Interview: Orion Stephens of In Dying Arms

Interview: Orion Stephens of In Dying Arms

BearlySinister: First of all, thank you again for taking the time to do this. I've hada few burning questions about the album since I started listening andI'm honored to be able to get some answers.

What was the inspiration that brought on the title "Original Sin?"

Orion: - Original Sin was a title I had in my mind for a very long time.Mainly because there are tons of bands who try to tackle that themewith their records like we do, but I was surprised to not see a banduse the title yet. Not to mention, it sounds cool, hits right thepoint. When you see it, you know the album will be devastating.

BearlySinister: While there are a lot of comparisons I can make to your previousalbum, "Boundaries," there are some songs that seem like really newterritory for you guys. One of the most notable is "Absence of Shame"which, honestly, sounds like a mixture of melodic hardcore/metalcore.What made you decide to choose that route with this song and what isthe inspiration behind it?

Orion: - Well bringing on new guitarist Christian Becker back in 2014, hebrought so many new styles and techniques to the table we rarelytouch. He's a metalcore kind of guy & this song came out naturally forhim. Collaborating on it as band was smooth as well. It came out greatin my opinion. The song itself is about not letting things consumeyou. Like, people who have their drinking problems or anything drugrelated. Its cool to have fun, but I've seen so many people get caughtin that downward spiral and fight to get out. So I wanted to take onthat subject for this song.

BearlySinister: "Kingslayer" has a killer guest vocal spot from Enterprise Earth's DanWatson, who featured you on their latest album "Patient 0" on a trackcalled "Kiss of the Recluse." Was the decision to feature him on thealbum simply a reciprocated favor or did you have him in mind from thebeginning?

Orion: -I contacted Dan on Facebook right before we started recorded. He wasdown immediately and come to find out Dan lives 15 minutes away fromthe studio we recorded at. He actually featured on our album before heasked me to feature on their record. He's a cool dude man. Was fun towork with him.

BearlySinister: You've heard me talk about a couple of my favorite tracks but whattrack(s) are you most excited for fans to hear and why?Orion: -Kingslayer being one since Dan slays it. But I'm also very proud ofBlackwater. It has the feel from our last two records but more up tospew with what we do now. I love the melody and the hook is great.

BearlySinister: It's no secret that this is your biggest, most ambitious release todate. Signing to Tragic Hero Records came as a bit of a surprise butan incredibly welcomed one. How do you feel that this signing is goingto take "Original Sin" to new heights and how was it decided that THRis the right label for you?

Orion: -Tragic Hero was done a lot for this record already. Mainly, we likethe team. They are very hands on. Its a big difference from previouslabels we've worked with. Not to mention, we put so much into"Original Sin", with a team behind us putting in as much as we are..The sky is the limit.

BearlySinister: While I've been a fan of you from the get-go, you really raised thebar with your vocals on the new material. Something interesting for meis that there is quite a bit of clean singing, though, which is prettynew territory for IDA. How did you decide to add in those parts, so asnot to be out of place or overbearing?

Orion: - Adding in cleans was a learning experience. It actually isn't newterritory at all for us. We have clean singing tracks on every one ofour records. "Original Sin" has the least clean vocals in it since our2010 release "Deprivation". Our Self-Titled and "Boundaries" album wasus trying to find our sound. We experimented a ton and added cleansall over the place. We think with this album, we found a good balance.

BearlySinister: You held a vocal contest for "Original Sin" that ended recently. Whatwent into the process of picking the winner and how many entries didyou guys receive?

Orion: -We actually didn't get many entries. I had some fans come to me andsay they weren't even going to try lol. Not sure why, but we had over10 solid entrants. I picked the winner based on overall sound. Therewere sound covers where a vocalist would have amazing lows and thehigh's weren't quite there and vice versa. The winner Brian Goetz hadall ends of the spectrum and did a fantastic job.

BearlySinister: The final album art for "Original Sin" was recently revealed. Who didthe artwork and how did the concept for it come about?

Orion: -Cesar Adrian from Peru made this artwork. We wanted something biggerthan the earth, but on the darker side of things. We did have the ideaof incorporating a snake and apple to represent the Adam and evestory, but we felt we could do something a little more outside thebox. Cesar didn't have much to go off of, but when we saw what he didfor the cover we were blown away to say the least. Very happy with theartwork.

BearlySinister: What do you hope that fans will take away from this album, once released?

Orion: -That the band In Dying Arms is here to stay. I know its been yearssince we released a record, but for a good reason. We had a chance totour more, gain maturity, get better at what we do. It just worked forthe better. A lot people thought we were done. We hope this albumsshows everyone we are back and better than ever. We want listeners tofeel what we feel, whether it be anger or sadness. We always try ourbest to deliver diverse metal records and push ourselves

BearlySinister: Recently, it was announced that you would be reissuing the bands debutfull-length "Deprivation." How long has this been in the works andwhat made you decide that now is the right time?

Orion: -The idea was always lingering. I reached out to Chris Killbourn theowner for Matchless Records, which isn't doing much anymore. He likedthe idea and agreed to create this re-press. Which actually launchedtoday 2/19. That album never got the push it deserved and only smallamount of copies were made. Wanted to give fans the opportunity to gettheir hands on it again. Has an updated design layout as well asspecial VIP passes.

BearlySinister: I'm sure there will be plenty of touring together go along with therelease of "Original Sin" but you've been brought on to play a veryspecial farewell show with I, The Breather. How did the band approachyou about the slot for this show and how are you preparing for such anemotional and monumental night?

Orion: -Actually the promoter booking that show reached out. We had justplayed a couple shows with the promoter at the start of the year, sohe knew we delivered live. It'll be a good night I remember when I TheBreather played our EP release show in 2009, which was their first orsecond show ever as a band.

BearlySinister: Finally, what is next for IDA, once the album is released?

Orion: -We will be touring man. We already began writing for the nextrelease. We are staying busier than ever.

BearlySinister: That's all I've got, unfortunately. Thank you, again, for doing this!It's been an honor and a pleasure. Is there anything else you'd liketo say to your fans, our readers and the general public?

Orion: - Yes. Thank you all so much for the ongoing love & support. Be sureto pick up a copy of "Original Sin" and we hope you like it as much asloved creating it. \mm/

Track List:1. Usurper
2. Original Sin
3. Skeleton Queen4. Caught In The Balance5. For What You Believe (Stand Up)6. Kingslayer (Feat. Dan Watson of Enterprise Earth)7. Absence Of Shame8. Blackwater9. Parasite10. Valar Morghulis11. Dreamcatcher12. Mother Huldra

"Skeleton Queen" (Official Music Video)

Buy Original SinMerchBucket

Buy Deprivation (Collector's Edition)Website (Pre-Orders end on March 8th, first come, first serve!)