I have to say, it has been an honor to watch the talents and star of Miles Dimitri Baker shine over the last few years. Being an accomplished musician he has shared his talents to many bands and fans around the world. His list of accolades is very long spanning, from his work and time in Aenimus, Rings of Saturn, and Interloper; to fill in positions with Carnifex and a few more upcoming bands very soon, to having a signature guitar model through Schecter Guitars. Miles is ever expanding on his talents and is about to debut a new project Voidbringer. It is a melodic death metal band, where you will not only hear his signature riffs, but also the debut of Miles vocally. Listeners can expect blistering speed, technical prowess, and powerful vocal lines coming from this seasoned musician.

 I got to speak with Miles to learn more about Voidbringer, what to expect, and their plans for the future. 

GA: The first question that comes to my mind is, how did you come up with the concept of the new project and what was your driving decision to start a new project?

MB: I wanted to start something that was completely free to do on my own, where I am making music I want to hear. I wanted to do stuff that I can’t do with Interloper, because it is a bit of a different style. I’ve been developing my voice over the last few years, and I’ve been wanting to something incorporating playing guitar and singing. I wanted to go back to writing music that is heavy and at the core of what I like, I love Interloper but the roots of what I am doing (in music) is more along the lines of what I am doing in Voidbringer. 

GA: Who is all involved with this project? 

MB: It is just me; I am doing everything. I have been working with Joey Virrueta, he is doing the mix/mastering and producing things. He has had a few ideas here and there, specifically with drums. I am not a drummer, and my drum ideas are very elementary, but I have given him skeletons and ideas, and he has improved a lot of the fills and different things like that; since he is more familiar with that instrument than I am. Outside of that it is just me. 

GA: Do you have an album in the wings and if so, what can you tell me? 

MB: I do have an EP coming out through Bloodblast distribution, which is called Wasteland. The first single ‘Years of Waste’ will be released on August 18th. The rest of the album’s song’s themes lyrically are about self-reflection and past/current struggles. Musically each song is different. There is some really cool stuff on there and I’m very excited about it.

GA: Who are you working with to put out the album with and who did you your artwork? 

MB: This EP is being released through Bloodblast distribution; they are a subsidiary of Nuclear Blast. It’s nice because there is already a relationship there with many familiar people, so the process has been very easy going. The EP will be a digital release but if it does well there may be physical releases in the future. For the artwork I wanted something that fit with the name. I had a few names I tossed around for this band and ended up with Voidbringer.  The idea I had was like a visual metaphor;like Years of Waste//wasteland. The idea was/is you are in the wasteland after certain life choices. You are the one wandering through this hellscape you are putting yourself through. I am a fan of Fallout (the gaming franchise) and the whole apocalyptic vibe; it has been a cool influence in what I like visually in things, and I wanted that to be apart of the art for Voidbringer. 

GA: You have been in or affiliated with so many bands in the past Aenimus, Rings of Saturn, Interloper, Carnifex to name a few; in what ways does Voidbringer separate itself from the pack?  

MB: I would say Voidbringer is more melodic, than most of those other bands outside of Interloper at least. I would say it falls in the melodic/progressive death metal world, which is something I haven’t done outside of early Interloper in a long time, with some tech death mixed in. I wouldn’t say it is death core but there are some parts that have a death core feel to them. This is a tough question; as I see it those other bands are deathcore, outside of Interloper which I’d say is progressive metal. I would say Voidbringer falls into that progressive melodic death category, by incorporating some other musical elements that never made it into those other bands. 

GA: I got to listen to your single ‘Years of Waste’ and it is a beast. Just angry out of the gate with no filler. It’s relentless… If I am going to compare it to anything; I get a bit of an Archspire feel with the quicker paced tech, and even some Fallujah in there on the last lead of the song. Musically what was your aim when writing the song?  

MB: It has some groovy elements like the intro riff, which is trudging. It comes off heavy then in the first section are where the tech death elements come shining through. I wasn’t thinking about any bands when I was writing, its more the core bands that I loved over the years that have shaped me into how and what I write now. Those bands will always be present; I’d say the versesection of the song has some Obscura vibes to it, that band was a big one for me back in the day. The chorus leads I can see where you’d say Fallujah. I’d also like to say Gojira, because I have been doing pitch screaming which is something that Gojira has become popular for. There are other bands utilizing this technique like Fit for An Autopsy and it sounds tight. I do think there are a lot of different elements in this song connecting bands across several different genres. 

GA: This is also the first time we as listeners are hearing you do vocals. How was it transitioning from just playing guitar to now having to vocalize while playing? 

MB: It’s a whole different world. It’s insane to develop. I have been playing guitar for seventeen years, and then getting the vocal aspect together was a whole other task.  I understand I have learned things on the guitar side over the years that can only be learned with time, and with vocals; a lot of it is maintenance and practice throughout the day because it is so physical. With guitar, I am just sitting there playing, while with vocals its: Did I sleep enough? Did I drink enough water? Did I get drunk last night, and my voice is dry? There are so many elements that can impact your voice/performance, that I have had to learn. Putting those things together (playing and singing)has been an eye-opening experience. I have to be aware of a lot more things now than what I had to before. Trying to perform them both, putting them together is where in your brain the gears begin to really spin. I had to learn to get the rhythms down, speaking over playing. Also, full volume and full power are a whole other thing. It has been a big learning experience and in the big picture, I would say I’m still very new to it, but it is coming along quite well. I’ve had guidance from some great people and a solid foundation to work from. This has been a long time coming with all the work I’ve been doing behind the scenes. 

GA: What were some of the influences that went into writing ‘Years of Waste’ and its lyrical content, where did you draw your inspiration from?

MB: When writing lyrics, I am not making up a story, I’m not doing an abstract thought, I pull from personal experience. Years of Waste reflects on things I’ve been involved in or have spent time doing (in whatever facet that may be), that are not good for me. It’s about the struggle of going through all of that. The self-destruction, loss of self-confidence and self-worth, because of these things you are doing, and reflecting on it. Looking at the wasted years and trying to move forward, and not continuing those things before you lose it all.  It reflects on, pulling yourself out of this pit of doing those things you shouldn’t be doing. It’s a reflection on self-destruction basically. I’ve learned a lot, and unfortunately, I’m someone who has to learn it the hard way. 

GA: What equipment are you using for the band? You have been seen to pick up a 7 string from time to time, but do have a 6-string signature model through Schecter, can that possibly be a change in the future?

MB: Yes, there was a soft launch for my new 7-string signature model through Schecter Guitars, they are not in stock just yet, but are in the process of being shipped from the factory so there is inventory to purchase. The album was recorded using my 7-string signature model. I’ve had a couple of them for awhile now, the prototypes which are same as the production models. For ‘Years of Waste’ It was all done on the 7. I usually track leads on a 6, but my 7-string model has a 25.5” scale length so it is very similar to playing on a 6 string. I also use Seymour Duncan pickups, for my tone I use Fractal Audio Ax FX. I also use Elixir Strings; a fresh set of strings makes a huge difference in how stuff sounds. A fresh set of Elixirs are life changing. For vocals, I used a Rode PodMic, it is comparable to a SM 7B. Which I’d love to get my hands on one of those for future vocal recordings. 

GA: What are the plans for the future of Voidbringer? 

MB: I’m not thinking of Voidbringer as a solo project even though it currently is, this isn’t a solo thing I do, and go here you are. This will be something I will be taking out on the road. I would like to gather live members at first for touring. It is really difficult, and I’d say unwise to choose band members without having toured and done stuff with them. A lot of people I know are either involved in other projects or busy, so I haven’t had time to put much consideration into finding permanent members right now. I do have plans to be a touring band in the future. I don’t want to make any decisions on someone until I know for sure. I didn’t want to be in the scenario of dropping a line up and not knowing if these people would be available to tour when the time comes. 

GA: What is next for Miles?

MB: I will be hitting the road with Interloper in September with Fallujah and Psycroptic. Then I will be doing fill ins on the Pain Remains Tour with Lorna Shore, Angelmaker, Aborted, Ingested, and Ov Sulfur.  After that wraps I want to focus on more Voidbringer stuff. That’s a big thing on the list as we have a bunch of content to put out, lyric and other content videos that I am shooting here very soon. I’m trying to put my best foot forward and not waste anymore time. 

Voidbringer’s debut single ‘Years of Waste’ Releases on August 18^th on all streaming platforms so be sure to check it out. You can catch Miles on tour coming to a city near you starting in September with Interloper, or later in the year on the Pain Remains Tour. 

About Author

George Archibald

See author's posts