The last time we spoke with Vancouver, BC-based Metal vocalist Brian Langley, he was knee-deep into his work with Veteran Canadian thrashers INFERNAL MAJESTY. Well, in life nothing lasts forever as they say. After more than two years in the band, Langley has amicably parted ways with INFERNAL MAJESTY and has begun a new chapter in his history book. In what seems to be the perfect fit for him, Langley has joined the ranks of Vancouver-based metallers TYRANTS BLOOD, a fairly new name to the scene, but nonetheless, hungrier than a rabid wolf in the dead of winter. Speaking exclusively with METALEATER, Langley talks about the reasoning behind his departure from INFERNAL MAJESTY and outlines the blueprints for his new band, TYRANTS BLOOD.

So what happened with INFERNAL MAJESTY? You seemed happy with everything when we spoke last. What's going on?

"Well basically, yeah I was really happy and everything, but... I don't know... setback after setback and bad decision after bad decision. After a while it just wares on a person. Basically what happened is I didn’t like the band was being run and I told those guys why I thought the band wasn't making any progress and why we weren't doing the things that we need to do..."

What did you say exactly?

"Oh I don't want to get into details. Basically they didn't like what I had to say on the subject. Afterwards both parties pretty much came to an agreement that it was best not to work together, which is a shame because I think there was a lot of wasted potential there. Like 'Systematical Extermination' (title of INFERNAL MAJESTY's forthcoming full-length album) is still going to be released as far as I know, but it won’t be the same as originally intended, you know. Different singer, probably different words or song titles changed. I'm hoping that all the work I did on that album won’t be wiped clean and be rewritten, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what those guys decide to do with it."

Well it would be a waste of they don’t use it.

"Yeah. Again, bad decisions."

So you left amicably?

Yeah, yeah. I still talk to the drummer (Kris DeBoer). They're between bass players now too. Eric (Dubreuil) got the boot."

Really? That's too bad.

"Yeah. What can you do?"

This happens all the time. There are lineup changes constantly in the Metal world. People are always changing personnel left and right, which is unfortunate.

"Absolutely, but we figured it would be the best route at that time. I don’t know... I can see maybe possibly somewhere down the line, I could see myself possibly getting back together with them, but the way business is being done would have to change, and I just can't see that happening."

So have they replaced you yet?

"Yeah... yeah they have. I'm not going to say who it is. I don't want to steal their thunder. I'm sure they'll announce it when they want to. But I can say this, the guy is a great guy, and the notes that I can hit, he can hit. He's a really great guy. He's actually a pretty good buddy of mine. It's cool 'cause honestly, with all the singers and that in Vancouver, I can't see anybody else doing it other than him."

When did all this go down?

"Well basically we played the ARCH ENEMY on October 15, 2007 at the Commodore there (in Vancouver), and then a month went by and we didn't practice. Nobody even really talked to one another and then I guess midway through November we got together to do a practice and a band decision was made and it was something that I was really against and I voiced my opinion on it and then we started talking more and more about the way things were being done and etc. and that pretty much put an end to that practice. Then nobody really talked again I guess until just after Christmas. So basically the first week of January is when I talked to those guys and that's when it was decided. It just so happened that a couple of weeks before that I kinda read the writing on the wall that this wasn't working out and it just so happened I heard through a friend that TYRANTS BLOOD was looking for somebody. So I actually called them up a couple of weeks beforehand and I had my tryout all set up, so I guess... really the transition was... I went maybe a day without being in a band (laughs)."

One day? That's it?

"Yeah. It was weird how it worked out. It was just... 'Oh, this is convenient. TYRANTS BLOOD is looking!' Before they got their last singer, Andrew Russell, about a year and a half/two years ago I think it was when they got him. When I first joined INFERNAL, those guys had approached me to maybe try out, or they had had me in mind, but they knew I would be too busy with INFERNAL and MECHA MESSIAH. So it was just like "Okay, I'm not so busy anymore and it just so happened that this happened with TYRANTS BLOOD and Andrew, so I made the phone call and here I am (laughs)."

Well, you know... you close the door and open a new one, right? Opportunity knocks everywhere and you always take a negative and turn it into a positive and it sounds like that's what happened. So let's look to the future now and talk about TYRANTS BLOOD. Can you tell me a little bit more about the details surrounding you joining the band?

"Year sure! It's not really a big story. I don't know when Andrew exited the band or whatnot, but I k now from talking to those guys that they tried out about half a dozen singers or something like that and they were basically at their wit's end when I gave them a call to see if they were still looking. So they were pretty happy that I gave them the call. I guess 'cause it wasn't official that I was out of INFERNAL, so they weren't sure how serious I was about it. But I quickly changed their mind when I showed up to my tryout and I already knew eight of their songs. They were blown away by that (laughs). I guess that pretty much cemented me in there. They knew I was serious."

Did you know any of the guys before?

"Kind of, not really too much. I didn't know Matt (Blood; ex-ABUSE, ex-CRACKWHORE) the drummer but I talked to Marco (Banco - guitar; ex-BLASPHEMY, ex-WITCHES HAMMER) a few times, and actually April 13, 2006 I believe it was, INFERNAL did a show with TYRANTS BLOOD in town. Their other guitarist Tom (Lewko) - I hung out with him a few times so we were pretty good. The bass player, Vinnie (Lee Borden), he was also in OMEGA CROM, so yeah I knew him too. They're just a great bunch of guys to be working with."

Is OMEGA CROM still active?

"Um yeah, from what I hear, but Tommy and Vinnie aren't associated with that anymore, and I don't think Stu (Block) from INTO ETERNITY is in. Their other guitarist, Johhny K, I think he's handling all the singing details, but Colin, who used to play for INFERNAL for the one European tour - he's drumming for them again 'cause I know he left but now he's back. It's just... (laughs)... around and 'round we go. The music scene in Vancouver is so inbred it's not even funny. You can pick any Vancouver band and chances are it's like six degrees of separation (laughs)."

The bottom line is you have to be happy where you are and it sounds like you are now.

"Well, when I was first with INFERNAL I was pretty happy too, but as time goes on right, and still nothing is happening. But oh well."

Let's talk about the new five-song EP "Prophecy" and how did you ink the deal with Invictus (Productions)?

"Well I'm not actually singing on 'Prophecy'. That's Andrew still. They recorded that album a few months back. I think they recorded it in December or something like that; I'm not sure exactly. Yeah five-song EP, they'd been shopping it around. They were in talks with Invictus when I joined and within a week or two of me joining, I guess (someone) over at Invictus sent Marco an email and said 'Yup, thought about it; let's do it!' So he's going to be putting that EP out. It should be out within the next couple of weeks actually. It's a two album deal, so we're supposed to do a full-length with me on it in the summer, probably May or June. So we've got that and then we got a string of shows lined up too, some one offs like we're doing March 29 in Vancouver, same with April19 and then April 26 in Victoria. May 16 I think we're going to play in Seattle and then May 23 we're flying out to Toronto. We're in talks to do a show in Edmonton in June and I think there's going to be a Montreal date somewhere too. Yeah, keeping busy. Like I was telling you earlier, every time I wake up it's something different (laughs). I'm going to get a t-shirt made up that says 'It Never Ends!' (laughs)."

Have you guys talked about getting in the studio? Have you written any material for an album yet?

"Oh yeah. It was actually kinda weird. I've never been so active in a band so quickly. Within the first week and half of me being in the band, I already penned the lyrics for one of their new songs. It's called 'Behold The Conqueror'. I'm just really happy. They're easy-to-work-with guys. I don't know how many songs are going to be on the full-length, but they've got six or seven songs all ready to go. We're rehearsing those songs; we're going to be playing a lot of them at the first couple of shows coming up."

And that's all new material right?

"It's all brand new stuff. Actually, if you want I can throw some of the song titles at you."

Sure, go for it.

"Well there's 'Behold The Conqueror', which I already talked about. There's another song that's gonna rip everybody's faces off called 'Torn From The Sky'. There's another one called 'Slithering Into Exile' - that's one's a pretty cool tune."

"Torn From The Sky" sounds interesting. Can you describe to me what the feel of it is?

"Oh, it's just intense! That's the best way I can put it - it's just intense. I wish I could better describe it for you, but to hear it you're just gonna go 'Holy shit! Where did these guys come from!' (laughs)"

So in one sentence, how would you describe the overall sound of TYRANTS BLOOD?

"I would say that it's like old SADUS with hints of MORBID ANGEL, POSSESSED and DESTRUCTION. Just old school Canadian Thrash."

Ah so it's very Thrash-oriented.

"Oh absolutely. I know because Marco used to be in BLASPHEMY a lot of people expect it to be a Black Metal band, and it's just not the case. There are little influences of Black Metal here and there, but I would align the band more closely to the work that he did with WITCHES HAMMER. When I hear the band I think old school Death Thrash, or blackened Thrash we'll say... something like that, I don’t know. Another song title is 'Empire Of Acheron'. Those are the new tunes. There are a couple that are unnamed right now too. We've got even more songs that that, but we haven't gotten to rehearsing them yet, 'cause the stuff that we're playing is not kids stuff. We can't just pick up our guitars and go 'Okay guys, let's knock off the next two songs today!' (laughs) No, it takes a while to get everything down. So we're just focusing on four or five of the new ones now and then when we get those good and ready then we'll throw a couple more of the new ones in."

Any idea when you're going to head into the studio?

"We're hoping for May or June. Right now it's more or less a pay it by ear kind of thing."

Do you have a studio picked out yet?

"No we don’t have a studio picked out yet. But JF (Dagenais) from KATAKLYSM has expressed interest in working with us. I don't know if we're doing some things to try and make it happen, but he is interested. I talked to him about it."

I guess given that fact, you can't say whether or not you're going to be recording in Vancouver or Montreal perhaps...

"Uh, we'd like to stay close to Vancouver, but JF wants us to go out there. But I gotta talk to him about that and see what we can do, 'cause it definitely would be a great asset to have him doing the album."

Now in terms of your vocal style, will it be pretty similar to what we've heard you do with INFERNAL MAJESTY.

"Yeah. It's not going be like how I sing for MECHA. It'll be closer to what I was doing with INFERNAL."

And you're still drinking the chocolate milk?

"You know it! You know it!"

(laughs)

"Still drinking the chocolate milk and listening to Weird Al Yankovic!"

Are you serious?

"Yeah, man! (laughs) That's what got me singing was listening to Weird Al."

"Dare To Be Stupid"?

"That one, all of them. I've got all his CDs sitting here. One thing I wanted to mention is the guys were working on this in the summer and just finally happened now. They're on a three-way split record; three of our songs are on there with ALMIGHTY SATHANAS and BLASPHEMOPHAGHER. So that just came out. We're going to have copies of that ready for sale at the first show with me, which is, again, March 29 at The Cobalt (in Vancouver). Actually this 'Prophecy' EP, we will have copies of that at the show. It's very intense."

It's good that you've found a good band home, you know. You work hard and you're enthusiastic.

"Well yeah, you gotta be into what you’re doing otherwise it won’t go anywhere, right. I don't know... again it's just kinda convenient how things worked out. They were looking and I was kinda shopping around myself too. It's just great. Right now I can’t really see myself singing for anybody else but these guys. It's just... the difference... well, like I was saying earlier every time I wake, every day it's something new. 'Oh what do we have going on now? Oh we got this happening here; we've got a show being set up over there. Oh by the way this EP just came out that we've been working on.' Even talking to those guys it's like as soon as I got into the band, within the next couple of weeks all the doors started opening. Like we got signed with Invictus, the split EP came out, the 'Prophecy' EP is coming out, we're getting all these show offers. It's just great! The other thing that I really want to touch on why I'm getting such a kick out of being in TYRANTS BLOOD and working with those guys is the band started up in 2005, so they're still out there trying to make a name for themselves. It's just great that it was a different situation where okay, they've had a name since '87 and you know, there's more hunger with TYRANTS BLOOD because there is no name and it's really cool that I get to help them mold that name and get it out there as opposed to being compared to past singers."

So you feel more of a sense of accomplishment.

"Well yeah, but I still think that I got a lot to prove. Just give it time and you're going to be hearing a lot more about TYRANTS BLOOD, that's all I can say." [FIN]