These questions were answered by Tom Sutton, vocalist/guitarist of hard rocking doom quartet The Order Of Israfel.
How did the band get started?
I’d had the idea for years, but when I moved to Gothenburg I actually started looking for people to get involved.
How did you choose your band name?
The ‘Israfel’ part came from when my friend mentioned him as the angel of music, music obviously being very important to me. The ‘Order’ part followed later, symbolizing the connections and bonds we all feel through music.
How would you describe your sound?
I’d say just doom metal, but a lot of people have said to me it’s not as simple as that. Classic metal, progressive metal and folk have all been mentioned as part of our sound.
Who or what has been your biggest influence(s)?
Black Sabbath and Cathedral. And the forest. But Black Sabbath and Cathedral are definitely the biggest.
What has been your biggest challenge to overcome?
I wasn’t actually going to be the lead singer, I was going to find someone to sing. So learning to sing and play guitar at the same time… or just learning to sing.
What has been your favourite show to play?
Our first show was pretty special, it was in front of 400 people. We played with Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats. We also played a show in Seigen, Germany that was pretty awesome too and the crowd were really excited.
What would be your dream to see and your dream tour to be involved in?
Does it have to be the band as they are now or can it be them in the past? My dream tour to see would be Sabbath back in ’73, Slayer and Metallica. I’d really like The Order Of Israfel to tour with Cathedral and The Gates Of Slumber.
What was the first record you ever bought?
Run DMC – Tougher Than Leather
What was your first job?
It was cleaning in a hair salon.
Who is your favourite band?
Black Sabbath.
Any messages for the fans?
Rock hard, ride free.
MESSAGES FROM THE BAND
You can check out The Order Of Israfel here:
The Order Of Israfel are currently enjoying a break from touring and planning their next endeavour. Tom also plays guitar in the bands Horisont and Night Viper. Horisont are currently wrapping up their EU/UK tour with nights in Dusseldorf (Germany), Den Bosch (Belgium) and Kassel (Germany) and have just released a new single (plus a video) called ‘Break The Limit’. Night Viper’s first single will be out in a couple of months.
Tom Davis: Interviews and Reviews 