Eternal Descent are a band who mix heavy rock and industrial sounds into a single musical style which looks to tell the story of the comic book of the same name. The brainchild of guitarist, pianist and violinist Llexi West the line up consists of Elysha West on lead vocals, Keefe West on drums & bass and Robert Sutherland on guitar

MySpace : www.myspace.com/eternaldescent
Website : www.EternalDescent.com

(Q)For those who don't know, who are Eternal Descent?
Eternal Descent is a multimedia project involving a comic book series,
concept albums, and lots of your favorite ESP guitars artists. Initially, I
wrote the comic and played all the instruments on the first couple of
releases. Since then, I've been joined by a fantastic guitar player called
Rob Chapman, and of course, Eddie Kramer is involved in production and
co-orchestration. On the comic side of things, I work very closely with
Jason Metcalf and Javier Tartaglia.

(Q)Where did the name ŒEternal Descent¹ originate?
Well it references a few things. Obviously its somewhat biblical, what with
the, descent into eternal damnation reference. Mostly because the story
centers around characters forever falling into darkness, seeking redemption
and control over the inner demons that pull them down.

(Q)Who would you regard as your influences?
Well pretty much every comic book out there for starters, especially the 90s
stuff. Spawn, Batman, X-men, Ghost Rider, Dr.Strange, Witchblade, Darkness,
I could go on and on. There are too many fantastic writers and artists out
there to list! Music wise, I'm a lover of classical, ambient and electronic
music, along side modern metal, heavy rock, and instrumental guitar work.

(Q)As your debut album ŒLosing Faith¹ had connections with the characters of
Lyra and Syrian, what can you tell us about them?
Lyra is a pretty feisty character, she's got a few issues! Also a great
performer in the storyline, with her own band called Constellation9.
Unfortunately, Lyra has a run in with some unsavory characters early on in
the books, you'll have to pick up a copy to see what goes down!
Sirian is a near ageless guardian, he's been watching over the rifts between
our world and the supernatural for an unknown length of time. Despite his
strong moral code and good nature, Sirian becomes quite disillusioned and
bitter with the passing of time, as the world continues to change around
him. I would say he's a bit of an Anti-hero, but that doesn't stop him
kicking ass when necessary!

(Q)What would you say attracted you to your specific style of music?
It was something that came together over time. A lot of experimentation and
making an effort not to do things the way they're usually done. I wanted to
combine elements of soundtracks and cinema special effects, with heavy
rock/metal. I started to use a lot of metallic hits for percussive sounds,
and for a while this turned me on to using loops and electronic rhythm
sections. Really its a melting pot of all my influences, and I think the
next CD with Eddie will be a far more refined statement, now that I know
exactly what I'm trying to achieve!

(Q)Until I heard it on your MySpace I would never have thought that
anyone would cover Phantom of the Opera with elements of Heavy Rock and Industrial musical styles, with this in mind do you see altering the original sound of a well-known song as naturally progressive?
I think something like the phantom is very much character based, there is
such a strong story element in there, almost narrative. It made a lot of
sense for me to give it the Eternal Descent treatment, since my music is
also character based with a back story, I make an effort to bring characters
and events to life through the audio.

(Q)On 7th November you announced that renowned producer Eddie Kramer will be overseeing production of your second album, what can be expected from the end product?
That should be something very special. Eddie and I have big plans for this
record, hopefully it will follow the story of the comics, and feature
collaborations with the ESP artists I've been working with. I can't confirm
anyone at this stage, but In the comic, we've got God Forbid, Atreyu,
Chimera, Firewind, Kamelot, and the list goes on! You'll hear full
orchestra, choirs, crushing guitars, and guest solo's from some of the
premier talent in metal!

(Q)What can you tell us about the NAMM Trade Show and your scheduled
appearance there from the 14th to the 17th January?
Well the NAMM show has been very eventful for us. We've been in talks about
releasing signature guitars based on instruments in the comic book, and
similarly, modifying amplifiers to match what we put in the comic also. It's
very exciting to be collaborating with so many fantastic brands on making
elements from the Eternal Descent world into tangible pieces of equipment!
We also had a press conference with ESP to announce the project and its
direction, and I was able to meet up with a lot of the artists lined up to
appear in the comic book, it was a pleasure to hang with the ESP guys.

(Q)In reference to your comic book artwork, if you could be any character from
the comic book would who would it be and why?
Well this is a funny one, because really, 2 of the main characters reflect
my personality. Sirian being my better side, with Loki reflecting my dark
sense of humor, and plans for world domination. As the writer of the book,
its hard to be detached from the characters. I would feel pretty comfortable
being the good guy or the bad, I figure everyone has a little conflict
inside them!

(Q)Do you have any final words for the fans?
Thanks so much for reading! Keep an eye out on EternalDescent.com and
ESPguitars.com for news and information about Eternal Descent. This should
be a very exciting year, I hope you guys can see it all go down! Take it
easy,

Llexi