It might have taken The Illusion Of Time, the sophomore full-length from New York City death/doom crew Funeral Leech, a full four years to follow up Death Meditation, but now that we’ve had a month and a half to absorb this monster it’s safe to say that wait was well worth it. Out through Carbonized Records, this collection is one of the stronger death ‘n’ doom efforts we’ve come across so far this year, and it happens to leave quite the lingering impact. The Illusion Of Time is suffocatingly dense, to the point that getting sucked into its darkness as a listener is simply inevitable. Punishingly heavy riffs… sorrowful synths… and an atmosphere that seems to expand infinitely. The result is a depressive burden that is also curiously captivating, something I’ve returned to time and again since it released last month. But that’s enough out of me. Drummer/vocalist Lucus (“L”) took some time to answer our Profile questions, sharing more about the Funeral Leech history, the state of the scene today, and more. Give it a read after the jump.
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How and when did you first get into playing music, or metal more specifically, and how did your band get its start? Any pushback from family/those close to you?
I started playing drums when I was 12, and learned to play mostly punk stuff. Alex (guitars in Funeral Leech) and I played in a crust punk band in our teens, Kevin (bass in Funeral Leech) and I played in a sludge band called Black June in our early 20s, Zack (guitars in Funeral Leech) and I played in a grindcore band called Grudges for a while. When that had reached its end, me and Zack got together to start playing death metal, and that was the beginning of Funeral Leech, we eventually brought Kevin and Alex into the fold and solidified our line up.
No pushback from family or friends, they’ve always been supportive. Both my parents were and are musicians, so they were always supportive of this stuff.
How would you describe your band and what you play to someone who is completely in the dark?
Sorrowful death metal with soul crushing slower passages.
Is there one anything about your latest album or about your band that no one will find in any interview or review that you care to divulge?
I don’t want to give it fully away but I slipped several references to things near and dear to my heart into this record and only one or two people have caught them so far.
Any funny stories from playing shows / tours / festivals, etc?
Nothing that would translate well to writing here to be honest.
What do you see as some of the great things happening in and around the metal scene (yours or just in general) and what are some of the worst things happening right now?
Right now the scene in NYC seems to be doing good. A lot of newer bands are popping up, and it’s cool to see them on shows. A lot of the venues here are also helping out by taking in the shows St. Vitus had on their calendar while they’re dealing with issues that caused them to close their door for a bit. That’s been the hard part, Vitus was such a staple for the scene for over the last 10 years, and they’ve done a lot for us as a band. Hope they’ll be back up and running soon.
Most folks have passions for a cause or causes that are close to them. What, if any, are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you / your band and how do you insert those issues into your music?
Mental health struggles is a huge subject I touch on a lot in the band, it’s something that’s been with me a lot through life.
Besides that, all of the band have been Vegans for a long time, animal rights is something we’re all passionate about as well.
Do you have day jobs or hobbies you want to share?
Besides playing in Funeral Leech, I’m really into record collecting, have been doing so for over 20 years, and I also collect flyers and show posters from the New York scene in the 70s and 80s mostly.
What advice do you have for music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?
I honestly don’t know. A lot of outlets these days have just become click bait fodder and have left me fully disinterested and tired. Maybe less of that.
Any specific long term goal(s) in mind?
Long term for us would be to do some tours when we have the time, and to continue advancing our sound.
When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently?
Currently I’ve been listening to the new Heresiarch album a lot, and I recently revisited all the early Echo & the Bunnymen records and those have been in constant rotation. The album “Against Perfection” by the British band Adorable has been getting a lot of play over the last few years for me.
What is the near future outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?
Right now the only thing we have set in stone is Death Over Bakersfield fest in June, that’s in Bakersfield California, we’ll be sharing the stage with bands like Hell, Demoncy and Mortal Wound.
Summarize your band in one word.
DEATH
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Many thanks to Lucus for the time!
The Illusion Of Time is out now through Carbonized Records. For more information on Funeral Leech, give them a follow on Facebook.
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