After emerging from their home in Houston, Texas and catching a fair few ears with their scintillating, emotionally-powered brand of progressive metal, Oceans Of Slumber took an almighty upgrade with the arrival of vocalist Cammie Beverley in 2014. Since then, they've gone from strength to strength, putting out album after album of hauntingly beautiful, toweringly epic noise. Following the release of this year's well-received new LP Where Gods Fear To Speak, we sat down with Cammie for a chat about growling for the first time, horror movies and the band's eye-catching, provocative Where Gods Fear To Speak video.
Hi, Cammie! What are you up to?
“After our New York show in August, we’ve decided we’re taking a short break before the next tour. But the New York show was really special - we had a full string trio. There was a cellist and a viola player, and then synth bass, guitar, piano, and then two guest vocalists. It went so well, and it was just incredible to do something different like that. It was so intense and cinematic. And it’s only the beginning of the scale that we want to achieve – it’ll be a full orchestra someday.”
You’ve just started growling. Was that another decision to amplify the scale of your sound?
“Honestly, I didn’t want there to be any vocal area that was off limits. And when we record demos, I’ll do the growls, but the guys always had a better tone for the final track. But, with this new album, I had very particular growls in mind. I wanted to make sure they were perfect. So I took some lessons, found a technique that was going to be safe and sustainable, and just went for it.”
So how does it feel, doing those vocals yourself?
“It feels good, and it’s really fun to do live. But my fatal flaw is that I don’t think ahead very well... I’ll forget that I have to deliver the vocals live. Sometimes my ideas just bite me in the ass. We’ll be rehearsing something new and I’ll be like, ‘What was I thinking?!’ But I don’t shy away from a challenge, and every album is a new chance to grow.”
Speaking of the new album, what’s the storyline of Where Gods Fear To Speak?
“It’s set in a dystopian future ruled by a religious mantra, but the album follows the story of someone who revolts, rebelling against blind faith. Where Gods Fear To Speak isn’t a literal place, it’s more of a philosophical question – because when you see people suffering, is God there?”
The video for the title track is pretty intense! Was it your idea to get all strung up in bondage?
“We didn’t have a grand budget, so we tried to go more provocative. Dobber [Beverly, drums and piano] and I have always discussed shibari [Japanese rope bondage], and we thought it was a perfect fit – it has the same dualities that the song is addressing. It’s a torture technique turned pleasure, it’s art but it’s still taboo. It looks so pristine
and relaxing, but it’s incredibly intense and painful.”
How did you find it?
“It was overwhelming. You’re tied up, you can’t free yourself - even when you’ve reached your breaking point, you’re still not in control. It really does something
to your mind. You have to know your limits, give yourself enough time to be taken down so you don’t pass out. There’s a lot of breath work and control.”
What’s your favourite scary movie?
“I love [Darren Aronofsky’s] Mother! The whole movie totally disturbs me. I saw the director explain it’s about his own mother, about the struggles of being a woman and everything depleting you. It’s so fucked up. I think about it constantly - that movie is my ‘Roman Empire’. I also love the spectrum of deep psychological mysteries that a space horror can explore, like Alien. I also love a great score.”
Do you have an all-time favourite?
“Definitely the one from Interstellar. Since Dobber and I have gotten together [in 2018, the pair married in 2021], he’s introduced me to so many amazing movies - I feel like a teenager when he does, it means so much to me! But the music is such a huge part of a good movie. It ties together two art forms that I love.”
If you could score any film, what would you pick?
“It feels arrogant to re-score someone’s movie, so I would write my own. It’d be rooted in Southern gothic country, exploring the turmoil and traumas of the South. I also love sci-fi storylines where someone’s time-hopping through history and it’s all very non-linear. Maybe some kind of Romeo and Juliet love story thrown in...”
Could be a good plan for a future album as well!
“Yeah – I’ll just have to write it now!”
Oceans Of Slumber's latest album Where Gods Fear To Speak is out now via Season Of Mist
