CAPRICORNS "The whole thing took around a couple of weeks I guess - hardly punk rock but not Metallica either..." London based Capricorns started as a group of like-minded friends who had a penchant for metal, movies and barbeque. Having all been in previous bands such as Iron Monkey, Orange Goblin, The Dukes of Nothing, Fabric and Bridge and Tunnel to name a few they decided it might be a good idea to form a band that reflected their various influences yet sounded completely different from anything they had done in the past. After a few live shows and a successful tour with Ohio heavyweights Keelhaul the band recorded their self-titled EP, a rough and ready 4 tracker that brought them instant recognition within 'the scene' as a force to reckoned with. Capricorns debut album, "Ruder Forms Survive", released on October 31st in the UK [through Rise Above Records] further advances an initial vision that is bleak, beautiful and heavy as hell. Words | Nathan The basic tracks for Ruder Forms Survive were recorded over four days in Studio K4, housed in an old GDR radio broadcast centre in East Berlin. Copious amounts of sausage, beer and other stimulants were consumed. We stood in a circle and pounded out the tunes, often at faster tempo's than they were originally written. Bass and drums were recorded over three days and kevin's guitar was recorded in one. Then three-quarter of the band returned to London while I had the leisure of recording my parts over a few days as all my guitar work was triple tracked which obviously takes more time. This also gave Mark [Mark Bihler our producer, sound designer and resident synth player] and myself time to experiment with different sounds and try discuss various approaches to mixing. The whole thing took around a couple of weeks I guess - hardly punk rock but not Metallica either. RUDER FORMS SURVIVE> On to the songs... I'm not going to tell you what the titles mean, you will have to figure that out for yourselves -if you can be bothered. 1977: Blood For Papa We wanted to start the album on a high note and smack the listener right in his/her grubby face. I think this was the first song we recorded as well. 1969: A Predator Among Us Bringing it down a bit. Basically we're letting you know what Capricorns is all about in the first two songs. The First Broken Promise This is all about Eugene [singer from Oxbow]. He completely took this little thing we wrote and turned it into a drooling monster. He fucking owns this. It's so good, he was the perfect guest to have on this. I wish he was in the band! 1440: Exit Wargasmatron This was a bitch to record. Chris played it much faster than usual. There was a weird complicated guitar lick I had written for the breakdown but this version was so fast I couldn't actually play it! I tried for hours, recording over and over again and then just said fuck it and played a two note chord instead! 1066: Born On The Bayeux I love the beginning of this. The bass and drums are totally Dub! Not that we like Reggae or anything. 1946: The Last Renaissance Man Probably the most 'accessible' track on the album. Strangely, when we play it live the kids don't seem to get it. Maybe they will now. 793AD: The Harrying Of The Heathen We love all things epic. For us this conjures up images of Viking Longships on the warpath, looted churches aflame and the lamentations of a ruined clergy. Something like that anyway. It's a contender for my favorite song and a good way to end the record. Inspirational films and their accompanying soundtracks > "Suspiria" You don't get more surreal, creepy and sadistic than Suspiria. It's a constant source of inspiration and the soundtrack! C'mon man, Goblin fucking kill it -it doesn't get any better. Euro-horror sleaze at it's finest. "Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii, The Directors Cut" Pink Floyd were the best Psychedelic band ever. They totally pushed the envelope with sonic experimentation and always tried to play beyond their technical abilities, something we do as well. The period between 1968 and 1973, before they were completely into saxophone solos and backing singers [generally the death knell for a band I think] is just great. Everything about this film is so pretentious and naïve that in this know-it-all age it's refreshing somehow. "Once Upon A Time In The West" An incredible movie. The sound design of this film, the use of silence juxtaposed with extreme volume is great. Ennio Morricone doesn't do a bad job either! I want our next album to sound like a movie directed by Sergio Leone collaborating with Dario Argento set in the Balkans. Or something. "Dazed and Confused" One of my favorite movies of all time. I can watch it again and again. The dialogue is impeccable and the soundtrack reflects everything that's great about '70s rock. You watch this movie and realize you were born too late. "Apocalypse Now" The director's cut was rubbish, the theatrical release is definitely more succinct. They don't make movies like this anymore. It's so over the top and depicts the horrors of violence and genocide so...beautifully. It's not really about war per se, it's more to do with what happens when man's true nature goes unchecked. This film has been hugely influential on us. I've been listening to the soundtrack since I was a kid. It's probably the reason I'm attracted to heavy music in the first place. Apocalypse Now and Excalibur man - total metal.