Viperwitch have been kicking around for a number of years now and the band are about to unleash their debut concept album “Witch Hunt – Road to Vengeance!” Today we give you this exclusive in depth interview covering the bands history and all the details about their new record!

The Nwothm: Hey there Viperwitch! How you all doing? For our readers, can you tell us where you are from and who is in the band?

V.W: Thank you so much for having, us we’re really happy to be here! We’re from Denver Colorado! We have Jason ‘Zeus’ Pinero on Bass, Box and production, William Perkins on dual lead guitar, Jacob Coellen on Drums and Danica “Lynx the Huntress” Minor on Dual Lead Guitar, Vox and Production!

The Nwothm: How did you form and what is story behind the band name Viperwitch?

V.W: Back in 2014 Danica started all the writing for Viperwitch with one her best friend Sara Marafi after they left their all female Hair Metal Band ‘Stray Pussy’. Danica wanted to tap more into her roots and be a bit more serious with her work and Sara was immediately on board. Initially called Saxon Killer, they spent a lot of time hammering out full ideas and riffs based on their love of Traditional Heavy metal mixed with Danica’s Linguistic and Fantasy writing skills. Eventually after a hard search as Denver tends to lean more towards Doom and Death Metal we had success with the first line up and just before Covid the permanent members were found! Now we’re here. 

As per the band name, I had a black book that I kept all my ideas in. I wanted something better than Saxon Killer, something that was unique and would withstand time. I had a dream about the witch herself hunting me down after watching Fright Night and going through a rather tough time myself. I grabbed my book and I wrote more words down in each column, eventually the words Witch and Viper stood out both representing the themes of my music I had written for years. I wanted something grand and powerful with divine feminine energy and animalistic to match my love for that realm of beasts.

From there I immediately hit up my artist buddy Diego Garza who I had already been sharing my music with for a long while now and had his full support. I told him the name, the themes and what she looked like in my dreams and mind! Mixing elements from my favorite artwork ‘The Morkrut Banshee’ in Magic the Gathering, Necromorphs from Deadspace and the demons from Fright Night. He came back with the original logo with fangs and all and the Witch herself, emulating the spirit of  Snaggletooth and Eddie. Thus began the deep lore and tale of the all powerful Viperwitch that haunts my dreams. 

The Nwothm: You stage image is awesome! Where did you guys come up with that look?

V.W: I always had a love for the darker side of the 80s, not just the hair, ripped jeans, frills and ballads of Skid Row and Dokken. But the Satanic Panic that swept through America and the music that fueled it, like W.A.S.P., Twisted Sister and the like. This also included my love for black metal bands like Venom and Bathory that swept through Europe with their power. I also had a love for action movies because of my father, like Mad Max, Escape from New York and Blade Runner. As an 80s kid who still dresses that way on the daily for years I wanted to incorporate all of this once again in music and help tell our world from a visual perspective. I also never felt comfortable wearing normal clothing. I always felt like a fish out of water, uncomfortable and oddd. Either because of my Autism or just understanding that this human flesh is currently inhabit is not who I truly am.

Costumes of warriors always made me feel at home and at true peace. I didn’t want to be disingenuous with myself or subject other members to being boring and just complying with what’s popular. Mostly, I really wanted to help people escape into our music and performances by putting people in the places we were creating with us. We live in dark times and I wanted this to be an escape. I’m a theater kid at heart and a costume designer by trade. I wanted to make sure that not only the music was there but the visuals were there as well. I wanted to fully commit to the things I grew up on and adored as a center piece alongside the music.

 I reached out to many female artists in the game and had them build individual pieces or just simply found them in their lists. I wanted to support the community and these talented women rather than just doing it all myself. Other pieces I created for us but the standout is the work my friends created and I wanted it to stay that way! Even now I’m meeting so many fantastic artists in the fashion world of heavy metal and want to support them anyway I can. 

The guys were always fantastic about it and loved the wacky ideas. Entrusting me fully and apparently falling in love with the characters we were building for them. They have leaned into it so far that it’s affected their everyday life. I’ve seen a change in their confidence as if I am feeding some alter-egos and creating monsters, lol. Nothing bad, just confident men finally feeling like the rock stars and badasses they truly are. It’s kind of a small gift of love from me to them in return for standing by me and all my traumas and getting me through them. We talk alot about female confidence which we really need at this time in this world but what about the men. We’re all human and we all deserve to feel our best and be our highest selves, especially in this limiting realm of flesh. 

The Nwothm: Can you tell us about some of the characters your music highlights and if you each had to be one of the characters who would it be?

V.W: Well, there are many characters and were still building more! The highlights are obviously the elusive Midnight Rider. We hear about his past and initial run in with the Viperwitch. As he returns home from a sweeping campaign of the Saxons to find his wife has been taken from him by this creature called the Viperwitch. Set for vengeance he turned to a dark warlock in exchange for protection and entrance into hell to extract her. He and his horse were unknowingly cursed and immortalized, their souls bound by this earth by the warlock before he could claw his way back through the gate and kill him. You can hear this tale build and unfold in ‘Saxon Killer’ his official title in the 10th century (and a paid homage to the band’s first name) and ‘Hellbound’. His back story was all based off Brom Stokers: Dracula, Dante’s inferno and Castlevania. But more of his tale in modern time as an immortal along his trusted horse turned bike, is yet to be told and it’s rather a dark and exciting one. You can also see him and his steed on the cover art!

The 2 of 4 Mystics; Lynx the Huntress the leader Zeus the Demi-God and two more to be named soon right along with the actual appearance of the Midnight Rider deep with in the city. From what we know of Zues he’s a powerful Demo-God yet to realize his true purpose and potential as the world’s greatest Sorcerer. Now a hermit who slings equally powerful potions for illicit pleasure, protection and curses within the city walls, hunted constantly by The Guard for his ‘illegal activities’. He once lived amongst the mountains and ocean with his brother Neptune far to the east.

Where they started off as a meager mushroom pedalers and novice magic practitioners, dabbling in both right and left hand paths. Betrayed by their own teacher, after murdering and then necromancing his demi-god brother back for the forces of the Viperwitchs evil cult, he too has vengeance to pursue, but yet to be excited until he eventually meets Lynx and learns of his true power and place in the prophecy of saving the world.  His story is very deep and colorful. His entrance in the second album will be one wild ride and possibly a new fan favorite. 

Our other two Mytics also have colorful stories yet to be told on paper and in our music, but so far I can tell you they were super fun to write and just as vibrant.

Lynx comes from a sacred forest city of wood elves who are sworn to protect their forests and it’s powerful secrets. However, after the apocalypse her people were forced to use their hunting prowess to protect their people and themselves. When she was born in the sacred waters of Nameria just after the destruction, she was given many gifts just like her people and the family before her, however at her moment of birth a prophecy was magically forged within the stones of Kynareth. Stating that she alone must gather the other mythics to hunt this final Evil down. Much of that prophecy has been hidden from her and for her own good. ‘The Huntress’ is about her and her own vengeance upon the Silver Tower. I wrote this character based on my own experiences and thus myself.

There are the 4 Shewolves we meet in Blood Moon; Nikita, Leia and the twins which Lynx encounters and befriends in her search for the Midnight Rider. More is to be told of their story and bravery. Including their loyalty to Lynx and the Midnight Rider. You can see them on the album cover. They were drawn after my 4 real life wolves Nikita, Leia, Bjorn and Orion. For anyone that knows them, knows how uncanny they look to their real life selves. 

The Viperwitch is also at the forefront but only a taste has been left in this first album. Her story can be read in the booklet coming October 31st! 

Lastly, we have Bathory a Vampiric brothel owner, once an abused sex worker, who you don’t want to cross.

The great thing about these characters is that I have built them after our band members, our close friends and family. Much like Tolkien built his characters, I use real life influences to help immortalize those people and even my own real life wolves (there’s 4 of them) for life. As goofy as it sounds, what better reference than those you know and escape into.

Jason and Will both agree that the Midnight Rider is their favorite but I plan to continue to write more colorful characters worthy of their obsession!

The Nwothm: So what is the metal scene like where you guys are based? And what cities or countries have been particularly good to you?

V.W: The metal scene here is large and vibrant. It’s diehard and one massive loving community. However, the main focus the last 8 years has been Death Metal, Doom and Core. When I was younger black metal, melodic death metal and punk was at the forefront. Hence my resume with bands since highschool. Needless to say It’s been hard to find people wanting to jump genres to something more simple like this, and a couple other bands also taking her a path have found it difficult as well. However, the friends and family here are dedicated to supporting their friends no matter what they do. That’s NEVER changed and I’m very thankful. When I first started in 2014 and put our stuff in YouTube or sent them to friends and posted on Facebook for this project, the amount of support was insane and still is! Needless to say we are in good hands regardless and currently are seeing a small resurgence of NWOTHM!

So far in the states we have been so thankfully loved on by the California scene all across the coast, Chicago Particularly, Pennsylvania, Texas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico. With states we have yet to visit we apparently have die hard fans all over the Pacific Northwest, Florida, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, DC, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Utah and Tennessee. Canada has been amazing to us and even Mexico has been mind blowing!! Te amo Mexico!

Out of the states and more world wide, we have a massive and fantastic love in Greece for some wonderful reason. As well as recently Brazil, South America, The UK, Ireland, Spain and Germany. Even so in Africa and South East Asia. It’s been an absolute blessing to stretch that far and affect so many people so positively. We could die now and feel fulfilled as musicians. We are very lucky! We’re planning on visiting all these places as we answer emails and make our commitments to these wonderful places and people. 

The Nwothm: What can you tell us about the production sides of things? Who were the people behind engineering and producing the album? And did they have any influence in the sound?

 V.W: I’ll answer this in three parts as they all seem to flow together as one!

I started writing this concept album back in 2014 while I was writing the music for the band with my friend and bassist Sara and my advanced guitar teacher Evan Knight (who is also a guest on the album). However I really started really hammering at it in 2016 and I’ll get to that later.

 I’m a huge comic book head and I really wanted to bring the world of comic books/books/movies and music together as many artists before us have! I always admired artists that would do that and related to them greatly but didn’t understand why at the time.

 I was also always a short form writer and loved action and fantasy movies and novels. Always wanting to have created one myself. However I was a terrible speller due to my learning disabilities andy over all disability, it was hard to focus for more than 5 minutes, and or get to the point with proper grammar. And that’s still clearly prevalent now in my adulthood. As you’re now ten pages deep in already what should have been a very short interview with a goofy stupid band, lol!

I was also a very imaginative kid and would often build worlds while dozing off in a baseball field waiting for the next batter bored out of my skull, in class dozing off or listening to music while escaping bullying and abuse from other humans. As I got a little bit older around the age of 12 and started focusing on my music education, I found myself writing riffs that would start to transmute from simple emotions, to these same worlds with situations and characters at the helm. I’m not sure the term for it. I know other musicians do it, your brain just automatically starts creating worlds around it. Call it the autism, call it stupid, call it what you want but it’s just what my brain has always done. Fortunately, I know I’m not the only one, which is very comforting! Granted There’s only so much you can write lyricly and there’s only so many emotions you can convey in a riff and these worlds my brain crated cannot be contained solely in just that. I grew up playing classical music at the age of 12 mind you, during my music education years until I was 22, and thus grew up idolizing the movie composers from the films I loved.

Keeping that mind through the years of doing everything BUT music from costume design to Film FX makeup, it just wasn’t enough. This small flame of making these worlds real somehow was hounding me. In 2014 I kept pushing myself to simplify my music to just heavy metal but my brain wouldn’t allow it, I truly wanted more and was creating more. So eventually after Evan encouraged me and told me to tell everyone else pushing me to be simple to fuck off, I just started to keep track in a black book. In perspective, at the time and in the far past, I was surrounded by very unhealed people that always projected their own insecurities onto me, making me feel only as good as a ghostwriter, and someone who is incapable of doing anything more with my musicianship. In 2015 I wanted to finally stretch myself even further beyond heavy metal and test my abilities and give into the black book, I wanted to finally challenge those negative self deprecating beliefs that were forced on me by toxic and parasitic broken people and break free of my own chains I had allowed. My mother was a professional musician along with my father, they started to encourage and push me very hard on this when I eventually showed them the book and my word documents. My mother before she passed away a couple years later was especially forceful about leading into this. She warned me of the challenges ahead if I didn’t continue to fight for myself and kept listening to these crabs in a bucket that would drag myself, themselves and others down with no one getting out alive. That I needed to stop watering myself down amongst other things I needed to do to live a healthy happy life. 

Thus I took her words, still unsure of myself, an autistic kid highly critical of myself and drowning in imposter syndrome and blaming myself for everything that ever happened to me, I decided to listen to her and honor her at least. I dove into the book and gave way to its calls. A never ending tsunami of tales, characters and this particular world broke loose. 

I made a plan to blend all different forms of music and instruments, that was the only way I could build this properly. I would have to throw away the concept of being a purist in heavy metal and stick my neck out with the axe ever looming above it. I had to stretch myself when it came to writing this music beyond what it was at the time and actually try for once to bring these worlds and characters to life with every element available. Without much care for my fate. As long as I was true to myself, I would die on the purest gallows knowing I was honest to others and myself and honor is all we truly have. 

As a musician we are always pushing ourselves to grow and learn and this was that chance and it was a scary one. It still is with the release coming so soon. I know not my fate or the fate or my brothers who have bravely stood by me, but we stand by each other even in musician death. 

To pull this off correctly and as a growing musician and composer it was only time that I also needed to learn to produce. To give myself the tools to stretch and test myself. Many friends including bandmates at the time we’re pushing for this, and I am so grateful for that support. Knowing I’m gonna do what I’m going to do walking into those gallows anyway, having full support. 

This would eventually help stretch me into the world of soundscape design, movie ambience, sound effects, dialogue and EDM production. More particularly into my obsession with retro and synthwave of the ’80s and now. In 2019 during the peak of my escape from abuse, I really got into a YouTube channel called ‘New Retro Wave’ and fell absolutely in love with the short form nostalgic and deeply emotional songs. No lyrics, just emotional pieces that would force you to use your imagination. It really helped heal me in some odd way and I wanted to help bring that into our music. And in a sense maybe in turn also help others that we’re going through the same things I was and enjoyed not only Heavy Metal but this world as well. Nostalgia does seem to help heal as we’ve come to find the last few years. But I wanted to focus more on the aspect of bravery, and invoking a sense of the fire deep within all of us that helps us fight on even in the darkest times

Once I started learning to do it it became addictive! It took almost 3 years learning from scratch. From recording dialog, other instruments, real life sounds, mixing and mastering. Mind you, the mastermind behind helping me was our very own Jason. He is not only an amazing musician with any instrument you give him, but a fantastic EDM artist and producer. He dedicated his love and time into helping me heal, protecting me from the abusers I escaped from, but also this dream. He was the fuel and the tinder behind this healthy addiction in creating and growing. Will came on in 2023 and got addicted as well with the Synthwave. He’s been a fantastic friend helping with the healing and confidence building, but mostly helping us bring some fire to these pieces. It was a very long process but now that we know it it seems a processes are going a lot quicker and we foresee the next album going much faster. It’s just healing and learning take a long time. 

Now here we have it. The concept album I always dreamed of completed by my best friends, my husband and hopefully not the last from us. Praying the ax doesn’t come soon lol. 

The Nwothm: You also have some guest musicians on the album?

V.W: Yes! We really wanted to bring in close friends to showcase their talent and promote their bands. It’s very important as a community to support one another and we felt this one of the best ways to do that! They supported us through this entire process and we could have through of a better way then bringing them into the studio and let them have their way at it! We have Devine Reiche from Anubis, one of the most phenomenal vocalist that honestly years ago showed interest in doing Hellbound on the album and I really couldn’t think of anyone to take the male lead vocal then him! He blew us away and really brought that song to life! We also have Evan Knight on She Wolves, our long time friend and honestly one of the main reasons this music is alive and breathing today. He’s a multi talented musician from Guitars to Drums. He’s currently touring the world with Ahklys as their full time drummer and a brand new dad. We also have Nick Daggers from Celestial Wizard on the solo for Hellbound! An absolutely phenomenal guitarist, writer and all around stellar musician and human being! We will be bringing in more guest artists in the future, especially live! In the 80s you saw a lot of crossovers and guest appearances that helped shape the genre. We want to keep that community spirit alive today!

The Nwothm: Can you give us a breakdown of the tracks on the album and which of them are personal favourites? I think one of my favourite songs was the track “She Wolves of the Wasteland!’

V.W: Thank you so much that really means a lot. She Wolves is absolutely ours and my personal favorite. I wrote it for my mother and my huskies she brought into my life that in turn saved me with my disabilities. I wanted to tell the tale about the long dark road that the midnight Rider was on to self destruction, much like my own. Filled with self blame, imposter syndrome, despair and depression. It wasn’t until he was forced to fight for his life through the she wolf encampment to prove himself as worthy of life, that he finally realized his purpose once again after centuries roaming the planet lost and truly alone. In a dark turn, they save him by allowing him to prove himself and let him free, with the queen regenerating after death by his hand, they prove his worthiness which had never been done before by any man. I also wanted to bring an example of pure divine, feral powerful feminine energy, not the version we have enforced to believe it is. A tough love my mother always gave. A full encompassment of the world inside not only my head but how I felt about myself and other women around me like my mother. 

I can absolutely tell you a breakdown of each song! We start off with the Intro, simply setting the scene for our world, its brief context and where we’re heading! The intro really speaks for itself.  The second song Saxon killer like I stated above is about the title of the Midnight Rider that had before his current name. His profession in slaughter and battle. 

The Third song ‘Hellbound’ is about the Midnight Riders transmutation, entrance into hell and eventual battle and first head on meeting with the Viper Witch herself. He finds his Wife after returning from war with the Saxons, kidnaped and dragged to hell. He finds a shadow man to help him find her and allow him entrance to Hell where she’s been taken. With one tiny twist. After finding her through numerous demon slaughters, the Viperwitch appears and a battle ensues that his ego was truly not ready for. She kills his wife. She mocks him and his weak human emotions, dragging her lifeless body around pummeling into paste as he looks on with horror and despair. He’s ejected from hell on the brink of death by his knights in hopes of saving him, not knowing once ejected his soul will remain immortal. He promises vengeance upon the Viper Witch.

To burn every city down, claiming rule over every kingdom he could find, paranoid someone sent The Viper Witch personally for him. Spending centuries in search for answers,  decimating cities one after another, but with no answers or solace. Falling deeper into despair and hatred. The only soul left to comfort him after all these years is his horse. Who he transmutes from body to body in desperate attempts to keep its immortal soul along with him, in the ever changing times. 

Fast forward in time, we have the Fourth song. This is The Ritual, in which the Viper Witch is brought back by her loyalist cult within the caves of Kynerath. The unsettling and evil vibes help tell this scene of a desecrated and vile rebirth. Which immediately blends into the fifth song. Using elements from the original 80s film ‘The Exorcist’. 

The Viperwitch. The Fifth song is an immediate warning and call to action for her reign draws near. To be more personal I myself like many have always been gone by the eight of swords a victim of my own circumstances, if we only remove the blinder we could see the swords around us chaining us and use them it break free. This is also homage to the late and beautiful Jill Janeus from the band Huntress and her song 8 of swords warning others. 

The Six song ‘Bathory’, which brings us fast forward past the inevitable apocalypse which no one could stop, not even the gods themselves.

The song takes place in an outskirt bar of the Vaporcity. Its in first person as Lynx herself is one of our main characters. Here is where we are warned about a powerful city mob boss named Bathory. Unsure of the city that lays ahead she asks the weary locals about the dangers ahead. Unsure how Bathory took power over the many city quadrants, she warned  as one of the most feared obstacles of the city. Tales of friends lost to her heartless torture they tell Lynx she is safe for now. Here in the lyrics we hear their accounts. Brutal warnings to stay away from her headquarters brothel unless you’re purely there for business. Elizabeth Bathory, happens to be one my favorite female historical ‘Villains’. As we still don’t know if these were tails and rumors spread by a patriarchy ready to do anything to usurp a woman or her cruelty really fed the eventual stories that became Dracula. Bathory happens to also be one of my favorite bands and I love paying homage and hiding little Easter eggs throughout my lyrics. Hence, I spent time crafting these lyrics sneakily paying homage to Motorhead, Ratt and the very early years of Metallica. 

This leads us in the Seventh song ‘The Vapor City: Blood and Steel Upon the Silver Tower’ this is literally the point where Lynx enters the city; unsure what lays ahead in her path of vengeance. With rage and fear on her mind she’s overtaken by the awe of it all as she stops through the massive gates  We tried to make sure you could pick up every single cityscape nuance; from the flying cars, three dimensional talking Billboard advertisements, the droves of people, the flying retail carts, the massive train station and even the weather. The cities from Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, The Fifth element really drove the building of this vast city. In the music you can feel her emotions no matter how many times you listen to it, short but to the point. We wanted to finally bring in that Blade Runneresque cyberpunk City I had long since built in mind. A vast and magical wonder. Her main purpose here is to take down the silver tower, built with the anticipation she now has a head of her. A stronghold headquarters for the viperwitch and her lead generals must go down and the next song leads us into that moment. 

We explain this a little bit more in detail in the booklet but the Eighth song ‘The Huntress’ is THAT moment. You follow along with her and her mindset. Why she’s doing this, what her purpose is, what she lost, and the power of the events that take place as she slaughters her way to the top of this vast building, only to find the Viper Witch has vanished. However, in the end the tower, now completely destroyed, as she escapes is a detrimental moment to Lynx. It is a turning point in the tale. Warning the Viper Witch that her grasp of power is now loosening, she is no longer safe and her enemies are far stronger than she could have ever have imagined. The city now free of the Viper Witches power with her headquarters decimated. Lynx able to finally breathe the deep for a brief moment, knowing that her people have finally had their vengeance.

This leads us into the Ninth song/dialog ‘Blood Moon’. On her way to now find the midnight Rider and the other mythics, she comes across an encampment of dangerous shewolves. Weary of making contact she knows this is the only way. Fortunately for her they smell that she is not human but a beast just like them and welcome her. They begin the tale of the midnight Rider and their experiences with him. The acoustic guitar we recorded was the first riff I had ever written for this entire concept album in 2012 long before I really started writing. It was the first piece that led into she wolves in 2014. We felt it important to put it in here cuz that was the birth of this entire world. We recorded it while I was outside on my first acoustic on a very starry and warm summer night crickets chirping and all. 

Thus we lead into our Tenth song ‘She Wolves of the Wasteland’. As I explained I bit earlier, it is the tale of the Midnight Rider in a deplorable state captured by the Shewolves on the road as he drives carelessly and drunkenly. The sorting begins and he meets his captures. Thinking that they were just urban legend he realizes the massive fuck up he made. Fortunately due to their sorting process and need for children he’s been deemed worthy enough to use for reproduction, rather than for food and fodder as the tails have told. However immortal enslavement to their cause of clan development and survival is just not his vibe, that flame deep within him that was once long forgotten flickers once again for survival. He decides to hold his own fate in his hands after centuries, and chooses a far less favorable option amongst captured men over the decades. He chooses to instead fight the queen for his freedom within ‘The Cage’ set in a full Moons night. Much like the thunderdome of Mad Max. After a courageous fight they hadn’t seen in centuries bringing their Queen to the brink of death, they deem him worthy and let him leave. Not knowing that will not be the last time he sees them. Later we will find the She Wolves will become detrimental to his fight and survival against the Viper Witch. At this point he knows not any of this, hes just thankful he escaped. Moving steadily forward into his purpose and along the silent path of the Prophecy. 

We then go into our Eleventh song ‘Tooth and Nail. As he rides along the long Wasteland roads he is struck with the recent memories of his time there in the Proving grounds, fighting literally Tooth and Nail. A homage to one of my favorite bands and favorite albums of all time, Dokken ‘Tooth and Nail’. He realizes it wasn’t a proving ground for his worthiness to the Wolf Pack but to himself. Will he remain a villain for all eternity or take the path of retribution and become a Hero? To whom will he be a hero too and for what for? Here is where that flame further ignites within him as his original promise is then reminded to him by his trusted steed. This is where the Midnight Rider decides to stop wallowing in his pathetic self pity and to stop this path of self-destruction. Here he decides to start fighting for others now, for people like the she-wolves, and to use this curse for good. His steed agrees. 

We move into the Twelfth and second to last song ‘No gods No Masters’. As he makes it to the East Coast Ocean. The song steps slightly out of the story and into the minds of its listeners. This is a personal reminder from our band of individuals, who have also walked these paths to you. It is a call of action to the broken world we now live in, the lies we’ve been told by its masters, the power that’s been taken away from us and the enslavement we’ve been placed in, that we must break free of those chains. We simply must face our shadows, our traumas, our situations and become one whole being, so that we might fight whole and as one. The loyalty we gave to the people that built our hells, in hopes of salvation and broken promise was all an Illusion, although we gave our honor they did not give thiers. It is a reminder of our true power, one that’s been chained, a theme I talk about a lot. Our true purpose we must fight for, we are the gods and we are the masters, not them. Take your stake and burn them.

The 13th and last song leads into a somber and important piece. We are reminded that although this tale is beautiful, violent, and vibrant there is a looming sense of sadness that comes after surviving our own traumas and the battles won in this world. The people we’ve lost, the pain that we’re now allowed to carry and feel and must work through. The only way out, is through. We must remember the many that we’ve lost not only in the story but in our own lives so we may do right by them and ourselves. The song was rightfully named after the war of unnumbered tears in Tolkien’s tale. The songs remind us that in between our victories and our next battles we are still human and we are still allowed to mourn that which we lost. The world we live in so vile and evil and we have lost so many, the media and abusers hope we forget. We have gone through so many traumas, so many wrongs that still have not been written right, now is not the time for fighting, it is a time for remembering that pain and allowing it to refuel us for the next battles to come. As they too will be far harder and much darker than the last, but we’re ready and we are built for it. 

The Nwothm: The album artwork is really powerful and depicts what I presume is the Viperwitch surrounded by of course vipers, wolves and a the midnight rider. How did you come with the idea for the artwork and how does it capture the bands essence? 

V.W: Thank you so much, the album art really is the soul of this album! Late one night while slamming an entire case of PBR with our old bassist Dom Dimas from Thrall, Nuclear Reign and Torture Victim he asked me what we wanted to do for the album art. He’s a phenomenal artist and always loved to draw especially after slamming some brews! He’s also a massive comic book kid like myself so of course the conversation was already on that topic. He handed me a show flier and told me to just put down whatever was in my head, just let it go. I still have that goofy drawing today!

I wanted to bring the entire album and concept into one painting so to speak. However I locked the skills. So as you can imagine the hilarity that ensued. I sent it off to Diego Garza who thought it was a fantastic idea and supported the idea. Time passed and ideas shifted. Eventually I hit up one of the most talented artists of this time Ken Sarafin. We sat for over a year going over the smallest details to ensure he entrapped my vision perfectly. As time passed and ideas got solidified Lauren Gornik another visionary of our time stepped in to help complete the piece for us with her insane talents. Essentially you have this looming evil force in the background as we all do in our minds, our hounding shadow self we can never escape.

With the midnight rider at full speed racing down the desert highway with his closest companions and fellow warriors the Shewolves. It brings together the entire concept of the album and main focus of the tale. A man in the run from his darkest self with his own crosses to bare, his and his horses immortal soul (the bike) and those who chose to stand by him and fight. The colors represent the dark divine feminine aspects of the band at the forefront leading it, just enough but not overbearing. As well as pushing that nostalgic feel of the 80s fixation with everything cyberpunk/neon. We wanted it to emulate the movie posters of the 70s and 80s, the high fantasy action films we all fell in love with! It’s a theme well continue to carry throughout our career. Interpreting it to WHO we are can be seen many ways and we leave that to the listeners. We are a band of post apocalyptic road warriors set on a path to our higher selves, and I think this draws it all in along with the story and world that was built!

The Nwothm: And who was the mastermind behind it?

V.W: The ideas were mine, but the actual work and life it has belongs to Ken Sarafin and Lauren Gornik. They really brought the details, concepts, colors, layout and overall essence of the art to life. We really wanted to push those old movie posters and help convey who we are as a band and as artists, and I’d say they absolutely fucking nailed it! 

The Nwothm: Moving forward what are your touring plans for the promotion of the new record?

V.W: Right now we take wherever the road leads us. We are DIY with a CD Distro Label but everything is still on our shoulders. We do plan on making as many stops in the US, Mexico, Canada and the EU next year within the budget we have. But like I said we take the opportunities as they lay and we will see where that goes! For now our main focus is getting as many people who align with us to hear us and enjoy it for years to come!

The Nwothm: And where and when should fans be able to get their hands on it?

V.W: October 31st this album will be available in CD format thanks to our wonderful and incredibly supportive label Stormspell Records on their website, and in person at our shows. We plan to press Vinyls and cassettes as well! However for everyone more digitally driven, it will also be available on every streaming platform we could manage! From Spotify, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, Deezer, iTunes as well as YouTube. We will be dropping our first real lyric music video in Early November and are currently working on actual music videos for a couple songs early next year! So get ready to see us on screen!

The Nwothm: Where can fans of the band buy your music and merch?

V.W: Stormspell records will be carrying our CDs, so head over there and support them! You can head to Bandcamp or our Website for a massive selection of Merch and or just purchase our music on all the streaming platforms mentioned above! We are also happy to mail out signed and exclusive merch as well from our private stash, you can message us on Instagram or email us at viperwitch666@gmail.com 

The Nwothm: Is there anything more you would like to mention?

V.W: We really hope you enjoy this! She is all yours and we really hope it becomes a piece of metal history you’ll love for years to come! Please be sure to take your first run through as a seamless run with the album for full immersion into our story! The booklet is packed with backgrounds and story lines. We wanted to leave a lot up to the listener for their own interpretations but give you enough of a guideline to bring you into our world in which we live! We sincerely appreciate all your time, support and love so very much and are incredibly honored to have been here today with all of you! All the love from our Wolfpack to yours! Stay strong, stay heavy and stay tuff!