Pic courtesy of: Heritech "We never set up any specific guidelines for our sound and have just relied on instinct and imagination to define Heritech"

Hail K.: So . . . what’s your latest album about?
Sokaris: Our new CD is entitled "Prophecy: The Apocalypse Enigma" and features six tracks composed to flow as one piece. Musically it covers a lot of ground, much heavier, more dramatic and much better songwriting than our first release "Xenopathic Biocide". Lyrically it narrates a story that leads up to the end of the world and sets the stage for post-apocalyptic society, something that will be explored more with subsequent releases. Both the music and the lyrics were written together, one inspiring the other, to strengthen each other. I think even without the lyrics the music definitely gives the effect of a story being told.

Hail K.: It’s self-released isn’t it?
Sokaris: Everything including the production and artwork was handled within the band. We're currently sending the disc to interested parties and various labels, trying to push our work as far and wide as possible.
Sage: Our esteemed vocalist is being bashful. He handled all the artwork himself and it came out beautifully. Funny thing is, I didn't even know what the hell the album cover was until months after I'd first seen it. In all honesty, I thought it was some kind of crazy mutant ant head. Go figure eh?

Hail K.: Are you satisfied with the overall result?
Sokaris: We're thrilled with the album's completion. The songs were originally written in the fall of 2007 and became complete throughout the winter. The writing process went very quickly (about one month) but the arrangements/recording of the songs took longer. However in this time we played with one our biggest influences, Unexpect, and acquired our guitarist Sage, so there were a handful of interruptions throughout. Of course this time helped the album ripen and it turned out to be something that surprised even us in a very pleasant way.
Dodd: I only wish we could have had real choir and strings.
Sage: I'm fairly satisfied but I feel like our production on the guitar side of things isn't quite there yet. We're working on it and Dodd is hard at work learning the mastering side of things on his own. He actually produced the entire album and did a top notch job at it. We also were unable to work in bass at the point in which we recorded the album as you can probably hear. We've figured out this problem as of a few days ago though.
Initially, the bass tone we were getting wasn't up to par because it was cross-interfering with Dodd's low-end of the programming, causing a really muffled background. There's some technique that he's learned in the mastering side that finally allows us to cut unneeded low-end noise and keep both bass and his low-end programming.
We also didn't really have time to find the classical musicians that we wanted to collaborate on this album, but with the release we'll finally have some time to begin our search again. I'm classically trained and I play piano and own a violin, but Dodd will be handling 99% of the keyboard duties since we've found a drummer that we can finally work with who has an interesting view on music as well which will diminish some of his programming needs. As far as violin goes, I've not even begun to learn. There's a noise artist in the area by the name of Spencer Yeh that I've been contemplating asking to teach me, but as with any other professional musician, time is a precious commodity.

Hail K.: So are you guys experimental, avant-garde, symphonic, or what?
Sokaris: I would answer yes to all three of those. We never set up any specific guidelines for our sound and have just relied on instinct and imagination to define Heritech. Our biggest inspirations generally come from various avant-garde metal bands but we all have our own different influences from many different styles. The symphonic element was something that evolved along with the songwriting. We chose to add this extra dimension as fans of not only keyboard-laden metal bands but of both classical music and film scores.
Sage: In addition, I'm just going to say, for now we are. Even avant-garde has a definition that confines the music within. Perhaps we'll even move outside of that one day, who knows. As I said earlier though, we now have a drummer, so our possibilities are endless. What we can do will rely only on how far we're willing to push the boundaries. We're all creative, open-minded thinkers. So I think even though no one knows of us now, you'll be hearing of us quite a bit in the near future if we can keep going at it.

Hail K.: Your names are Sokaris, Dodd, Sage, Morder . . . Did each of you come up with your own alter-egos?
Sokaris: I wouldn't necessarily consider it an alter ego personally. I could never in any seriousness answer to the name or any pretentiousness like that. It's simply something that helps identify myself as an artistic entity. Any pseudonym used within the band is that of the individual involved and these are all names we've used for years before Heritech.
Dodd: Dodd is actually my last name.
Sage: This one's been asked a million times. My birth name is Joshua, and since I deny Xtian beliefs as a whole and was named after the biblical character, I deny my actual name and go with the name that was given to me in high school by friends of my brother's. That name is Sage, and I've gone by it for some 7-8 years now. You won't meet many males as its a feminine name, but I'm the last to care about such small details.

Hail K.: The band is composed of four talented musicians, how strong are your individual backgrounds in music?
Dodd: I played keyboard or bass in a slew of terrible bands until Sokaris and I started this project. The only other projects I have been a part of that are worth mentioning are UMBAH, Destined to Fester, and Mephitic Husk.
Sokaris: I've been in a handful of projects, played shows, jammed with plenty of people but Heritech is what I consider my first serious band. It also my main priority. I'm planning on contributing to many other projects if time allows but Heritech is something larger than myself that I'm honored to be a part of.
Sage: I've been playing music since I was 10. I'm classically trained in percussion and have 12 years of experience on drum kit, mallet instruments and other percussive instruments like Timpani and Orchestral Chimes. I spent 6 years playing in a jazz band which gave me more of a progressive outlook on music and metal growing up. I've played guitar and bass for 7 years now, and piano for 4. My first serious band was a blackcore band out of the middle of nowhere Indiana called Angelic Requiem. None of the musicians in that band went on to currently be in any other projects, but we released one demo and were known around here by some people for some insane live performances. We were just kids having fun back then. We got banned from the city of Covington, KY at the time, also wrote some of my most treasured riffs in those years. I still feel like I lost a small spot of creativity when that band died, but its slowly venturing its way back into my playing. I was part of a Sapthuran project called Evermourning on keyboards for a short while but some shit happens as does with any serious musicians and heads were butted. Needless to say, today HeritecH is my only serious concern besides the webzine I write for and my solo music which I currently have no means of recording.

	Pic courtesy of: Heritech "I'd sooner be covered in shit and play games like Kvarforth than subject myself to the endless idiot circus of trendfuck black metal."

Hail K.: Is the name Heritech supposed to be a fusion of ‘heretic’ and ‘technology’?
Dodd: Yes! We started out as a two-piece project, somewhere between EBM and experimental industrial with harsh vocals and sampled guitar. This name really fit that sound and idea, but I think it’s an even better fit now as we head into these conceptual lyrical concepts.

Hail K.: Does the band have a message that the songs and albums convey?
Sokaris: Not particularly a strict message, but there is a certain point behind the lyrics I write for the band. On one hand I enjoy the idea of developing a sort of "universe" for Heritech's themes to exist in. That is to say, we're not necessarily telling a linear story but everything fits into a larger picture. On the other hand, we're all socially conscious individuals and our frustrations manifest themselves inside of the music sometimes. The focus on apocalyptic themes does have a deeper meaning, something that will be portrayed through the band's lyrics with more and more details with each subsequent release. Nothing is coincidental, nothing is random in what we do.
Sage: Do you like flowers? DEATH.

Hail K.: Look, I’m not a musician and I’m curious. How do you go about programming music?
Dodd: In the past I almost always did all of the music, and started programming the drums for a song in two sections, first would be a layer of "Gabber" hits, if its a song that called for that and then I'd move on to the "metal" sounding drums, but this time around a couple of songs called for a third layer of "world" type drums. All noise, sample, and melody based programming was done after the drums. On this CD however, Sokaris programmed two of the tracks, and I was very pleased and impressed with the result. We exclusively used software for the programming on this CD, some people wont agree, but I think software is really the way to go.

Hail K.: Does the band play shows often?
Sokaris: We've played shows in several different venues around the area sporadically, taking different opportunities to bring Heritech to the stage. In the past we've played to a backing track with programmed drums, orchestral layers and synth. Currently we're auditioning new members to bring a fuller live sound to the stage and hoping to organize a short tour of the north eastern corner of America sometime this year.
Sage: Basically, our last show brought up some serious conflictions between the sound board and our programming, so we've put off playing live shows for the immediate future until we get this new drummer up to speed. Any band that has programming that has failed on them in a live environment will tell you how humiliating it can be.

Hail K.: How’s the metal scene in general around your area?
Dodd: There are a couple of local bands that I have huge amounts of respect for like Conspirators Of The Occult, and Estuary being the most note worthy.
Sokaris: It seems the potential for a stronger scene is here. There are definitely talented musicians and people with visionary ideas, just a matter of perseverance and continued effort. We hope to show our city and beyond something different and hopefully inspiring.
Sage: There also seems to be a slight separation. If you know anything about Cincinnati, you should know that the city's suburbs are split between the states of Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. While Indiana really has no scene to speak of these days besides some pop punk music that I do not care to speak of, the Ohio River kind of separates bands. In Kentucky there really seems to be a growing black metal awareness. But once you cross the river, its almost like there's been a thrash revival. If you do your research on the bands around here, you'll see what I mean. I strongly suggest Estuary and Dawn of Wolves.

Hail K.: It’s impossible you guys don’t have a strong foundation in Black Metal. Who are your all time favorites of the genre?
Dodd: I am into the more outlandish sounding stuff, being a fan of post black metal bands like Arcturus, Anaal Nathrakh, DHG, Void, and Abigor. Really anything fast, harsh, and absurd.
Sokaris: There's definitely a large influence from various black metal bands within our sound, especially those on the more adventurous side of the genre as Dodd mentioned. Personally I'm also a big fan of the original Norwegian scene, most of all Emperor. Not to mention Darkthrone, Immortal and of course Mayhem. Mysticum should be mentioned here, considering they were a band that was part of the original scene but hinted at future developments into new territories- way ahead of their time.
Sage: My love for the French scene can't be denied. Labels like Aura Mystique and Drakkar Productions really go a long way to fuel my love of black metal. As far as bands go, I could go on forever but there are a few core influences: Secrets of the Moon, Negura Bunget, Vinterriket, Bekhira, Epheles, Crystallium, ABSU, Ceremonial Castings, Xasthur, Lucifugum, Emperor/Ihsahn, Ved Buens Ende, In the Woods..., Hollenthon, Agalloch, and countless others. I'm also heavy into Thrash Black hybrids.

Hail K.: What else should I know about your influences?
Sokaris: Personally I'm influenced by a lot of different things. Mainly music, but films, history and even just day-to-day life can change one's musical perspective. My initial foray into the more extreme side of things was through the Florida death metal scene. I slowly discovered heavier, darker, faster and more complex metal bands until I'd found just about the very apex of each particular quality. I started discovering bands like Ram-Zet and Ensoph and felt a very deep connection with such an exciting premise. Rooted in heavy metal but branching out in every way, erasing borders and reaching what I believe to be the next extreme.
Dodd: Aborym, Ulver, and Devil Doll have influenced me more than anything else I think.

Hail K.: Do you guys put on paint, bullet belts, or any grim attire when performing?
Sokaris: When I've performed I've used only dirt and blood. No makeup.
Dodd: If we ever do decide to do anything more theatrical it will certainly be the least important part of what we are doing.
Sage: I'd sooner be covered in shit and play games like Kvarforth than subject myself to the endless idiot circus of trendfuck black metal.

Hail K.: Are there any literary influences, references, or inspiration as well?
Sokaris: Definitely! H.P. Lovecraft's work is a beacon of artistic inspiration. The man has done more than create stories, he's created mythology. George Orwell's "1984" had a profound effect on me and its influence will probably be more apparent in an upcoming conceptual release we have planned. As far as specific literary references go there are passages taken from Revelations book marking the album. Most of my reading is modern horror fiction which may be what drives my desire to use the lyrics to tell stories.
Sage: At the moment I'm reading two books: "The Antichrist" by Friedrich Nietzsche and "Three Roads to Quantum Gravity" by Lee Smolin. William S. Burroughs is a big influence though I know he's a favorite of practically everyone these days. Romantic-era poets get my rocks off too like Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. If its beautiful, has to do with new sciences, or is covering alternate religions or politics, I'm most likely interested. I also highly recommend the new book from Troy Southgate, "Tradition and Revolution". These don't really find their way into the music as I'm only the guitarist and my beliefs are questionable at best.

Hail K.: I’m counting on your experience here, if I were to enter a studio intending to record music, how much should I know about the hardware I’m going to use?
Dodd: We have yet to enter a real studio, we have been very hands on with our music so far, and had to learn how to record and make everything sound the best (and closest to our goal ) as we could with what we had available.
Sokaris: At this stage with the band's development we feel it's important to learn how to do as much ourselves as possible. In the future we may use an outside studio to record, but we want to have as many of our own resources available at our disposal as possible.

		Pic courtesy of: Heritech "Definitely! H.P. Lovecraft's work is a beacon of artistic inspiration. The man has done more than create stories, he's created mythology. George Orwell's "1984" had a profound effect on me and its influence will probably be more apparent in an upcoming conceptual release we have planned"

Hail K.: I just read an Overkill interview and considered just how many albums this band has released. Counting last year’s “Immortalis” their studio discography runs up to 15 albums, which is quite incredible as other bands can only manage half that output in a 25 year career. What kind of work ethic does Heritech currently bring to the studio and their music?
Sokaris: I was in attendance when Overkill came through our area in support of their newest album and I have the utmost respect for their steadfastness and dedication. We stay busy with the many different facets of the band's existence and try to keep ourselves busy. We've made it a rule to make each release bigger than the one before it. We've got a few ideas in the works and we may even have a couple more releases just for 2008.
Dodd: Personally I have spent hours trying to get certain sounds exactly the way I want them. Nothing is random on this CD.
Sage: I am a quick writer. Most of the the guitar you hear on the album is admittedly written in one night, granted I was in a rush because our former guitarist Morder apparently wouldn't move himself to write new material. As of right now, we are preparing for a split release with Conspirators of the Occult and there is a compilation from the Industrialized Metal webzine that we will be featured on. Past that, we're close friends and we will continue pushing forth as much effort as possible, assuming our day jobs aren't the end of us first.

Hail K.: Ambush question! What’s your favorite King Diamond album?
Sokaris: I've come prepared for this one! I always argue with anyone who chooses "Abigail". To me, "Them" is the definitive album. The story is much more cohesive, the riffs are better, the solos are crazier.
Dodd: I would have to think about this question for way too long to come out with a definitive answer, but I can say that I like Mercyful Fate more overall.
Sage: The one that caused Kim Petersen to spiral back in time into his infancy where his mother rolled over him in her sleep and crushed his beautiful newborn body into oblivion, effectively destroying any chance of King Diamond ever existing. Yes, I can read the hate mail now.

Hail K.: How complex, mind boggling, or ambitious is Heritech’s musical universe? What I’m trying to reach here is the intensity of the band’s imagination when it comes to creating their own music.
Sokaris: To be honest I don't think any of us could answer that. We're only at the beginning and our aims and ambitions are of an extremely vast scope. Heritech will continue to expand and it is our intention to create a band that satisfies all of our musical desires and is a beacon of creativity.
Sage: Ambition is the word isn't it? Ambition would imply that we were somehow trying to make this the most complex and strange music in the world. The ambition lies with our will to create the music we love, not to necessarily create mind-boggling music. Keep in mind that the music that was written came out of us in a pure form. Where the ambition to push it to its limits takes us is where your question will be answered. Like Sokaris said, we won't know until we get there. And as soon as we reach the pinnacle of our musical existence, you will know as soon as we.

Hail K.: You’ve more than aroused my curiosity Heritech. So tell me, what are your plans for world domination?
Sokaris: We're starting with intense promotion of the new CD, making it available to all markets possible both with the internet and through independent CD stores. Adding new members to our ranks to bring our sound back to the stage stronger than ever and hit new cities while we work on new material and refine our songwriting.
Sage: My plans with HeritecH lie on many different plains. The music "industry" needs fixing, badly, and hopefully if we can do something with this band, we can begin to help out the other people daring to experiment without concern for other's opinions. That really all depends on who's willing to listen, and who's willing to support us by promoting us and/or buying what we've taken the time to create. We're not rich men. Honestly, we're lucky to be as far as we are. So at least if we get somewhere we feel we deserve to be, we will give back to those who helped us along the way through supporting others in the genre to the best of our abilities. I personally plan to open up a vinyl-only label.