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-- The Curse Of Millhaven gets shredded 2 --

02/10/2019
Stijn Daneels
Interview conducted and written by Glenn “Terra Shredder” Van Bockstaele with assistance from Anton De Prijck (who made the final photograph).

The Curse Of Millhaven is a Belgian melodic death/metalcore band formed in 2012. After one well-received album “Vestibule of Hell” and one very enjoyable EP “Plagues” the band managed to reach the finals of Wacken Metal Battle Belgium 2019! Not only that, but they now also have a new full-length out called “Thresholds.” Right after their epic performance at the WOA Metal Belgium finals (May 25, 2019) Anton and me met with the band to talk about the Curse of Millhaven’s formation and evolution in their 7-year existence and some details about their brand-new album “Thresholds.”
BMS: Hello guys! Can you tell us how the Curse of Millhaven was formed?
TCOM: The Curse of Millhaven was cast upon this world in 2012, out of the ashes of 3 bands, At World’s End, In Chains and Fatal Recoil. We wanted to go further where Fatal Recoil had ended. When Jeroen joined the band, the sound got a lot more melodic and complex, something that we all love. In the beginning we had to consider what genre we wanted to play and we’re glad we’ve ended up with the melodic death metal sound we have today. Now, 7 years later we have an album and an EP. A second album, called “Thresholds” is on its way and we’ve maintained our entire lineup since day one! Like our first album we’ve concentrated more on the melodic aspect of metal while still keeping the same vicious vibes we’ve had in our previous two releases. Our preceding EP, “Plagues,” was short and complex but also very powerful. And now, with “Thresholds” we’re going even further! More complexity, heavier beats and even better pacing! It’s another large evolutionary step for our band.
BMS: I remember seeing you play in De Verlichte Geest in Roeselare during one of your earliest gigs. How have your stage performances evolved over the years?
TCOM: We follow a certain routine when we go out to play a live gig. Since we’ve been playing together for the past seven years, we know and feel each other perfectly. As a result, we can quickly set up our instruments, do the sound check and play our set without much effort or any unpleasant surprises. Plus it helps us to fully focus on our individual and collective performances on stage! And finally, all five of us share one big ambition, to go out and blow the audience away using technical finesse and raw power!
BMS: And you’ve accomplished just that today! I was impressed and pleased to see how much you’ve matured and improved since that first time I saw you perform all those years ago!
TCOM: Thank you for those honest and kind words! Such positive feedback has always given us much joy and satisfaction.


BMS: Now, your first album “Vestibule of Hell” was about the nine circles of hell and the seven deadly sins. Your EP “Plagues” gave us an insight into the misery and destructive power of pestilence. Will the “Thresholds” album be a concept release as well?
TCOM: Indeed. “Thresholds” is all about torture, both physically and mentally and how much you can take, in other words, where’s your personal threshold? Every song will be about a certain physical or psychological limit you have to pass through in order to survive. Not only that, but unlike our previous two releases we won’t be putting the older songs first and the newer material in the end. The “Thresholds” tracks are chronologically mixed up and you will also see some sides of the Curse of Millhaven that you haven’t heard before.
BMS: I’m already looking forward to shredding this new masterpiece! When will you be releasing it?
TCOM: August 30th. And that same day we’ll also be doing a release show in our hometown of Ypres, supported by our friends from Reject The Sickness, Crowsview, Oceans Burning and Her Fault. Be sure to check those bands out if you dig our own material!
BMS: Damn sure I will! Now, can you tell us something more about the artwork?
TCOM: Our drummer Bart does all of the band’s artwork. And we’ve all being very happy with his creative outbursts! They’re dark yet colorful, clear to see what’s on the artwork yet it still oozes some mysteriousness. It also comes in handy that we have a visual designer among our ranks so that we don’t have to pay someone to do our designs.
BMS: Very clever! So, you’ve grown tremendously both in terms of creativity and popularity!
TCOM: We’re thankful that we’ve performed alongside big death metal and metalcore names! For instance, we had the chance to open up for Aborted on our very first gig! We’ve also played on prestigious festivals like Devil’s Rock For An Angel and Antwerp Metal Fest and finally we’re now at the finals of the Wacken Metal Battle Belgium! But we’re most grateful of the loyal fanbase we’ve built over all that time. You may think you’re playing the most badass or complex tunes ever made, but when someone tells you they’ve had a great time with the gig you’ve just finished, that’s what matters most to us! We remain down-to-earth, but we’ll always remain as hungry and competitive as ever and no matter where we’ll be ending up in tonight’s competition, we’ll keep on smashing them boundaries!
BMS: I agree! But tell me, did you also receive some negative feedback on any of your current material?
TCOM: Some critics wrote that our “Plagues” EP was too complex for the subgenre we play. And we’ve listened to that feedback and now the “Threshold” album will be a more balanced experience between fast and vicious beats and slower, more complex sections. But it’s important for all bands out there to know that not everyone will be as enthusiastic about your work. Some people may consider your music to be too complex or too simplistic. Either too heavy or too soft. Too one-sided or too much jack-of-all-trades. But what’s important is that you play the music that you want to play! Remember that!
BMS: I have one final question. What are your future plans after the “Thresholds” release show?
TCOM: We have plenty of shows planned for 2020, we will confirm them soon via our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TheCurseOfMillhaven/). But for this article we can already tell you that we’ll be doing a major gig in Roeselare on February 8th 2020 where we’ll be playing with Length of Time, Surge of Fury, Deconsecrate, Plague Thirteen, Hold the Crown and Common Sins. It will be a blast!
BMS: Yeah, it sure will! Thank you for the interview! And dear reader, be sure to also check out the first shred we did with the Curse Of Millhaven here: http://belgianmetalshredder.be/interviews/64!