Preston Weippert (Of Feather and Bone)

Of Feather and Bone put out one of the best records of 2020 with Sulfuric Disintegration, so I was really excited to speak with drummer Preston Weippert. Like Rats played with Of Feather and Bone in Baltimore a few years back, and I was very impressed with them. Since then, they've released two albums and dropped any pretense of being anything other than a death metal band. Fascinatingly, they compose most of their music through improvisation and jamming, which is not typical for most death metal bands. Of course, I wanted to get into the weeds with Preston and really understand their creative process, and how they hold their output to such a high standard while creating music through improvisation. Hint: they're willing to scrap an entire album's worth of material if they think it isn't up to snuff. Learn more from Preston here: Bandcamp: Of Feather and Bone | Volunteer Coroner | Trust Collective Instagram: @v_coroner | @offeatherandbone If you're enjoying the show, the best way to support it is by sharing with your friends. If you don't have any friends, why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list. Show Notes: [01:54] Is it cheating to do a two foot blast? [04:30] Of Feather and Bone writes their songs by jamming together—which is somewhat unusual for a death metal band. How much is pure improvisation? [12:29] Of Feather and Bone's most recent record "Sulfuric Disintegration" is a rewrite of an entire album that was scrapped. [19:37] Many bands start strong and get worse over time, but Of Feather and Bone has had the opposite trajectory. And, the interplay between hardcore, death metal, and other extreme genres. [29:10] More on improvisational composition and developing the skill of improvising. [39:28] Denver has an excellent scene for extreme music. Where did this come from? How are bands handling Covid? [48:28] Preston's electronic project Volunteer Coroner—and learning to appreciate ambient and noise music [01:00:49] Learn more from Of Feather and Bone, Volunteer Coroner, and Trust Collective Links and Resources Mentioned: Morbid Angel Immolation Incantation Celtic Frost A389 Anniversary Bash His Hero Is Gone Tragedy Urko Battalion of Saints Discharge Dead Congregation Drum Cam Funeral doom Primitive Man Ethan Lee McCarthy (Primitive Man | Many Blessings) Interview Spectral Voice Suffering Hour Profound Lore Records Blood Incantation Casket Huffer Vermin Womb Mayhem "Silvester Anfang" I said that the Mayhem intro was composed by Morton Subotnick but it was actually Conrad Schnitzler Skin Crime Dada Posh Isolation Vanity Productions Total Black Prurient Outsider Art