interview with Godless Angel

Have any of you played in other bands?

Yes, I've played in a handful of bands over the past thirty years, although none of them achieved any noteworthy level of success until now. Godless Angel is the first band of mine to release an official album through a record label.

I played in several bands both as a bass player and lead vocalist, covering genres from metal and punk to bluegrass and indie rock. Some of the bands never made it past the local open mic, while others went as far as touring around the country, playing festivals and even getting a slot at College Music Journal conference in New York City.

How is it that you started playing music?

I started playing music in 1984, when I was fourteen. My best friend at the time bought a guitar and decided to start a band. He had another friend who agreed to play drums and he asked me if I would play bass. I was just beginning what would become my lifelong love affair with metal and I jumped at the chance to be in a band.

I gathered up all my childhood toys, everything from Star Wars to G.I. Joe, and held a yard sale to raise money to buy a bass guitar. I ended up making a $100. My Mom drove me to Mass Street Music and we found an Ibanez Rickenbacker copy for $125. My Mom spotted me the difference and I had my first bass.

I started writing my first song as soon as we got home, and I haven't stopped since!

What are your names? / Who plays what? / How old are you? My name is Derek Neibarger. I'm 45 years old and I handle all the vocals, guitar, bass, and drum programming for Godless Angel.

Have you had other previous members? Godless Angel has always been just me. I created it in the summer of 2012, although I've been writing and recording on my own since 2001.

Did you make music even when you were young? I started playing baritone in the school band at age 9. My parents bought a used acoustic guitar when I was 11, and we also had a piano that I dabbled with occasionally.

Where are you from? I live in Lawrence, Kansas. I was born and raised here and I love it. Lawrence is a medium sized college town about 45 minutes west of Kansas City. It's always had a very active and diverse music scene.

What year did the band form? Godless Angel was created in the summer of 2012.

What's your style of genre? My music has been described as a combination of death metal, thrash, and groove metal. I tend to write mid to slow tempo songs with the focus on the riffs rather than hooks or catchy choruses.

What inspires you? I'm a metal junkie; at any time of the day I'm either listening to metal, creating metal, reading about metal, or thinking about metal. I love everything about the genre and I never get tired of it. Every new metal song I hear just makes me love it that much more and want to grab my guitar and write a dozen more songs just as heavy, crushing, badass, and awesome!

How often and where do you rehearse?

I play my guitar and/or bass almost every day, whether I'm writing and recording or just shredding away for the fun of it. I go into withdrawal if I haven't played for more than a couple days. For me it's just as much of a part of my life as eating and sleeping.

I have my studio set up in a room in my basement where I keep all my guitars, amps, and pedals, adorned with posters and flyers of my favorite bands. It's my music corner where Godless Angel comes to life.

How have you developed since you started with the music?

Even after over thirty years of making music I still feel like I'm improving and learning new things. Practice is essential, but the act alone can only take you so far. I've experienced my biggest personal breakthroughs by going outside of my comfort zone and challenging myself with more difficult styles and techniques.

Godless Angel isn't like anything I've done before and it's played a huge role in making me a much better musician and songwriter. If you compare to first few tracks from my debut album, "Year One", to the songs on my most recent album, "Harvester of Shadows", there's a huge difference. Since day one I've been pushing myself to write heavier, faster, and more complex riffs and songs for Godless Angel, and it's obvious when you listen to the music. I'm not the greatest musician to ever walk the Earth, but I'm a better one than I was three years ago. And I plan being an even better a year from now.

Do you have other interests of work outside the band?

I did the artwork for "Harvester of Shadows" and the EP, "Dying Dead Undead Unholy". I've been drawing since I was very little. I was originally inspired by comic book artists such as John Buscema and Jack Kirby. I'm still a huge comic book fan and I think it shows in my style of illustration. I prefer to do pen and ink drawings with very definitive line work and bright colors.

I've also contributed in writing to the music blogs No Clean Singing and Metalsucks. I've interviewed artists such Possessed, Deicide, Krisiun, Obituary, and Cannabis Corpse.

Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that? I'm not looking for a booking agency at this time. I haven't performed live since 2001 and Godless Angel is currently a studio only project. I'm not ruling out the possibility of ever performing these songs onstage, but I'm much more interested in writing and recording. I have hundreds of song ideas that I want to bring to life and nowhere near enough free time for all of them, but I intend to record as many of them as possible before I exit this existence.

Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that?

My most recent album, "Harvester of Shadows", was released through Inverse Records in February of this year. I wasn't planning on working with a label and I wasn't searching for a deal, but Inverse approached me and after thinking it over for a few months I decided to go for it.

It's been an amazing experience! This was my first time ever having a label working for me, setting up interviews, reviews, and helping to get my music to radio stations. I've enjoyed every minute of it and I have no regrets. Inverse is a great label with some great artists on their roster, I highly recommend checking out the killer music they have to offer.

What made you decide to make this music? I've always been creative, drawing and writing as a child. I had a very active imagination and was always fascinated and obsessed with science fiction, fantasy and horror. I would read books and comics and immediately try to write my own stories and create and illustrate my own monsters and super heroes. When I reached my teens music was obvious next step for me. Once I was ushered into the awesome world of rock and metal it was really only a matter of time before I decided to try and create my own. I loved performing for an audience, but the real thrill and addiction for me was in the writing and recording. I wanted to write as much and as often as possible and I couldn't wait for the chance to bring my ideas to life in the studio.

What are your songs about? All of the lyrics for Godless Angel are horror fiction. I look at each track as a short horror or science fiction story or movie.

Who does the composing and writes the lyrics? I compose all of the music for Godless Angel and my wife of fifteen years, Chrissy, and I collaborate on all the lyrics for my songs. She's the perfect songwriting partner for me; she knows me inside-out and comes up with great song ideas. And I love being able to work with her on all things Godless Angel. Music is obviously a huge part of my life and who I am, and being able to share it with her means the world to me.

Do you start with the music or the lyrics?

The music comes first. I pick a tempo for the song and create a click track. Then I write and record the guitar and bass to the click track.

From about 1984, when I started songwriting, to 2013 I used the universal song format of verse-chorus-verse-chorus. That was what my idols used and it was very useful as a beginning songwriter to have a template to work around. But about a year into Godless Angel I began to feel like the songs were suffering doing the same old pattern over and over again. So I came up with a new way to write.

I don't use verses or choruses in my songs, anymore. Each Godless Angel song is made up of 8-10 sections, none of which repeat at any time. If you only listen to the first 30 seconds of one of my tracks you really haven't heard the song, because the next three or four minutes are going to sound completely different. The only way to hear everything one of my songs has to offer is by listening from start to finish.

I've also stopped worrying about rhyming the lyrics, or having one particular phrase or hook that repeats. I just tell the story using whatever wording is best suited for saying what I want to say. And there are no set rules on guitar solos; any one of my songs may have three or four leads, or even none. I just do what feels right.

Getting back to the order in which I put together my songs, once I finish writing and recording the guitar and bass then I can create the drum track around those parts. I follow up that with the guitar solos and then I write and record the vocals.

Do you compose in a certain environment?

I have a studio in the of one of the rooms in our home. It's basically a computer with Bose speakers surrounded by Slayer posters, show flyers, Halloween props, my two guitars, a Dean Dimebag Dime Camo ML and a Kerry King Signature Metal Master V, and my bass, an Ibanez Soundgear. I run them through a Zoom Multi-effects pedal to a direct line-in. Everything is tracked and mixed via some very basic and inexpensive software. It's my dream set-up!

My first music recording experience was in a traditional studio on reel-to-reel. I entered the studio multiple times with various bands over the years and it could be a very frustrating experience, even though I loved recording. It wasn't always easy coming up the money to pay for studio time and we always felt rushed. Who knows how many times I day dreamed about being able to record in my own studio for free with no time constraints, but I didn't think it would ever really happen. I figured I would have to build a soundproof room with recording booths and invest in a mixing board, microphones, a drum kit and who knows what else, in addition to having to learn how to use all that equipment. I never imagined that I would one day be able to do it all on a home computer.

Now I'm not sure I would even want to record in a professional studio, even if I could do it for free with unlimited time. I absolutely love being able to write and record any time of the day at a moment's notice, for as long as I want or even just for a few minutes to capture a flash of inspiration. I don't have to worry about hauling equipment or trying to work with an engineer who may or may not even like my music. Technology has made it possible for me to focus all of my time and energy on the songwriting, and I couldn't be happier.

What language do you sing in? I sing in English.

When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale? The only merchandise I have available at this time is Godless Angel Guitar Picks. One dollar gets you a guitar pick and a signed color print of the artwork from one of my albums. Two dollars gets you a pick, signed artwork, and a personalized video of me signing your artwork and shredding with your pick. It doesn't make me much money but I love being able to connect with my fans in such a fun and unique way.  https://godlessangel.bandcamp.com/merch/godless-angel-guitar-pick
Where can people buy your merchandise? I've recently made available a deluxe version of my most recent album, "Harvester of Shadows", on Bandcamp. This new edition has the original nine tracks plus eight instrumental versions (the first track is already an instrumental). That's seventeen tracks for only $6.66! I'm very excited to be able to share my songs in this way. I put a lot of hard work into the music and sometimes it feels like that work gets buried under the vocals. The bonus tracks on the deluxe edition put the guitar, bass and drums in the spotlight.

https://godlessangel.bandcamp.com/album/harvester-of-shadows-deluxe-edition

My debut album, "Year One", and EP, "Dying Dead Undead Unholy", are also available on Bandcamp for the "name your own price" option.

https://godlessangel.bandcamp.com/album/year-one

https://godlessangel.bandcamp.com/album/dying-dead-undead-unholy

What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records nowadays?

I still purchase CDs for the bands that bands that are really special to me, almost always as pre-orders that come with something like a t-shirt or other merchandise. But all my music goes onto my mp3 player. It's simply the easiest way too access all of my albums. As much as I hate to see physical albums being phased out there's no denying that digital music is way more efficient and accessible.

My own music is only available as digital downloads because it's still not affordable for musicians on a tight budget to produce physical copies of their music. I can put all of my music up on Bandcamp for free but it would cost me a ridiculous sum to print just a couple hundred discs. It's hardly worth it when there's no guarantee that the physical albums will even sell. A more likely scenario is that the album will end up on a torrent site and the discs you create will just gather dust.

How do you think the music industry have changed because of this? I think the music industry is still coming up with ways to move physical copies, such as pre-order packages and vinyl. But I'm not sure how much longer record labels will be around. Bands are relying much more on touring and merchandise to support themselves and there's a huge number of resources on the internet which allow artists to promote themselves in nearly the same fashion that the labels do. It's reaching the point where record labels and promotional agencies no longer have guarded strategies and contacts. New bands can access all the streaming sites and physical vendors with great ease and at a reasonable price, and the huge number of blogs and internet radio stations are making it even easier for artists to manage and promote themselves without the record label as the middle man. Why sign a contract and give away a percentage of your earnings to someone who is just going to use the same resources that are available to anyone with access to the internet?

What do you think of my work? Your blog is very cool, so many great bands and awesome music! Keep up the good work!

How do you think and know that this interview will help you in the music business? Anything that introduces my music to new ears is helpful! There's millions of metalheads around the world and it's impossible to reach all of them on my own. The great thing about the metal community is that we love to share our new discoveries with others. We also love to help out our fellow artists. I've shared music from fellow musicians on my facebook page and other bands have done the same for me. I've always felt like the metal community is a family and it's one I'm very proud to be a part of.

Do you have any role models or idols? Absolutely! I've idolized Slayer since I was a teenager and they're still my all-time favorite band. I also look up to artists like Cannibal Corpse and Six Feet Under. And those are just some of my most beloved metal artists. I draw inspiration from hundreds, if not thousands, of artists. Even a new band that I've just heard for the first time can inspire me to try new things and be a better musician.

Why do you think that they exist? Artists and entertainers as idols and role models is a very important part of who we are. Our parents teach us core values and the basic life lessons. Our idols and role models appeal to us on a completely different level. They represent something bold and daring that we secretly wish for but don't see in our own social circles. They're larger than life heroes who aren't afraid to be different from the herd. They inspire us to take chances, follow our hearts and chase after our dreams. They're the reason we all aren't carbon copies of the people who raise us. It's totally fine to see your Mother or Father as a hero or role model, I know I can only hope to be half as kind and loving as my Mom. But it's only natural to seek out other role models as well. It's what shapes us as individuals and makes us unique.

Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today? I'm inspired by bands both old and new. I draw just as much inspiration from a newer artist like Undead as I do from older artists like Slayer and Exodus. Despite what some people think contemporary death and thrash bands are not just regurgitations of the artists that preceded them. Every musician brings something new to the table, regardless of their influences, and we can learn from all of them.

What have been your biggest obstacles? My biggest obstacle is time. I have a full time job and I don't get to donate anywhere near enough time to music as I would like. I would love to spend hours and hours of every day writing and recording, but it's just not possible. It took me six months to complete the nine tracks for "Harvester of Shadows".

What advice would you give other bands or artists? Don't look to other people to run your career for you. All the resources you need for marketing, advertising and selling your music are right there on the internet. You have all the tools you need and an endless number of tutorials to teach you how to budget and manage your band finances and reach different markets. There's websites for everything from merchandise to sharing your music on streaming services. And most definitely don't underestimate the power of metal blogs. Reach out to them and be polite and gracious. A friendly and respectful attitude can open a lot of doors.

Do you have any new material? I'm writing and recording new songs, right now! The next Godless Angel album will be released on Halloween through my own label, Atomic Zombie Records. The new tracks are sounding pretty awesome! I always try to improve on the last thing I recorded and this one is no exception. The songs on "Harvester of Shadows" average between three and four minutes. The new songs are all five minutes or longer. On my last album there was a very obvious split between thrash songs and slower, groove oriented tracks. The new batch of songs is more focused on slow, intense, crushing riffs that blend several different styles together. A single song can move from death to thrash to doom. The new album is going to be killer and I can't wait for everybody to hear it!

What are your web sites?

There are several sites where fans can connect with Godless Angel!

https://www.facebook.com/godlessangel

https://godlessangel.wordpress.com/

https://godlessangel.bandcamp.com/

https://twitter.com/GodlessAngelUSA

https://soundcloud.com/godless-angel

https://www.reverbnation.com/godlessangel

How can people reach you? You can reach me through the Godless Angel facebook page or by email. [email protected]

What are your plans for the future? I'm just going to keep writing and recording more music as Godless Angel! I have hundreds of ideas for songs and I want to share every single one of them. I would also like to have more Godless Angel merchandise to sell, such as t-shirts and stickers, but I'm not sure when those will be available.

Do you have something to add? Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to talk about Godless Angel, I truly appreciate it! The "Harvester of Shadows Deluxe Edition" is on sale now for $6.66 on Bandcamp, and my new album will be released on Halloween of this year. Be sure to follow Godless Angel on facebook to stay up to date with everything that I'm doing!

https://www.facebook.com/godlessangel

Thanks Again!

-Derek

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