Welcome back to our next instalment of Upcoming Talent, the feature that gives new and upcoming bands a platform to tell a wider audience all about themselves. This time we are back in the UK with a horrorpunk outfit that had spent a long time as a DIY duo and have now expanded their line-up and are ready to shout about it. Take it away Siblings Of Samhain...
Scene Point Blank: Thank you so much for joining us, guys. Please start off by introducing yourselves, telling us where you are from, who you are, who plays what and how Siblings of Samhain started out.
Bill: I’m Billy Ray Butcher. I can be found performing guitar and vocals. Our founding member, Danny Demented, rounds the line-up on lead vocals but he has stepped back from the band at present. We wish him all the best.
D: I’m D Zombie and I perform guitar and backing vocals. I joined Siblings Of Samhain in mid-2021.
Joe: I’m Joe “Khanage” Worrall. I play bass guitar, double bass and provide backing vocals.
Phill: I'm Phill Phantom, new on the scene this year with the band. I love fast and hard-hitting music so Siblings of Samhain is well-suited for me. I've been a drummer since I was a young kid, listening to everything from Kiss to Anthrax to Sabaton, Ghost, you can see my influences. I'm looking forward to my first year with the band.
Scene Point Blank: How would you describe your sound and what influences Siblings Of Samhain musically and lyrically?
Bill: I would describe our sound as beautifully brutal; the lyrical content varies from love, violence, horror and everything in between which is backed by heavy guitar, pounding bass and drums topped off with harmonic vocals.
D: I would say that Siblings’ sound is somewhere between listening to Slayer whilst clicking your fingers along to doo-wop.
Phill: Fast, horrifying and full of energy. I loved listening to Tales of Love, Death & the Macabre especially, and my first time playing them through was wicked!
Scene Point Blank: What kind of horror inspires you as a band, e.g. supernatural/paranormal/true stories/gore/monsters/the living dead or the undead? Do you find you draw from movies more or personal spooky experiences?
Bill: You can find horror in anything, and you can find anything in horror if you try hard enough. The story of Frankenstein is a tragedy more than horror. There’s a twisted love story within Candyman. Shaun of the Dead is about friendship and loyalty. I find inspiration in stories that have depth.
D: Everyday life, I would say. It seems to be more horrific, in many ways, than most fiction. I am also a big fan of Stephen King books. They have always sparked my imagination and given me a deep well to draw from.
Joe: For me personally, it’s gore, monsters and the living dead when it comes to movie-related influences. But there’s always personal experiences in life, like in-your-head kind of thing.
Phill: Since I'm new I can only talk about my personal influences. I love gore, dark stories, twisting love with death, using what people find uncomfortable to process the negatives in life. Feel the music; when you’re angry, you want to stomp! When you’re sad, you want to weep! While wailing out sad heartbreaks in the car, metal, rock, punk -- doesn't matter -- anyone can find passion in any music. I find mine through heavy, hard-hitting, guitar distorting rock.
Scene Point Blank: Have you or anyone you know had a supernatural or paranormal experience? Please elaborate...
Bill: I used to live in a property built in the 1600s -- within the cellar were score marks to count the days of somebody captive down there. There used to be some freaky, unexplained shit going on within that house.
D: I would say that most people that you speak to have had weird, unexplainable experiences happen to them. But me personally, the one that springs to mind, was when I was working in an old house on the ground floor. The only other person who was there with me was on the very top floor and I heard my name spoken from the room next to me. As you can probably guess...there was nobody in the room.
Joe: I used to have a studio in a 17th century building that had some amazing stories, mainly about the original owner and that my studio was in the basement of the building, which apparently used to be used as torture chamber. I never experienced anything too torturous though.
Phill: A few, surprisingly; though I take an agnostic approach. I used to be a youth worker and we used an old farm building (lovely two-story farmhouse) that was haunted by a deceased farmer, an ex-WW1 vet who lost his nose. I was initially skeptical, but being alone in the building in the dark, I heard footsteps behind me on the staircase, turning round I saw a faint old man, with a crooked figure, and no nose… I've heard whispering on occasions but I'm pretty sure that's just my personal demon.
Scene Point Blank Do you have a favourite horror character or franchise? If so, who or what are they?
Bill: It’s like picking your favourite kids. I will say that pretty much anything Clive Barker, George A. Romero and HP Lovecraft is at the top of the list for me.
D: Probably Ash from the Evil Dead films. Also, MacReady from John Carpenter’s The Thing and Snake Plissken from Escape From New York.
Joe: That’s an easy one for me: George A. Romero’s Dead series and the Return of the Living Dead films. Also, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre films and ‘80s slashers…There’s actually too many to say!
Phill: I love the dynamic approach of Saw. They reveal the errors of man, bad choices, criminality, yet when those blades start ripping into victims, wires slicing through them, you have a sense of pity -- not by the horrific nature of their injuries, but because you know in yourself the mistakes and bad choices in your life. I guess it makes me reflect on mine and actually makes me a positive person. Though I'm a sucker for Halloween, the artistry in every kill is strangely cool. I have issues…
Scene Point Blank: You hail from the Midlands in the UK. What is the scene like for bands like yourself?
Bill: There are very few music venues around Telford, and not much of a scene anymore. There was a good punk scene in the early 2000s, which seems to have died down.
D: As far as I know, there are not too many local venues left. The scene was pretty good in the 2000s, but not too sure anymore.
Joe: My area used to have a good music scene. It’s died out a lot in the last few years.
Phill: I'm only recent to Shropshire. I'm Scottish true and through, my area (highlands) was a very indie scene, something I was trying very hard to break out of. I found it too monotonous, not much feel to songs. With Siblings of Samhain, they explore a varied range, which I like. I'd love to bring back a more melodic approach to hard hitting rock.
Scene Point Blank: When it comes to playing gigs, is there much opportunity to put on many shows in your hometown or do you find yourselves travelling out of town a lot?
Bill: The majority of our shows have been comprised of tours: London, Bristol, Nottingham, etc., but we’re not opposed to playing anywhere. If a hometown show came up, we’d be down.
Joe : Honestly, probably not many in our area, but I do hope we’ll be able to play a few shows in our area and build it up a little.
Scene Point Blank: When and where was your very first live show and how did it go?
Bill: Our first show as a full band was at the Mulberry Tavern in Sheffield. One of our biggest fans, Jordan Anderson, was in the crowd and has been a huge supporter ever since. We played well, but there wasn’t much of a crowd until later into that tour.
Scene Point Blank: What can we expect from Siblings of Samhain live show now?
Bill: Lots of fast, singalong songs... Oh, and blood.
D: A bloody good time.
Joe: Well, the next live show we have will be my first with them! So, I hope a lot of fun will be had and a good show will be played!
Phill: Fast, full of energy. Chaotic, lots of demonic suffering and the occasional flying drumstick.
Scene Point Blank: If you could play a gig with any band (past or present) who would it be and why?
Bill: In terms of fitting the bill: The Misfits. But a dream show for me would be supporting The Doors in the late 1960s.
D: Would love to play with Blitzkid again and maybe Danzig from the late ‘80s/early ‘90s.
Joe: Well, obviously the Misfits. I’m a big psychobilly fan too, and there’s a few bands in that area I’d love to play with: Tiger Army, Nekromantix, The Brains...
Phill: I am a huge Kiss fan and I loved Eric Carr. I'd love to have a drum off with him along with Kiss' usual theatrics!
Scene Point Blank: Do you have any funny/gross stories to tell from when you've been out on the road?
Bill: After playing a show in Whitby, we were staying with Nayf, our former bassist: his dog ate an entire packet of cinnamon chewing gum and puked all over my jeans. I woke up having my ass wiped by Nayf, not a clue what was happening. After fully waking up, I woke Danny up and proceeded to complete the 4-hour drive back home in my boxer shorts.
Joe: Like I said, I’ve not played a show yet with Siblings, but I do hope we’ll make some fun stories along the road…Hopefully nothing to gross, but you never know!
Scene Point Blank: To those people out there who are unfamiliar with Siblings Of Samhain now is the time to talk about yourselves: all your recordings, Eps, singles, etc. So can you give us the lowdown on all of your recordings to date, please?
Bill: I was not officially a member of the band, but I recorded and mixed Danny and Nayf’s acoustic EP in 2017, which became Siblings of Samhain’s first release. We recorded around 20 tracks in 2018, which were used for the Hyde album, Laid To Rest EP and a standalone Blitzkid cover as a single. These were remixed and remastered alongside a Misfits cover and the original version of “Deadlights Ahead” as the compilation, simply called Siblings of Samhain. Since then, we’ve done an acoustic version of our album Hyde, called Jekyll, as well as an homage to the Penguins’ “Earth Angel,” our latest album, Tales Of Love, Death & The Macabre as well as our latest EP, Trioxin.
Scene Point Blank: Although you have always been predominantly a DIY band, you released your most recent EP, Trioxin, through We Are Horror Records. What were your reasons behind this? And how did the process differ from how you would do things if you were on your own?
Bill: We were approached by We Are Horror to release Trioxin after we contributed our cover of 5c Freakshow’s "Self-Made Psychopath" to their first compilation. I haven’t got the greatest of experiences with record labels, but I trust Dan (We Are Horror boss) 100%. We’ve known each other about 20 years and he’s a very good friend of mine with the best of intentions.
Scene Point Blank: What do you consider the pros and cons of being a DIY band when compared to releasing and recording material via a label?
Bill: Working with We Are Horror is mutually beneficial: Dan puts a lot of hard work into promoting and working with bands whilst splitting the production and promotion costs. There are no concerns around creative freedom and everything is transparent; everything so far is a positive.
Phill: I haven't been with the band long enough, but DIY (if you've got the coin) means flexibility. It's good for bands starting out and the occasional self-released album because you can make all the decisions. Labels are fantastic as it comes with funding and high-tech teams. That means mastering your creativity, but it also means you've got to bring the crowds in. Sometimes that means writing songs you might not personally jam with, but you know your following will. Best example of this is Ghost and the difference in their albums over time. They keep adapting to the crowds while maintaining their sound. That's a label. There's nothing wrong with either, as long as you understand what you want out of your career as a band.
Scene Point Blank: What do you all do to make a living outside of music?
Bill: I mix and master bands for some extra cash, but my main job is working for a homeless charity: helping to get rough sleepers and vulnerable people off the streets and into accommodation.
D: I’m a gardener. *Side note from Bill: if you need any tips on burying a body without being caught, ask him at one of our shows.
Joe: I’m a tattoo artist and own my own studio with my wife. I also paint, draw and do commission artwork: all horror-related artwork.
Phill: I work with Bill, actually. That's how we met. I'm a jack of all trades for the charity, from admin to mental health support to handyman. I love it, it also gives me time to spend playing music and being with the band, it's a nice mix.
Scene Point Blank: What do you consider to be Siblings of Samhain’s greatest achievement to date?
Bill: Making some awesome friends/fans and playing some incredible venues. One show in particular, Horace Planter (The Specials’ bassist) was in the crowd. It was that day that I asked Danny, “Why don’t we cover ‘Ghost Town’?” and so we put our own spin on it as a CD-exclusive track for Tales of Love, Death & the Macabre.
Joe: Getting me on bass!
Phill: “Zombie Soldiers (Are Go!)”
I love the song. It’s always stuck in my head, love smashing it out on the kit!
Scene Point Blank: What is next for Siblings of Samhain?
Bill: We have a five-day England tour in October, around Halloween, as well as a three-day stint in Scotland supporting The Screaming Dead. We’re in talks with Los Morts (Peruvian horror punk band) about a split four-track EP: one original and one cover of the other band but translated to the native tongue. No set release date yet but we’ll keep everyone up to date.
D: New music and live shows.
Joe: Working on new releases and new shows will be coming, and I’m very excited to play them.
Phill: More awesome music, more horror, more gore and a solid album!
Scene Point Blank: Thank you again for taking part in this feature, it has been a pleasure. Please use this space to shout out other bands, or mention anything else about yourselves you think will be beneficial to your band and any other bands, friends, family, neighbours, pets or any venues you think deserve a shout out!
Bill: Percy’s in Whitchurch is an incredible venue that everyone should visit/play at least once and 5c Freakshow are an incredible Canadian band that everyone needs to check out.
Phill: If you want to tap into your inner pirate, a band I love from my home country, Alestorm, are a blast. Very underrated band, well worth a listen. Below the Neck, from my hometown, are a good listen too.
