Interview: Symphony of Heaven

I was writing and managing social media for HM Magazine when I first stumbled upon a curiously and cleverly titled band called Symphony of Heaven and their EP The Ascension of Extinction. At first listen I was really impressed by the craftsmanship of the melodies and the heaviness – a perfect balance that is rarely executed with such precision. So, I shared about them with the HM audience, not sure I’d ever share anything of theirs again. That was common during my time with the publication. I’d stumble on a random band, share some music, then never see them again.

Then there was more SoH…

And more…

And the more they kept releasing, the more I fell in love with the band. They had me at first roar. As the band continued to develop a fan base, I noticed that they were still sticking true to their roots: blackened death metal with a heart for glorifying Jesus Christ. It was fascinating and captivating music that I couldn’t forget.

Now, as we near the end of 2023, Symphony of Heaven has released another single “In Anger’s Midst” and has larger ambitions on the horizon. Thanks to developing a friendship the past three years, the guys agreed to do an interview with Blacforje, which is what you have set before you today. I hope you enjoy it.

First off, thanks for joining Blacforje for an interview! I’ve been a big fan of your music for quite a while now, so it’s great to finally ask you some questions and get to know you guys better.

Let’s start off with this: you’re in Indiana, correct?

PATHØS: That's correct! I was born and raised in Southern Indiana, and all of our permanent members have always resided in Indiana while a part of the band. We had Eero Tertsunen from the band Renascent on lead guitar for many years, and he is from Finland originally. We can now claim some Nordic/Scandinavian origin, as well [laughs].

ASAPH: Yessir, that’s correct. Land of cornfields and construction.

Some people might describe you as blackened death metal. Do you consider that an apt description for Symphony of Heaven as an entity?

ASAPH: We describe ourselves as melodic blackened death metal, which feels like a mouthful. If people referred to us as blackened death metal or melodic death metal, it would not bother me at all, because both statements are true.

PATHØS: I believe so. We definitely have strong influences both within death metal and black metal, and also "blackened death metal". I like to maintain the brutality of death metal and combine it with the atmosphere of black metal. Also, not to forget the huge influence on me personally of melodic death metal, especially of the Gothenburg variety. It really mesmerized me in my younger years. So, that's why I myself call Symphony of Heaven "melodic blackened death metal".

You recently released a single titled “In Anger’s Midst”, which was a banger! Does this mean you’re working on a new EP or a new full-length? If so, what can you tell us about it?

PATHØS: Thank you for the kind words about our latest single! Yes, you are correct, we are currently recording and tracking for our kept release. Lengthwise it will fall somewhere between a longer EP or a shorter full-length album. 90% of the material is written, and we are just going over a few final songs to finalize their composition. In the meantime, we are tracking the songs that are finalized and looking to contact our mixing and mastering engineer to start that process soon.

ASAPH: We have four songs that were written nearly a year ago, long before we even tracked “Anger”, which are almost finished. Since it has been so long since we wrote those tracks, and with everything that has occurred since then with member changes, we decided to start a couple of new tracks to add to the mix. Musically, these tracks will be the fastest and most technical stuff we’ve done, as well as some of the most melodic tracks we’ve written.

“In Anger’s Midst” by Symphony of Heaven

Who are you guys outside of music? What describes the band – the humans in the band – other than just a bunch of metal dudes?

ASAPH: I would say I am a pretty big nerd. I’ve been that way since I was young where I would latch on to things in this “I have to know everything about it” sort of way. Franchises like Star Wars and Halo were my mainstays. In more recent years I would throw in Red Dead Redemption, The Walking Dead, and Sons of Anarchy. Granted, the quality of content in some of those franchises has dropped exponentially, but I always have the old stuff. I think that drive came with metal and drumming, as well. I love learning the history and techniques of my favorite bands and drummers, especially. 

PATHØS: My main activities outside of music are work and family. A lot like most other people, I would imagine. I will say over the last year or so I've also fallen into the typical mid-to-late 30's crowd and gotten heavy into strength training and weightlifting. I find a lot of enjoyment and life lessons in working out. My family and I are big into movies, stories, and video games. Lord of The Rings, Resident Evil franchise, Halo, Skyrim, and Assassin's Creed are what we spend a lot of free time on as a family.

Your faith as Christians plays a big part in your music, which is quite clear thematically and lyrically. How does your spiritual life impact your work in Symphony of Heaven?

PATHØS: It's everything I do. Every activity I do for Symphony of Heaven, and in life, flows from my faith in Jesus Christ. I was a Christian before a metalhead, so when I got into metal it was natural for me to place the music within my spiritual framework and worldview. I believe I should do all things as unto God, and that God is the Author of Art. Therefore, His art will be, and should be, better than anything this world has to offer.

ASAPH: We’ve had this slogan since the band started playing live called “Come Suffer With Us”, which in a vacuum is a terrible marketing slogan. However, I would say this describes what life is. Each of us has had to go through trials and tribulations to varying degrees. However, at the end of the day, our hope in Jesus Christ and the Salvation He has provided for us makes our suffering a bearable thing to endure. My spiritual walk has been peaks and valleys. There are days where I feel as though I have my act together and others where I am failing miserably. This certainly impacts our work as a band, which only fuels me to persistently do better, whether that is in my music, my faith, or my daily life.

You’ve played some live shows, it appears from your Instagram page. Do you plan on doing any live shows across the United States anytime soon? Anything in North Carolina (my state)?

ASAPH: Planning a tour across the U.S. would be difficult with our schedules, but I would be open to it. We are currently planning shows for 2024, with an international show booked in Mexico City. North Carolina would be awesome, for sure. We’ve got a few friends out that way, so it would be sick.

PATHØS: We are always looking to set up some regional runs, with a few shows on one short tour. North Carolina is a state we have talked about, especially if we do a Southeastern run. 

What are the best ways fans can support you as a band?

PATHØS: Tell their friends! Share our music with others. You know when you’re standing around talking in someone's kitchen, or riding in their car talking about metal and all these cool bands you know of? If we end up in those conversations, that organic grassroots stuff, that will help us tremendously in the long run. Lord willing, we make our music good enough that people will want to mention us in those conversations. Also, buy our music and merchandise. But I know if you’re telling people about us in your day to day lives, you've probably already bought something.

ASAPH: The best way to support us is to stream our music. It’s free to do so, with Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube, etc. However, if anyone wants to purchase our stuff, that helps too. If we could fund the next release, that would be excellent. If not, we’re going to do it anyways.

Last question: If Heaven does indeed have a symphony, do you think they’ll be more like blackened death metal or more deathened black metal? It’s a simple question.

ASAPH: Blackened death metal is the way God intended.

PATHØS: I think it will depend on which group of angels is in charge that day [laughs]. And if it's the Angel of Death, then it'll be thrash metal [laughs]. 

You can follow Symphony of Heaven on Bandcamp, Instagram, Facebook, and X.