#depending on one’s choice of saw timelines he could be listening to some other EPs and demos

[hagnanimous]

He would’ve loved Bayside!!

[chidoroki]

Tokyo Revengers S2EP10

aka: op is no longer allowed to ship anyone. ever.

Ya know I wondered how Mikey knew to take Takemichi over to Hina’s and I suspected Emma might’ve spoke about it to him, so seeing her here now maybe confirms my guess?

Pffft Mikey looked away so damn quick when Takemichi questioned him!

Oh wow, our girl knew right away that her dad had some involvement in the breakup?

“My oldest brother used to always come here to pray on Christmas.” Hey Shinichiro and Taiju could be friends.

As much as I love to see Emma, my heart hurts a little bit because I.. unfortunately know some things happen way later, but it’s all fine. For now. I’m just gonna be a mess then, I know it.

Oh, duh. Emma told Draken to go look for Takemichi. Of course. Silly me. Also, the fact his voice seems to get lower when talking to her over the phone? Cute.

Emma is the kind of friend we all need in our lives.

“If I saw him now, I couldn’t speak. I might cry.” The way it instantly cuts to Takemichi bawling his eyes out instead of Hina is just perfect. But huzzah they both made up and happy again.

“He’s weak with women and a weak fighter. But he’s dependable when the chips are down.” Way to tell it like it is Draken.

Ohh the dad was watching the whole thing but looks like he accepts it now, or at least has no choice thanks to mom.

“I lose sight of the difference between what’s right and what’s wrong.” Yeah Mikey does not do well when he loses someone dear to him. Then again, who would really?

“Winning fights isn’t truly what’s most important. It’s not losing to yourself.” Speak those facts Mikey! Not that you eventually listen to if but still!

Mikey trusting Takemichi to call him out if and whenever he starts to lose his heart and/or way.. that’s touching. Ya know Takemichi is gonna take pride in that promise.

The twins dragons of Toman? I believe Mitsuya has the same tattoo as Draken on the other side of his head from what I’ve seen (dunno if it’s now or in another timeline) but tell me more!

OOOHH! Mitsuya did graffiti of the dragon years ago which Draken actually gets a tattoo of because he was there.. just casually eating and watching him.

Draken NO! You can’t just take sweet, innocent Mitsuya back home! Not in the kind of place you live!

Is this the day Mitsuya mentioned back in the church? When he ran away, came back and his mom got mad at him before saying she loved him?

AHH! He did get the same tattoo!!!

Oh, but it was totally not planned to match him, it was just pure coincidence they both decided on that. And since Draken “claimed” it that day, he told Mitsuya to grow his hair out. No wonder we never see it anymore. Shame because it looked good on him too.

I do want them to have many more scenes together from now on though. Draken is always gonna be Mikey’s right hand man but I wanna see him & Mitsuya too. Maybe I’ll go back and rewatch season one. Maybe I missed some.

Aww Hina looks so pretty at the festival. OH and so does Yuzuha!

Poor Hakkai still can’t speak to girls properly.

“Now I get it. No wonder you like him, Yuzuha. He was pretty badass that night.” Hello?? Hakkai calling attention to a ship I lowkey wanted more for? But seriously there were a couple moments at the church between her & Mitsuya where I thought “well yea, they’d be cute,” but I didn’t wanna put too much thought into it, but NOW? I’m in. Even if nothing else happens!

Damn, Taiju really just left home like that? At least he acknowledged his violence was wrong.

Never the fuck mind! It was Takemichi that Yuzuha was blushing at, not Mitsuya! Both Hakkai and me got it completely wrong. Oh my god, that’s hilarious.. the ship was in my heart for a minute and it’s already in rough waters.

Right, the whole seeing Mitsuya as a brother thing.. Ah well. Someone take my shipping goggles away. I fall too quick into these things that I’ve been going around too many pairings this ep!

“Nothing wrong with a one-sided crush, right?” Absolutely! So crush on whomever you wanna girl, I support you!

Yay Chifuyu is here too! As well as a whole bunch of Toman members!

Aww, that shot of everyone celebrating the new year together alongside Takemichi’s wish warms my heart.

Oh, little ending scene with Hanma and Kisaki? Up to no good as usual hm?

I’m feeling.. a bit worried, and it’s not even because of the scheming duo’s post credit scene. This episode was just too happy and it vaguely reminds me of season one after the fight with Moebius because things calmed down then shit hit the fan right after..

[doomedandstoned]

Witchthroat Serpent Picks The Perfect Poison

~Interview by Steph LeSaux~

When Billy asked for new contributions to D&S from European contributors some months ago, I almost immediately proposed interviewing French bands and now here we are, starting with a rising star from the land of cassoulet (understood as the area of Toulouse, France’s 5th largest city). I speak of the mighty WITCHTHROAT SERPENT!

With a vinyl press of their debut album released by Emetic Records and by Svart Records for the record following, my guess is you've probably heard about their groovy, occult-infused doom or saw the bewitching artwork of last year's Sang-Dragon cross your timeline at least a couple of times.   If not, you’ve missed out some very mesmerizing and heady stuff and so now here’s your chance to really dive in their psyched-out witchery, as I interview Witchthroat Serpent drummer, Niko Lass.

Sang-Dragon by Witchthroat Serpent

How are you and the Serpent doing?   It looks like you started 2017 quietly or were you guys working on your new album?

You’re right, we played only one gig in our area recently.   And, yes, you have the right feeling, we are working on a new album.   All the songs are almost written and we are currently practicing them and thinking about arrangements, planning to record in early 2018 and release the album sometime afterwards.

Sang-Dragon received a very positive response from fans worldwide.   What made this possible, in your opinion?   Was it more the improvement between albums or the change of label for the vinyl release?

Yes, we are very happy with the feedback about Sang-Dragon and really proud of the album, both with the sound recording and our performance, but also with the writing of the songs and lyrics.   Our concept goes further and we experimented with some new approaches, like adding organs on two songs, "Behind Green Eyes" on the album and "Striped Dragon" on our upcoming 7” EP. I think the main change for this recording was to enter Drudenhaus Studio and to work with Benoît, who skillfully drove us to magnify our music and sounds in exactly the right way.   The change of label for the vinyl release was indeed a great opportunity for us, but it should be noted that all the promotion was done for the CD release.   The vinyl was released eight months later.

The sound is so fat that your entire body shivers like a straw.

There’s never too much support to get from outside in the underground doom scene, but was it a deliberate choice to work with three different labels for a CD, vinyl or tape version -- or is it just how things happened?   How are things planned for the third album?

In a way, it was a forced choice.   Deadlight offered us a CD release only, so for both albums we needed to search for a new label to release tapes and vinyls.   For the first album, we released the tape with Zanjeer Zani Productions.   It was obvious to work with our brothers at Necrocosm Productions and Emetic Records contacted us for the vinyl release early in 2015.   For us it was unexpected, so we immediately accepted the offer.   For Sang-Dragon it was a bit different, as we got a bunch of labels offering us their help so we needed to choose where to go.   For the third album, nothing is firm.   A full simultaneous CD/tape/vinyl release would certainly be more effective.

I know you all have a pretty consequential background, but are you conscious that for a band that has existed only five short years, Witchthroat Serpent is already a name to be reckoned with in this overcrowded scene and pretty much has been since its creation.

We try our best to be active as much as we can.   Like you said, we got great feedback in reviews, interviews, and offers from labels, but for now the next step is to play on bigger stages, international festivals, and to tour more.  We are still a DIY band, organizing tours by ourselves and dealing directly with promoters.   Merchandising sales help us to finance studio recordings and to manufacture tees and goodies.  We divide tasks between us and right now each one of us is really busy.   We will see what happens in the future, but for sure we will keep the flame alive as much as we can.

2016 turned out to be a very complete year for the band, with this brilliant new album, a French-Spanish tour, great festivals, and so on.   What’s been the best moment for the band and you personally, as a member?

As we like touring a lot, spending time in the van is the opportunity to talk about our experiences, find new ideas, and test our new material.   The best moments were on stage, for sure, like playing on the big stage at Motocultor Festival where each drum hit is like a hammer, but also meeting fine people and friends on the road.   Sometimes we didn’t expect much from a gig and then we got completely knocked out by the crowd and/or the welcome from the promoters.   Yes, 2016 was awesome, but 2017 also promises to be a great year, with the release of our first 7" EP called Striped Dragon on Svart Records, followed by the Rising Sun Tour in Belgium, East Germany, and France.

Witchthroat Serpent by Witchthroat Serpent

How would you compare your appearance at Hellfest in 2015 to Motocultor in 2016?   Both were certainly great experiences, but what was better: playing at 15:00 on the main stage of a medium-sized festival or playing at 10:30 in the morning on the small stage of a mammoth festival?

Without a doubt, it was better to play at 15:00 at the Motocultor Festival for the simple reason that the audience was there, the tent was completely full.   It was really motivating to play our songs there.   The problem with the Hellfest gig on Sunday at 10:30 is that people were standing in line waiting to enter while we were playing our set.   Not only was it really early, but having to wait something like 30 minutes to enter the festival area was exactly the amount of time we had to play on stage.   People were there at the end of our set, but it is a great experience to play on the Valley Stage.   The sound is so fat that your entire body shivers like a straw.

I remember being in contact with you often two years ago, when we tried to set up a little tour with Barabbas & Witchthroat Serpent, but fuck, it was pretty hard to make anything happen and we finally gave up that time.   It looks, though, like things evolved positively for you with more regular gigs and this June your longest tour to date in France and most of all Germany. I guess this still required a huge amount of work to make it happen?   Are you impatient to draw and quarter some new eardrums again?

Yeah, it’s always difficult to set up a tour when you are a young band and some periods are not good for it.   We decided to do a tour in June, following an offer from the St. Helena Festival in Munich.  As it is 14 hours to drive from Toulouse, we decided to set up a tour.   The period was good for us, so I tried to seek promoters who would be interested in making it happen.   Some friends helped us to find additional gigs in Germany, because as we’ve never played there with Witchthroat Serpent, we’ve got no contacts.   To my surprise, we got a good amount of responses and the tour was booked pretty quickly.  The tour starts in a few weeks and, yes, we are very impatient to hit the stage again and play for the first time in Germany.

All the invisible world around us has meaning, you just need to feel and appreciate it.

The artwork of Sang-Dragon was pretty classic and simple at first sight, yet very eye-catching and it enhanced the whole identity of the album.   Were those some of the main specifications you asked for?   Will you be working with the same artist again in the future?

When we first met Pol and Marta of Branca Studio at the Day of Doom festival in Barcelona, we immediately fell in love with each other’s art, so later we asked Pol if he would like to make cover art representative of our band name with a vintage touch, because he is the master to go to.   The day after we got the first draft of the cover, we immediately knew it would fit perfectly with our album.   Then we asked him to make the complete layout for the Sang-Dragon CD, vinyl, tapes, and t-shirts.   We are really happy with his work for this album.   For the third album, we will surely request his services again as we think he fits perfectly with Witchthroat Serpent’s music: straight and raw, occult and disturbing, all packaged with a touch of vintage eroticism.   Pol is The Man!

Sang-Dragon marked a real improvement in the band’s sound and identity. Can it augur that people will definitely forget to mention any Electric Wizard influence for the next album?!   More seriously, what can we expect from the third album?

In a way, Electric Wizard created a new kind of doom metal with a filthy and nihilistic approach, the way we like to play our music.   For listeners, it’s more secure to mention a well-known band as reference, easier to catalogue, easier to expose a new band to friends.   Our third album will, of course, be different from Sang-Dragon, maybe more doom or more grunge, but don’t expect a technical metal album!   We are Witchthroat Serpent and like serpents we are moulting, but we will always remain serpents!

What’s the general idea behind introducing themes of witchery, dragons, and magic in Witchthroat Serpent?   Is that inseparable from your lyrics and general concept or can we someday expect a song, for example, about the disaster of the commercial union between Monsanto and Bayer, which could also probably fit with a blackened atmosphere?

All of this is a part of our lives.   Nature provides us with all we need, from healing to poison -- and some plants can do both, depending on the dose.   Dealing with herbs, plants, and trees is another way of creating, a source of knowledge used in shamanism and overall in most of the ancestral cultures.   All the invisible world around us has meaning, you just need to feel and appreciate it.   About the disaster you mention above, yes we know about it, but don’t expect Witchthroat Serpent to deal with it.   We are not a political band, because all of fucking politics involves money and people in submission.  We prefer to focus on the primitive approach of human beings and the magic all around us.

What would be the next reasonable step for Witchthroat Serpent and your next dream for the band?   To play in the United States with your mates of Beastmaker, in Japan, or...?   Any particular bands you’d like to tour with?

Ah yes, a Japanese tour could be awesome!   Next step is the Striped Dragon 7” EP, followed by the Rising Sun Tour in June, then we will open for Cough in Paris on August 16th at Gibus Live.   In October, we are going to play at the Hell’Oween festival in Saintes and then we will focus on recording the third full-length.   Of course, playing in the U.S. with the mighty Beastmaker could be fucking great; we will see what the future reserves for us.   All things come to those who wait. Like Branca Studio would say, DOOM LIFE!

Like serpents we are moulting, but we will always remain serpents...

I know Sektarism, one of the other bands you’re playing in, is about to release a second album, so here’s your chance to speak about it, Niko.   Also, any news about new Witchthroat Serpent merch and maybe some final words?

Yes, Sektarism is has released La Mort de l’Infidèle on Zanjeer Zani productions, my first experience with Drudenhaus Studio since 2013.   It’s a live studio recording, as oppressive and possessed as every Sektarism release.   As for Witchthroat Serpent merchandising, both Sang-Dragon tapes and red vinyl are sold out.   We will release a new t-shirt together with the Striped Dragon 7” EP and repress the Sang-Dragon t-shirt for the Rising Sun Tour.

Thanks for your time and all the best!

Many thanks, Steph, for this interview.   Always a pleasure to cross your path.   See you on the road!

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Rising Sun Tour

June 19th - Antwerpen, Belgium at Kid's Kaffee June 20th - Berlin, Germany at Tiefgrund June 21st - Dresden, Germany at Ostpol June 22nd - Leipzig, Germany at Black Label Pub June 23rd - Nuremberg, Germany at Kunstverein June 24th - Munich, Germany at St. Helena Festival June 25th - Paris, France at Dr. Feelgood