Interview: Eternal Gaze
Image by Eternal Gaze
Back in October, Eternal Gaze released their debut self-titled album, introducing the Nashville post-black metal project to the underground metal scene. Upon first listen, I was quite surprised by how well produced it was, as well as pleased with the post-rock and even death metal elements that were included in its composition. The artist and I connected, which eventually led to the discussion you have before you.
For fans of blackgaze, post-rock, post-black metal, and death metal, this artist is an enigmatic wonder. It’s really hard to label Eternal Gaze in a one-dimensional sense. There are so many different stylistic approaches in this album that you simply have to stop guessing and just enjoy the experience.
Speaking with new, underground artists is what thrills me about the mission behind Blacforje, especially when the artists have a message of hope and life. Eternal Gaze is such an artist, which is why I’m pleased to have the pleasure to share this interview with you all.
It’s a pleasure to have you join Blacforje for an interview! Thanks for taking the time!
Absolutely man! Thank you for reaching out!
You’re based in Nashville, TN. Is that correct?
Yeah. My wife and I moved out here from New Jersey. I’m originally from Jersey; my wife is from the South. We’ve been here for about three years and love it!
Many readers may have not yet heard of you yet, which is no surprise given you just released your first self-titled album. For those unfamiliar with you, can you tell me what inspired the project Eternal Gaze? Why did you start it? What stylistic influences did you incorporate into your work? We’ll get to philosophy and spirituality in a few.
Sure. So, the Eternal Gaze project, which includes the first two albums (the debut and the next one I’ll be releasing in 2024) was actually birthed out of what has been honestly the most dark, brutal, and challenging season of my life that started back in 2019. Still in it, honestly. My wife and I got married in 2018 and entered into what some would call a dark night of the soul. She was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer. Our first couple years together in Jersey were very traumatic and bewildering. Multiple emergency hospital visits where she was dangerously close to death and a lot of sleepless nights. Our first anniversary was spent overnight at the ER. It was hard to wrap my head around the reality of it all, and to be honest, I was in different degrees of denial about it. I also was not prepared at all to handle the circumstances. Luckily, we had a lot of support from family and friends along the way, but nevertheless, it’s been a wild ride - very challenging.
It’s during this time I actually got into black metal more intently and artists that have hints of the genre in their music. Deafeaven, MØL, Numenorean, Rolo Tomassi, and Abigail Williams were some of the main ones, along with Antestor, Crimson Moonlight, and Skald In Veum. I’ve been a musician since I was a kid, playing punk, rock, hardcore, metal, etc... But the rawness of the black metal genre just resonated with me a lot during this time.
I didn’t really definitively start the project initially. The songs just sort of started to come together as I was diving into Logic for the first time, and eventually I realized I was starting something [laughs]. After four years in this season of various trials in our lives, I’ve just started to see that the birth of Eternal Gaze is actually a fulfillment of specific promises that the Lord gave me over a decade ago. I’ve truly been going through an intense transformation through all the trials and spiritual death. Eternal Gaze is sort of my outlet to express the rawness of it all in some way, and it has felt like a certain aspect of my voice that was suppressed is being released.
Personally, I was blown away when I first heard your album. There is a post-rock merged with post-black metal vibe that is undeniable, all while there is also a death metal element that keeps the listener guessing the entire time. Would you say that’s an accurate description, or would you categorize your music differently? Please feel free to disagree with me.
[Laughs] Thanks man! Actually, yes! I’d say that is an accurate description. I hadn’t heard of the post-rock genre, although once I looked into it, I realized that it’s definitely a big influence for me. Kind of under the shoegaze umbrella. I’ve been into post-rock bands, but I didn’t know it was called post-rock until recently [laughs]. So many subgenres! I plan on incorporating more of that sound into Eternal Gaze. In fact, there are a couple tracks off of the new album that have some more of that vibe, I think.
Eternal Gaze
So far, how do you feel your self-titled album has been received by listeners?
So far, I feel the response has been pretty good. I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Everyone has been really encouraging. It’s cool to hop onto the Spotify stats and see all the different places that people are listening from.
So, to philosophy and spirituality. Tell me about that part of your life and how that influences your music, if you feel comfortable doing so.
Yeah, so, I was raised Christian. My relationship with God is the most important thing to me. My faith influences my music tremendously at this point. I currently have very strong Christian themes and concepts throughout my music. As I said earlier, Eternal Gaze really is an outlet to process my journey with Him. It’s also an expression of my experience with Him. The name Eternal Gaze speaks of His gaze and the intimacy that comes with being caught up in it. Honestly, I feel like Yahweh, Jesus, and His story throughout Scripture is the most brutal and metal story ever! Unfortunately, I think the Western Church has really stripped the rawness from it all, but if you step outside of the candy-coated box of watered-down religion, it’s pretty clear to see.
Surprisingly enough, with that being said, although I strongly identify as Christian, I do not wish to put Eternal Gaze in the box. I’m personally not calling Eternal Gaze a Christian project. There is a lot of expectation, pressure, and assumptions that come with the “Christian” band title/claim. I don’t want to cause listeners to have certain expectations that Eternal Gaze is going to be one way or another. People can label my music whatever they want to label it. Nevertheless, if you ask me, that’s where I am at this point.
What artists, whether music or other, have inspired you as an artist?
Musically, Deafeaven, MØL, and Rolo Tomassi, along with the others I listed in the answer to your first question, have been my main influences for Eternal Gaze. Overall, though the band As Cities Burn has probably been the most inspiring to me over the years, their writing and lyrics have been very influential to me as a musician. Generally, I am a fan of abstract and modern art. Jackson Pollock is a favorite of mine. I think he basically invented the splatter paint method. I just love those types of paintings and have done a couple myself. It's like beautiful chaos on a canvas! I think in some ways that translates over to my music. God’s creations in general/nature are very inspiring to me, as well. I love the outdoors.
Image by Eternal Gaze
If you feel comfortable in telling us a bit about yourself, who are you outside of your music?
Sure. So, I was born and raised in New Jersey. Moved out to Adams, Tennessee after high school, which is 45 minutes outside of Nashville in the sticks. There, I attended a missionary training school with an organization called Youth With A Mission. From that point, over the span of about 7 to 8 years of my life, I travelled stateside and overseas doing missions training/work with YWAM. During this time, I grew deeply in my relationship with God and was introduced to an inner healing prayer and deliverance ministry called Restoring The Foundations while taking some counseling courses. The Lord used this ministry to bring a lot of healing and deliverance into my life, and I witnessed its effectiveness in others, as well. I felt God calling me to get fully trained and certified in RTF, which is where I met my wife, Liz. We got married about two years after the training and have been doing inner healing and deliverance ministry together ever since! I also am a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and transformation coach. My wife and I have a holistic wellness business that incorporates body, soul, and spirit health. The business is still in the beginning stages, so I’m currently a delivery driver for Amazon [laughs].
Final question: Being in Nashville, have you considered doing a country/black metal mashup? It’s never been done before, so you could corner the market on that subgenre.
[Laughs] I’m not much of a fan of country music. However, I used to write a lot of acoustic folk music! If anything, maybe one day I’ll experiment with some folk metal!
Thanks for the interview my friend! God bless!
