Summon: How did the band get started?
Richard: Black Vulture began with Martin & Atilla they recorded the music. Not sure when but I met Atilla in 2007 when we traded tapes and CD’s through the mail. Then in 2009 I met Martin also through trading CD’s when he asked me to do vocals on a song they had and I agreed. Apparently he liked it enough to ask me to help them complete the album which took me a while because I did not want to let these guys down.
Summon: What kind of music do you play?
Richard: It’s not really easy to put a label on what our sound is, there are elements of death metal, black metal as well as some experimental stuff.
Summon: How has the fan response been?
Richard: So far it’s been mainly positive we have gotten a lot of good feedback, and the reviews have been positive as well.
Summon: Where did the band name come from?
Richard: Well Martin & Atilla came up with the idea with another member involved briefly before I joined. Globally we are spread out Martin is from Malta, Atilla is in Holland, and myself I’m from the USA, California to be exact. We communicate via Emails.
Summon: Introduce the band members and what they do in the band.
Richard: I am Richard Schierer I am the vocalist as well as lyricist, Martin Ciappara is the drummer and Atilla Kabak is the Guitarist.
Summon: Who writes the music? Lyrics?
Richard: Martin & Atilla come up with all the music and write all the lyrics.
Summon: And where do the lyric ideas come from?
Richard: I wrote the lyrics mostly by just trying to sing whatever would come out while recording and if it sounded good I would write it down. Improve and fine tune it and record it. So it’s mostly just train of thought whatever’s running through my head at that moment.
Summon: What is your view in Satanism and Occultism?
Richard: I have always been interested in the hidden and forbidden knowledge of this world it gives me a lot of interesting concepts to write lyrics. Satanism is not something that I’m interested in.
Summon: How many albums/CD’s have you released?
Richard: Darkness Fills The Earth is Black Vulture’s debut release so this is our first album.
Summon: Tell me about some the songs on the latest CD?
Richard: The song Victory or Death is about fighting war on your own soil. A World Between The Afterlife is about dying yet remaining here on earth never to rest. Clockwork Orange is about mind control and Cleansed By Fire is about the earth killing off humanity to cleanse the world and start over. The songs musically are very interesting it forces me to think in a certain frame of mind I guess.
Summon: Do you have any side projects?
Richard: We all have our own projects each one of us has solo projects. I have a one man death metal band called Dying Messiah and I am getting ready to release my 7th album this year. Martin has Prayer Of The Dying and Atilla has Sarratum and together they have a project called Lustre as well.
Summon: Who are some of your musical influences?
Richard: Way too many to name I would have to say to name a few American Hardcore punk bands like Black Flag & the band Death and Chuck Schuldiner, death metal bands like Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Malignancy, Deeds Of Flesh, Dying Fetus. I have a lot of outside influences like old 70’s progressive and classic rock & heavy metal.
Summon: Which current bands?
Richard: Currently I am recording the Dying Messiah album so I’m not listening to too much music but to name a few local bands I like right now from CA are Hideous Rebirth who is a one man band from riverside that I will be doing a split CD with soon. I really like the band Horrid from Huntington park & Killgasm from Northern California as well as an upcoming band called Nihilitus.
Summon: How is the crowd response when you play?
Richard: Black Vulture has not yet performed since this is a long distance affair it’s kinda hard to think if we will ever get to that point but dare to dream I guess.
Summon: What do you think of the US Black Metal/Death Metal scene?
Richard: There are a lot of bands right now and not enough shows to go around crowds can be very selective about who they come out and support. There’s a lot of good bands and a lot more not so good ones that all copy each others sound, but there are some great shows every month but rarely if ever is Dying Messiah on the big shows but that will change soon.
Summon: What do you think of the Overseas scenes?
Richard: That is something I wish to experience in person one day I have only seen video of the shows and the crowds seem way more into it than here in the states but there are great bands all over classic ones & new ones that i am a fan of all over the world flying the flag of metal and doing it well.
Summon: When do you guys plan on writing any new material?
Richard: Well once Atilla has some ideas he feels strongly about it will be on them to collaborate on the music but til then we hope people like our current release and it’s enough to keep the interested in what’s to come.
Summon: What does the future hold for the band??
Richard: Hopefully more albums will be released and we will continue to make music.
Contact them at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Vulture/242353292495303
http://www.myspace.com/blackvultureblack
