Revocation are one of the rising stars within the technical metal segment. Chaos of Forms, their previous album, succeeded in placing them firmly in the public eye and their latest self titled release will undoubtedly make them a household name. Ghost Cult caught up with David Davidson (guitars/vocals) to pick his brains about the latest opus, their participation in the Summer Slaughter Tour and the band’s fondness for tackling serious themes.
How do you feel you have progressed sonically since your first release?
I think that we are constantly progressing and evolving with each release. On our first CD our songs tended to be a little longer, but as we’ve gotten older we’ve made a conscious effort to streamline our music a bit more and really focus on the songwriting aspect. The bottom line is that the more you practice at something, whether it’s technical ability or composing, you get better at it. At this point we’ve recorded 4 full lengths and an EP so we’ve definitely had a good deal of practice in the compositional department haha. I think that we have developed our own sound, it’s always a work in progress though. If you stop trying to evolve with each release your music can start to sound bland or predictable. We always want to push ourselves to do something different with each release but at the same time still maintain our core sound.
How do you keep your sound fresh from album to album?
We like to try new things and we’re not afraid to experiment within the metal genre so I believe that helps to keep things fresh. We also collectively listen to a lot of different types of music so I think that helps to rejuvenate the creative juices. The fact that Dan, our other guitar player, has been writing some songs also broadens our sound because he is able to write and have it still sound like Revocation but still have his own personality be present. We also have a new bass player now and he’s able to add things on bass that we’ve never had before. For instance, there’s a bass tapping part on the bridge section of the song ‘Fracked’ that really takes that part to the next level.
What do you feel makes you distinctive from the masses of metal being released every day?
To me, it’s the variety of influences that comprise our sound. So many bands just stick to one thing, which is perfectly fine. We are kind of like a melting pot in the sense that we draw inspiration from so many different genres of metal as well other completely different genres of music outside from metal
Where do you draw your influence from when writing your music?
Personally I can be influenced by a wide range of things. Sometimes it’s a new CD that comes out that really kicks my ass or sometimes it’s revisiting an older band that I hear in a new way that can be inspiring. It doesn’t have to be just music either. I could be away on a trip and get inspiration just from being in a new environment. Even just looking out my window on a raining day might conjuring up some feeling in me that makes me want to pick up the guitar.
Was the choice to release your latest album as a self-titled album significant?
Yes, we feel that our lineup has never been stronger and the whole band really feels like a cohesive unit at this point so I think self titling the record is symbolic of that. I also feel that this is some of the best material we’ve ever written and it also feels like the most complete musical statement we’ve made as a band so naming the record Revocation is reflective of that.
Could you take us through some of the major themes of this album?
Lyrically there isn’t one particular theme or strict concept; it’s more of a combination of different topics or personal experiences that have meaning for me. There are 3 songs on the record that deal specifically with the media though. I’m very disgusted by the way information is presented to the public and quite outraged at what passes for “news” these days.
You have a reputation for tackling serious topics, particularly social injustices in your lyrics; do you feel it is a musician’s duty to deal with important world topics?
I think it depends on what you are trying to achieve in your music and the message that you want to convey. The older I get the more injustice I see in the world and it is deeply troubling to me, I’m very much compelled to write lyrics regarding these injustices because they are important issues to me that I feel need to be addressed. I feel like we are living in such a backwards dystopia so writing lyrics is how I react to it from an artistic standpoint. However, at the same time I realize that other musicians write more about their personal experiences as their form of coping with problems in their own lives so I definitely respect that approach, I’ve taken that approach myself on songs in the past and most recently on the song “The Gift You Gave.” Other artists may just want to create in a purely abstract way or take the escapism approach which I also have respect for. As Nietzsche once said “We have art in order not to die of the truth.” I think those words still ring very true in today’s day and age.
The artwork is very unusual. Can you explain what it is about?
Orion, the artist who created the album cover and inner panels, had a conversation with me about the lyrics and what the self titled name meant to us. From there he ran with that and came up with a rough version which he sent back to us for approval. I’m really excited for the finished product, the online representation doesn’t do it justice. We’re planning on printing it with metallic gold ink so the border around the artwork with have this reflective shimmer to it, should be pretty cool once it’s all printed up.
Any big plans for the future with Revocation?
We will be embarking on the Summer Slaughter tour this summer to support the new record so that will be very big for us. The crowds will be huge and I’m guessing the audience will be pretty diverse since the line up has a lot of different types of bands. We’re really excited to play the new material live and can’t wait for people to check it out. Hopefully we’ll be getting back over to Europe as well, we’re looking forward to raging with you guys again!
Caitlin Smith