INTERVIEW BY JOE FITZPATRICK
PHOTOS BY AARON AVILA PHOTOGRAPHY
Founded in 2007 during the height of the metal scene in Virginia, BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS from Farmville has stood the test of time as one of the few Christian metal bands in the area. Despite multiple line-up changes, the band is still going strong. BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS are preparing for a new tour, as well as writing and recording new music. We spoke with bassist Bobby Huotari about the band’s role as one of the few Christian metal bands from Virginia, their love for video games and Ron Swanson, and their thoughts on staying independent versus signing to a label.
Tell me about your upcoming tour with IN DYING ARMS, MY TICKET HOME, and REFORMERS. How did that tour package come about?
We worked with Rock the Nation Booking Company. We are pretty stoked about it. MY TICKET HOME are really cool guys, and we played with them about a year ago. Our agent was able to work it out with the head agent of the booking company to get us on the tour as direct support.
What are your top 3 favorite video games to play?
We all love the Elder Scrolls series, and we are big Gears of War fans. I personally really love playing GTA5. It’s really fun.
I know ministry is important to your band, but does it worry you that people might be offended by your religious beliefs?
Not so much. When we first started, it crossed our minds. We are not a preachy band, although we have no issue with Christian bands who choose to do that. We choose to spread our message with a different approach. We just try to convey God’s love through how we act and portray ourselves. We don’t put ourselves on a pedestal above anyone else, and we try to use music as a tool to show people that God accepts them and so do we.
You guys are one of the few Christian metal bands from Virginia. How does that work in your favor?
I’m not sure. I think the only way it would work in our favor would be if someone just listened to Christian metal, but being a “Christian” band doesn’t make us any different than any other bands or musicians.
What was it like working with Karl Schubach of MISERY SIGNALS and Micah Kinard of OH SLEEPER on your last record, Completionist?
It was a really cool experience. We grew up listening to them, and it was great to have them on board. It was a very cool and surreal experience to be working with two guys from such well respected bands. We had played with OH SLEEPER once before, but we emailed both of them about it and explained what we wanted to do with their parts and they were happy to do it.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC FROM BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS
Have you been working on a new album?
We haven’t been working on an album yet, but we have been recording in Richmond with Andreas Magnusson. We are writing, and whenever we come up with something we are really stoked on, we will go record it. So whether we will do another album or an EP, we are not sure yet.
Are you guys trying to decide between signing with Facedown or Solid State Records?
No we just put that up there for fun to see what someone would say. It’s nothing serious.
Being an independent band, are you guys interested in signing to a label?
We don’t have anything against it, but we don’t want to hastily sign into a contract that we won’t fully benefit from. We feel like we are currently moving upward on our own, and whatever we end up doing, we want it to provide longevity for our band.
Who are some of your favorite local bands from Virginia?
One thing about our area is that there is no centralized hometown like in Richmond or Virginia Beach, so we see all the scenes around us developing. The one band that stands out from our area is I AM THE KID, and they have been around about as long as we have. They are really good friends of ours, and we are stoked that they are doing well for themselves.
