Ohio maestros of mythological driven metal Emerald Rage caught up with TheNwothm.com to tell us more about themselves and what lays ahead!

TheNwothm: Thanks for agreeing to this interview! Can you start by telling us the band name, where you are from and who is in the band?

Jake: Emerald Rage, based out of Akron, Ohio! Our lineup is Jake Wherley – lead vocals, rhythm and lead guitar, Erik Curry – bass guitar and vocals, Tyson McCauley – lead and rhythm guitar, vocals, and Zach Nichols – drums and percussion, vocals

TheNwothm: How did Emerald Rage come together as a band, and what inspired its formation?

Jake: Originally it started as sort of a music project with me and then guitarist Pat Kern. We bonded over bands like Ensiferum, Bathory, Running Wild, Blind Guardian and Slough Feg. Eventually, we just decided to try and add some more musicians and Emerald Rage then just turned into a band!

TheNwothm: How did you choose Emerald Rage for a band name?

Jake: My dad actually used to play in a metal cover band in the 1980’s called Emerald Rage. When the band started up, I asked to use it because I honestly couldn’t think of anything better, haha.

TheNwothm: So you guys are from Akron, Ohio! What is it like there and is there much of metal scene?

Erik: From my personal standpoint, I can’t say very much about Akron itself. I live in New Philadelphia, which is about an hour south from Akron. But it has a pretty rich local metal scene. In Akron,  bands sort of climb out of the woodwork and I’ve met a lot of very talented musicians and great friends.

TheNwothm: What is your opinion of the current state nwothm/heavy metal? Where do you think it is going strong?

Jake: Europe seems to be a big deal, at least with some of the cool festivals over the years like Keep it True and Up the Hammers. Latin America has always had a healthy true metal community it seems. In the US, not as much from what I can tell. It seems a lot of things are more like djenty and 8 string guitar oriented, which isn’t really my cup of tea. 

Tyson: Gotta try harder to find the good stuff, but it’s definitely still out there.

TheNwothm: What distinguishes Emerald Rage within the heavy metal genre particularly in terms of your approach to themes and musical styles?

Jake: We sort of like to be different whenever we can. If it fits, I should say. As cliche as it might be to say that. We did an EP after our first album called “Sceatla” which if anything is more of a hard rock release than heavy/power/speed metal. It was basically an outlet for me to release some old Thin Lizzy, Rainbow and Scorpions style riffs I had in stock.

This past album was a darker effort than “High King”. It had a lot more Bay Area thrash influence and lyrically could get sinister at times. I’d expect to see a healthy dose of the powerful and melodic battle songs and then some more darker, thrasher songs in the future, with maybe a few surprises.

Lyrically we mainly focus on literature. Tyson and I read a lot, so did Pat when he was in the band. I find a lot of inspiration in literature, reading a cool novel, or mythological tale or historical event. It sorta feeds off one another, because the more music I write, the more I want to read, and the more I want to read, the more I want to write.

Erik: Emerald Rage can get pretty diverse. At the start, lyrically we typically focused a lot on Norse mythology, historical events, fantasy and battles. Now we’re moving more into other forms of mythology and literature. As far as the instrumentals go, it started out heavily in power metal but we are adapting more into a bit of trash and prog with plenty of power metal still sprinkled in there.

Tyson: Nothing, we’re just an awesome metal band.

TheNwothm: Are any of you “geeks” at heart? 

Zach: I guess I am a little bit of a geek in some aspects. Usually things that I am passionate about. I dive into as many details as I can regarding whatever it is. Whether it be bands I am into, gear that I use, my favourite TV shows or video games, etc. 

Erik: I’m sure I can speak for everyone in the band when I say that I’m probably the biggest geek out of all of us, haha. I’m heavily into comic books ranging from DC, Marvel and Image. I’m a big-time gamer/game collector. I range from PlayStation to Xbox all the way to Nintendo. I’m also a huge Lego builder and collector. When it comes to geeking for metal my typical focus is Bay Area 80’s thrash metal.

Tyson: Erik

TheNwothm: If you were a mythical beast what would you be and why?

Jake: A dragon, 100%. Unashamed to admit that like I was as a kid, I am still sort of obsessed with dragons. They make everything cooler and powerful, and I think everyone should talk about them more.

Erik: A Phoenix. Despite how difficult life can get and no matter how much things fall apart, I can always be reborn from the ashes.

Tyson: Probably not what you were looking for, but can I pick Bigfoot? Just hanging out in the woods all day, not having to worry about society’s problems.

TheNwothm: And  the same question for a famous movie character in an action movie?

Jake: If Lord of the Rings counts as an action movie, I’d have to say Aragorn. Or maybe Treebeard, being an Ent would be sweet. Or if we can count the Hobbit movies, then Smaug for obvious reasons.

Erik: Spider-man. Because who doesn’t want to be Spider-man?

Tyson: If it has to be a famous character, the T-800. Rad jacket, rad metal skeleton, I get to meet Guns N’ Roses

If I can pick a not famous character, Goose from Deadbeat At Dawn. He looks cool and he’s pretty good at killing rival gang members

TheNwothm: How has the band’s partnership with Stormspell Records impacted trajectory and visibility within the music industry? 

Jake: Stormspell has certainly helped throw our name out there in a booming NWOTHM scene. There’s so many great bands out there on that label. We especially are fond of Blazon Stone and Silverbones, we get compared to them quite a bit.

Erik: Stormspell has certainly helped Emerald Rage in the aspect of getting us a bigger following than we had and also getting us introduced to a lot of great metal bands.

TheNwothm: Could you provide insights into some of the significant releases you have put out over the years? Do you have any favourite releases in your discography?

Jake: For me, “Wings of Solitude” has and probably always will be one of my favorite Emerald Rage songs. I also really like the first two off “Valkyrie”, “Prince of the Moon” which is a really progressive thrashy tune, and then “Archangels” which is also rather proggy in a more power metal fashion.

Erik: Empress. It was one of the first ever Emerald  Rage songs that I learned when I joined the band. It’s pretty straightforward and pretty thrashy which I like. It’s also lyrically one of my favorite songs we have ever put together as well as the fact that I have my own vocal parts in it. It’s also a song with an intro that gets me hyped every time.

TheNwothm: With an extensive discography, which of the bands releases do you think best represents the essence of the band, and why?

Zach: I would say our latest effort, “Valkyrie” does. It is a new direction for the band, but one that’s always been there. There is a little more of a thrash/speed metal sound on this album than what is heard on “High King.” There are still many moments on “Valkyrie” that harken back to the overall sound and vibe of “High King.” Overall, “Valkyrie” captures an energy that is similar to the energy you will feel if you see us at a live show.

Jake: Pretty much what Zach said. We tend to always play noticeably faster live anyways, so these new songs kind of reflect that. 

Erik: I have to go with Jake and Zach on this one and also say “Valkyrie”. “High King was a great album and you can definitely tell it’s where the core of our musical prowess comes from. But “Valkyrie” just shows how much more diverse we can get.

TheNwothm: Can you tell our readers a bit about each of the band the members? What are you all in to?

Zach: I love adventures and the outdoors. I find a lot of my inner peace when I am in a woods somewhere. 

I’m a big baseball fan/collector. I have many jerseys and hats of my favourite team, the Cleveland Indians/Guardians. I’m a total geek when it comes to craft beer (guess I should’ve mentioned that in the earlier question, ha).

Erik: In my free time, I absolutely love to spend my time gaming or reading comics. I love outdoor activities when it’s not too hot outside, and I love to spend time with my girlfriend and friends, especially group gaming activities. I have two cats named Ratchett and Dex-starr who I just adore, and I cherish playing music. So much that I’m even in three bands. Emerald Rage of course, a thrash metal band from Canton called Radiatrix and an industrial metal band from New Philadelphia called Syringe.

Jake: I have a few hobbies outside of the band life, I train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which I am currently a blue belt. I also like to study the German language a bit, swimming, and I used to play lacrosse in high school in college. Musically, I like a variety of genres but outside of metal/rock my favourite is classical. I’m also a big animal lover and help out with a local animal shelter called Paws and Prayers whenever I can.

Tyson: Besides metal? Horror movies, books, video games

TheNwothm: What has been the reception of Emerald Rage’s latest album, “Valkyrie,” among fans and critics?

Tyson: They all said it’s the greatest album of all time and everyone should buy a copy!

Jake: Basically what Tyson said, no doubt haha. I think the general reception has been very positive and a lot of people like that it’s in some ways a continuation of where we left off on “High King” but different is a different aspect as well.

TheNwothm: Can you tell us more about “Valkyrie” and the tracks? How did the writing and recording process go for the album?

Jake: Luckily, most of the recording we did with our own gear, at least guitar and bass wise. Vocally, I recorded my tracks at our friend Joe’s home studio, and drums at a studio in Cleveland that’s overseen by Scooter Allen. 

TheNwothm: And how did you come up with the design for the artwork?

Jake: We wanted a really dark and melancholic scene that reflected the direction of the music. I came up with the idea of what you see but the outstanding artist, Sean Simmons, put in the work to make it possible. It gives off a cool vibe similar to Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning”.

TheNwothm: Are there any upcoming projects or tours planned for Emerald Rage in the near future?

Jake: We’re hoping to get on the road for a little bit in the fall to promote “Valkyrie”, and hopefully some festival gigs in the next couple years as well!

TheNwothm: Musically what is next for the band?

Tyson: Faster, then doomier, then more traditional, then we don’t know!

Jake: We are currently in the works of a new record which in many ways will sort of pick up right where “Valkyrie” left off. But also, there will probably be a couple surprises that people will enjoy. We’ve also considered the possibility of splitting more vocal roles around the band, we’ll see what happens!

TheNwothm: Where can fans buy your music and merch?

Erik: You can find our music on just about any streaming platform, or you can message us on social media directly for physical copies of our CDs and merchandise such as shirts, posters and buttons.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emeraldrageband

Bandcamp: https://emeraldrage.bandcamp.com/

TheNwothm: Anything else you would like to mention?

Jake: Hope that the readers here give our album “Valkyrie” a try and enjoy it! Thanks to The NOWTHM for giving us this interview and a platform for so many rad bands!

Zach: Check out the band “RadiatriX”. We’re very close with those guys and share some similarities to them. They’re more on the thrash metal side of things, but if you like our thrashier songs, you guys would dig them too!

Erik: “Sic parvus magna”