspective now is much different as an adult. I want to write and release music. It’s a passion, it’s expressive, it’s creative… It allows you to escape.

🎤 PS: I don’t believe my goals have changed. We’ve molded this project into something far more than what it used to be, and found a good common ground between the two of us to cultivate these ideas.

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Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Whom would you consider some of your biggest musical influences and how are they influential?

🎤 TK: Musically, there are far too many to name. Though, I think a listener could accurately pinpoint the various influences in our music with ease. In terms of other inspiration, I enjoy literature and music, history and science, philosophy, and of course fantasy. Tolkien, Moorcock, Martin, Jordan, Rothfuss – I’ve read them all, I love them all and they’ve definitely inspired my work.

🎤 PS: I grew up on Death and Thrash Metal as a kid, so my playing style definitely leans in that direction. As for direct influences, just like he said there are way too many to name. If I had to give credit to someone specifically who really made me the musician I am today, it would have to be Alex Webster from Cannibal Corpse. He’s just such an awesome bassist. Non-musical influences, Warhammer is awesome. I like all of the lore. Speaking of which, all of our material released under the ‘Aelvica’ names are built around a world that TK himself has written about himself. I think that’s another unique quality of ours.

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Ah, the fun stuff.  What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance?  Feel free to be creative.  

🎤 TK: I actually don’t have any experience in this department.

🎤 PS: I had the privilege of touring with Dark Sermon for several years. It was about 6 am and we were driving through Alabama. It was raining really hard and our trailer tire suddenly seized up. It pretty much twisted itself off the axel and flew off into the woods to the side of the road. No one got hurt and we were able to stop and get off the road safely. We managed to get a tow truck out to us after a while and the trailer was loaded up onto this guy’s truck. We were following him back to his shop when our van started acting up. Couldn’t go over 35-40mph. Had to call the tow truck guy to tell him to slow down because we have issues. Long story short, turns out our transmission was basically shot. So, we ended up a whole day behind schedule, had to trash our trailer, and spent five grand for the tow and repairs. It was a nightmare.

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Up until this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?  

🎤 TK: 🎵 “Turn Away” from the 💿 Aelvica album. It wasn’t supposed to come out that way, I wasn’t too sure what to expect when I started it. It is a very personal song, and it was cathartic to compose and record.

🎤 PS: I’ve played lots of shows and have been a part of many projects. I think it’s safe to say that whatever I am working on is special to me.

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Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left of center the world should know about you? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

🎤 TK: Not really. I work full-time, have a career, and make music in my free time. I may one day start a blog to go over the story and concept of the 💿 Aelvica albums but that’s far off.

🎤 PS: Pretty much the same. Full-time job, career, and soon-to-be parent.

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Closing out, what is Anthems of Gomorrah currently working on, promoting that you can share with us or want us to know about? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure.   

🎤 TK: 💿 Aelvica II will be released on our Bandcamp on August 15^th. It is the successor to the first album and continues the story of Aelvica albeit a bit more directly. It’s fast, furious, and dark and I think you’ll really enjoy it.

🎤 PS: The album will be the second part of the world-building concept that TK has been crafting. It’s a really cool idea, something fresh and original in a way. We’re also recording multiple releases for the future and not all of them will be in the same style as the Aelvica releases. You can expect anything from Black Metal to Blackened Thrash, Doom to OSDM, and beyond. Please keep your eyes on us! 

Thank you so much for sharing taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward. 

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Getting to Know… Anthems of Gomorrah: Interview No. 289 [📷: Alfred Derks from Pixabay, Anthems of Gomorrah, Brent Faulkner, Darkmoon_Art from Pixabay, The Musical Hype]

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