Following is an excerpt from an interview with Battlesoul frontman Jon Doyle conducted by BW&BK scribe Carl Begai earlier this year:
Even though Battlesoul is a small town band with a budget to match, they pull out all the stops in creating a folk metal production whether its in the studio or on stage. Anything they can’t reproduce themselves, such as a pennywhistle, is sampled and made to fit their agenda.
“We really prepare ourselves when it comes to putting on a good live show. That’s the most important aspect of playing in a band, and we all feel that’s the real test. If we’re going to go out there we should be at our best. You can write a great album, but the important thing is putting on a great live show so the people are talking about you at the end of it.”
Blackguard are mentioned as an example of how it’s done properly, as the Montreal sextet earned its reputation with their volatile live shows prior to being signed by Nuclear Blast.
“We’d play a show Blackguard any day of the week,” Doyle says. “Actually, pretty early on in the life of Battlesoul we opened a set for them when they were called Profugus Mortis. They’re terrific, and when I saw them play live I sort of had to re-evaluate what I was doing on stage because they left me thinking ‘I am not good enough here, I have to get a lot better than this.’ It’s a work in progress, but it’s coming together slowly but surely.”
Go to this location for the complete interview. Click here for audio samples from the band's self-titled EP.
