Simon Glacken has a distinguished, primarily progressively focused roster, that ticks all the Ghost Cult boxes in style. From Post-Rock, to Progressive Metal, to old school Death Metal, representing some of the big-hitting labels (Kscope, Peaceville amongst many others) as well as several interesting, independent acts (Telepathy and Jo Quail, for example) if an album comes in from For The Lost, it is guaranteed quality…

 

You’ve worked with a host of great bands and labels this year, but which have been your favourite and most memorable campaigns (and why)?

That is a really tough question, though there have been some campaigns that do stick out for specials reasons.

Black Moth – Anatomical Venus 

At the start of the year Black Moth released their latest album and their first for Candlelight Records, titled Anatomical Venus. They are the band I’ve worked with the longest starting all the way back in 2011, and I’ve watched them to grow and blossom into the awesome band they are now. The new record picked up a lot of excellent coverage and anything they release has a special place in my little black-heart since we’ve worked together for so long.

 

Orange Goblin – The Wolf Bites Back

After the success of the Black Moth album, Candlelight asked me to work on the new Orange Goblin record The Wolf Bites Back so naturally I said yes. There’s a lot of love for this band so of course it was a pleasure to work on. Plus they are lovely chaps which makes my job a lot easier.

 

MMMD – Hagazussa  – A Heathen’s Curse

When you work with a fair amount of Rock/Metal bands it’s good to switch things up a bit, though rather than going for something a little more easy on the ears I prefer to sometimes go in the total other direction! MMMD are a chamber-drone outfit who released the original soundtrack for Lukas Feigelfeld‘s recent slow-burning gothic horror movie Hagazussa – A Heathen’s Curse. As far as Drone goes MMMD hit some very low frequencies, the sort of music that makes your speakers and your bones rumble intensely, similar to the likes of Sunn 0))). Their music is pretty harrowing, much like the film.

 

Mick Gordon – DOOM soundtrack

I’m a fairly big fan of computer games, though when I started the whole music PR career I never imagined I’d end up getting involved with soundtracks for some of them. I’ve been lucky enough to work on a number of release for Laced Records. The first one was for a game called N.O.C.T which was created by Nine Inch Nails guitarist Robin Finck. This then led on to 65daysofstatic’s No Man’s Sky album and this year it was topped off by the physical releases of Mick Gordon’s soundtrack for DOOM. While the game was originally released in 2016, it was one of my favourite ones for that year and 2018 saw it released of CD and vinyl for the first time. I played all the original DOOM games twenty-plus years ago so to be involved, even in just a very small way, is pretty mind blowing when you look back.

 

What have you got coming up in the first half of next year that we should all be getting excited about?

Well, a fair few things haven’t been announced yet, but if you follow Darkthrone on Facebook then you might have seen them mention they have finished recording a new album.

Legendary post-rock band Mono also have a new record out at the end of January and there are also some really great releases coming up from Herod (Pelagic Records), Demon Head (Svart Records) and a very special record on Kscope from O.R.k. The band includes award-winning composer/vocalist Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari, King Crimson‘s Pat Mastelotto and Porcupine Tree‘s Colin Edwin. System Of A Down‘s Serj Tankian also makes a special appearance as a guest vocalist.

If that wasn’t enough name dropping, the cover art for the album was created by Tool guitarist Adam Jones.

And there will also be a new album from the mighty Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard in March!

 

What have been your favourite albums this year?

Yob – Our Raw Heart (Relapse Records)

Emma Ruth Rundle – On Dark Horses (Sargant House)

AJA – AJA (Opal Tapes)

The Messthetics – The Messthetics (Dischord Records)

Gnod – Chapel Perilous (Rocket Recordings)

A Perfect Circle – Eat The Elephant (BMG)

Eagle Twin – The Thundering Heard (Southern Lord)

Årabrot – Who Do You Love (Pelagic Records)

Jóhann Jóhannsson – Mandy OST (Lakeshore/Invada Records)

Ghost – Prequelle (Loma Vista/Universal)

 

And finally… what are you hoping for under the tree this year, and any New Years resolutions you’re happy to share?

As long as there’s some vinyl and maybe some new socks then I’ll be a happy man! I don’t tend to make New Year’s resolutions these days but I’m going to make a conscious effort to eat less cheese or replace it with vegan cheese.

Sorry that’s not to exciting is it?

Mmmmm, cheese.