by Kenneth Morton

Ruins are the real Tasmanian devils! And with their latest compilation of sonic terror Cauldron being unleashed through the mighty Moribund compound, these musicians are destined to bring their country of Tasmania on the world metal map. Here is an interview we conducted recently one of the members of Ruins collective……

We took a long time with Cauldron. I am very pleased. It was a lot of work. I write, and then arrange with Dave, then record with Joe Haley, Dave’s brother as producer. He is engineering, mixing and even mastering this time. I think Cauldron follows Spun Forth as it should, and likewise our new stuff is a reaction to where Cauldron leaves us. We are just a little further along our path. Our next album will be titled Front the Final Foes and is due out mid-09.

What is the metal scene like over in Tasmania and how far are you from the big cities in Australia? What other bands could you recommend from Tasmania?
We have been embraced immediately by the Australian scene; embraced quite positively as being unique really… Tasmania really does set us apart from others in more ways than geographically haha! I am thankful for this.

There is a small scene here in Tasmania, with a small population the content is actually quite varied considering this. But as Tasmanians we are isolated in our development, and as a result I think Tasmania spawns quite unique things artistically. There are many great artists from Tasmania including the other band our drummer Dave plays for, Psycroptic. He does this band with his brother Joe who also plays second guitar live for Ruins. They are definitely one of the most successful metal bands out of Australia at present, and a hard touring band; they have just issued an album through nuclear blast worldwide which should help them to get even more recognition than they already have. They are a mighty band to say the least, and bound absolutely to Ruins. Striborg has been a friend to me since my youth... not to shatter the misanthrope image. Unless you live in Tasmania you might find it hard to imagine just how real the misanthropy and reclusion of Striborg is! We are mostly writing letters, I haven’t seen him in the flesh more than once or twice a year for many, many years haha! He got me both directly and indirectly into so much music over the years. Much of my core inspiration stems from my connection with him since over fifteen years ago now.

I think we have the best known and most successful, progressive, pioneering couple of bands out of Australia at all... they are Striborg in Black metal, and Psycroptic in Death Metal.

Besides Ruins, there is also a brilliant up and coming band called Thrall. Hopefully their debut is out soon. This is certainly one of my favourite things. Look for this band. Originating in Tasmania, living in Japan. Album should be available soon, not sure when through?

Does living in Tasmania ever affect the way you write your lyrics or music?
Tasmania is a very beautiful, mysterious and isolated place. Most people here hope that it stays that way. I find the solitude I need to where I am... but let us say that Striborg goes to much more extreme lengths than I to ensure total solitude as a way of life, constant! Haha! Here in Tasmania you can do that. I am not in total solitude but I am and always will be a very solitary person; to meet me in a public situation it would not seem like this at all, but in actuality I spend most of my time alone... but with music. I have removed myself from most distractions living in my part of the world. Yes, this absolutely affects my music; perhaps you would say that my music is linked with my surroundings to a degree... not necessarily always so, when looking directly at certain lyrical themes, for example. But always you could say at the core of my very being, that weather shifts, seasonal change, twilight, and sunsets.... the moon, it’s reflections on water... all these things focus my concentration and attention to mood; the moods I like to capture in my music, or the moods I need to summon to capture my music at all haha! There are so many things about the landscape that inspire, let alone that reclusion via isolation that breeds the creativity initially. The possibility to be absorbed like an artist must be. Not distracted by society and city problems.

Where did you get the ideas for your lyrics on Cauldron?
Everything, absolutely everything that I perceive, it is all influencing in one way or another, what I am or what I do. On this plane of feeling everything is linked, when inspiration is just at pinnacle... everything is just bridging to everything else, so the musical ideas are just always coming together for me. My lyrics are pretty broad in scope. On one hand the words do little to get us any closer to the feeling that we set out to capture in the first place with the music. We can be dealing with what is actually completely intangible, however I codify many personally significant things within the scheme of it all. The overall message is quite open to individual interpretation. The listener will always read their own meanings, if they give it any thought at all? Some songs are directed at describing certain events; so in some instances this translates as sounding personal to me, but it can always be taken in the more generalised view too. I like people to have room, for their own experiences to help orient their view of these ideas, and I am glad to work its meaning from either direction.

It is savage music, primal music, violent music; but sometimes soothing music. It is cathartic, in a way of speaking it is about destruction, but in another view it is the opposite of this, it is to fortify…. Ruins music is to strengthen, to harden. We cultivate a warrior’s perspective… sometimes this evolves into a sorcerers view, but primarily the way of warrior is fundamental. It is an attempt to describe the warrior’s view; that may lead to a sorcerers understanding of things. To describe the warriors view death is always at side. This is what Ruins are all about. In my view of things this is fundamentally what black metal is built upon, a satanic tradition also colours this; and we also identify these images as part of our black metal. The mysteries of Satan could be seen to be a key ingredient, but for me this is really just a way of talking about something that can be very near impossible to speak of. Satan can perhaps be seen as that spirit of rebellion that can enable desire for spiritual understanding at all, key to the gate even. The will to spiritual freedom... or empowerment, then it becomes a different issue, describing obsession, possession, and Satan describes so perfectly so much else, helps me describe the effects of what would otherwise have to remain occult-(hidden) experiences and workings. Again this is all only a way of talking. The landscapes of altered states of awareness, and of non-ordinary realities, these are indescribable realistically because reason and rationale is not boss, words really are just grunts and groans haha! I think my lyrics sometimes illustrate the obvious limitations of any language... yet hopefully also the incredible powers of.

Tell me about the tour with Immortal and were they cool guys to hang out with?
We got to spend more time with Immortal than any of the other internationals we have played with. They also had a bunch of good guys with them as crew. I think we really all got along very well. I personally found plenty of conversation with any of these guys as individuals, and also fun times as a gang.

You opened for the legendary Celtic Frost recently. What was that experience like and were you able to meet them?
It was one of the greatest honors of my life to not only see Celtic during the Monotheist tour, but to play alongside, and to have met Tom and talked a little – particularly about the process on Monotheist and the future for musical direction. A total honor, one of the greatest moments of my life. They worked very hard on Monotheist for a very long time; I think that is quite evident upon hearing it. Incredible production, the songs, the sounds, the sequence, it is awesome! Of course Celtic from the early days is one of my major influences.

What could one expect from a live Ruins show?
It is catharsis. The live set from Ruins is a ritualized event... I think this is important for black metal! We try not to forget that we certainly are just a band up there playing, but also we want to present an engaging and entertaining event basically. We don’t get totally carried away with theatrics but that can be a part of it, set the correct scene to provoke the sort of feeling we are looking for personally, and the kind of interaction we are after with the audience.

Is Dave Haley still involved with either Psycroptic or The Amenta? Has Ruins ever wanted to tour with either of these two bands and could Dave handle playing two shows a night?
Ruins have played with Psycroptic. Ruins have played with Amenta. In June, all three bands are touring Australia together; however, Amenta have a new drummer these days. Dave has drummed on both of the Amenta albums. I actually did guest vocals on the last Psycroptic and the most recent Amenta album. Anyway, all bands are quite unique to one another but totally linked. And yes, Dave, and Joe can both handle more than one set in a row. It is funny... I was just talking about this with Dave. He thinks that when he is touring with Psycroptic his playing actually doesn’t get as much attention as usual. If he is home and practicing, and teaching; writing, pre-production, or production of an album... he is playing a lot more drums in these times than when he is on the road with Psycroptic. As much time spent putting things up and pulling them down, as actually playing them.

Has Ruins ever played in the States or plan to do so in the future?
We definitely hope to make it to U.S. for shows sooner rather than later. We only began playing ‘live’ a short time ago really. Our first show was end of August ’06, so only just approaching three years. Immediately we have had great achievements with regard to this. Satyricon, Celtic Frost, Immortal. It is quite difficult for us from here. For me it is important to just focus on the music, but certainly I understand the importance of touring and I do have the desire to do so... but for us it is a matter of timing.

Will Front The Final Foes be released on Moribund and how will this one compare to your work on Cauldron? Is story or concept behind the title?
Nothing is finalized for release of Front the Final Foes yet... It is basically just a little further along the path for us... We have tried to describe or even command, or invoke many different feelings to bring many different thoughts. We have evolved, yet refined our approach. In some ways our songs become deeper and more complex, yet at the same time they are a bit more powerful and direct. The foes could be many and varied, but in a manner of speaking… my first and final foe is myself, your final foe is yourself; it can be as simple as that… or maybe as elaborate a vision as some grand apocalyptic battle image that may come to mind… either is relevant to the title and themes.

Are there kangaroos hopping around the shores of Tasmania?
Not often the shores, that I know of... more inland. Haha!

What would you like a listener to remember the most after hearing your music for the very first time?
Either their feeling of total empowerment; or their feeling of absolute terror!

Any messages for metalheads here in the Los Angeles area?
Hope we can make it for shows soon. Thanks for the support!

RUINS links

RUINS on Myspace: The Official Myspace Page for the mighty RUINS of TASMANIA!
The Highwire Daze Home Page: Return to the Main Page!

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