The Secrets of Voraath. An interview with Metal Lair

Experimental death metal act Voraath from North and South Carolina, newly incepted in September 2001 is a brutal horror/science fantasy- inspired extreme metal band featuring Brad Parris (Nile) on vocals and guitar, Joshua Nassaru Ward (Xael, Rapheumets Well) on drums, vocals and keys, along with Paul McBride (Implosive Disgorgence, Sweet Blood) on bass, and guitarists Daniel Presnell and Tylor Kohl.

I consider myself a music connoisseur. I spend much of my life submerged in music culture 24/7 so when I came across Voraath through Asher Media Relations, a wonderful public relations company we work with and listened to their new music video The Barrens I just had to go down this rabbit hole to find out more. They are relatively new on the scene as Voraath but they aren’t new to music. Their sound is technically advanced and really slaps you in the face with sheer power and originality. If you’re looking for escapism look no further. They take you on a journey into otherworldly realms through an illuminating narrative with lyrics and notes, much like reading a good book you get pulled into your minds eye where imagery takes over. Their music is powerful. I haven’t been this excited about music in a while and I feel this band has what it takes to succeed but dont just take my word for it, check them out for yourself.

Im really looking forward to hearing their debut album once it comes out and you just have to check out their extremely cool band shirts! I asked the band a few questions and they had very interesting answers, read on to find out more!

Though most of the concept of our debut album follows a group of “survivors” who are tasked with hunting down an inter-dimensional deity who has ravaged the earth, for this song (Siren Head) we wanted to do something “less” otherworldly and a bit more of a horror. My seven-year-old son loves watching scary stories about this creature called “Siren Head.” Come to find out that so many kids his age are infatuated by the monster, so we wanted to write our interpretation of Siren Head based on the artist Trevor Henderson. This also allowed for us some family metal/horror time!” ~voraath

Metal Lair: How does this band differ from your main gigs?

Voraath: This band has a lot of experimental elements, from the depth of the lore to our visual aesthetics. The music follows these hunters on a dystopian earth, 110 years after a mysterious catastrophe took out 80% of the population. With this man we’re wanting to bring this environment to life in our live show. We developed our own armor and apparel, really focusing on the live element. There’s a lot of emotion here. Even though we’re playing extreme metal, we want to take listeners on a journey that has anger, sadness, guilt, and some pretty epic battles.

Metal lair: What outlets allow you to explore musically what you don’t normally attempt?

Voraath: The whole project is an experiment. This is new territory for us to try and merge visuals and music together. Not just visuals but we’re wanting to eventually be able to add even more complicated theatrics until we’re able to portray our story much like a theatrical play. It’s a little bit hard in metal as a lot of shows you only have a 20 to 25 minute set with a 10 minute changeover. That’s the hurdle we’re still trying to figure out.

Metal Lair: What non-musical interests do you all share?

Voraath: Our non-music interest hmmm, We like kayaking and outdoor adventures. We like discovering abandoned ruins so we go as a group for that. Personal interests involve martial arts and survival training, lots of outdoor adventures, video games, and lots of fried chicken!

Metal Lair: What kind of foods do you guys eat while on the road?

Voraath: Our tour food consist of tuna packs, vienna sausage, gas station salads, and if we can sneak out at least once it’s usually Mexican or Chinese buffet. Sometimes we even bring a sliver of liver mush with us, something from the hometown ha!

Metal Lair: Your band name is very unique and interesting how did you come up with it and what does it mean?

Voraath: Our music represents the lore that we developed. There are actually quite a few layers and the multiverse in which we created actually extends to other projects. We have cosmic architects who propagate life throughout the cosmos, meanwhile, certain planets are overrun with turmoil, and for this project, we start here on Earth. In our hidden pantheon of cosmic travelers is the higher life form known as Voraath. Voraath is the icon of vengeance for us. So in that sense, Voraath is our deity of reprisal and vengeance.

Metal Lair: How did you guys decide you wanted to get together and form a band?

Voraath: The project started off with Brad Parris and (I) Joshua Nassaru Ward. Our long-time friends Tylor Kohl and Paul McBride were associated with us through their works with another experimental project that did not get off the ground. These were seasoned musicians and we work great with each other. We sat down to discuss a lot of possible lore where we would like to take the band. Pretty much we all agreed on sci-fi, planet exploding, complex lore, with a dash of our own Appalachian culture and extreme metal!

Metal lair: What future projects are in the works?

Voraath: We’re working on a video series. This is something we have not seen yet. We want to do a music video series that is both music videos and videos to portray the lore in between the music videos. To keep people involved and immersed in our lore. And of course we are currently planning our full-length LP. Theres a new video and song coming soon! This is a very aggressive, sad, and dark song about betrayal while coping with the effects of trauma. This song explores the unpredictable nature of grief. Even good people will commit violent acts when pushed to far. We will also be joining rings of Saturn on their US tour starting June 17th, 2022.

Lineup:

Brad Parris – Vocalist, Guitarist
Joshua Nassaru Ward – Drummer/Vocals/ Keys
Tylor Kohl – Guitarist
Daniel Presnell – Guitarist, accompany instruments
Paul McBride – Bassist

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