Formed in 2016, Kidderminster’s stonerific 5-piece Broodmother have been quick to make their mark on the local metal scene. With the release of their debut full-length Sin, Myth, Power, SLAP caught up with frontman Noel Fischer and guitarist Jon Edwards to see what all the fuss is about…
Sin, Myth, Power has some belting tunes on it! What’s the philosophy behind the music on this new album?
Noel (Vocals): The music on Sin, Myth, Power is a fusion of the various elements that we’ve all brought to the band. There’s metal in there, there’s prog rock, there’s doom. These influences are fused together under the guise of ‘stoner rock’, and we feel that we’ve created something pretty unique in that genre.
Jon (Guitar): It’s everything we thought sounded cool, but maybe hadn’t been explored yet in combination.
Noel: We could mention specific bands which we’re influenced by, but that’s for us to know and for others to judge for themselves.
What are the standout tracks on the album?
Noel: I think the real highlight is the standard of the musicianship and songwriting set throughout the album. For me though, I love the down ‘n dirty, the titty-bar rock feel of ‘Natural Born Sinner’. That’s a real good tune! It’s very accessible, and it tells a story too.
And what is the story behind Natural Born Sinner?
Noel: It’s about a hard-drinking, hard-living sort of guy who expects nothing and gives nothing, y’know? He lives life on his terms and makes no excuses for who he is or what he is. Ultimately life is a one-time gig, so make sure it counts!
Who inspires you to make music?
Noel: Jim Morrison, John Lydon, The Doors. People who go so far against the grain that it makes you stop and think.
Jon: The usual stuff for a metal band really. Tomi Iommi, Dimebag Darrell and Eddie Van Halen are the obvious ones. Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) is one of my all-time favourite guitarists, a lot of his stuff makes its way into my playing. Steve Hackett (ex-Genesis guitarist) is great too! I went to one of his gigs last year, it’s one of the best gigs i’ve ever been to.
If you went on tour tomorrow and could pick any touring mates, who would you choose?
Noel: Grizzleroot!
Jon: Yeah, Grizzleroot! Well, Grizzleroot can open for us and then Clutch can headline. They’ve always truck me as nice guys to go on tour with – we’d learn a lot from them.
Can you tell us about the artwork for Sin, Myth, Power?
Jon: That was done by Barney Oakley from Crossfade Productions (based in Abberley), who came highly recommended from one of our friends on Facebook. We met him and he was just on our wavelength with stuff. If you look carefully there are various references to our songs hidden within the artwork.
Noel: We’re very pleased with his work!
You probably get asked this a lot… what is a Broodmother?!
Jon: That’s a good question actually. The band already had that name when I joined, so i’d like to know the answer to that!
Noel: I belive the name Broodmother originates from a comic book which was found by Jamie, our original guitarist. To us though it’s a reference to ancient pagan religions native to this country. It symbolises that we’re all of one mother – and the mother is nature, the universe, and the planet. Mostly though, we just think it’s a cool theme for the band.
Jon: If you look carefully at our logo there are losts of references to ancient pagan iconography in there.
Noel: You’ve got the goddess, the moons, and the pyramid which is a symbol of universal energy.
When is your next local gig?
Jon: At the moment we’re just getting up to speed with our new drummer, so our next gig won’t be until the 20th March. It’s at Route 44 (Birmingham) with Witchtripper. We’re also playing a gig with Doomicidal in Bath on 4th April.
Craft beer or real ale?
Noel: I’m tee-total, so Jon can answer this one!
Jon: Craft beer, but it depends on how hipster it is. If there’s a shilloute of a man with a beard on the can, it’s off limits!
Zeppelin or Sabbath?
Jon: I’d say Sabbath.
Noel: Definitely Sabbath. Zeppelin is just blues-breakers, man. Sabbath are rock!
And finally, where’s your favourite place to play in the Worcester area?
Noel: Drunken Monkey Rock Festival! It’s great! They give local bands a chance to experience the real festival thing. It’s well-run, it’s a brilliant cause, and people there are so kind to you. We played at 11am on a Sunday morning and had quite a good crowd.
Jon: They raise a lot of money for the West Midlands Air Amblance. They also have top quality people running stages who know what they’re doing with the sound.
Pick up your CD copy of Sin, Myth, Power now from http://broodmotherrocks.bandcamp.com, or head over to Spotify to listen for free!
Jon Weatherill