Long lost Mourning Beloveth interview from 2008 finally appears

"Sometimes we were too drunk to play...." Mourning Beloveth's Darren Moore. Photo: Ryan Marron

Back in May of 2008 I did a little interview with Darren Moore of Mourning Beloveth for a forerunner to Paddy Metal. ‘A Disease for the Ages’ was just coming out and it was the band’s first album since the departure of Adrian Butler. Before I got to post the interview however, I decided the look, feel and name of the Blog was all wrong and I abandoned it. So the interview never appeared.

Given the recent announcement that Brian Delaney has left the band, I thought I’d resurrect the interview and post it on Paddy Metal, rather than tormenting Darren Moore again for an interview that might never see the light of day. As you’ll see, its not all that bad either.
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At long last, the latest Sounding Heavy installment makes an appearance. And its a Doom one!

Ireland does Doom Metal pretty damn well. Mourning Beloveth, Mael Mordha, Wreck of the Hesperus and Old Season have all achieved some acclaim beyond Ireland for their work at different ends of the Doom spectrum. The bigger acts aside, the Irish underground has always had a more than healthy smattering of doom bands plugging away up and down the country.

This could well say a lot about the Irish psyche. For instance, why so much Doom, Death and Black metal yet practically no Power or Glam metal? The Irish weather, our troubled history and geographic isolation could be considered strong influencing factors, were tendencies toward megalomania or perhaps extreme vanity have worked in other countries….

And so to the West of Ireland and a county so inspiring of misery and gloom that it is truly surprising it took until now to puke up the focus of this week’s Sounding Heavy instalment, Mayo’s ‘On Pain of Death’.

The band’s sound is certainly not for everyone. But for those who like it slow, filthy and miserable (with a little extra filth just to make sure) this is quality stuff. The four piece has only been existence since early 2008 but has already made a name for itself in the Irish underground, not least for its very impressive self-titled debut release.

Getting it right first time probably has a lot to do with the fact that two of its members, Hick and Ollie have been two of the busier bees in the County’s metal scene over the past few years with acts like M4 and Nothing is Sacred.

Further analysis is not really needed. It’s quite simple, this stuff really hits the spot and if you like your Death Doom of old or if you’ve been taken more recently by the sounds of fellow Irish filth peddlers Wreck of the Hesperus then On Pain of Death is not to be missed. Or if by some stroke of awful luck you are going on your summer holidays to Mayo, be sure to bring this with you. It’s easily the best soundtrack to any journey through the back of beyond.