Several offshoots over the last few years (i.e. "stoner rock" which is a loose, and much more jam band/rock oriented approach) have come and gone, but true doom stands the test of time. Consider the first time you heard Cathedral, the Obsessed, St. Vitus and Trouble. We marveled at the misery they concocted and reveled in the sweet desperation they captured on record again and again. Around the same time I heard a band called Confessor, and marveled all over again. These guys have been around since the late 1980's and when they broke with 1991’s CONDEMNED (Earache), it seemed they would be the next big thing to wave the flag for doom metal and all of its constituents. Despite their successes, the band called it a day a shortly thereafter never to be heard from again. Well, history always has a way of repeating itself and Confessor has returned with the critically acclaimed UNRAVELED (Season of Mist) and I jumped at the chance to talk with the recently reunited dirgemeisters. Here's what they had to say....

It's been a long time since anyone has heard anything from Confessor, so right off the bat I have to say welcome back! What initially lead to the reformation?

Scott: The reason we reformed was simply because of the death for our former guitarist Ivan Colon. Ivan died of cardiac complications and did not have insurance at the time, so his wife was left with the debt. So we decided to get back together to do one show in our hometown, Raleigh, NC as a benefit for her to help with the medical bills of Ivan’s death. The show was a huge success and all the profits went to Ivan’s widow, Julie. However, what we realized on that stage that evening is that there was a fire still there and we didn’t want it to smolder anymore, we were ready to light it, and that’s just what we did.

Given the success of CONDEMNED, did you guys feel any pressure at all in creating the songs that would make it onto UNRAVELED?

Not really. I think we just wanted to convey the same emotion as we did back in the day. The approach was a bit more laid back than Condemned but the overall feeling is still there with the new songs.

In the early 90's you had the chance to tour on one of Earache's "Gods of Grind" bills. How different was the scene back then as compared to now?

I guess it’s a bit different and a bit the same. I mean back then we didn’t fit in with the grind scene and now we don’t fit in with the metalcore scene. We have always just tried to create a sound that we personally like and play music that is interesting to us. We have never jumped on any bandwagon that’s for fucking sure!

I feel that Confessor often get lumped unfairly into the doom genre. Your core sound may hint at that, but you also have lots of musicality and unique arrangements that suggest a myriad of other influences. Is it a fair assessment to consider Confessor a full on "doom metal" band and if not, how do you feel the band should be categorized, if even at all?

I guess Doom is the closest thing but we certainly have songs that are much more upbeat than a typical doom song. I understand that it is hard to put us in a category but personally I like that. I like that you can’t say CONFESSOR sounds like____. Otherwise, what’s the use in being creative and playing music at all?

What ultimate goals do you want to accomplish with the new album?

We just want people to enjoy the album and respect it. We are not a touring band so we are aware that the album will only do a certain amount without supporting it.

What are your touring plans for UNRAVELED?

Well as mentioned above we are not able to do much touring as we all have good jobs and are not in the position to walk away from them. We have been offered an Opeth Tour and In Flames tour but were not able to do them. The main reason is because of the “buy ons” Whoever started that bullshit should be strung up by the balls and shot. I hate these booking agents who do that shit. I guess if we were 19 and on a label that would support it, it would be fine to pay $10,000 to buy on to a tour, make $100.00 a night if you are lucky, play first out of 4 bands and wind up being in so much fucking debt to the label it would take 5 years to recoup. Not for me bro and not for the other guys in the band. It’s shit like that, that keeps bands like CONFESSOR hitting the rehearsal space instead of the stage. We were fucked by Earache and we won’t be fucked again.

Are there any current bands you'd like to share the stage with, and to that end, what bands would you most like to tour with?

The Opeth tour would have been great for us. I am VERY disappointed it did not work out.

Having been on the outside for so long, I'm sure over the years you've had the privilege of seeing how the doom scene has evolved and thrived since your absence. Can the newly revamped Confessor hold up with what is going on today, and if so, what do you feel you can offer that other bands of this ilk can't?

I am actually not to up on all the bands out there right now. I do think CONFESSOR can offer up a type of doom that is different than the few doom bands I know of.

Lyrical content has always seemed like it was of equal importance to Confessor's sound in relation to the music. What are some of the themes behind the songs on UNRAVELED?

I tried to keep the lyrics in the same vain as Condemned. Mainly about emotions and things people can relate to. We leave the Devil and Politics up to other bands!

Lastly, can we expect another Confessor album soon or do we have to wait another decade plus?

I sure hope not. We already have about 4 songs close to completion for the next record. You can expect the next record to be much more fucked up than Unraveled. On Unraveled we were just getting warmed back up. The next album will make Condemned sound like George Michael.

Thanks again, and any parting words?

Yeah I just wanted to thank you for the interview and hope you guys will pick up, CONFESSOR Live in Norway DVD this summer!!! Check www.confessorband.com to pick it up!! Thanks!!

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