SOURCE – We’re about a week off from your highly anticipated CD Erebos being released, what are you and the rest of Venom Prison feeling as the countdown getting smaller?
Ash Gray (guitar) – Insanely excited, it’s a new chapter and a new light for Venom Prison, this record is full of surprises.
SOURCE – Did you approach this album Erebos differently than the other ones you’ve put out?
Ash Gray (guitar) – We always said we never wanted to delivery the same album twice but baring in mind album 3, “primeval” isn’t an album it’s a comp of our EP and Demo including 2 new songs.
Erebos is certainly a different beast, its catcher, bigger, heavier, structured and full of new elements people haven’t seen Venom Prison included till now.
SOURCE – You recently shot a video for Pain Of Oizys was the experience like? What is the concept behind the song and the video?
Ash Gray (guitar) – Pain of Oizys is a very honest song, it’s about the problem of dealing with mental health issues such as depression, ultimately it consumes you and you feel there is no way out other than death but to be truly honest with ourselves we want the depression to die and not ourselves. Live or die, I won’t decease.
SOURCE – Do you think the tendency of consumers to download single songs more than albums will mean that the idea of a concept album will fade?
Ash Gray (guitar) – Not really to be honest with you, a record is still played as a full playthrough on streaming platforms regardless so the theme and concept of the album can still be delivered via that platform. Most people either are playlist people or record people so I think the record people will always keep it alive.
SOURCE – With the state of the music business today, how do you determine your expectations for an album?
Ash Gray (guitar) – I think we have to adapt to our climate, I feel we need to utilise what we have and what we are provided with in this day and age. I feel if you can’t adapt to it then the world keeps moving unfortunately. It’ll certainly be different but in terms of effecting the album I think we have more eyes on Erebos right now than anything previously.
SOURCE – What are your thoughts about social media and how it’s affecting the music business?
Ash Gray (guitar) – Social media, whatever way you look at it or whatever stance you have on it, it’s a tool, a tool that we need to utilise even if we aren’t the biggest fans of social media. It’s about adapting and I think more bands are doing so.
SOURCE – How has the coronavirus pandemic changed your perspective and outlook on life – especially as a musician?
Ash Gray (guitar) – As a musician, the ultimate goal is to get people to listen to your music, whether it through touring, social media, marketing, community/scene groups and I think its just given me more motivation to figure how to make something work that’s dramatically changed in the last 2 years.
SOURCE – Are there any questions that you’ve been waiting to answer that have not been asked?
Ash Gray (guitar) – Pick up Erebos 4th February pre orders are up now – be sure to follow us on socials for updates @venomprison and www.venomprison.com
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