Alright Is Exactly What It Isn’t by Crooked Necks is one of the most haunting, beautiful records we have heard recently here at CackBlabbath. We caught up with the “ever enigmatic” outfit’s multi-instrumentalist mastermind Shane to find out about the band’s history, the creative process behind the recording and what on earth post-black metal actually is….
Oh, and Lulu, we had to ask about Lulu 
For the uninitiated, give us a quick history lesson on the band?
The project began under the moniker “Frail” in 2006, with the current line-up of Andy on vocals, myself on all instruments, plus Wraith of Nazxul handling synths. However, our 1st demo, “Brilliant Darkness”, is the only release to feature this particular line-up. All other releases have consisted of Andy and myself solely. We changed the name of the project to Crooked Necks in 2009.
Describe your music, in 3 words…
Individualistic, otherworldly, and subversive.
You’re generally labeled as “post Black Metal”, what on earth does that mean ?
In my opinion, I don’t agree with our music being labeled as such. We never intended for our music to be associated with the Metal scene, much less Black Metal. However, I suppose most people use the term “post Black Metal” to describe artists that have previously been aligned with the Black Metal scene, but have since expanded past it’s boundaries by incorporating elements from other styles that would otherwise be frowned upon by the majority of the Metal public.
So if you had to trace your musical DNA back to the birth of Black Metal with Venom in 80s North England, how would the family tree look?
I don’t feel that we have any relation at all to the 1st wave of Black Metal, or any other generation of the genre for that matter. As individual artists, we came from Black Metal backgrounds. However, one of the main reasons we started this project was to explore our non-Metal interests and to be part of something completely removed from Metal in general.
One word that is often used to describe this new album is “gorgeous”. That’s not very Metal, is it?
No, indeed it is not a very “Metal” adjective…but then again, we’re not a Metal band, regardless of our previous musical backgrounds or how others have interpreted our sound. I feel “gorgeous” is a very fitting word to describe the new album, in my humble opinion. We are enamored with sounds that are “lush”, “gentle”, and yes, “gorgeous”.
How would you describe it’s overall concept?
I like to think of the new album as being a collection of songs for Wednesday nights spent in solitude. It’s an album to be used as a tool for self-reflection, and a soundtrack for bittersweet memories. We also sought to create an album with an atmosphere that feels like you’re listening to it from another room, down a hallway.
It has an amazing, complex, layered sound, how did the final product end up compared to what you thought before going into the studio?
Thank you for the kind words! The final product took the exact shape that we intended. This could be due to the fact that we record/produce the material ourselves in our home studios, without any outside influences. For us, it’s extremely important to have our own identity and way of doing things. Individuality is key for us.
The production is slightly unusual, with the voices fairly low down in the mix. I love the “black Metal” vocals, was it intentional that they ended up almost sounding like something on the outside trying to break in?
Yes, each element of the production was certainly intentional. We frequently intend for the vocals to serve as another instrument instead of something that is “solo”. It’s about the culmination of each piece to construct a whole, instead of separating each component to stand out on it’s own. The vocal approach is unconventional, in that it is secluded and remains somewhat dislocated within the overall mix, foreshadowing a presence that never quite comes into focus.
Critical reception so far has been overwhelmingly positive, you happy with the feedback?
Yes, we are very pleased with the feedback thus far…especially the negative reviews from the stereotypical “Metal” press. It’s always nice to receive validation for your efforts and to receive confirmation that some people “get it”, although we never approach our recordings with this in mind. It’s imperative to follow your own intuition regardless of perceiving how the material may end up being received.
This one going to sell out too?
Who knows at this point, although the colored vinyl version did sell out during the pre-order period.
This album may not be quite what people expect, and speaking of expectations have you heard the Lou Reed / Metallica thing? Thoughts?
I think it’s important to constantly put into question the expectations of the general listener, and to cause people to challenge the boundaries of their comfort zones. However, defying expectations does not always produce worthwhile results. It takes more effort than just simply taking an approach that may be unexpected. Yes, I have heard 1 track from the Lou Reed/Metallica collaboration. In my opinion, Metallica have been a joke for many years, and while Lou Reed will always have my admiration due to his contributions with the Velvet Underground and the phenomenal “Metal Machine Music”, he hasn’t done anything that has personally interested me in several years as well. As for further elaboration to my opinion on their pairing…I have no further comment.
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