The Metal Asylum Talks To….Vantablack Warship

Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?

Hailing from Montreal, Quebec: Vantablack Warship is a band that mixes thrash metal, hardcore, and punk. Their music is rhythmic, contagious, aggressive, violent, caustic… All with a serious dose of groove! The name of the group aims to pay tribute to Black Sabbath. The original suggestion was Vantablack Worship which was changed to Warship as the word worship seemed pretentious. They chose vantablack because it is a material composed of carbon nanotubes that hardly reflects light. It is considered the blackest black in existence. Their vision, was to be darker than the darkest of them all, Black Sabbath.

Vantablack Warship is: Pat Gordon: Guitar Pierre Pitre – Drums Yannick “Pil” Pilon – Vocals Thierry Hivon – Guitar Kurt Clifford – Bass

Following their 2018 sophomore album, Abrasive Pulmonic Speak, which was welcomed with rave reviews, Vantablack Warship is back with a hard-hitting, head-banging masterpiece. Last of the Hardmouthed Poets offers 10 tracks of titanic metal for fans of all genres. The album title is a homage to the blacklisted authors of yesteryear and reminds us not to take for granted freedom of speech and freedom of thought. Last of the Hardmouthed Poets refers to the end of eras, dying breeds, lost generations, and cherishing those who remain. From the full-on metal assault of the title track, We Shall Not Sleep to the 80s hardcore-inspired finale, Above it All; this album is all killer and has no filler from start to finish.

This highly anticipated return of Vantablack Warship will be released on vinyl and CD through BAM – Boîte à Musique records. With Last of the Hardmouthed Poets, fans can expect a number of lyric videos to be released over the coming months to showcase the album, designed by artists from all around the world. Shows are slated across Québec and Ontario including April 22nd in Gatineau at the Minotaure with B.A.R.F., May 6th for the 40th anniversary of the Foufounes Electriques, and June 2nd with Demonstöne in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield and more to be announced shortly in Alma and St-Casimir Québec.

Last of the Hardmouthed was recorded by Patrick Knup at Madame Wood Studios where Montreal’s Sword’s last album was also recorded. It was mastered by Alberto Di Icaza who is also known for his work with such bands as Lamb of God, Clutch, and Spirit World. Last of the Hardmouthed Poets is unapologetically harsh, and uncompromising filled with incredible riffs and in-your-face vocals. It is a pulverizing mix of thrash, death, and hardcore with black metal undertones and extraordinary grooves which Vantablack is known for.

When you’ve been playing music as long as we have, we like to define things more in terms of eras rather than specific artists or bands. We take our influences anywhere from 80s thrash, to 90s Death, back to 80s hardcore, 90s grunge, a tad of 70s punk and hard rock with a touch of 2000s black metal and metalcore. We are really all over the map and like it that way.

Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?

I think we all wanted to be musicians at a very young age, but life gave us all a reality check and end up having us do music more so as a hobby than for a living. The music business is very hard to live off of and kudos to all the bands out there who have risked it all, it is not a small feat and required tons of hard work. We are happy being a weekend warrior type of band.

What songs or albums are on your current playlist?

Buckwheat Zydeco, Goolagoon, Buenavista Social Club and Aggros

Do you sing in the shower?

Only Grandad’s Little Ditty off the Sailing the Seas of Cheese album.

Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?

Many shows are being booked across the province of Quebec our home province, we will be releasing a number of videos to help promote the album, and we will be holding a telethon with a Jerry Lewis holograph to repay all debts incurred in the making of Last of the Hardmouthed Poets.

Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?

We are currently writing new music but nothing is to be released in short order. However, be on the lookout for some pretty cool lyric videos in the coming weeks supporting the new album.

If you were putting together the greatest show on earth, who would be playing?

As a band, I think we would put forward something like this as a line-up:

Bad Brains, Slayer, Mr.Bungle, The original Crown-Mags line-up, AC-DC, The Stooges, Testament, Alice in Chains, Cancer Bats with Scott Middleton, Celtic Frost, Deadhorse, Bolt Thrower, Entombed, Suicidal Tendencies, Fishbone, and Bryan Adams.

Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?

Kiss – Love Gun and I still have two copies of it on vinyl!

As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?

Do your civic duty today and buy Last of the Hardmouthed Poets! It’s great driving music and fun for the whole family.

Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!

► iTunes: https://apple.co/3MCFzrO

► Amazon Music: https://bit.ly/3GLpyMG

► Deezer: https://bit.ly/3L2nvXa

► Spotify: https://spoti.fi/43yype7

► Tidal: https://bit.ly/43zZDkQ

► Bandcamp: http://bit.ly/3GKFheG

► Merch: https://bit.ly/3GHXMjY