Black Moon Cult introductory interview by Alicks Wargood

 Last week we here at Dosed had the opportunity to talk shop with a band yall ain't ready for. From their transcendental guitar work, scale driven bass work, larger than life rhythm, and all the way to their psychedelic inspired lyricism they are certain to turn every head in every room that they fill with sound. We also got to spend a couple of evenings with them the last 2 nights and I can speak for the whole crew when I say... "we're gonna need some more Black Moon Cult as soon as possible." Enjoy the very short-hand version of their incredible story.

Q -1 : What is black doomba records, where is it located, how did you get hooked up with them and what does your signing with them entail?

A - 1 : Black Doomba Records is an Independent Record Label based in Atlanta, GA that specializes in Heavy Psych/Stoner Rock/Doom Metal releases! After the release of our debut single "Supernova" last year on TeePee records, we were in search of a full-term record deal for the physical release of our debut full length. We met owner Tommy Stewart at this years Maryland Doomfest. After our set, we were able to come to terms on a deal we're very pleased with. All that said, our debut album will be out next year, and will be available on multiple Vinyl variants, as well as CD/streaming!

Q - 2 : That's super radd. So, just a real right time at the right place for you as a band AND for yalls readiness to take the next step.

So, about your work with Doomba Records, what can people expect, what kind of time frame before yall think it will be ready for press, and I know there has been some deeper inspirations for the concept, I'd love to hear what inspires the creativity of it.

A - 2 : At the time of this interview,  we have 1 more studio session left to finish up some vocal dubs, and then we send the tracks out for mix/master. Tony Reed of Mos Generator/Pentagram will be handling those duties for us at his HeavyHead Recording studios in Seattle. We imagine we'll have the completed album back during winter, with vinyl release likely coming Summer 2025. We'll be releasing a couple singles as early as Spring, however.

Sonically, this record is very raw at its base, as we chose to record all drums/bass/basic guitar tracks live, playing together, with no click track. We wanted to capture exactly what the songs feel like in a live environment, but after that fact, we got very experimental with what a studio could offer. We employed several analog synthesizers, a real pipe organ, an Electric-Sitar guitar, vocal processors, and several other fun things like that, just to add that sort of next-dimensional Psychedelic icing.

Lyrically, and conceptually we're very into all facets of "other worldy", be it old Pulp scifi, 50s-70s Horror/Scifi films, Lovecraftian Cosmic Horror, Occult literature, even some Cryptid/UFO essay videos on YouTube. Haha.

Q - 3 : That's fantastic! I can appreciate all of that and am excited to see the dynamics at play.

What are some things that you may have learned (in the studio) this time around that you find notable, and how do you think yall have grown as a band in lieu of that?

A - 3 : We've had a few studio sessions in the past, where we sort of went along with the things you're  "supposed" to do in modern-day, digital recording. Not to go into specifics of what we didn't like in the past, but this time around, we were dead set on making this record old-school, and on our terms. There was not a single DI track/digital plugin on the entire record. Everything was LOUD tube amps and lots of microphones (including Bass!) So the tracks are just full of authentic moving air and LIFE. Every sound you hear was authentically produced and captured. The result has been everything we hoped it would be, along with some surprising results that come about when you have to get creative and turn some real knobs and just hope for the best. So we really learned to not question our own creative sensibilities, or follow any trends in recording or our music. I think the experimentation and dedication to being authentic in our approach really helped us solidify our sonic identity as a band.

Q - 4 : I couldn't possibly agree more! My goal is to do the same thing with my projects as well.

How exactly did you guys cone together originally. I know you guys have some distance between you. What spurred the whole Black Moon Cult existence?

A - 4 : Jeff and myself actually grew up playing together in various projects around our hometowns of Napoleon/Hamler. Our very first band was actually a Stoner/Psych Rock band with similar influences to BMC, but not executed nearly as well. Haha. From there we ventured into Heavier territory, Thrash/Death Metal. After our last Heavy band broke up, we sort of went on separate paths for a while. He explored other instruments, while I reverted all the way back to my roots in a Blues Rock project. After some time, I wanted to go back to a Stoner/Heavy Psych sort of project, especially with the intent to explore the lyrical themes I mentioned. Around that time, Jeff and I started jamming again, and with our original bassist, got Black Moon Cult together and onto stages.

Kevin actually joined just 3 weeks prior to our first ever week-long tour, which was to Philadelphia and back. On extremely short notice our original guy stepped down, and through a friend of a friend we were introduced to Kevin. He learned the 45 minute set and went out on the road, truly saving our tour, and he's been an absolutely integral part of the band for about 2 years now. Talk about a champion.

Q - 5 : That's amazing. Props to him for catching on so quickly and melding I to the project so well.

Speaking of tours, I know you guys are doing a short run over the coming days. How many stops is it, what's the highlight of the run, and maybe a few words about the bands that will be joining you.?

Also, what other things are in the works for future dates?

A - 5 : Yes! We're just about to embark on a 4 day run with our Black Doomba labelmates Tommy Stewart's Dyerwulf and Grave Next Door. We'll be hitting Detroit MI, Ft Wayne IN, Morenci MI, and Norwalk OH, in that order. This run is 3/4 venues we've never played, and our first time playing Ft Wayne and Morenci in general! So getting in front of new faces in new places is always a highlight. Most of our gigs earlier this year were booked around the East Coast, and we definitely plan to go back, and more frequently in 2025. We plan to really spread our wings South, and West as well. Just tour as much as possible on the record. Ive been tossing around the idea of trying to book a tour of various independent record stores across the U.S. that would let us set up and play a set. Clubs are obviously our bread and butter, but we plan to put a lot into the Vinyl aspect of things, and that may be a better environment to focus on getting copies into hands of fellow vinyl collectors.

Q - 6 : Oh, for sure. It seems like you and I have very similar goals!

One last basic question. What bands, movies, art, etc. do you tip your hat to when it comes to the inspiration behind Black Moon Cult? Any locals that you've done tour work with that you suggest to folks?

A- 6 : Dead Meadow, King Crimson, Mastodon, Nebula, Oh Sees, Pentagram, The Sword, and Pink Floyd, especially the Syd Barrett/early 70s eras have all been especially influential on our sound. The literary works of HP Lovecraft, along with the film works of Ray Harryhausen, Stuart Gordon, and John Carpenter (along with the soundtracks) have been a major impact on our lyrical/visual concepts. We're definitely an amalgamation of all things trippy and wierd before us, and we wear that on our sleeves, no doubt.
We've always got to throw some love to our best friends in Cherry Drop from Detroit. Keep your eyes peeled for a cool little side project coming from a few members of BMC/Cherry Drop here soon!

Q - 7 : Oh, shit! That exciting. I appreciate yalls time and the conversation. Can't wait to play a couple of stops with yall this weekend.


- Alicks Wargood

Black Moon Cult is :

Kaleb Riser -  Gutar & Vocals

Jeff Vandebussche - Drums

Kevin Lewis - Bass guitar & backing vocals

Booking :

Psychadelicbmc@gmail.con

Basic contact : 

https://www.psychedelicblackmooncult.com

Be sure to go follow them on all social medial platforms as well as all music streaming services.