Page 15 - Black Velvet Issue 94

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egarding the song, ‘Half God fighting to do the right thing.”
RHalf Devil’, guitarist Chris Musicians are often seen as Gods or
Howorth says, “I think that song stems Goddesses by their fans, but they too
from the inner struggle inside of every- can have demons (something that has
body, where you want to do the right come to light again lately with the sui-
thing and be the right person and treat cides of Chester Bennington and Chris
everybody good, and just do everything Cornell). While we all try to stand in the
good, but there’s also this side of you light, we can sometimes feel being
that’s like a devil or the angel sitting on pulled into a dark side. From a fan’s per-
your shoulder, trying to pull you in both spective, lyrics can help, whether it be
directions.” to give hope, or make one feel not so
He thinks everyone has a devilish alone. We can relate to and often find
side. strength from songs. Yet we often don’t
“Everybody has that side, whether realize the hardships that our heroes
it’s feeling jealousy towards someone, have gone through, particularly when
or you’re envious of having something they have achieved success and huge
someone else has that you don’t have, admiration. Traumas from the past can
or… those are just the little things, it linger, maybe even burning holes into
could be a lot more severe. Everybody their skin and souls through time.
has that little devil side, they’re always “Everybody has those demons or

whatever, but even from the very beginning swampier feel. Usually the music stimu- victed for my church’. Other songs see
of our band, there’s always been that light lates Maria’s lyrics. She’ll have some ideas Maria sing, in an almost prayer-style, ‘Oh
at the end of the tunnel. Maria’s been per- but the song itself, the music will give her God have mercy on me’ and ‘Oh Lord
severing through adversity her whole life the inspiration for what she’s going to please forgive me’. In ‘Roots’, Maria sings,
and our band, a lot of people look at us. A write.” ‘I’m strong because of you’. We ask Chris
lot of fans that are going through hard The initial inspiration for ‘Ritual’ is said how he feels seeing Maria’s strength grow.
times can relate to Maria and the band’s to have been a visit to Salem, Massachu- “It’s amazing,” he replies. “And that’s
music, because Maria’s always that light at setts. Salem was home to witch trials be- part of the reason that the band trajectory
the end of the tunnel, lyrically, and most of tween 1692 and 1693. The Salem witch has continued to be an upswing; it’s Maria
the songs, if not all of them, are based in trials were a series of hearings and prose- finding her confidence and her power, and
some sort of reality of Maria’s life, whatever cutions of people accused of witchcraft. again, from the bad things happening, it
it may be at the time.” The trials resulted in the executions of 20 gives her strength to fight back even
Maria has said, “When you listen to our people, all but one by hanging. It makes harder. And I’ve always been the biggest
music in the dark, it makes you evoke all complete sense, then, that In This Mo- supporter; it’s her lyrics and people are
these different emotions, from love, pain, ment’s album includes a song called looking at her, and hanging on every word
torment, sexuality”. Chris tells Black Velvet, ‘Witching Hour’, which sees Maria sing of she says. The more confident she is, the
“This album kind of has a dark, kind of being ‘convicted for my faith’ and ‘con- more popular she is, the more popular our

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