October Noir - Interview

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Published on Thursday, 24 February 2022 19:32

The iconic Type O Negative is no more since 2010, but here is something new for the fans of Peter Steele and company, the name is October Noir, and you should remember it. Florida (USA) based October Noir was formed in 2016 by Tom Noir, and guess what, their music is like a continuation of Type O Negative's legacy. The debut album, The Haunting And The Powerful, was released in January 2017, then the sophomore, Thirteen, in October 2019. Listening to October Noir is like reliving the music of giants, who made the cult albums Bloody Kisses and October Rust back in the 90s. Still, October Noir are a band on their own, not just a mere copycat, let alone a cover band. Even though they don't hide that their major influence is Type O Negative, they make stunning authorial autumn-sounding doomy gothic metal. In September 2021 October Noir released their third full-length, Fate, Wine, & Wisteria. The new album, consisting of 13 tracks, is their best work to date, the most elaborated, the most "their own" product. The band already gained an enviable number of followers and fans. Drowned in green, black, orange, and white for title texts, October Noir have wisely exploited the gap left after the end of Type Of Negative. After many line-ups change, today the band consists of the vocalist/bassist Tom Noir, guitarist Doug Lane, and drummer Tyler Fleming. If you are a fan of Type O Negative, or already one of many who were embraced by the darkness of October Noir, you need to read this in-depth interview with the founder and mastermind Tom Noir.

Interview with: Tom Noir
Conducted and edited by: Tomaz

Tomaz: Hi. I don't know how many and how well our readers know October Noir. So, can you give a brief description of the band? I would say that October Noir is Type O Negative after Type O Negative. Do you agree?
Tom: I think it’s fair to say that our heaviest influence is that of Type O Negative. I believe they created a genre that no one else has been able to explore and, due to it, has placed us under a very sharp microscope.

Tomaz: It's cool that you didn't choose to be a Type O Negative cover band (which you can easily be), but rather than that you decided to continue where they left off after the death of Peter Steele.
Tom: I never wanted it to be a cover band. I think that covering Type O Negative is almost useless because no one can do it better than them. I do like to reserve live shows to provide some covers to give listeners or attendees an opportunity to hear those songs in the environment. Type O Negative, as we know, will never exist nor play live again. I don’t even look at it as a continuance. I just saw it as an opportunity because a lot of my writing always sounded more Type O than anything else (even though I grew up on a lot of 80s hair metal which attributed to my learning of instruments). Pete was Pete and I am me, so it’s even bothersome when people make comments like, “it’s Pete reincarnated.” Although it’s understood that most will automatically make a relation because of who we are, I felt it’s best to stay within the lane of this genre because it works. If I were to attempt anything else, I’ll still be compared, so I might as well stick to where It works best.

Tomaz: I agree. But still, your voice, at first listen, can be easily mistaken with the one of Peter. Did this timbre and deep vocals come naturally, or do you have to learn a lot to sing like that?
Tom: No, it’s natural. There are things that I can hear where I feel I don’t sound like Pete. I just feel, tonality wise, it fits in the universe. It wouldn’t matter what band I joined, if I open my mouth on that mic, I’m going to be compared. Just as easily having long hair and wearing all black I’ve had people I’ve never met automatically relate me to Pete just being out in public. It’s what it is.

Tomaz: So, also your outer figure is similar to Pete's?
Tom: Hahaha, not at all. Pete was 6’6” and I’m only 6’1”, I’m no gym rat, either. I don’t look anything like the guy but maybe the lanky frame is what people initially intercept with. It’s always been an eyebrow quirk when those words come out of someone’s mouth.

Tomaz: Last year you released the amazing album, Fate, Wine, & Wisteria. Like a fan of Type O Negative, I was instantly hooked by it. Tell me, after some months of its release, how are you satisfied with it?
Tom: I’m extremely satisfied with it. The first album was more of a test run on whether it would even be accepted, so there were a lot of “nod” moments to Type O material involved. It definitely got some attention as we headed into the second album. Many people were begging for more “nod” moments but we included one in "Little Drummer Boy" that paid tribute to “Gravity”. And don’t forget “Her Dark Embrace” which was intentionally written parallel to Type O Negatives “Haunted” which was designed to get the fan base's attention. That really pissed them off hahaha. So all I say now is - “Gotchya”. But leading into Fate, Wine, & Wisteria it was about the full departure of nodding and song influence. I wanted it to come out of my deep core and started digging into other influences. Some moments were included that had influence from Def Leppard, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Misfits, the Goosebumps theme song, early punk riffs, The Cure, The Sisters Of Mercy, and The Doors. We plucked around with a lot of different styles to shape the songs. Even "Wanderlust" was initially carved out as a cover from The Wedding Singer.

Tomaz: The cover of Danzig's "Sistinas" is in my opinion even better than the original song. It rarely happens with covers to be better than originals. It fits perfectly this kind of sound. How do you choose which cover to do, since you already did quite some?
Tom: Thank you. Danzig is definitely one of my favourite bands. One of the first songs I learned on guitar was "Little Whip" around the age of 14 or so. when it comes to choosing covers I prefer to come out of the left field. Something older that can be revamped with newer aged sound. Usually, it’s just along the lines of a particular song hitting me in the right way internally. For instance, I didn’t want to touch "Wicked Game". HIM had a powerhouse version of it and that song has been exhaustingly covered for years. But Doug was adamant so I gave in and attempted to work it in our direction. I think it was a good choice but yeah, There’s no certain standard we have on choosing them. We get plenty of suggestions and if the fit feels right then we go for it.

Tomaz: Now about the lyrics. Type O Negative had very specific lyrics, full of dark humour and such stuff. What about yours?
Tom: This is what I feel sets us most apart. Lyrically everything I write comes from my own life experiences, feelings, or personality. Whether it’s love, loss, sarcasm, quirkiness, enraging, humorous, or unforgettable. I have my opinions and beliefs as anyone else, and I’m human just like any other, so I think in many instances it can be relatable. I’m not one for allowing others to bring lyrics to the table or writing fantasy-based songs about dungeons and dragons. I prefer to bring everything to the table from the heart. Darker subjects tend to be more influential than others. Life sucks and you have these moments of clarity, but then you die.

Tomaz: Is some inspiration for lyrics coming also from the recent situation with the pandemic and all the stuff around it? Anyway, how did it affect you as a musician?
Tom: No, I didn’t live in any fear over this pandemic. Initially, it bought us time to build our light show. I’ve personally had both delta and omicron variants but it was never life-threatening. I’ve felt that eventually everyone will get this crap and there’s nothing we can do about it. However, it did negatively have an impact on shows and travelling but it allowed us to shift focus to other things in the meantime. I’ll say I will be happy when the government gets their hands out of it and it completely ends.

Tomaz: Explain the title of the album, Fate, Wine, & Wisteria. How do those things go together?
Tom: During the process of starting the album it was a very rocky time in my life. I was dealing with relationship woes where I questioned what was the fate of it all. Couple that with drinking (primarily red wine), and finally following what the meaning of the wisteria plant symbolizes; long life and immortality… wisdom and age. The ever-climbing vine. So I felt it was appropriate for everything currently going on and the structure of material within’.

Tomaz: Is  Fate, Wine, & Wisteria, from this point of view a concept album?
Tom: Normally the songs are created before an album title is selected or suggested. It’s determined by the overall subject material. As with Thirteen (second album) dealt with a lot of family issues, and its name was chosen in relation to the Thirteen clans from Vampire the Masquerade. Given under the subject of a family that drains the life from you.

Tomaz: And what about the song compositions. Do you have any techniques of your own for that, or did you find out how Type O Negative were doing it and try to follow that process?
Tom: Composing usually can spawn from a simple set of words or a specific riff or something. None of it follows any form of process that Type O Negative used. I just want the music to be a journey. We tend to write in a manner that is harnessed by an album rather than an EP or singles. Certain pieces are written to pull at specific emotions, and most times it’s just a measurement of length and whether I feel anything more needs to be said or conveyed. Transitions tend to be the hardest elements to work on, especially if it’s in the same composition. You have to find the right method to break away and enter the next realm of the content. In the same process, there is a level of “mainstream” we try to be conscious of. We have moments where some things get cut out and others rewritten or altered to shape the songs. It’s quite a process, but no set of rules that we follow to get there.

Tomaz: And how would you compare your three albums between them. Is there any common ground that connects them? Which one was the hardest to make?
Tom: The only common ground I would suggest is the tonal values. Dark themes, distortion, gothic overtures, and emotional flames. Fate, Wine, & Wisteria was definitely the most difficult as it had been given the most production time, funding, and depth.

Tomaz: There were a lot of line-up changes in the short history of October Noir. How so? Is the new line-up a stable one?
Tom: The first two that came in were Troy and Jackie. I think they were just looking for some moments of fun and to drink and play some music. By the release of the second album, it was a situation where I had already written and recorded the material on my own because I couldn’t even get them into the studio to sit and record and we had a deadline to meet. Creative differences ultimately caused those two to walk. A few days later we had Doug and Justin join, and Justin ultimately left the band shortly after the third album was released. He is one hell of a musician but he ended up moving away and not doing much of anything musically. He is definitely missed. Danny, on the other hand, has been an issue since joining. Between drugs, ego, bumming off of fans, bandmates, and connections, and just being a complete asshole to everyone, on top of him trying to compete with other drummers and bands (overplaying, not serving the musical compositions, and being so trashed that he would be offbeat etc at the shows) it was finally time we had enough and he had to go. That’s when we brought in Tyler who is looking to be a powerhouse for us in every way possible. The new line-up is absolutely solidified but we just lack the right keyboardist to bring in. We’re not going to settle so until we find the right fit then we have no problems continuing as a three-piece and running the keyboards on the backing side.

Tomaz: How much do the other band members cooperate in the compositional process? Or are you the only one responsible for this?
Tom: Ultimately the direction and mood are set in pace by lyrical content or what the song is attempting to trigger. No one is designated to their instruments as all members can play a variety of different equipment. In the studio, I always say “I don’t care who plays it but what serves the song the best will be chosen.” So we hit it from all different directions on how things could flow, with Doug nailing down some solid keyboards to me drumming or doing a guitar solo, and even Tyler running to some piano or guitar riffs. It’s one big net that we try to wrangle the right pieces that ultimately fit. I like it that way, it definitely adds to the diversity and colourfulness of what pukes up.

Tomaz: Thank you for explaining all about the line-up changes. It looked to me really strange that so many changes occurred in such a short time. Now I guess that you should explain something about the band name. I read somewhere that it's connected with Type O Negative's album October Rust.
Tom: Incorrect. Others have also assumed as such. But October was chosen because of Halloween, the autumn, and all things associated therein. While Noir was given at the back end to bring elegance to darkness. So, in theory, it translates to Autumn Black. However, that title would fit more suitably for black metal, haha. I needed something that could immediately paint a mental picture, was simple, and straight to the point.

Tomaz: If I'm not mistaken all of your albums were self-released. How so? Were there no labels interested, or do you prefer to do it on your own?
Tom: They are self-released. There has been some interest and some offers (I won’t name names) but on the flip side of it all, I’m not interested in being fucked. The business model that a lot of labels have chosen in order to sustain nowadays is very very different from what it used to be. And a lot of the footwork they were willing to do are things we are already doing ourselves. We are entirely self-sufficient in methods of recording, releasing, lights and sound, graphic design, and marketing. So truly they aren’t necessary unless they are really banging on exposure. We are patient and we are willing to wait. You know, I knew it would be bad when I witnessed some of the biggest labels in the world going bankrupt or shutting down.

Tomaz: Yes, I know. Many of the bands are just eagerly searching for a label, like if that it's the only solution, and many of them get burned in the end. Ok, there are still some labels doing things correctly. Nevertheless, do you do also promotion and management on your own? I guess that for doing that you must have a lot of valid contacts. What is your advice to so many new bands that are doing the same mistakes over and over again?
Tom: Oh yeah. We’re not saying there’s anything wrong with labels. But it is about the right figment. We do take care of a lot of promotion, but we include PR companies from time to time, as well. Management we usually handle on our own but we’re getting ready to tie up some ends so we can hire some agents to get us moving a lot smoother. My advice to newer bands would be this: make sure you have a product and material ready to launch before attempting to hit the stages. Get as much feedback as possible, share it around, and hone in on your weak points. Stay humble, avoid ego, and always have the work ethic to improve yourself structurally. There are a lot of people and a lot of bands that are all regurgitating the same sound and ideas. Find ways to set yourself apart that really hooks the listeners.

Tomaz: Last year you released an amazing cover of Type O Negative's "Love You To Death". How come you didn't include it on the album, or at least as a bonus?
Tom: It was initially going to be included in the release of Fate, Wine, and Wisteria but was decided to set out as a single. The problem with that cover is that, because of who we are as a band, we can’t justify doing anything differently with the song. We chose to incorporate some of the elements they provided in the live environment to give it some difference. But in the end, Type O Negative did it first and they did it better.

Tomaz: Ok, I get your point. You are coming from Florida, which is best known to metalheads as a cradle of death metal. Your music is more or less like a NY thing mixed with some old school UK goth. Has the death metal scene of the late 80s and early 90s that was so strong in Florida affected and influenced you in any way as a musician or fan?
Tom: For me not so much. In my early years of playing the guitar, I was learning a lot of black and death metal. Cradle Of Filth, Satyricon, Deicide, Mayhem, Acid Bath,... and by the time I reached my later teens only a few of those bands stuck around for me in what I would listen to. It was never something that drove a lot of influence outside of more of the symphonic keyboards. I’ve always preferred more clean vocals than I have screaming and growling. There’s a massive influx of those types of bands and quite honestly nothing seems to stand out in its writing. I normally just call it a wall of chaos and temper tantrums.

Tomaz: Were you active in any other bands or musical projects before forming October Noir?
Tom: The last band I was active in was back in 2004. It lasted around a year or so. Since then I just kind of sat in on my playing and learning new material on the guitar. It wasn’t until 2016 I had decided to form October Noir. So I started buying up equipment to start recording with. I finished up the debut album The Haunting And The Powerful and released it on October 19th of 2017. Expected it to flop, fail, and completely get ripped apart for any attempting anything close to Type O Negatives’ sound, but it was completely opposite. So I had to put some guys together and get it rolling out. It’s been quite the ride so far and I never expected to be where we are now.

Tomaz: I noticed that the first two albums have cover artwork that seems to have some kind of a connection. The third one, has a different art concept, except for the colours. Can you give me some explanation, because I have a feeling that nothing is a coincidence?
Tom: The first album featured the “haunted house” which was a direct path to the song "Volatile". The second album just featured the entrance to a graveyard. There wasn’t any specific relation to any of it other than the idea of wanting both covers to look like a painting. The third album was originally supposed to have the same effect, but we found it much easier to work off of the photographs we received.  The top priority was to focus on the girl with a glass of wine in more seductive clothing.

Tomaz: You also released some nice music videos. The one for "Effigy" is a very interesting one, with the background shootings after the song finishes. How important is it for a band like October Noir to make videos, and how do you enjoy creating them? Can we expect any new video for any other song from Fate, Wine & Wisteria?
Tom: Honestly we love being able to shoot music videos. We get to travel and be a part of some very cool locations. It also allows a lot of the visually creative side to pop out. The "Effigy" was the most fun. We wanted to design our own little fling of horror that paid a lot of nods towards older slasher films. The interesting part about the video was that it was a completely different take on what the song was lyrically portraying. Where the song itself conveys a group of friends by a makeshift camp and a couple slipping off to have intercourse and avoid being killed, the video gave a spin on a girl who, during masturbation, summons a demonic entity to kill the friends. And with each climax, it’s like the control trigger for the demon to initiate murder. There are already plans to film two more music videos in the future. We’re just waiting on obtaining the right and specific locations to make it happen.

Tomaz: And what about the October Noir live shows? What can a visitor expect to see and hear when attending one?
Tom: Probably sleep, epileptic seizures, full-body tremors, hearing loss, and an erection lasting more than four hours. (Don’t worry, we aren’t spiking the drinks.)

Tomaz: Any tour in plans? Do you have some intentions to come to play in Europe? Any invitations already?
Tom: Absolutely. Before Covid struck we were on our way to hitting a small European visit. Since then everything has been kind of up in the air with all of the new regulations and measures. So we’re just waiting for the dust to settle before we set to attack it.

Tomaz: Good! I'm looking forward to it. Even though the last album of yours was released in September, I need to ask you if there's something new in the making? What can we expect from October Noir in the not so distant future?
Tom: Currently we have our version of "Crimson And A Clover" releasing on March 20 (first official day of spring), two singles featuring a very good friend of mine that most people might recognize, an acoustic version of one of our songs, and a collaboration on a cover with a known YouTube artist. In the mix of all of that, we will already be assembling new material for the next album that will be due out in 2023. So we will be staying quite busy on this end.

Tomaz: Do you mean the song of Tommy James & The Shondells? Wow, it'll be very interesting to hear your version of it. How did you come to this idea?
Tom: Yes. That’s the one. The song was always great, but it also felt very all over the place in terms of its structure. But the vocal flow grabbed and the psychedelic nature was something that opened a lot of room to play with. When it comes to covers I feel it’s important to give enough so that it becomes your own while, at the same time, retaining what makes the song special. The spin on this one is very different but still managed to attract the same flow and patterns that the original captured. We are excited to release it and feel the fans will feel it is unexpected but also very happy with it.

Tomaz: A lot of things around October Noir are about horror, gloom, Halloween,... eerie things in general. Are you a fan of horror movies and literature? Which ones are your favourite?
Tom: I’m quite fond of horror films. Not so much the new age spawns as they tend to bundle storylines with ridiculous politics and nuance subject matter of whatever violates someone’s feelings these days. Others are potentially just given cliche plot lines that have been cooked up dozens of times before. I like innovation and differences. I’ve been a huge fan of The Witcher so I’m adoring the Netflix series. But at the same time, I have always enjoyed the universal classic monster films, The Munsters, The Addams Family, The Crow, even Rob Zombies films, to The Monster Squad, the IT films, Tales From The Crypt, The Exorcist, Evil Dead, and even Warm Bodies haha. But yeah… I would like to see more originality and have these producers and writers avoid the bullshit talking points of today's society.

Tomaz: And what's your opinion about the art of today in general? Besides music and films, is there anything else that you are interested in?
Tom: I think art and artists at any point in the future will continue to grow or innovate. I don’t particularly attempt to follow anything trending, nor openly seek it. Quite often I just stay too busy to even discover new artists so I probably am seen quite lacking in that department. But I find interests in some gaming, firearms or military tech, home decorating, automotive tech, or economic paths.

Tomaz: Ok Tom, I guess that we covered many things regarding October Noir, and thank you for taking your time to be so expressive with answers. Still, is there something that you would like to say to our readers and your fans at the end of this interview?
Tom: Would just like to express how grateful we are to everyone who has been following us and those who have yet to discover us that will be coming on board in the future.

October Noir links: Official website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube

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