Artist to Artist Interview…
DEPHOSPHORUS Vs. UNEARTHLY TRANCE

CVLT Nation is extra ultra stoked to bring you our latest artist to artist interview, featuring Greece’s DEPHOSPHORUS vs. Brooklyn’s Unearthly Trance. I’m not going to say much, but I will say that this interview touches on many topics and is very in-depth. I can’t front, when peers speak to each other, something special happens, and this is just the case between these two bands. So after the jump, allow your mind to expand and read a radical interview!

“UT is a band that creates it own ethos. The band’s sound is a reflection of the band’s experience.”
– Ryan Lipynsky

UNEARTHLY TRANCE
interview by Panos & Thanos of Dephosphorus

ORIGIN, MUSIC AND EVOLUTION

“We usually make it a HIGH priority to share a ritual smoke before we play.”
– Ryan Lipynsky

Panos: Please recount for us how this unholy triad got together: how did you met each other, whether you click together instantly, any possible anecdotes…

Ryan Lipynsky: I met Darren Verni when we were young teenagers. I was friends with his older brother Todd and we all jammed together. Darren was playing drums as long as I known him, which was when he was about 11. I jammed with him before I even knew him! I’ve always noticed that Darren picks up on my ideas and riffs almost instantly. I’ve known Jay Newman since the 1990’s and we did indeed click instantly. Jay and I created the vision for Unearthly Trance as we had similar tastes and mindset. Our thinking was very much in line with each other and we were some of the few people that were into doom and sludge back then. Darren was the perfect drummer when our original drummer quit. He was the best drummer I knew and he was our one and only choice.

You have for sure one of the most powerful band names in the underground today. Who came up with it, why, how?

Ryan Lipynsky: It was taken from one of the last Thralldom songs written from the 90’s incarnation of that project. The name of the song was “The Crown of the Unearthly Trance”.

As per your name, what it reminded the first time I read it was “Ceremonial Unearthing” from US doom/death gods Brutality. It was their first track I’ve ever heard (out from a Nuclear Blast compilation) and a fucking great tune too! Are you familiar with the band?

Ryan Lipynsky: I’ve known of the band and I’m listening to the song right now and it kills. This is excellent old raw death metal with some technical flourishes. Excellent vocals and cool lyrics such as: “Erected tombs in cavernous vaults. Hieroglyphics etched in stone. Inscriptions carved revealing. Birth and death” ! Two thumbs up!

I remember you commenting “This was before I actually could properly sing” about an early Thralldom demo track that you sent to me and Thanos. So, how did you start to sing?

Ryan Lipynsky: I started to sing because I wrote lots of lyrics and wanted to figure out how to do it. Trial by fire I suppose. I think back then I had no idea how to record vocals. It takes quite a few years to really develop a powerful screaming voice in my opinion.

Did you get encouraged by a bandmate?

Ryan Lipynsky: Jared [Thralldom Drummer] made it easy for me to track vocals in the early days as I had never tried to sign on my own. I think the raw 4-track setting made it easy and without pressure. Unearthly Trance did briefly consider having a separate lead singer in the very first few rehearsals but we never tried anyone out. I just kept at it until I got it right.

Did you take any lessons?

Ryan Lipynsky: Never took any singing lessons.

I am following you guys since the first 7”EP days, you have gone a long way and evolved a lot. In a healthy band members are evolving together, motivating each other and hopefully producing more intense music over the years. As two examples, I know that the other two guys have pushed you into doing more guitar leads and Darren did some ominous vocals at V’s epic closing track “The Leveling”. Looking back, tell us more as per each the progression UT member and how the interaction with each other have influenced it…

Ryan Lipynsky: Darren did quite a bit of singing on “V”. Lead Vocals on “Adversaries Mask II” and most of the vocals on “Submerged Metropolis.” We’ve always meant to get Darren on vocals but its one of those things that we really had to focus on and work out ahead of time. It really came alive in the studio mode. Previously, Darren did vocals on the early HADIT demo for the track “Pyre” in the verses and more recently some excellent clean vocals for our Manson cover 7” on the song “People Say I’m No Good”. He also took on vocals for the song “Deathothic” in the live setting. Jay has really grown as a musician in this band. When we first started the band, he was only playing bass for a short period of time. Essentially he started as doom bassist. His approach is very pure in that respect. Over the years he has really stepped up his playing on recordings and live. We have all grown in different ways and a three piece it is a crucial that the unit grows as a whole and not as separate pieces. That is one of the keys to UT. We are all exactly on the same plane. Our ideas are always agreed upon and we almost never disagree musically. It’s a very encouraging yet challenging atmosphere in our practice rehearsals. We get right down to business these days. In the early days we spent quite a bit of time “pre-gaming” before we even got to turn the amps on. Haha!

Darren Verni: I certainly do not consider myself a vocalist at all, but I’ve always had a pretty good ear, and it’s fun for me! The Manson track was the most challenging being that it was a cover, and I had to use a totally clean vocal. But it came out ok.

Do you guys have any small rituals prior to rehearsing, playing live, recording that you can divulge to us?

Ryan Lipynsky: We usually make it a HIGH priority to share a ritual smoke before we play.



JAPAN AND A CERTAIN ANNOUNCEMENT

“Then I noticed skyscrapers swaying side to side, and I must’ve turned white as a ghost at that moment. I was sure it was the end, and I remember thinking, “what a fucked up way to go out” haha!”
– Darren Verni

Was this announcement of yours after the Japanese tour something like a false alarm, since you started playing again a few months after you’ve made it?

Darren Verni: As soon as we got home, I thought I was ready to put the band behind me. But the itch always comes back. I’m not one to just give up on something I love. I think we’re all similar in that way. I’ve been doing this band for a third of my life. It is hard to let something like that go.

Ryan Lipynsky: Yeah it was a premature decision. It really should have been our cue to take a few months off. And that is essentially what we did. Shit happens. We are over it. But we were completely rattled and in a bit of shock when we got home from that crazy trip. I take the blame for that one. Haha

Jay Newman: Yes it was extremely premature. We hardly had time to process the crazy trip we just had, let alone weight in on something we have done for over a decade. But in the end, a post on the internet is meaningless, seeing as we are still a band…

The Japanese tour was fantastic for you guys, and you considered the earthquake to be some sort of otherworldly sign: you’ve reached a peak as touring underground musicians and that would be the proper time to initiate a break. Is there any truth in this speculation of mine?

Ryan Lipynsky: After playing two killer shows with the Melvins and High On Fire in Japan and then having to deal with a massive earthquake on our final day of tour, we were saying to ourselves “We don’t really have much else to prove.” Felt like if we made it out of that situation unscathed, the last thing we wanted to do was think about booking another single show or tour. We were luckily enough to have our flight be booked as the first flight back to New York the day after the earthquake. And yes we have a few songs that made me feel uncomfortably psychic in lyrics. But, then again, it was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget!

Jay Newman: I felt so grateful to have had the opportunity of not only playing in Japan, but playing in Japan with one of my all time favorite bands. So throw an earthquake story into the mix and it was just beyond belief. But we lived through it and made it home safe. All and all, number one tour story/experience of my life!! Oh and if we write songs that start attacking us, whose fault is that! HAHA

I read your reports about that tour, so I don’t feel like asking if indeed it was fantastic because it sure was, and Japan is such a Mecca that any metal/hardcore/other band wants to reach at least once in their career and play there… I have never been in Japan but local culture is part of my roots and of my background from anime to video games, cinema and music. I want you to provide me/us with a non-trivial description of the vibes that you have received while being in the country. I am asking for that general feeling that you have stored in your memories and comes up first to your mind where you recall that trip and Japan in general…

Ryan Lipynsky: It felt alien and profound. It was futuristic and we New Yorkers were amazed at the hospitality, honor and respect. I really had no preconceived ideas about Japan besides the fact that I was quite afraid of the food! Not easy for a vegetarian over there. Haha

Jay Newman: Japan was amazing. Totally blown away! Beautiful country! Kind people that are very passionate about music! Much thanks and respect to Mr. Nambu, George, Jumbo from Relapse Japan and all the people involved with Extreme the Dojo. Those guys worked real hard making the tour go smoothly. Everyone was amazing! Not to mention when the earthquake happened and things shifted to making sure people we safe and informed, they did an amazing job. Can’t thank those guys enough.

As any other inhabitant of Greece I am familiar with earthquakes. It has also occurred to me to be with foreign people when a couple of big earthquakes happened here and they were petrified! What were your exact reactions and feelings? Will you write any song about it?

Ryan Lipynsky: I can tell you people from the east coast of the US are not used to big earthquakes. Seeing buildings swaying from side to side like rubber isn’t something I could ever see myself getting used to! No songs specifically, but I think there is some symbolism inside some of songs I’ve already written for the next UT album. UT is a band that creates it own ethos. The band’s sound is a reflection of the bands experience.

Jay Newman: I feel like ‘what does not kill you only makes stronger’. Living a life of fear is just not healthy. Everything ends in time… And when it is my time to go, I’ll be ready. Being in a situation like that makes me appreciate the life I live more than ever. I have been fortunate to play with a bunch of my favorite bands and travel the world playing music! I’m grateful and will never forget the things we have done.

Darren Verni: I’ll never forget sitting in the van with Ryan, Jay, and Des from HOF on the way to the Tokyo gig, and feeling the vehicle start shaking violently out of nowhere! Then I noticed skyscrapers swaying side to side, and I must’ve turned white as a ghost at that moment. I was sure it was the end, and I remember thinking, “what a fucked up way to go out” haha! Afterward, everyone from the tour hung out that night and sorta bonded from the whole ordeal, which I thought was really cool. As frightening as it was at the time, when I look back on it now it was sort of exciting!



NEW YORK

“In the late 90’s there was a thriving underground scene on long island and we were introduced to many styles of HC/punk/metal… Which helped shape early musical tastes.”
– Jay Newman

Being a NY citizen how do you evaluate the recent protests at the NY stock exchange?

Ryan Lipynsky: I could say many things but all I will say is that I wish people were paying attention a long time ago. I have no idea how all that shit will turn out for the protestors, but usually it means provocateurs and stormtroopers ruining the bongo sessions.

As a metal and hardcore music lover I’ve grew up with many bands from NY. To what point was/is NY indeed a fertile ground and inspiring melting pot for a musician to create to? It obviously is to some point but I am asking because I know you guys hailed from the Long Island scene, so I don’t know how much interaction there was with the rest of the city.

Ryan Lipynsky: Our early years were based in Long Island and it was a barren wasteland for us. We had no common bands to play with in the early 2000’s.

Jay Newman: In the late 90’s there was a thriving underground scene on long island and we were introduced to many styles of HC/punk/metal… Which helped shape early musical tastes. After the time when UT formed we eventually gravitated more towards playing in NYC and trying to play in other areas outside of where we lived.

What do you think about Winter getting back together? I believe you have already mentioned to me there were one of your influences…

Ryan Lipynsky: Yeah its great that Winter got back together. They are probably the first extreme doom band I ever heard. Winter was, and is, a huge influence on all of us to even think of playing slow. Recently Jay had the opportunity to work with them in the gear department and helping them out at the show the just played in NYC a few months ago.

Jay Newman: Winter has always been a huge influence on UT. Having the chance to meet and hangout with those dudes was a full circle experience. Those guys are the real deal… awesome band!



LABEL(S)/DISCOGRAPHY

“I would love to reissue In The Red!! In a certain way it is my favorite UT record.”
– Ryan Lipynsky

I read that most likely you will leave Relapse. Do you have any announcement to make on that subject or are you still evaluating your options? Why do you want to leave?

Ryan Lipynsky: We had a 3 record deal with Relapse. They were good to us but I honestly see us doing something on another label just to change it up at this point. We are just writing music right now.

I bet that a new deal will comprise some reissues? I still don’t have an original copy of “In The Red” in CD or vinyl, please make sure to repress this fucker!

Ryan Lipynsky: I would love to reissue In The Red!! In a certain way it is my favorite UT record.

Back at the time, when we learned that you have signed with Rise Above, we thought that it would be a good match. I guess that things didn’t work out right in your collaboration with them?

Ryan Lipynsky: No real problem with RA but we were approached by Relapse and we basically had RA blessings to go with Relapse. Rise Above and The Music Cartel put out our first two albums. Right after “In The Red” got released TMC basically stopped being a label. So for a while we had no label in the USA as TMC had the North American Distribution and Rise Above had the rest of the world. So doing some records on an American label made sense to us at that point in time. We were looking to be active and Relapse was a great home for us for years as was Rise Above. RA was crucial in launching UT into a bigger arena in terms of Metal. We are forever thankful to Lee Dorrian and Will Palmer, Eric Lemasters and all at RELAPSE!

How have you guys decided to release so many splits between “Electrocution” and “V”? Did you get burned out after this and decided not to do anymore?

Ryan Lipynsky: Well the truth is that we recorded a bunch of those splits recordings foundations all in one session. Basically just the drums and a scratch guitar and then we finished the rest as each split was worked out. But you are correct we are now burnt out on doing splits. Only other possible split in the future is another 7” with Suma to complete the vinyl trinity series.

I am expecting in the next few days my vinyl copy of the split with Suma. Your side in that record is the track entitled “Montauk”. We’ve already discussed together the Montauk mythos as part of some past UT and Thralldom interviews, and there is also this fantastic black&white photo that you’ve sent me back at the time of the tower! I was also amazed to read what you mentioned, that there are accounts of Aleister Crowley actually participating! Since the last time we’ve talked about this, have you found out any additional hard facts and evidence suggesting that there was indeed some eerie activity going on there? I have watched a few documentaries on the Philadelphia Experiment but can’t really tell if this is a typical conspiracy theory… What’s the deal with the radar dish at Camp Hero being turned 90 degrees south recently?

Ryan Lipynsky: Well I don’t think Crowley was involved in “The Project” but he did go out there for whatever reason back in his day. Long Island is a fascinating place in terms of crazy things. But for me, the Radar Tower was just something that UT and our friends identified with. We could take trips out east and hang out in an abandoned military base. Lots of cool exploring was done in the 1990s at Camp Hero. Not anymore. They tore down lots of the weird buildings or fenced it off. We used to go inside and on top of the radar as well as into the underground bunkers that are now sealed up for good it seems. The whole radar turning thing is just something of a legend that people talked about. I have no evidence that it actually turned.



MUSIC & GEAR

“Practice drunk if you are going to play shows drunk. Smoke at rehearsal if you are going to smoke live etc etc hahah”
– Ryan Lipynsky

Thanos: I know that Ryan uses Ampeg heads. Please explain us the reasons to feel the love.

Ryan Lipynsky: Yeah I’ve used my Ampeg guitar head on every album except Electrocution. We recorded that in Chicago and the head was in the shop at the time. I mainly use a VH150 in paired with a tube head in the studio. [For a nice blend] I will say that I use mine in a specific way and it is also paired with a particular pedal for front-end boost. One of those “If its broke, you better fix it” situations.

How important do you think it is for a band to have its own sound? What does UT use in general for recordings and live shows?

Ryan Lipynsky: In my opinion if you are playing in band and you are not coming from a sincere place, just give up now. But I’m a full believer in the idea that most of the sound comes from the fingers and the person playing the instrument. I usually always use my Ampeg head and Emperor Cabs. Over seas we have to use whatever we can get our hands on. We never bothered to try shipping our heads over because Id had to have it get fucked up or lost. We are a very adaptable band and can play on basically any gear as long as it has enough volume if we were forced to. And we have! Haha Do what you gotta do to get that shit done!

Darren Verni: For me, it’s about just going big, really. Big drums, big cymbals…big balls haha. I’ve always taken a “caveman” approach when it comes to drumming in this band. It is just necessary. The sheer power that those guys create has forced me to be louder, and I vow that will NEVER change! Lately I’ve been experimenting with trashier sounding cymbals, more chinas and such. I like them to hiss like angry snakes haha.

Jay Newman: We are endorsed by Emperor Cabs. I also help the company as the east coast Emperor provider. It is the only brand of music equipment I fully endorse. I am not that picky when it comes to bass heads (Ampeg, Emperor, Ashdown… I don’t care), just give me something loud enough. Most of my sound comes from my distortion pedal. The sound the equipment is only just a small part of a bands sound. You can have the sickest gear in the world but if your writing/playing sucks what then?

Let’s say there is a young guitarist out there that likes bands like Unearthly Trance a lot and decides to form a band. What would you advise him to do and what he should avoid in your opinion?

Ryan Lipynsky: Rehearse as often as you can and make sure you all really know your instruments before you play shows or record anything. Patience. These days everything is so immediate that I think it would be wise for a young band to make sure they are satisfied in the rehearsal room first before you hit the studio. Oh one more bit of advice…. Practice drunk if you are going to play shows drunk. Smoke at rehearsal if you are going to smoke live etc etc hahah

Jay Newman: The biggest piece of advice I can give is do a band for FUN and friendship! If you can’t have fun and be friendly with the dudes you play with, you are never going to do anything long lasting. Don’t have huge rock dream expectations, start small, and enjoy the fun of just playing music with people.

Explain us how an Unearthly Trance song is taking form.

Ryan Lipynsky: Usually I will send a few ideas of me just playing riffs to the guys. Then we work it all out in the rehearsal room. Jay and I might get together on our own before hand to go over riffs and then just be ready to work on the song until we are happy with the structure and feel of the repetitions with Darren. Or if there is any editing needed, or an ending or an intro etc… I must say things come together very quickly with UT!

What do you like doing on stage? Banging like crazy or being cautious and don’t make mistakes? Or mistakes are indeed the real thing?

Ryan Lipynsky: I think overall we aim to do both. Play fucking tight and go off. We let loose and I’m probably the one who makes the most “flurbs” [as we call it] because I’m usually singing, playing guitar and stomping on pedals all the time. Darren is a war machine and Jay is usually in the pocket unless it’s a full moon or something.

Jay Newman: Or I’m completely hammered! HA We try to play perfect no matter what, but it really depends on the vibe of each show…

Darren Verni: I used to love getting nice and ripped before a gig, but more recently realized that it was a terrible idea. In my twenties it was a bit easier, but I’m old now and can’t hang! Until after the show that is, then I’ll do shots all night.

What would be the ideal live package for Unearthly Trance?

Ryan Lipynsky: Unearthly Trance, High On Fire and Melvins.

Jay: 100% Melvins was bucket list. One of my top all time favorite bands ever. Playing with them and HOF will never be topped in my book as far as bands I would like to play with. Plus, meeting those dudes and seeing them do their thing was an insane humbling experience. We also played with SLEEP at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple that was pretty sick also…

Ryan Lipynsky: We’ve been lucky fucks to play with lots of our favorite bands over the years.

I know you are a lot into old school metal. Black Sabbath, Slayer, Metallica, Darkthrone, and the like seem to be your favorite bands. Explain us the importance of these bands into your life and your musicianship.

Ryan Lipynsky: Simply because those bands have been bands I’ve considered my favorites for most of my life. Ultimately they wrote great songs and are pioneers of heavy music. Black Sabbath is my favorite band for certain. I was consumed by Darkthrone music for many years and they were certainly my gateway into the world of raw black metal in the late 90’s. Not so much on their more recent stuff. I like it, just not like I used to.

Jay Newman: Does anyone that listens to metal not like Black Sabbath, Metallica, Slayer? This was music I was listening to at 13 years old and probably the cornerstone of anyone that plays metal. Metal was seeped into my mind very early on. Darkthrone is a cool band but it has no influence to me.

Last effort was full of surprises! The sound was better than ever and the structures of the songs were really clever and to the point. But in overall of the record a 90’s Neurosis/Swans atmosphere is present, at least in my opinion. What changes do you spot this time? There are songs like ‘Adversaries Mask II’ and ‘Physical Universe Distorts’ delivering different approaches.

Darren Verni: V is the most special record for me. I got to do some things I had never done on a UT record before, like more use of percussion and the heavier vocal contribution. We all put every ounce of creativity and passion into that record that we could muster. To me, it feels the most like a real album than anything we’ve done previously.

Ryan Lipynsky: V was a record of experimentation, minimalism and in a certain way an artistic statement. The next record will be different. But I can’t say much more as we are only in the riff stage as of now. The only reason to ever make another record is if we still have something new to explore. The ideas are still flowing. We had one rehearsal and we working out the music to 3 songs in a few hours. It was a promising start!!

One of the recent and greatest songs UT recorded to me is ‘Blind Driving through the Ghost Mountains’ from the Endless Blockade split. It has all the perfect UT elements along with the apocalyptic doom/noise crescendo. How did you come up with this track?

Ryan Lipynsky: We had the loose idea of putting together a song with D Beat alternated with doom riffs and then finishing with an ocean of noise at the end. This song basically came together instantly at the jam space actually. All the end noise parts were created during the recording. We layered it like crazy and jay mixed all the different elements in and out. We always like to make our splits a bit different from our albums as well. When we played that song live we’ve kept the noise ending short and went right into “God Is A Beast”. It’s a good one two combo! We will do more faster stuff on a vinyl EP called “Human Lesson” in 2012. If you are into this song…

I can’t avoid talking about the ‘The Trident’. It’s one of the few albums that I can listen to every week at least. What was the atmosphere during the creation of this beast? Do you also believe that this material had something special?

Jay Newman: Its special to me just because of the space it was recorded in. Electrical was the best studio we have ever recorded in. That’s to me what sets this record part from all the others. Many records I love were recorded in that very space. Not to mention the equipment is second to none. There was no way it we could have made that album sound bad! HA! “Decrepitude”, “Scarlet” and “In self” are my favorites on the album.

Ryan Lipynsky: The atmosphere was incredible. We tracked raw guitar, bass, and drums at Steve Albinis studio with Sanford. Then we moved it on over to Sanford’s studio. It was one of my favorite recording experiences ever. The amount cool gear and the huge drum room made that recording something special. We had lots of fun as I can remember. That was when we started letting Sanford really work his magick. Without a doubt some of my favorite Unearthly Trance songs are on this album. “Permanent Ice”, Decrepitude”, Wake Up and Smell the Corpses”, and “In Self/Infinite” are songs that we still play live on a steady basis.

How important are for UT the artwork and the visuals in general?

Ryan Lipynsky: Ah artwork is part of the music if you ask me. Its great to have a way to further the listening experience. I think it’s important to have something to think of in your mind when you think of an album. I mean the first Black Sabbath album cover… I think it is essential to the experience. Even if its just a little jpeg or whatever. We are visual creatures, us humans.

How important is in your opinion having merchandise and collect some money from it during a tour? Do you believe that there are other ways of supporting a group nowadays?

Ryan Lipynsky: Yeah sell your music online and make sure you have lots of merch when you play live. My biggest advice: don’t go on tour unless you are sure that you can at least break even. One of the reasons we’ve done these small quantity records/splits is to always have something to sell at a show or online or “out of your fucking trunk”. You have to be pro-active these days if you want to get any level of success is this dead “music business”.

Have you ever thought adding a guitarist/a synth to the band or less is more?

Ryan Lipynsky: We had one on our second demo and then he split. Actually, our second guitarist and the original drummer quit around the same time. Haha We never really thought about anyone else in the band after Darren joined. The power trio is my favorite formation of heavy live bands anyway. We have had our friend Jonathan Canady [Deathpile, Angel of Decay] do live synth noise with us on a few occasions and it worked out really well. So if we ever need to go that route, we could always ask him again.

I know you love electronics and noise. Describe us the vibes when creating noise out of nothing at shows or at home. Which is the goal of noise?

Ryan Lipynsky: I mostly enjoy working on noise at home. I have lots of pedals and love to work on it lately. I find it meditative and soothing. Ambient Noise to me is like abstract painting in an alive sonic format.

Jay Newman : Straight noise music is cool, its fun to do every now and then, but what I like most of all is electronic styles of noise incorporated with vocals and musical elements.

What are the goals you haven’t achieved yet as a band in your opinion?

Jay Newman: Not for me. UT has always been a labor of love. When we started the band our only goal was to make music we enjoy. And to look back at the last 11 years: mission accomplished!

Ryan Lipynsky: My only goal is to always strive for a perfect album. We still have our best album in us I believe. I think my way as a musician is always look towards the next thing. Keeps the fire burning. I never stop writing!