Aquilonian letting bongzilla loose for a while

Aquilonian is made up of members of "Bongzilla" and while they have that classic Stoner Doom sound like "Bongzilla" have,this band is of a more experimental/psychedelic nature.According to this interview with Mike from the band,"Bongzilla" will live on forever but in the meantime,"Aquilonian" are filling the void.

1. First of all lets run through all the members of the band and where did they come from, previous bands etc?

Michael Henry: Percussion/Vox. Mike was in a great band called Pachinko. They released records on Jello Biafra’s label, Alternative Tentacles.
Michael Makela: Riffs/Vox. Both of us were in Bongzilla.

2. So what happened to Bongzilla and how did this band come into being?

Bongzilla will never die! We are on “High-atis” right now. Aquilonian began when Mike and I lived together and would jam for hours on end.

3. The band has a more psychedelic edge to it than Bongzilla did, is this a sound you always wanted to have?

Aquilonian is an exploration into our combined psyches. Getting off on the music is the goal. This is what I’ve always wanted, that Bongzilla didn’t always provide. I’ve always wanted musical freedom, and Aquilonian achieves just that.

4. What do you write about and was it hard to get away from writing about weed?

We’ve written songs about life, death, healing, regeneration, and the 2013 prophecies according to the Mayan culture. Singing only about weed was harder than what we write about now. It’s liberating to write about topics I could not explore in Bongzilla.

5. The band has kept a pretty low profile, I been looking for info on the band but have not been able to find much. What is on the horizon for the band as far as recordings and live shows are concerned?

You probably won’t find much. We feel that Aquilonian is for our enjoyment, which is my primary concern. Don’t get me wrong; it’s great if people like our music, but it’s not the focus of the band. If other people enjoy our music it is a wonderful bonus. My fear, when sharing Aquilonian, is it will lose it’s musical purity.
Releasing material will slowly come. We’ve recorded a 30 minute piece that may be released shortly through Choking Hazard Records in Montreal. Anyone who is interested in releasing new material can contact us through Myspace @ www.myspace/aquilonian. A short tour is being planned for the fall. Look for upcoming shows in Madison, WI on our Myspace page as well.

6. The vocal sound is also very different from Bongzilla, is there a vocalist that the band is influenced by and what’s the vibe is the band trying to put across?

Yes, it’s very different. Both Mike and I sing, with the intent of creating a “chorus of angels.” Some vocal influences are Pink Floyd, The Beach Boys, Floor (the later years), and of course, Ozzy.

7. How long have you lived in Wisconsin?

We’ve lived here our entire lives. Born and raised in Weed-sconsin!

8. Is there something you want this band to achieve that you couldn't do in Bongzilla?

Bongzilla was confined by the limits of the rock and roll song. The rules do not apply to Aquilonian. We write pieces, or movements of music. We never play them the same way twice. There is no counting; it’s all based on our intuition and collective communication through our individual instruments.

9. What was the reaction like when you started Aquilonian? Have people been supportive?

People have been very supportive, which has been a big plus, as it isn’t really a big concern. We’ve already had offers to release material, play festivals and tour. As I said before, Aquilonian is a self indulgent project and to have had so many opportunities already is wonderful.

10. Record deals; have you been talking to anyone?

Yes, a couple of things are in the works. We’re doing a split CD with Sollubi, and a cool, 8 band seven-inch comp. Again, anyone interested can contact us through Myspace.


11. Are there any non-doom/stoner acts that are a big influence? I read Pink Floyd is one of them....

Both of us grew up on heavy 70’s rock: Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Cactus, Nazareth, Captain Beyond, Pentagram, James Gang, Mountain…
Some of the new acts we listen to are Sleep, Eyehategod, Weedeater, Cavity, Electric Wizard, Floor, Today is the Day, High on Fire, Rwake, and Cuda, to name a few.

12.What is your opinion on the pathetic state of music that is currently in the mainstream. Do you think there is any hope for it? I think we are pretty much fucked no matter what!

Pathetic is an accurate description, although I think it will eventually create a more extreme underground scene. I don’t think we’re fucked. Good weed is like good music; the shittier and harsher the conditions are for growth, the better the end result.

13. Could you live without playing music and if you did what would you be doing?

No, never. I’d probably be in jail for some reason [drugs] or another [more drugs].

14. Drugs and in particular, weed, is a very important influence for a lot of Doom, Stoner and Psychedelic acts. Have you got an opinion on bands jumping on the Weed bandwagon, which has been going on for years now? It seems to be a little predictable for a lot of bands to write about it now.

If you truly live the lifestyle, I think it’s ok. But if you’re just singing about weed because you think it’s “cool”…well, that’s weak. Everyone in Bongzilla lived it. Our songs were stories from our everyday lives.

15. Any final words for the Doomheads out there?

Rejoice and Doom on. Sonic perversion through volume!