Spanning the void

Beneath the black metal wastes slumbers This White Mountain, a rather interesting bedroom project helmed by one Kevin Narowski. Where similar practitioners are often boringly repetitive, Kevin prefers his own brand to be incinerating, all blastbeats and furious misanthropy. Stripped down, bare bones, and utterly fantastical, This White Mountain seems to be on the way to achieve great things. Here's its creator waxing epic on frosted flakes, gear, and the beauty of nature.

AM: I've gotta hand it to you, This White Mountain plays quality black metal. The atmosphere, the rawness, the whole package. It's definitely solid through and through. Compared to a lot of underground musicians I know, you're a cut above the rest. How long have you been going it alone?

Kevin Narowski: I started This White Mountain in October of 2008, right after I had left my previous band, a technical death metal act. I had started to grow a little tired of the whole über-technical metal thing and I wanted to try something different. Considering that 'Washed Ashore' was the first This White Mountain song ever written, I'd say I did a good job. That has been my main focus since; I have a few side-projects here and there that I've worked on, but almost all of the music I made was alone.

AM: What was your biggest motivation to start playing black metal?

Kevin: It's funny, because the real inspiration for This White Mountain, the thing that made me get off my ass and start going for this kind of music, was a friend's ambient/experimental band called Flowers, Feathers, And Friends. It's not at all metal, but I was really captivated by the ambiance and atmosphere of the tracks. I had intended for This White Mountain to be a departure from metal, but I guess my roots took hold anyway and black metal just seemed to fit hand-in-hand with the sound I was going for. As far as motivation to play black metal goes, I loved the way you could absolutely lose yourself to the abyss of the most atmospheric and trance-like songs. I loved the raw, unfiltered emotion I could feel in music from bands like Agalloch and Drudkh. I still love death metal, but I feel like black metal has the potential to be a much more expressive form of music.

AM: What's going on with the name This White Mountain? You live somewhere in Colorado where white capped mountains are in abundance?

Kevin: I live in the hills of Connecticut. It's not exactly what you'd call mountainous, but it's pretty kvlt in the winter. I picked the name as an homage to my most influential band, Agalloch. 'This White Mountain on Which You Will Die' is one of the two strictly ambient tracks on the album 'Ashes against the Grain', which remains to this day one of my favorite albums. The song captured the kind of music I hoped to create at the time. I've deviated a little with style since then, but I still think the name is appropriate.

AM: How did you become adept at recording your own music? Did you have any mentors who showed you the ropes or did you just feel your way through it?

Kevin: Oh jeez. I've always been the kind of person who learns through doing. I could never take guitar lessons or be bothered with classes on recording. (Though I'm pretty serious about it now.) Learning how to record myself and put everything together properly was a long journey; I'm still not done figuring it all out. I got a recording interface for my computer five years ago, and I started recording some sloppy horrible sounding half-assed covers of songs I knew, knowing nothing about engineering or mixing. A year and a half ago I got my hands on a copy of Cubase and I started slowly learning my way around my DAW, figuring out things through trial-and-error, or when that didn't work, Google. The EP sounds pretty good considering how little experience I had at the time recording, mixing, and mastering an album.

There's an EP of yours out. Before that were a couple of demos. Who has given your music its best reception so far?

Kevin: The EP was actually the first album released. The '2009 Demo' came next a few months later. My plan was to re-record all of the previous material and give it what I thought was a proper presentation for the first LP. I hit a ton of speed bumps along the way, and decided to take a break from it and work on a new demo, to be titled 'Spanning the Void'. I'm still working on the LP, and it's still tough going.
The reception I've gotten from people is interesting to me. My goal wasn't to make metal, per se, so I guess it isn't all that surprising, but I've gotten a lot of positive feedback from listeners from across a number of genres. People who can't stand metal have told me they loved even the more black metal pieces I've come up with. I try not to be too full of myself, but you asked, hahaha! Of course, the metalheads have given it a great reception as well. I think it really spans the void (hehehe) from metal into other realms of listening.

AM: When did you first dabble in your own lyrics? And since then, how much has your songwriting evolved?

Kevin: Writing lyrics has been one of the most difficult things for me to do in regards to music. My first serious attempt at lyrics was the (instrumental) EP. I've always loved the idea of an album tying a theme together, so that's what I wanted to do. I was too inexperienced at the time to try and write lyrics to be vocalized on the recording, and I wasn't confident enough of my vocals then either, so I left it entirely instrumental and included the story in the liner notes.
My first foray into lyrics for vocalization was 'The Eternal Woe'. It was a new experience trying to match lines with sections of music and putting it all together without making it suck. I feel like I've become a better lyricist since the early days of This White Mountain, but I still think my writing is a bit cheesy. That's probably just me being overly critical as per usual, though, hahaha!

AM: You've already set mid-2010 as the release date of your first album. You wanna shed light on this project? What can the listeners expect?

Kevin: As I said before, this album is going to feature the songs from the EP and '2009 Demo' as they should be heard. I've completely re-recorded everything, and am in the process of finalizing a mix and thereafter a master. I'm very displeased with the way the '2009 Demo' sounds mixing-wise and while the EP sounded good, I've added a few new elements and even entire new parts to those songs. My ideas have changed quite a bit since I started on this LP; tracks have been added on and taken off, concepts were written and tossed, an entire song was accidentally deleted (oops), but I have my plans set and eyes fixed on the goal line. The LP, entitled 'From Atop This White Mountain...' is to be the first in a three-album concept. It doesn't so much recite a tale as it does convey a journey of sound.

AM: How would your rate your chops as an all-around musician? Do you still spend countless hours becoming a better you?

Kevin: I don't consider myself to be a great musician, but I think I'm a pretty good songwriter. I can't play any showy solos or keep up with Mr. Suicmez's playing, but I make a point to develop enough skill to play the parts I'm meant to play. The past year and a half or so my focus has been much more trained on composition as opposed to developing my playing. I'm still trying to find a healthy balance.

AM: You got a plan on distributing it yet? By the time it's released, where can interested parties score a copy?

Kevin: I've been worrying about production and distro since the moment I thought of this album. As most musicians in one-man bedroom black metal bands are, I'm strapped for cash. I don't have the money to fund professional production and distribution on my own, but I've been approached by a few labels interested in a release and I'm still looking. If worse comes to worst, I'll make all the CD's and sell them myself (as I've done in the past).

AM: Who are the people that inspire you to push the envelope?

Kevin: I'm not sure I'm inspired to push the envelope as much as evolve what music can be. Perhaps that's a somewhat convoluted way of putting it, but oh well. The people who inspire me, though... That's a tough one. Everyone really. Every band I've ever heard has shaped my idea of music in some way; every person I've met has taught me something new, be it about music or anything. I know that's sort of a cheesy, philosophical answer, but hey, that's the kind of guy I am.

AM: This is the gear part of the interview. Enumerate your gear.

Kevin: I have an Ibanez RG3EX1 guitar that I used for the EP and the '2009 Demo'. I recorded most of the LP with it, but used my ESP M-200FM for 'Spanning the Void'. I prefer the ESP - more bang for your buck. The neck is so much faster than my Ibanez, and it's got a tremolo bridge and neck-thru for the same price. Never goes out of tune too.
Every guitar part on recording was played through my Line 6 Spider III 120 watt combo amp. Yeah, I laugh at that, too. I've been experimenting with mic'd vs. direct out; most of the newer stuff will be direct. One of these days I'll have the money to buy a better amp.
Additionally, I have two basses, but I've only ever used one for This White Mountain, my Peavey Grind BXP 6-string. I have no idea what the other one is. My bass amplification set up is a Galien Kruger 700RB II head with a 4x12 GK cab. Again, I've done a little bit of mic'd and a little of direct.
I used to have a Tascam US-144, but Tascam makes pieces of shit, so now I have a Line 6 UX2. Works like a charm.
But now for the two pieces of equipment I swear by: my strings and my picks. I switched to Dunlop Jazz III's a few years ago, and I'll never touch another pick again. For strings, I use D'addario Nickel Wound Jazz Light Gauge (12's) with a wound G. A wound G is a must.

AM: What is your most passionate interest aside from extreme metal?

Kevin: I'd say music in general, but that's not really a valid answer considering extreme metal makes up 95% of what I listen to. This is a tough one. Nothing comes close to touching music in my life. I guess I'll have to say Xbox then.

AM: How much brutal sounds do you consume in a day? Which albums from what artists are impressing you at the moment?

Kevin: I listen to music all day long: when I'm on the computer doing anything, in the car, even when I sleep. I'd have no problem falling asleep to really heavy shit like Origin or Brain Drill (not saying it's boring, just loud and aggressive as fuck). Recently, I've been listening to a lot of atmospheric black mMetal when I'm trying to doze off in the wee hours of the mourn. Five out of seven days for the past two weeks I've gone to sleep listening to a playlist of Wolves In The Throne Room's full-lengths. Albums in general that have impressed me lately? Trancelike Void's 'Destroy Something Beautiful' has consistently blown me away the handful of times I've listened to it. I just started listening to Mastodon's 'Crack the Skye' again, and it's still incredible. I'll probably get flamed by the elitists in the black metal community, but I've been heavily into Between The Buried and Me lately. 'Silent Circus' is great. 'The Great Misdirect' is a masterpiece. I could go on for pages about this, so I'll leave it at that.

AM: Do you ever contemplate the future of recorded music? What conditions or resources do you wish were readily available for musicians such as yourself?

Kevin: The future of recorded music looks pretty grim to me. You don't have to have talent to record an album nowadays. Producers will hire session musicians to record parts without even bothering to tell the band. Bands want to find the engineer who can make their album the loudest possible, not worrying about the integrity of the music. Hell, it's not even about the music anymore. It's about the image. [insert elitist rant here]
I'm pretty happy with the resources a musician like myself has at their disposal, though. I just wish I had a little more cash.

AM: What is wrong with public education in America? You got a beef with teen culture as well?

Kevin: Well, this is a change of pace, hahaha! I was actually one of the kids who didn't have a major problem with school. Standardized testing on the other hand, that's a load of shit. I think the classroom needs to be a more personal experience, rather than being conducted based on a strict curriculum. My English teacher my senior year of high school was a really open-minded, not-by-the-book kind of guy, constantly bending the rules in favor of the students, and I had a great time in that class. I learned a lot and was given a lot of freedom (even wrote an essay about Cannibal Corpse and their song titles).
I don't have a beef with teen culture as much as I do modern society and teen drama. I'm not going to go off in a tangent about how the world is run by corporations whose sole drive is to make more money and put us farther into debt or how most of the teens of today (at least in my area) are burn out losers who won't do anything with their lives and have a problem with authority not because it is unjust, simply because it is. I'm sure there are a lot of great kids out there, they're just stretched thin around here.

AM: There are so many people in this world who hate Jesus Christ and the Church founded in his name. You wanna join the list of haters and rant for a few seconds?

Kevin: I don't understand how people can support what is arguably the most corrupting force the earth has ever seen. Refer back to your high school history books and skip to the Middle Ages chapter for a quick look at some of the horrors of oppression propagated by the Catholic Church. Christian children are instructed to blindly follow the word of God, which is really just the word of whatever crazed lunatic decides to claim he speaks it. They're taught to be sheep. Jesus is the shepherd and you are his flock. Pretty scary if you ask me.
I will say, though, that Christianity isn't all bad. I believe in some of the values they teach, but I also believe that organized religion of any kind is the breeding grounds for corruption and destruction. Hmmm... That actually sounds pretty metal.

AM: Alright, that'll pass for a rant. Are you ever in awe of nature? Do you contemplate working fro National Geographic someday?

Kevin: I love living where I live. I get the best of almost all landscapes here. The beauty of nature fascinates me. I can't really go into any more detail because it transcends words. I've never contemplated working for National Geographic...Come to think of it, I've never contemplated working. I want to play music.

AM: When the world knocks you down, what keeps you fighting? Me, I just eat a bowl of cornflakes and I'm ready to come out swinging. You?

Kevin: I prefer frosted flakes, hahaha! What keeps me fighting is that fact that there's no point in giving up. You can either say fuck it, abandon all of your hopes and dreams and wind up miserable, or you can stick with it and have a 50/50 shot of success. I like those odds.

AM: Tell me all about your hometown. How's it like down there? Got any nice neighbors? How about the local metal scene? You catch shows often?

Kevin: My hometown sucks. There's nothing to do around here, and I there aren't much in the way of neighbors. There's no metal scene within an hour radius of where I live, but get down to southern Connecticut and up to Massachusetts and there's a pretty strong metal scene. It's mostly -core bands, but hey, it's something. I try to catch shows as often as I can. I'm friends with musicians in a number of bands and it's cool to go, get drunk and make fun of all the shitty bands playing. I'd much rather go to a local show than a big show. It's a much more intimate and personal setting, you don't have to pay and arm and a leg to get in or buy a fucking water, and you don't have to deal with a sea of fat, greasy 14 year olds, hahaha!

AM: Unfortunately, this has to end. Thanks for the time. You wanna say hello to your Mom?

Kevin: Yeah, I'm gonna go downstairs and tell her right now. Thanks, and stay metal.

Interviewed by Miguel Miranda.

07/11/2010 19:43