We have spent a lot of our time in the Lake District camping and walking so the place is very special for us. On top of this we have a tradition amongst our friends where we go to the Lake District annually to indulge in a weekend of black metal, drinking and walking. One of our favourite haunts is Haweswater and walking the Old Corpse Road The name itself has such deep rooted meaning in the lore of the place so it was a very natural choice for us.

I think we have more than exceeded what we hoped for, we wanted to write an album that would feel personal and enthralling to the listener. The main goal of the album was for it to be a journey and experience and from the reviews and feedback people have really understood the album well.

For us as a band the album has been a long journey with many hurdles and setbacks along the way. During the period of recording I was suffering a herniated disc in my spine  and The Bearer was expecting his first child. We struggled to find time whilst working, playing live and life in general so completing the album was an achievement for us. It proved to us we could overcome most of what life threw at us and come out fighting. The new era has  seen us recruit a new guitarist The Seer as The Revenant is currently suffering a very severe hearing infection.

Why did you feel the need to print a special run of the debut that includes a stone taken from the actual Old Corpse Road housed in a velvet pouch? 

We are great lovers of collectable CD’s and thought it was an interesting way of making a special version of the cd. The stone fragments were collected from the beginning of the actual Old Corpse Road on Haweswater by the band. It was our hope that people could connect with the band and the road itself by having a physical aspect of it in their possession. 

It’s a wonderful feeling, a lot of hard work and passion went into the creation of the album from the music to lyrics to the artwork. We wanted to create an album that defined us, as well as creating an atmospheric experience. So the great reviews have inspired us to continue further...

Folklore is the driving force behind the music we create, it allows us to connect with places and sites in a meaningful way as well as allowing us insights into how our ancestors viewed and experienced the same locations. The interaction between man and nature combined with history is a very beautiful thing to us.

Very much so, as you read the lyrics you will find aspects of places and locations throughout the UK, the intention is that you can visit these places knowing their stories. For example the Glassensikes is walking distance from my house. It is renowned throughout Darlington for its hauntings. Its large houses are still there (as mentioned in the song) so there is a physical presence, there are the stories still told by the townsfolk and there are the legends...

The lyrical topics we have covered range through many different spectral, otherwordly and legendary beings such as the harbinger of death known as the Hag of the Mist who haunts families in Wales. We have also written about Isobel who is very important in Witchlore and is responsible for much of what people think about witches. With this release the lyrical concepts are all very dark and there is a distinct connection with death and fear. 

Yes, totally blown away by the support we received. We are so grateful for the support from our listeners!

Not in the slightest, we found out via a random post on one of our social sites and were totally blown away. 

I guess strictly speaking we are not new comers, however as we are self managed and don’t have any financial backing, it’s been a slow journey getting our name out there and gaining exposure. 

That is difficult for us to answer as I guess only the listeners can truly say. From the people I have spoken to the ideas I’ve picked up is that they are able to create strong connections with the songs due to the mix of legend, folklore and real world aspects. The music connects man and nature in a meaningful and positive way, which is maybe a different approach to your typical hate fuelled and negative black metal.

We are most definitely a live band and we will play anywhere we can! We play almost every gig we get offered and actively seek out opportunities. The only things that tend to stop us are work commitments (we all work full time) and financial constraints. I don’t think we could name one specific festival because there are so many good ones. For us our main goal is to play outside of the UK. So any festival in Europe would be a great starting point!

Our experience of the music industry so far has been "interesting”, we found it very difficult getting answers, feedback etc. from bigger labels.  We have a fantastic relationship with Godreah records. Crin’s dedication to the underground and black metal scene is unrelenting so to continue on Godreah is perfect for us. There is something very special about the label, its bands and its simplicity that makes for a comfortable home for us.

To be honest the names were chosen by each member for varying reasons which are now lost in the lore of the band. The main goal was for the names to appear simple, to have no specific meaning and therefore attract no attention. As you have already noted we prefer to be seen as a whole and not individuals.

Thanks for the interesting questions. Further information on the band can be found at www.oldcorpseroad.co.uk. A big thanks to all the promoters, reviewers and especially the fans for supporting the band and buying our releases. Running a band is an expensive business and without this support the band simply could not keep running! 

Questions by Sonia Fonseca

Answers by The Dreamer

February 2013