The third year of our blog has been running for a few weeks now. And we still haven’t posted an interview with James Delbridge, singer and guitarist of the Canadian metal band Lycanthro. That has to change as soon as possible – especially since there is new music from our friend’s camp.
André: Hi James, nice of you to take time out for us again. How are you doing?
James: Hey guys! Thanks so much once again for having me on Epic Metal Blog, always a pleasure! I‘m doing alright! Pretty overwhelmed at the moment but alright!
André: What was the last album you listened to before this interview? And please tell our readers what happened with you and your band Lycanthro in 2022?
James: The last album I listened to before this interview was actually Dance with the Devil by Burning Witches. They are one of my favourite newer bands and they sound so much like a cross between Warlock and Manowar, such great stuff. 2022 has been a very up and down year for the band. We only played one show this year, being the Hyperspace Metal Fest in Vancouver BC, Canada, which was an incredible show! We also put out a single this year which was a fun cover of Running Wild‘s classic track “Port Royal”. We originally recorded for a Running Wild tribute album that we were on, but we wanted to have something to put out this year so we figured our fans would really appreciate this track! Aside from that this year has been a very transitional year for the band. We have had a few lineup changes here and there and we have spent a good chunk of time writing and preparing for 2023, which as it stands now is going to be a busy year for us!
André: What are your plans for the coming year?
James: 2023 so far seems to be shaping up to be a busy year for Lycanthro. 1st of all, we are currently recording a brand-new release that we are hoping to have out in spring/summer 2023. These new tracks are completely different from Mark of the Wolf and we are extremely confident in the new songs. We can’t wait for you all to hear them! Aside from that, we are also going on our 1st ever tour next year. We are playing the Blades of Steel festival in the USA next year with bands like Flotsam & Jetsam and Exciter and we are going to be booking a USA/Canada tour around it. Overall, we are extremely optimistic and excited for what we have in store for next year!
André: Which albums released this year do you particularly like? Is there already a record that will surely receive the title “album of the year” from you?
James: So far there are 2 albums that come to mind as my personal favourites of the year. The 1st one would have to be Blind Guardian’s The God Machine. In my personal opinion, there are no bad Blind Guardian albums, but I will say that this album definitely brought them back to their roots which myself and a lot of other fans really appreciated. This album sounds like a modern take on Tales from the Twilight World and Somewhere Far Beyond and it contains some of their best material in years. The other album I’ll bring up is Evolution by Unlucky Morpheus. Japan has some of the greatest and most underrated bands in metal today, putting out very interesting and complex works of art that unfortunately very few in the West end up hearing. Unlucky Morpheus are one such band. They have an almost perfect blend of power and symphonic metal while still sounding fresh and Evolution is no different. I definitely urge the readers to check out this album and as many Japanese power/heavy metal bands they can find.
André: The Canadian scene has been producing very talented young bands for years. Do you perceive this in the same way?
James: Agreed! Canada has been breeding some incredible bands over the best decade. I think a big part of that is that despite how big the country is, the metal community in Canada is very tight knit. Most local scenes in each major city have a great sense of community and most bands in the country (despite how big Canada is) are at least aware of each other. I think that’s at least part of why Canada has been such a hub for heavy metal in recent years.
André: Last question: In the last few days there have been some shocking reports on my Facebook page about women who are regularly sexually harassed at metal shows. Aidan and I experienced it ourselves on Saturday when a woman was severely insulted in a sexist way. Do you also have the impression that this topic is still played down by too many men? And have you yourself experienced situations at festivals or concerts where men have harassed women?
James: First of all, it‘s honestly a shame that that kind of behavior is still happening at metal shows, it is absolutely disgusting and despicable. Heavy metal at its core from when it was 1st invented is supposed to be a very welcoming genre and it’s a shame that a lot of people have forgotten that. I personally think that sexiest behavior at shows isn’t an issue that’s getting played down by men anymore because more and more good men are becoming aware of the issue and taking strides to combat it which is great. I haven’t seen it much at the shows I attend thankfully but I did once see a man get drunkenly violent with a woman at a show and thankfully there were 2 guys nearby who subdued him. It’s funny that some terrible people continue to insult women in metal, while a lot of the best and most fresh bands I’ve heard in metal over the past 10 years prominently feature women and I think it’s really great that metal isn’t just a boys club anymore. Overall at its core, heavy metal is for everyone and we need to stand with our sisters against this ugly behavior.
André: Nothing to add to that! Thank you for your interesting answers, James. We at Epic Metal Blog wish you all the best for the coming year. I am sure we will meet again for an interview in the near future.