Interview by Donny, from e-zine, The Blood Funnel.

Managed to get an interview from seasoned death metal, doom metal and black metal drummer Andy York from the almighty and always crushing Fall of Empyrean. They're an established doom metal band outside of arizona, with 3 full length albums as well as a demo. Check them out, if you're into down tempo soul shaking doom metal, they won't disappoint!

What age did you start drumming?
Well, I started playin around on drums when I was in elementary school, around the age of 8, I believe. I never got too serious about it until 2001 when I joined a little local deathgrind band called Adversary of Existence. So in actuality I've really only been playing drums seriously for the past 8 years.

How many other projects have you been involved in? What has led you to where you are now?
Well, throughout the course of my musical endeavors I've been involved in a total of 6 "real" bands haha. Starting out with Adversary of Existence. From there I moved on to being a live/session drummer for a melodic/progressive deathmetal band from AZ called Kilk, who had, prior to me joining, released an EP titled, "Crusade Through the Valley of Flesh." Both Richard and Kevin of Fall of Empyrean were involved in KilkRichard on vocals and Kevin doing guitars rather than keyboards. At the time, Kilk was an active band, FoE was on hiatus after their 2004 release of the "A Darkness Remembered" album. Through the course of my time with Kilk, Richard and Kevin had decided to get FoE back up and running and offered me the drumming position for the band ... and I gladly accepted the offer. Since being in FoE, I joined another AZ band called Malnurture. With Malnurture, I recorded the drums on the "VII" EP and did only a handful of shows, including a breif stint with Dark Funeral and Naglfar, before departing from that band. Now (aside from FoE) I am currently active in Necrambulant (formed by ex-Meathook bassist/ex-Virameia vocalist Chad Eklund) and also Nefaricede (a brand new project with former Vehemence members Nathan Gearheart and Mark Kozuback).

What was your inspiration and motivation to be a drummer?
Hmmmmmmmm ... Well my biggest inspiration and motivation to be a drummer was the music I listened to when I was young. Bathory's first album had a huge impact on me and was the first band that drew me towards the "extreme metal" genre. But probably the biggest influence towards me wanting to do drums was hearing Iron Maiden's Nicko McBrian. His drumming with Iron Maiden is definitely what made me want to become a drummer.

Who're your favorite drummer(s)?
As far as "all time favorites," the first 3 that come to mind would be Nicko McBrian, Richard Christy, and Gene Hoglan ... Recent acts I'd consider my "favorites" would probably be Brann Dailor of Mastodon, Luc Hess of The Ocean, and Antoine Baril of Augury ... and also the band Kylesa. I think the fact they have 2 drummers is fucking awesome!

What's new with Fall of Empyrean?
Lots of things!! haha. We've recently signed on to Grau Records based out of Germany (more known acts from this label include Saturnus, Agalloch, and Mourning Beloveth). So now "A Life Spent Dying" (which was recorded over 2 years ago) can finally be released! The official release date for the album has not been released yet, but keep your eyes and ears open for it. The contract we signed is a 4 album deal, so we'll be much more busy now writing new material and promoting "A Life Spent Dying" with more shows and tour. We are all very excited about all of this!

What is your mindset stepping on the stage behind the drumset? How do you wish to connect to the fans?
My mindset stepping onto stage is almost the same mindset you get when you're about to get into a fist fight; pure adrenaline, excitement, and that weird anxious feeling you get in your gut! haha. It's what I love doing and is the main driving force behind my reasons for being a drummer. My way of connecting with fans is by putting out as much heart, feeling, and aggression as I can from behind the drumset (while still being able to maintain precision, haha) and always hoping that the people there to see the show can return that energy to the stage. I've always hated when bands just stand there and almost look bored doing what they do, so I try to put as much "stage presence" out there as I can. Putting out the most energy possible for live shows is my way of showing appreciation to the people there to see it.

Any CD releases/demos we can look forward to?
Well, Fall of Empyrean's "A Life Spent Dying" should be released later this year. Also, Necrambulant has recorded a 5 song EP that we're waiting to release (that will most likely be available later this year as well.)

What kind of kit do you use?
I stick mainly to Pearl drums, Zildjian cymbals, and Vic Firth sticks. That has been the equipment I've used for years now and it hasn't let me down yet!

Are you skilled in any other form of music besides metal?
Of course. Playing nothing but metal can get very tiresome and stagnant after a while. So I do enjoy mixing things up on my offtime by playing other styles such as progressive to jazz to even indie rock. I'm a big fan of many other types of music besides metal, so I try to not stick to the same style all the time.

Anything you'd like to tell The Blood Funnel?
Hmmmmm... Keep supporting underground music!! and, uhmm... Drink lots of beer!!!