THE WATCHER

Boston Doom metalers THE WATCHER broke out onto the scene in 2021 with an E.P. titled “Your Turn to Die”.  It was a three track affair that flew under my radar but once I heard their newest release “Out of the Dark”, I was quick in doing some additional research to see what else they produced.  I have to say, this latest record really struck a chord (pun intended) with me and has me spinning the disk often.  While there is a good amount of doom metal in those grooves, there is an abundance of New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal (NWOTHM) which is right up my alley.  These guys have that same energy and sound that will take you back to the glory days of the early 80s when metal was fresh and exciting.  I was lucky enough to catch up with bassist and guitarist Max Furst for a quick chat about songwriting, touring, and even the artwork for “Out of the Dark”.

WORMWOOD CHRONICLES:  Thank you for taking the time to speak with us.  Congrats on the release of your first full length record.  Why was there a three year gap between this record and your E.P.?

MAX FURST:  Thank you! There were a few contributing factors to the gap in time between the releases. The main one being that the lineup of the band was a bit dispersed during the writing process, coupled with the fact we also had other bands/projects we were doing at the time. Chris (drummer) and myself were seeing things through with our former band, MALLEUS. Paden had also just relocated to Pittsburgh and had a few music projects he had his hands in on, namely his band GAG, who did some extensive touring during that time all around Asia and Australia. 

For me, MALLEUS had been on the eve of recording an album when things suddenly came together with THE WATCHER EP. While it was exciting to have so many pots in the fire, it became challenging to juggle the two projects at times. This all left the writing process being more stop and go than I would have liked. In 2023, things with MALLEUS unceremoniously fizzled out. We then buckled down and focused more or less exclusively on THE WATCHER, getting things lined up properly for the recording session in New York at the end of the year.

WC:  What is the writing process for your band?

MF:  The writing process up to this point has typically been fairly streamlined to start. I will come to the rehearsal room with riffs and an idea for the basic skeleton of a song. Chris and I will bang through it one on one, developing the rhythmic dynamics and dialing in the nuances that give the song its character. I’ll then take a rehearsal demo home and work on the additional instrumentations, guitar leads/harmonies, bass, etc. Once it is in a good spot, I send the demo to Paden to work his magic with the vocals. Paden is a very musically minded guy, so oftentimes he will have other ideas for guitar solos and overall structure as well. We would usually go through a few iterations of some songs, but other songs came together incredibly fast with minimal back and forth.

WC:  On “Out of the Dark”, you have songs ranging from 2 ½ minutes to almost 8 minutes.  How do you know a song is done and there is no more you can add to it that makes sense?

MF:  It’s so easy to get lost in the weeds when writing music. Songs can quickly become bogged down and bloated when they outstay their welcome, losing any impact they may have had at inception. If a song can’t fit on one side of a 7” single, we try to consider carefully before including it on an album. The one instance we crossed that threshold on “Out of the Dark” was very deliberate and with intent as part of the greater vision for the album.

WC:  Are there any extra songs that did not make it onto the album?

MF:  There is only one song that did not make it on the album. Another short one in fact! This will most definitely make its way onto whatever we do next.

WC:  I really enjoy the production on “Out of the Dark”.  It has that sound that takes me back to the early days of metal.  Was it a conscious effort to capture that production?

MF:  To be honest, it was not conscious at all. I am happy to hear the production is pleasing to the discerning ear of an old school metalhead! The engineer, Sasha Stroud, tends to stray away from most digital post-production software effects. As a result, a lot of what is on the record is as it was recorded using a lot of natural reverberation from the room on the drums and vocals, analog pedals for guitar effects, etc. I think that lends itself to sounding a bit more natural like the early days of metal so props to Sasha for that.

WC:  I love the artwork for the record.  When so many bands “phone it in” in that department, can you tell us how the process came about for the cover?

MF:  The artwork was actually the main reason the album release was pushed out so far from completing the recording session in 2023. I will spare all the details, but I had originally commissioned an artist to create a piece for the album in August of that year. Things were pretty fraught from the beginning with this guy, so after several months of being strung along I had no choice but to cut my losses and seek someone new to create the cover. 

By this point the recording was finished, mixed and mastered so there was some pressure to get it figured out. But as you mentioned, we did not phone it in. I didn’t want to take the easier path of borrowing some found art and repurposing it for the album. I had a pretty specific vision of what I wanted for the cover. 

In March 2024, I fortuitously came across a US-based artist named Burney. His work immediately grabbed me, in particular his graphite pieces. It became quickly apparent that his influences were spot on with what I wanted for the artwork. From there, things came together very quickly. Burney was incredibly professional and communicative through the whole process, sending me sketches and drafts on an almost daily basis until we got things dialed in where they needed to be. In the end, I feel very thankful that things fell through with the original artist because I can’t imagine having worked with anyone other than Burney for “Out of the Dark”.

WC:  I hear bits of IRON MAIDEN and even very early DEF LEPPARD in your music.  What are some of your influences?

MF:  Some of my biggest influences for THE WATCHER were bands from the NWOBHM movement, in particular CRUCIFIXION.(That is an excellent band indeed!--Dr. M) Even if they only put out a few EPs, they had a very unique charm about them. The songs were stripped down and straight to the point, focusing on riffs and hooks versus flexing their musical proficiency (or lack thereof). Like many of the bands from the era they were akin to punk in their approach, simply trying to make kick ass tunes to drink beer and pump your fist to. Beyond that, we have obviously borrowed influence from lots of classics like IRON MAIDEN, BLACK SABBATH, METALLICA, MOTÖRHEAD and even stuff like TURBONEGRO or RATT.

It’s also worth calling out the influences of my counterparts, as their touch is undoubtedly part of what makes the band what it is. Chris cut his chops playing in punk and hardcore bands at a young age, and I believe that energy comes through in his playing. Second to BLIND GUARDIAN, he has always cited OUT COLD as a major influence on his style. Paden is definitely the most musically educated individual in the group, heavily influenced by 70’s guitar-forward hard rock. The man also loves David Coverdale. Paden adds that touch of grace to our otherwise reptile brain approach towards traditional heavy metal.

WC:  What was the defining moment in your life that made you decide to be a musician or start a metal band?

MF:  My earliest memory of wanting to be a musician was jumping up and down on my bed playing air guitar for my friends at my 6th birthday party. I was rocking out to an 80’s rendition of "Rock and Roll Music" by CHUCK BERRY and all the other kids were screaming and cheering me on. I felt like a fucking GOD and I became determined to recapture that feeling ever since. 34 years later and I still haven’t even come close!

WC:  Was the idea to always have THE WATCHER as a power trio or did any of the incarnation contain additional members?

MF:  As much as I admire the concept of a power trio, I have always planned to have a full live lineup for the band. Nothing quite packs a punch like two guitars. After finishing the album, we recruited two local friends to fill that role: Dylan Kulpa of DEMON CHROME has joined up on lead guitar, and Nelson Ribas (ex-MALLEUS) is playing rhythm guitar. I have returned to focus on my native instrument, bass guitar, and Paden is focusing solely on singing. 

WC:  What is the metal scene like in Boston now?

MF:  I think we’re at a pretty exciting moment with metal in Boston right now. A lot of the younger crowd who were coming from punk are delving deeper into metal and starting some great bands as a result of it. With that new crop of fans, there are also more people attending metal shows and injecting some life into the scene. I feel that is essential to keep things from getting too dull.

WC:  If you could tour with any band, what would be your dream lineup?

MF:  That is a great question. I would love to do a tour alongside any of the other bands on Cruz Del Sur/Gates of Hell, particularly CHRISTIAN MISTRESS, MEURTRIERES or TONNERRE due to our longstanding friendships with some of the members.

In terms of a fantasy/dreamland lineup: A hologram of Quorthon playing BATHORY’s self-titled album start to finish, a resurrected INEPSY, and THE WATCHER humbly opening so that we could promptly jump off the stage and into the front row to go bananas for the rest of the evening. 

WC:  What are your touring plans for this record? 

MF:  Nothing quite confirmed yet. As soon as the record is out, we hope to hit the ground running. We will be doing some shows around New England up to Canada in the Spring, and we hope to come play in Europe in late 2025.

WC:  What was the last CD purchased?

MF:  The last record I purchased was the long awaited LP by ALEMENT: “Banished Sphere”. By far the finest band playing this style these days. Highly recommended!

WC:  What was the last concert you attended as a fan?

MF:  The last concert I attended as a fan was seeing WASP on their recent tour. It was a hell of a time. My only qualm was the omission of “Animal” from the set. Blackie Lawless is a fucking coward!

WC:  Have you had any Spinal Tap moments yet?

MF:  If you are playing in a band and haven’t had a Spinal Tap moment yet then you are doing something wrong.

WC:  What’s next for THE WATCHER?

MF:  We’ll see what opportunities come our way. It’s about the journey not the destination, right? If that’s the case, then I can say I have had a blast getting this far and it feels like we are only at the beginning.

WC:  Any last words for your fans?

MF:  Thank you Greg and Wormwood for this thoughtful interview and thank you to everyone who has supported us thus far! Cheers!

THE WATCHER