Diabolical Conquest (Nin Chan): Hey Pete, how goes it? Thanks for taking the time out to do this tonight. I'd like to commend you on a great record- while it very much wears its influences on its sleeve, and is not bashful about its references, it exudes remarkable class and personality. One of the most notable aspects of your sound is the fact that Valkyrie has a very worn-in sound, a familiarity and accessibility that is very welcoming to worshippers at the altar of Di'Anno Maiden, early Wishbone Ash, mid-period Sleep, Internal Void among others. The guitar sound is fluid and supple, and the album as a whole sparkles with spontaneity and warmth. There is an exquisite smoothness to the album, a very pleasant flow. Is it important for Valkyrie to establish an intimate rapport with the listener, to register with the audience in such an immediate fashion?

Valkyrie: Hmm, well thanks for your interest! Really, not until recently have I thought so much about how the listener receives it, it was originally more of a project for my own fun, but it is important to me how my lyrics reach the listener. As far as rapport, I appreciate that people recognize our influences and perhaps feel a kinship, but I would hope that the music transcends that and could reach people from many backgrounds. As to Wishbone Ash - an amazing band that I loooove- it is funny that I had not even heard them until about 6 months ago when told that we reminded someone of them. Since then I have been soaking it up as much as possible. But Wishbone Ash is way too amazing to be compared to, haha.

Diabolical Conquest: Yeah, that is pretty interesting, I think Wishbone Ash is one of the very first things that sprouts to mind when I spin the album, it has that same weightless, dreamy, vast feel to it, as well as a lofty ambition that reminds me of Pilgrimage. What I find most incredible about the band is the fact that you lot look around my age (I'm 22). Surely, we share similar backgrounds, having grown up with rock connoisseurs older than us, and inheriting their taste for open, creative instrumentation and prolonged jam sections. You share this aesthetic with like-minded doom bands like Internal Void and Pale Divine, but one must obviously note the fact that these two bands are considerably older than you. Why do you think this dimension of the sound is so important to the Valkyrie experience, and how often does the band practice in order to develop this chemistry? How much of a Valkyrie show is improvised? Do you duplicate the jams presented on the record, or is each Valkyrie gig a vastly different proposition?

Valkyrie: Well y'know, when I wrote most of the songs on the record, I didn't even know about any of the modern doom bands with the exception of Spirit Caravan really. I just wanted to play a classic heavy sound that I have always appreciated, also I wanted to achieve an earthy, organic sound. But sure I am proud to be associated with such bands like Pale Divine and Internal Void, because to them it is simply about the music, not the image. Most kids in bands my age are doing whatever is trendy right now and toeing the line as far as image and sound. That is BS and I totally stand against that. So it is important to me that we do our own thing, and I hope people see Valkyrie as an example to the rest. As far as practice, we practice very rarely unfortunately because of the miles we have between us. As to live shows, I wish we did veer off and jam more, but because of the rare practices, we usually play it safe and stick to the basic structure. Pete and I both try to always play our solos differently, Pete especially, as he is better at improv and "feelin it out". But we have talked about this, and the general consensus in the band is that we would like to jam a lot more, but we will get to that place as we are able to have longer set times and etc in the future. Right now it is usually 30- 45 minutes at most shows, so you kinda have to stick to the roots.

It does surprise me a bit that you guys don't practice that often, that isn't reflective on the album, haha. Getting together for practice is a very irritating thing, particularly if you're not constantly around your bandmates and don't share the same social circle.

Diabolical Conquest: What issues were you running into with the previous rhythm section?

Valkyrie: We weren't seeing eye to eye on things as to how the band was being run. It really came out when we toured that my brother and I and Nick and Nic really weren't "jiving" that well. They are great guys don't get me wrong, but we have a different approach to life I think. Great guys who are very reliable and good musicians, but I didn't see it being a sustainable lineup, so we had to end that era of Valkyrie back in February.

Diabolical Conquest: It's interesting to note that you and Pete, co-lead vocalists/lead guitarists, are the original core of the band. Does your kinship translate into a telekinetic musical relationship? Growing up together around the same music, did you develop parallel styles, and what distinguishes him from you as a guitarist? How do the two of you complement and complete one another as musicians?

Valkyrie: Yeah I think there is something to say about the natural bond we have as brothers, and music has always been a natural link for us so its great to be playing with Pete. Yeah we do have kind of parallel style I think... Pete was always a harder working player than I. He would spend countless hours figuring out techniques of the guitarists he was listening to. and his leads really reflect that I think. We used to listen to a lot of rockabilly, like Stray Cats and other things, and he would figure out Brian Setzer's techniques, he also was really into melodic trash and death metal for a good while and he really got the hang of that type of fast riffing and blistering lead. To add to that, he is a hell of a good bluegrass flat picker, and he plays a lot of that as well. I never have had the impetus behind my playing that he has. I think I have a knack for finding a good melody though, and when he throws a unique harmony over that, we often have a combination that works! He has been writing a lot more for Valkyrie recently and the next record will highlight many of his riffs, which are unique and heavy! As I said earlier, Pete has a more natural feel for the guitar I think, it amazes me what he comes up with off the cuff. For instance, his solo on “Endless Crusade” on the album was something he had never done before, I think it was the third take on that solo and it was out of the blue and amazing! Y e ah, the new lineup is great because we all contribute a lot to the structures now and we discuss things a lot more. it used to be me and Pete would show up , teach the dudes the songs and that was it, now we all write together. Gary especially has a lot of vision as to what sounds good. the new record will hopefully be really sick.

Diabolical Conquest: Let's talk a bit about the "heritage metal" movement that is diluting and sterilizing the music that we hold dear. As many of us know, major label tastemakers are constructing false narratives and distorting historical fact for the purpose of marketing a "metal revival" through their smokescreen "indie" satellites. We have witnessed a progressive invasion of well-coiffed, well-scrubbed neophytes whose apparent intention is to lampoon the music and image that they smirked at but a few years ago, spearheaded by such abominations such as The Sword and Priestess. Now, we both participated in a rather heated thread on the Hellride Forum, and both stood alongside other noble folks voicing their dissent against yet another thinly-veiled industry attempt to bleed heavy metal dry and, in turn, render heavy metal an ironic farce in the face of the general public. Of course, Valkyrie are mired deep in classic heavy metal imagery- your cover has a fine warrior lass on it, and lyrically you have reverent nods towards Norse Mythology. Tell me how you feel about the "heritage metal" surge, and are you not afraid that Valkyrie will be lumped in with the movement? Are you fearful that certain members of the doom community, thoroughly disenchanted with this corporate buy-in, will be slightly apprehensive at the similarities that Valkyrie share with The Sword in terms of visual presentation?

Valkyrie: Yeah, the thought has crossed my mind man many times, and to be honest, this new retro movement you speak of has caused me great concern. Anything created with the intent of making money is always going to be suspect, and many of these new bands have used capitalist techniques, clever marketing and industry savvy to generate capital. That's bullshit no matter which was you slice it, and I am skeptical of many of these bands. We have already been embroiled in this mess by Decibel, who have labelled us as a "false alarm" and basically implied that were jumping on this retro metal bandwagon, which pisses me off because they, the champions of heritage metal, are calling us false! So yeah it concerns me a bit that we will be seen as cashing in on this new wave of shyte or whatever, but true fans will always be true fans, and trendy scenesters will always be just that, so really I am not worried because light always overcomes darkness ...I have always been against the formula that many bands employ to achieve "success" by using, again, capitalist "marketing" strategies. Fuck that.

Diabolical Conquest: Decibel is a load of self-righteous, smug garbage, and i don't care what journalistic bridges I'm burning as a music writer by saying that.

Valkyrie: I don't care about burning bridges either, because you have nothing if you don't have your integrity and I am not worried about pleasing anyone in the industry. Screw the "industry" of music. Music is about life, and experience, and feeling, and that's the kind of people I want to reach, and hang out with, and bang my head with.

Diabolical Conquest: I guess at the end of the day it helps when Valkyrie are playing with legitimate bands instead of going around the country with Early Man or whatever, as these ironic metal bands all seem to band together.

Valkyrie: Yeah I hear ya man, I would rather play one show a year with Iron Man or Earthride than play a national tour with the latest "hip" band.

I think one of the greatest things about Valkyrie is the fact that the album is so sincere, heartfelt and honest. There is absolutely no question that the band's heart is in the right place- it sounds like a quartet of strapping young lads who grew up adoring rock n'roll, and aspired to create their own ode to their favorite records. There is no pretension, no posturing, no overreaching, no contrivance and no over-deliberation- it's clear that the spontaneous expressions contained within are natural and personal. This very much creates a sense of intimacy between the listener and the band, as though one shared your favorite records with you and thus achieve a sort of communion/conduit with you. There are no desperate attempts to sound "different", yet there is no question in my mind that Valkyrie is a distinct entity in its own right.

Diabolical Conquest: How are Valkyrie songs usually written? Do you usually strive for a certain "feel" with each individual song, or do you just start with an idea and see where it takes you before placing a theme on the song? Do these ideas all fall into place quickly and naturally, or do you have to spend a long time reworking arrangements till you feel they're perfect (I'd be surprised if it were the latter!)? Is Valkyrie a band of perfectionists?

Valkyrie: Nah, we are not perfectionists, because that is a goal that cannot be reached y'know? you can drive yourself crazy trying to make things better and better, you just have to do what you can. Really it's about riffs. Pairing good riffs and melodies together, and using harmonies. Simplicity is key, really, and really I have no idea what form the song will take on until everyone plays on it. One thing that is key to my brother and I is originality and if something sounds too similar to something else we will trash it. I wish that I had better songwriting capabilities as far as arrangements, but at the end of the day, we are still basically a band that puts riffs side by side to make a song, Some bands just really have a knack for creating a great composition, and by my own admission, we are definitely not there yet. I really appreciate your comments about the honesty of our band, that really means a lot. that is very important to me.

Diabolical Conquest: Yeah, as a songwriter I definitely know what you mean when you speak of ''something sounding too similar to something else'', there have been times where I've written a riff that I am completely enamored with only to play it for the other guys and havethem tell me that it's the bridge riff from Snowblind or something.

Valkyrie: Haha yeah, there will always be things that you are unconsciously influenced by, always. The thing is, the more metal you listen to from across the decades, the more riffs you hear. I think bands that sound unoriginal often haven't listened to enough metal. They are biting off a Judas Priest riff and not even knowing it!! At the end of the day, though, you can't fault people for something they can't help, and it is important not to judge too harshly, nothing will ever be perfect and we all do our best. That being said, though, calculated, purposefully derivative music is the worst.

Diabolical Conquest: Let's talk a bit about your lyrics, which are clearly derived from mythological and fantastic/esoteric sources, but some of which, "Endless Crusade" in particular, actually have greater underlying significance than meets the eye. Let's talk about your lyrical inspirations- are there any myths or works of fiction that you hold in especially high regard? Also, let's discuss the importance of "Endless Crusade", which is a clever narrative on religious conflict.

Valkyrie: Well I want to make a point of saying that my lyrics may have a epic or mythical feel, but they all have serious meaning for me, and are not simply fantasy, and I make a point of not singing about mythical creatures. All the lyrics I write I feel have to mean something because we are confronted with so many negative messages that do nothing for us, I feel I am actually performing a service to the world when I sing of positive, spiritual realities. I had to make that point, and I am glad you are asking, because often reviewers mention that we have fantasy lyrics, which is really not true. Many bands nowadays sing about trolls and wizards in a tongue and cheek effort to sound "metal" which is completely ridiculous. I really want to distance myself from that. I mean Tolkien was a great writer and his stories were allegories and symbolic of actual world affairs, so yeah it possible to have meaning in fantasy, I don't mean to imply that it is devoid of meaning, I just want to make it clear that my lyrics have actual meaning to me and are not just fiction to entertain teenagers who play RPGs.

Diabolical Conquest: HAH, RPGs ROCK though! ß ---D&D player for life

Valkyrie: Hahaha, to be honest, I have a weak spot for them too.

Diabolical Conquest: Pete lost vision in his right eye? That's wild, i had no idea. I had no idea that lyric came from such a personal place.

Valkyrie: Yeah it is hard to tell from looking at him The war will always haunt him, it was a life altering experience to say the least.

Diabolical Conquest: What made him want to participate in it? And what, then, is the significance of the name ''Valkyrie'' when ''endless crusade'' has a pacifistic message?

Valkyrie: Well he joined up before 9-11 basically wanting something to do, he saw it is a way out of the situation he was in at the time, he was only 17 and needed guidance, I think, as far as careers and such. He originally wanted to be a journalist, but there were no slots for that job so he ended up a scout. Recruiters are very good at what they do, so I'm sure they sold him a good story... We definitely not supporters of the war, or the political right, when Pete joined it was a totally for opportunity and adventure rather than some kind of moral calling

Diabolical Conquest: I feel like we've already pricked the two veins that should never be bled during interviews, politics and religion, haha, but it's all very interesting seeing how these things have hit very close to home as far as Valkyrie goes.

Valkyrie: Yeah as far as politics and religion, they are said to be the best topics to avoid, because they are usually so divisive. In my opinion, one should never argue about such things in a heated way, and that they are actually very important topics that should be more of a part of the general discourse. That is a problem here in the USA, everyone is so afraid of pissing anyone off that they always avoid those topics.

Diabolical Conquest: Do you feel as though, as a consequence of having the name that you do, you are obligated to adorn your album covers with fantastical images and cloak your socio-political, positive messages in obtuse fantasy angles? People expect there to be a degree of fantasy and swords n'sorcery in the music, which might be very constraining for you.

Valkyrie: That is a good question, and I never gave it much though until recently. I never really thought about why I wanted a Valkyrie on the cover, besides the fact that "Valkyries are cool" (said in a beavis and butthead voice) so in that respect, the imagery in a way doesn't reflect the heaviness of the lyrical content at all. Really any kind of image as a front for the band is bound to be limiting, and really I never realized that it would be interpreted as "classic metal imagery" that people liken to "power metal bands" and the like. It definitely has. I don't mean to keep sounding innocent and "holier than thou", but I think so much today is so very contrived and calculated that people assume everything is towards marketing an image maybe... I don't believe I am cloaking my message in anything, the implication itself kind of disturbs me, really. The lyrics are what they are, and I am happy to talk about them to anyone that asks, I really try to approach this project with the simple intent of appreciating music for what it is, a medium for self expression and an art form that has the potential to inspire, uplift, and energize people. I try to be as positive as possible in my life, and my music reflects that, perhaps some may claim that's not metal or whatever, and I would say that attitude is definitely not doom, but I don't want to be constrained by any titles. Doom is a good reference point for some of our stuff and I am proud to be associated with it, but we are far from epitomizing doom, or even what people consider metal.

Diabolical Conquest: Growing up in Maryland, you must have been weaned on some of the most important doom/heavy rock bands of the past decade. How has growing up on such creatively stimulating territory influenced the Valkyrie sound? What MD/VA/DC band has had the greatest impact on Valkyrie? Is there a particular band that you believe has really provided an archetypal model that Valkyrie has attempted to emulate? It appears that doom is thoroughly unpopular, at least on a superficial level, in most areas of America, but in Maryland heavy rock and doom appear to be facts of life. Why do you think this is?

Valkyrie: Actually we are from Virginia, at least Pete, Will and I are all from Rockbridge County, in the Shenandoah Valley in the western part of the state, of course Gary lives in Maryland, in a suburb of DC and he is a veteran of the DC/MD doom scene. We definitely have benefited from being so close to that area, (it is about two hours north of me) and I am truly honored to have played with a lot of these bands. All of Wino's work ( although not so much so in the Hidden Hand ) has been a major inspiration, and but I can't point to a singular band that we try to emulate, although the professionalism displayed by some of the veterans like Kelly Carmichael, Victor Griffin, and of course Wino, has been a major inspiration. These guys are lifelong rockers, and I can speak for all of us and saying that we all aspire to be lifers as well, and we don't plan on giving up- this isn't a rite of passage for us, as a band is for many young people, where they move on to the "real world" after doing the band thing.. Music is a major part of my life. I think that is what we share in common in with many of the Maryland bands.

Diabolical Conquest: Well that is certainly a very refreshing perspective, as far as the positivity of the band goes,and puts you in good stead with bands like Place of Skulls and The Hidden Hand, who have moved on from the outright, oppressive dreariness of their past to take on more esoteric and uplifting, mystical territory. There's no point putting on the doom n gloom routine if it's not coming from a real place, you can't manufacture it

Valkyrie: So true man.

Diabolical Conquest: To me metal has always been about individuality and honesty, it's a true expression and celebration of the self in the face of all external odds that seek to compound that individuality, the moment you pander to the metal public and conform to some behavioral archetype in an effort to ''fit in'', that's defeating the purpose of rock n'roll. Metal is essentially not a social or communal acitvity, although it's really nice to have that sense of community in metal, I think . It's the triumph of the individual will and the power of the free thinker over everything else, i think, not a dogmatic set of rules over what's ''metal'' or what's not, so in that sense Valkyrie are certainly true to that ideal.

Valkyrie: I agree. Also, to add to something earlier, I was very happy to have the work of Marcos Coifman, bassist for Peru's Reino Ermitano , on our album,. It is an original oil painting and I am really proud of this work.

Diabolical Conquest: Reino Ermitano is pretty great, i didn't know that he did that cover. That's another band that has suffered from coinciding with the whole ''70s metal revival'' thing. It's really convenient for reviewers to lump them in with Witchcraft and the like

Valkyrie: Really? They have? I hadn't read that.

Diabolical Conquest: Yeah, they've been thrown in with Witchcraft, Burning Saviours, Dead Man, Witch, who are all fucking GREAT bands, but it really cheapens each individual band by suggesting that they're part of some greater alliance to revive '70s metal. Incidentally reviewers have thrown Valkyrie in there, too, hence the first line in my Diabolical Conquest review

Valkyrie: Yeah, I think it sucks, but what can you do? All you can do is improve your craft. I try not to get too pissed about this stuff, I have to remind myself that it is music, meant to be enjoyed and listened to, and if I find myself getting upset about it, I am losing its purpose I think. I don't say this lightly, I think about this issue ALL THE TIME!! Especially recently with all the shit about retro metal and everything. It has gotten me pretty fired up.

Diabolical Conquest: North America continues to spiral towards pointless materialistic nihilism, and heavy metal, one of the last remaining beacons of defiance and passion in a world smothered by cynicism, should not end up that way, it should always hold hope for kids. I'm proud to call Valkyrie brothers

Valkyrie: Really, what people are suggesting is that truth and honesty DONT MATTER and how well you market yourself is all that matters. FUCK THAT!

Diabolical Conquest: It's an inevitable by-product in a norht america where everything can be bought and sold on a whim. The music industry is a slavetrade where people are bartered and traded, and trends are pushed then dropped when the next one trots along.

Valkyrie: People congratulate you for shrewdly positioning yourself at the top of the industry's hot list, rewarding you for successfully being a capitalist basically. I am proud to be in this fight for what is right, and I have mutual respect for you man. I'm glad we can feel solidarity with this.

Diabolical Conquest: Yeah it's that kind of solidarity that transcends geographical distances and allows us to be confident in the fact that a doom community exists across the globe.

Valkyrie: I really feel like doom and heavy rock is a good thing that really shouldn't be packaged for the masses, like pearls before swine.

Diabolical Conquest: I know that you really love Wino's work, and i have to say he is my biggest songwriting influence other than Tony and Geezer. W hat would you say is your favorite Obsessed work?

Valkyrie: Wino is a true legend. I like particular songs form each record, really some of the stuff compiled on Incarnate is my favorite. The earlier stuff like on the s/t and earlier demos is more what I like the best but truly some the songs on Incarnate, though a compilation, rule the hardest! You inspired me to play the obsessed, so that's what I am listening to now. I love it so much. Pete and I when we are on the road crank it up and sing a lot, its awesome. Now that Gary is with us, we have had to restrain our Wino worship for his sake and our of respect for their personal history. “Concrete Cancer” and “Street Side” might be my favorite songs.

Diabolical Conquest: Which Gary are we speaking of here? (And the Sodden Jackal EP/S-T are definitely my favorite Obsessed recordings, truly monumental stuff.)

Valkyrie: Gary Isom, drummer for Spirit Caravan, Iron Man, Pentagram etc, has been our drummer since March.

Diabolical Conquest: How has Gary's entrance to the band impacted the band? no offence to your previous drummer, but i thought some of the drumming on the Valkyrie album was just a tad unimaginative, though it was very dependable and did its job. I just felt like, with each instrument in the mix pushing out of the pocket and asserting its identity in the mix, the drums could have been just a bit more creative fill-wise in some spots

Valkyrie: Yeah I hear ya man. Gary's drumming is amazing. He brings years of experience to the band and I think his distinctive style really has gelled with ours. You can't really ask for more from a drummer, there are few that compare. I consider us very lucky to have him. A great guy.

Diabolical Conquest: Has he contributed a lot to the songwriting process? Must be weird to have an older guy come into the band and hang out with you folks, too, haha. Do you guys vibe well outside of the studio?

Valkyrie: Yeah actually he has! He has these ideas in his head and hums them out, its really funny, but it has really strengthened the songwriting process because now we starting a different kind of dialogue where we can say how about this" and " what if we did this," etc. Yeah I think we vibe really well. We have similar approaches to life, we are all pretty laid back. He appreciates the fact that we have goals and dreams and are pretty squared away as far organizing shows and such. He doesn't always get that with other bands he plays with, I think he appreciates our youthful enthusiasm maybe. But he is only 9 years older than me, I am 26 ( actually turning 26 in about an hour, July 10) and he is 34, so its not like he is an old fart!

Diabolical Conquest: Did you feel like you were at a sort of creative dead end in that respect with your old rhythm section? Were they less vocal and less open to approaching songs from a different angle?

Valkyrie: You really nailed it there- Pete and I are very extroverted and they are more introverted. They didn't really say much, so it made me and Pete seem like we talk too much, like we were overbearing. They were open to stuff, but they didn't contribute as much as I would have liked.

Diabolical Conquest: Yeah, i think it's about time to wrap it up here, or it'll be a gargantuan task for me to edit and I'll have to find enough pictures to fill up all the pages, haha...it's been fantastic talking to you and i do hope that one day we will meet each other in person and scream along to “Indestroy” together. Happy birthday, and please use this last space to tell us about any future projects or shows you have coming up.

Valkyrie: We have a short tour in the mid Atlantic region of the USA and a bit westward later in July, plus we are appearing at SHOD in Mesa, AZ in September, as well as couple other fests in the next few months. Then we plan on using the fall and winter to write and record our next record. It has been really great doing this- insightful questions , thanks again!