Below is an email interview with Pogrom. All interviews are published unedited.

• I will have to start with a stock question because I really need to know: How would you describe your music?

I describe my music as Impure Canadian Black Metal. I take what I feel is black metal, and put my own stamp on it. As a result, it has a slight maple syrup flavor.

One of the tracks here on ReverbNation, “Leaves”, has been redone twice, and has been released on CD. The split I did with the UK band Hegoxuri features a version of this song that’s about twice as long. Then I recorded another version, which I titled “Leaves (Extension)”, which is six minutes long, and features my organ in it.

For the most part, it’s plug in and play. Literally, some of what I’ve recorded just started off as a riff or a bass line and I just keep playing until I’m done. Then I go over it, plug in again, and throw in guitar or bass, then go over it again, and throw in vocals. Sometimes I’ll start with a drum loop (see the MySpace songs, or get the album when it’s out for these tracks), and go from there.

I try to continually record, but with the label and zine, a wife and two cats, and a Starbucks habit, some days I don’t have any progress at all on that front.

As for releasing my efforts, I have the aforementioned split with Hegoxuri out, and another split with Intra Tenebrae (also from the UK) available tomorrow, August 21. Both of these are being released in super limited edition, and for super low cash amounts. And in September(ish) the album, The Wolf in the Fog, will be released through the Polish label Ugly Cunt Records. That will be in super limited run as well, but if it sells okay it will be rereleased via Funeral Rain Records, the label that I’m starting.

I think I should also mention that there are talks going with a tape label to release it as well, hopefully in September as well.

FRR was started right at the beginning of Pogrom basically, becoming fully birthed in January with the release of the first four track demo (which is on ReverbNation in it’s entirety). It’s a vehicle to get my own music out in the world, and hopefully soon to release music from other bands. I’ll be focusing on metal, but I want to release some industrial and some goth as well.

FRZ was started to help get the names of bands that I like out into the world, to help get bands into a wider spotlight if I could. And so far, I think it’s working. I’ve made a couple contacts in various countries (UK, Italy, Austria, and a ton more), and I’ve done some e-interviews with a lot of bands, and reviews of their releases too. And I’m still on the lookout for more people to interview and review, and damn near any genre is welcome. In fact, just the other night I got a promo pack from a noise label. Very interesting stuff, and it sounds a little like a bastard cousin of grindcore.

If readers of this interview are interested in FRR or FRZ, check out the MySpace pages, at http://www.myspace.com/funeralrainrecords and http://www.myspace.com/funeralrainzine. I am also working on a temp website for them too at http://funeralrain.angelfire.com, and it’s starting to look good. I hope to have my own url soon, so keep looking there and the MySpace pages for info on that.

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