Voodoo Church: After The Vampiric Sleep

First of all I want to congratulate you on your beautiful debut album: "Unholy Burial". I really loved it. It shows what a perfectly balanced death rock album supposed to sound like: very catchy guitar riffs, some church bells here and there, mournful female singing, and all of this delivered in tight, pointy songs.I got to know your music through a compilation-album: "Ricks Resurrected Rock", a Death Rock Compilation compiled by Rick A. Mortis. You appear on it with two songs, along with bands like Zombina & The Skeletons, Cinema Strange & Antiworld. Ever since I heard this, I've been on the watch for an album of the Voodoo Church . And now, finally, a full length album has come out!
- First I'd like to ask you if you're familiar with the compilation of Rick A. Mortis and how your songs 'Live With the Dead' & 'Rest In Peace' got on it?
"I do know Rick. A. Mortis.  I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of years ago.  He mentioned that he has always liked Voodoo Church , so it is no surprise that he would put out a compilation with Voodoo Church on it."

- In 1981, you already released a self-entitled EP. How were the reactions to that one at that time? And what's your own opinion about this EP after all these years?
"We had great reactions to the EP.  However it seems as the years have past, the EP seems to be even more popular.  I'm still very proud of the songs on the EP.  That was a time and place that can pinpoint my bands birth. "

- This was almost 24 years ago: why did it take you so long to come with a whole album?
"Shortly after the EP came out, I decided to take a hiatus from the band. It could be said that I was in a vampiric sleep for a long time.  However, music still called to me, it haunted me and I needed to step onto the stage once again.  It took so long to put out another album because I first wanted to do some shows and most importantly I needed to find the right band members. "

- The album "Unholy Burial" was released and marketed by "Strobelight" (Indigo). How did you come in touch with this label?
"I was first discussing with Strobelight about re-releasing the Voodoo Church EP. I mentioned to Paul that I had some new material and that Voodoo   Church was very much back from the dead.  Strobelight seemed very interested in having a new song on their compilation, which we agreed, after that there was talk about releasing the long awaited Voodoo Church CD "Unholy Burial". We are very happy with Strobelight Records and hope to work with them again in the near future. "

- I believe that there has been some change in the line-up of the band? What happened? And where did you find these guys?
"The original members from the time of the EP have long moved on or are not involved in music.  My new band now has the famous Tony Havoc playing drums and he introduced us to the perfect guitarist Brian Elizondo.  Randall Cole has been playing bass for me for two and a half years now.  These guys are perfect.  We all share a common interest.  They are serious about what they do and they want to be apart of Voodoo Church 's futures.  They would never let anything or anyone get in the way of Voodoo Church and that is what I was looking for. Now I have finally found it.  We all care about each other;
it's very much a family. "


- The album is divided in two parts: 'Face Up' & 'Face Down'. Can you explain why you did this, and more importantly: What is the difference between the two parts?
"I just kept to the same look of the EP and felt 'Face Up' & 'Face Down' was very much apart of Voodoo Church and the way we designed our look."

- To my opinion, the lyrical context of the album is perfectly according to the rules of the Death Rock genre: we are all going to die, we are being chased by voodoo dolls  and we keep howling at the moon. But I also get the feeling that there's a bit irony or at least humor in your lyrics. Can you tell us about the lyrical context of the songs?
"I agree that some bands almost have a fun silly Deathrock party feel to them, However what Voodoo Church does musically and lyrical is not for humor and certainly not to be taken lightly.  What you see and hear is very real and very much a way of life for me.  The dark sound is a reflection of the way I have always lived my life.  It's what I feel inside.  We are very much the real thing. The lyric's are from a personal experience or how I or we
feel as a band, or perhaps fantasy. Either way, what you hear has some truth to it. I'm serious about what I do. "

- I keep reading that people see you as a band that sounds a lot like "Christian Death". What do you think about that? Do you agree? And if not: Which bands do you see as your biggest influences?
"I can only take a comment like we sound like Christian Death as a  compliment.  Considering I knew Rozz and the guys in Christian Death very well.  I personally don't hear the similarities between Christian Death and Voodoo Church . I think each band is very unique in their own way and we each have a special, yet rare dark quality about our sound that a lot of bands don't."

- What are a couple of artists with which you'd really like to work with some day? And could you also tell us why?
"I'd love to work with The Cure or perhaps Siouxsie.  I love Marilyn Manson and I find Rob Zombie very talented. Rammstein is really a great band and in some odd way I'd love to do a video with them. I love their music.  There are a lot of artists that are very talented; I will just have to see what happens. "

- When I saw the cover of the Cure's 'The Figurehead' on your track list I was a bit skeptical. I personally think this is one of the best songs of Robert Smith and his companions. But as soon as I heard this version, I was amazed. It's refreshing to hear the lyrics sung by another voice than the drawling voice of Robert Smith. And to my opinion, Randall Cole plays the bass creation by Simon Gallup better than Gallup does.  Why did you choose to do this particular song?
"Wow. I'm sure Randall will be really happy to hear that. He is very talented, that is why he is my bass player.  The Cure has always been a big influence to me and perhaps even inspired a lot of my writing, it's really hard to say.  I just knew that 'The Figurehead' had something very special about it and I knew that Voodoo Church could do the song really good.  When we play 'The Figurehead' we all get lost in the song, its like going into a
trance or another world. I find the song very sensual and yet a little sad at times. We all love it."

- Are you performing live as well? And if so, are you going to come to Europe , or better yet, to The Netherlands some time soon? And what can we expect from your live-performance?
"We are currently booking shows in L.A. We have talked about going to certain parts of Europe and yes to The Netherlands.  Playing in other countries is very important to us.  I guess at this point we'll have to see if the opportunity is presented to us to play in Europe  soon."

- What are your plans for the future?
"To keep making Voodoo Church music."

- This interview is for the internet magazine Gothtronic. Do you consider yourselves to be a gothic (or gothic-related)-band? And if not: Can you imagine that people see your band as a Goth band?
"I love the Gothic attire. Especially vampire clothing, however our music has a harder edge to it then Gothic music.  We definitely love strong sounding guitars, which is usually absent in Goth music. I'd have to say Voodoo Church is more Deathrock."

- And finally: what is it you always wanted to tell, but never been asked?
"That's a hard question.  I guess I would more like to make a comment about Voodoo Church .  And that is, My band Voodoo Church is something that I'm very proud of. I'm proud and thankful that my music has been so successful and people like what they hear. That means so much to me. Voodoo Church is a known band because of my music and I've worked hard to give Voodoo Church  the respect it deserves. It's because of the fans of Voodoo Church that I've always been inspired to write more and because music has always been a part of my nature.
I hope someday when we're old and Voodoo Church rests in peace, that in the book of Deathrock history, that Voodoo Church and I are apart of that amazing time in history. "