Interview with Billy from DiscernMBR: Hi Billy, I'm glad to have the opportunity to do this interview. How are you doing today?
Billy: I am doing great! We just got done with dinner, and I am now ready to relax for the rest of the night. I hope all is well with you, my friend!!
MBR: What inspired you to start making music, and why did you choose "Discern" as your band's name?
Billy: When I was 3 years old, I saw a commercial for KISS on t.v., and the ad was for some of their recent albums at that time, and I thought to myself, “ that is what I want to do! “ Yes, even 3 year olds can make life long decisions at that age, ha ha!! So, the next year, at age 4, I started to play the drums, and I have not looked back since.
I chose DISCERN as the band’s name, as it means, “ to perceive or to make things out clearly.” To be able to discern can be applied to any part of our lives that require discernment from the Lord, like perhaps distinguishing Biblical doctrine from false doctrine, interpreting scripture in its’ correct meaning and context, etc..We, as Christians in the body of Christ, need to be fully equipped to be able to discern at all times.
MBR: When did you become interested in metal? Also when did you get into Christian metal?
Billy: Well, as my love for rock bands, such as KISS, RATT, Motley Crue, Van Halen, and so forth, grew, it eventually did merge into discovering metal bands as well. Some of those bands were considered metal for their time as well by some. My brother introduced me to Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, and many others. In doing so, my metal future was set, so to say.
I got into Christian metal right after I became a believer and accepted Christ into my life and made Him Lord, at around age 11. At the time, some of the bands I heard in the Christian scene were simply just not cutting it musically for me, so I was blessed to discover The Resurrection Band, whom, even though they were not really metal, they were intense hard rock, and were excellent in what they did! They were a band that was and is able to compete with any secular classic rock type band, and so they were my first Christian band I really got into heavily. They knew what they were doing, and they were just so “ real “. From that point, I then got into other bands such as Saint, Messiah Prophet, Philadelphia, Barren Cross, Bloodgood, Soldier, Barnabas, Stryper, Vengeance, Deliverance, and the list goes on.
MBR: I've heard plenty of one-man projects before, and most of the time (not always) a musician only excels at one particular instrument, but when I listened to "To Praise With Persecution" I was very impressed that you pull everything off very well. How long have you been playing instruments, and how many can you play?
Billy: First of all, thank you so very much for your kind compliments!! As far as drums, I have been playing for 30 years, as I am now 34. Guitar, I started messing around with probably back around 89 or so, when I was playing drums in my first band, a Christian thrash band called Summoned, that existed from I believe 86 or 87 until I joined in 88 to then breaking up around 91.
MBR: What do you consider your main instrument?
Billy: Drums, first and foremost.
MBR: Do you think it makes things easier or harder in doing all the music yourself? I once tried to create some music myself but found it is much harder than one would imagine. Do you think it is more difficult having to write parts for each instrument and not having other members to help, or do you think it simplifies the writing process?
Billy: Overall, it feels pretty easy, and I really do enjoy writing all of the music myself. I will be honest, as sometimes it can get lonely being the only member. At times, it can be hard figuring out one little riff in one area of a song to put in, to complete the song, or trying to come up with ideas in general. Thing is, for me, once the ideas start pouring out, and then I remain focused, the actual song writing then seems to be pretty easy going. Getting started sometimes, on a whole new song, can be the most difficult, in terms of the writing process.
MBR: How much time on average do you normally put into writing a single song?
Billy: The actual time it takes to write a song?? Each time can be vastly different than another time. Some songs I have written in a period of hours, while other songs were from riffs I had accumulated in my head over a period of years, and then I was finally able to just sit down and work the ideas out in a song. For instance, a lot of songs that were from the first DISCERN cd, Revive And Rebuke, were song ideas I had years prior to myself recording that cd, while I was in Oblation. The same goes with the new cd, To Praise With Persecution, as those were ideas I have had for quite a while, and then finally, these ideas were able to get recorded.
So, to answer your question accurately, it is very hard to say. Someday I would like to maybe look into getting a 4 or 8 track to help in songwriting. I don’t currently have nor ever have had anything like one of those to help me write, and since I can be obsessive at times, I am afraid it would make the act of writing songs take much longer..ha ha!! I try to keep the songwriting process as simple as possible, with just myself recording my drum parts on a jambox, and then practicing along with my guitar. That is simply how I write.
MBR: What bands have influenced your music, and what are your personal favorites?
Billy: I have so many favorite bands!! My favorite bands can range from any of the Christian metal classic bands I mentioned earlier this interview, to KISS, Iron Maiden, Iced Earth, Iona, Asphyx, Twila Paris, Suffocation, Vore, Death, Napalm Death, Hammerfall, Crimson Thorn, Sonvolt, Sick Of It All, The Misfits, and so forth.
As far as bands that have actually influenced my writing in DISCERN, I would have to say perhaps Napalm Death, Death, Deicide, Suffocation, Morbid Angel, Paramaecium, Mortician, Persecution, old Vengeance Rising, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
MBR: I really enjoyed the instrumental guitar track "The Anointing", from your latest album, 'To Praise with Persecution'. What inspired you to do this song, and do you have any comments about it for those reading this interview?
Billy: Thanks!!!
I always thought when Van Halen did “ Eruption “ back in the early days, it would be really neat to do something similar on one of my albums. I also have always liked guitar solos, and when lead players would perform big solos in concert when I would see a band play live. I had never heard a death metal band do anything of the sort on cd, so I threw the idea out to Rick Hunter-Martinez, who played all leads on the new DISCERN cd, and he was all for it, and understood completely the goal that I was trying to achieve with “ The Anointing “. Simply put, Rick shredded, and he shredded at will….haha!!
MBR: In your own opinion what do you think sets Discern's sound apart from other similar styled bands?
Billy: That answer can be wrapped up in the primary goal of DISCERN:
DISCERN will always be about myself writing the catchiest and most intense death metal I can come up with, to glorify the one true God, and to point all listeners to Him and Him alone. From plenty of blasts, to intense grooves, laced with blues here and there, wrapped up in the best production I can record the insanity in, the style is pure death with a hint of the blues, in pure metal form, in all of its’ splendor.
MBR: I can’t help but notice some blues influence in "To Praise with Persecution" at times (which I enjoy). Am I correct in noticing this?
Billy: You certainly did notice this, and have a keen ear my friend!
I absolutely love blues, such as Buddy Guy, B.B. King, and my personal favorite, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Blues, to me, is just soaking with substance and feeling. Any of these artists I just mentioned, to me, have songs that are just as heavy and powerful, if not more, than just about any metal band out there. So, with my love for blues, I wanted to inject that into the death metal I write for DISCERN, and the response has been very well received! Two forms of extremely heavy music, IMO, fused together, and you have an original onslaught of a touch of blues with pure death.
MBR: Are you currently working on new material? If so, when can we expect to hear a new song?
Billy: Yes, I am working currently on new songs, as we speak! I am extremely pleased with the material so far, and although I am not sure when a new song will be available, I hope to start recording the new DISCERN cd next year in 2009.
MBR: What is your favorite release so far from this year? And are there any albums in particular you are looking forward to?
Billy: My favorite release is not just one cd!! My favorite releases this year so far have been the new Iced Earth album, The Crucible Of Man. Also, the new Whitesnake album, Good To Be Bad, is amazing, and is such a strong release.
I am looking forward to hearing the new Napalm Death, as well as the new Asphyx, Absu, and the re-recordings of classic tunes that KISS did this year.
MBR: Lastly I want to thank you for doing this interview and are there any other comments you would like to make for anyone who reads this?
Billy: Thank you so much my friend for the interview!
If anyone is interested in DISCERN or purchasing a cd, please visit my myspace site at:
www.myspace.com/discerndeathmetal Also, if you like excellent melodic metal, please check out Rick Hunter-Martinez’s band Walk The Sky at
www.walkthesky.com To God be the Glory!!!
Subject: December 08 band of the month - Discern 
Tue Dec 02, 2008 2:36 pm
