Page
      12
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dec.
      14,
      2007
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      East
      Coast’s
      top
      talent
      speak
      their
      mind
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cara
      Heath
      sat
      down
      with
      Nova
      Scotia’
      Wintersleep
      to
      get
      their
      opinion
      on
      their
      on-going
      success
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Cara
      Heath
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CH:
      What
      bands
      or
      events
      real-
     
     
      ly
      inspired
      you
      to
      start
      playing
     
     
      music?
     
    

    
     
      WS:
      Eric's
      Trip,
      The
      Motes,
     
     
      North
      of
      America,
      Melvins,
     
     
      Kittens,
      Sonic
      Youth,
      Burnt
      Black,
     
     
      Yarmouth,
      Stellarton.
     
    

    
     
      CH:
      Tony
      Doogan
      has
      worked
     
     
      with
      such
      bands
      as
      Mogwai,
      and
     
     
      has
      also
      produced
      one
      of
      my
     
     
      favorite
      records,
      The
      Life
     
     
      Pursuit
      by
      Belle
      &
      Sebastian.
     
     
      What
      was
      it
      like
      working
      with
     
     
      him
      and
      what
      do
      you
      think
      he
     
     
      brought
      to
      the
      process
      as
      pro-
     
     
      ducer?
     
    

    
     
      WS:
      Tony
      was
      really
      wonderful
     
     
      to
      work
      with.
      Really
      made
      us
      work
     
     
      in
      the
      studio
      and
      really
      had
      big
     
     
      ideas
      for
      the
      record.
      Inspired
      us
      to
     
     
      work
      very
      hard
      and
      just
      a
      really
     
     
      tasteful
      pair
      of
      ears.
      It
      was
      a
      little
     
     
      overwhelming
      to
      be
      working
      with
     
     
      him
      in
      the
      first
      place.
      I
      guess
      that
     
     
      pressure
      really
      made
      us
      work
      hard-
     
     
      er.
      We
      felt
      really
      lucky.
      I
      still
      feel
     
     
      so
      lucky
      to
      have
      had
      the
      chance
      to
     
     
      work
      with
      him.
      I
      really
      feel
      that
     
     
      this
      record
      is
      exactly
      what
      it
     
     
      should
      have
      been
      which,
      there
      is
     
     
      no
      better
      feeling
      as
      a
      musician.
     
    

    
     
      CH:
      There's
      the
      old
      cliche
     
     
      where
      a
      band
      says
      their
      latest
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Beowulf:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Adam
      W.
      Morrison
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Based
      on
      the
      centuries
      old
      Anglo-
     
     
      Saxon
      poem
      of
      the
      same
      name,
     
     
      Beowulf
      is
      told
      in
      three
      distinct
     
     
      acts.
      The
      year
      is
      700
      A.D.
      in
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kingdom
      of
      Denmark,
      and
      a
      cele-
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      bration
      at
      a
      Mead
      Hall
      is
      cut
      short
     
     
      when
      a
      troll
      named
      Grendel
     
     
      (Crispin
      Glover)
      shows
      up
      and
     
     
      slaughters
      quite
      a
      few
      people.
      The
     
     
      King,
      Hrothgar
      (Anthony
      Hopkins)
     
     
      offers
      a
      lavish
      reward
      for
      who
     
     
      slays
      Grendel.
      For
      those
      wonder-
     
     
      ing
      what
      mead
      is,
      it
      is
      a
      drink
     
     
      sometimes
      known
      as
      honey
      wine.
     
    

    
     
      Answering
      the
      call
      is
      Beowulf
     
     
      (Ray
      Winstone),
      one
      of
      those
      war-
     
     
      riors
      who
      know
      no
      fear.
      Upon
      his
     
     
      arrival,
      Beowulf
      boasts
      of
      past
      tri-
     
     
      umphs
      like
      his
      fighting
      of
      the
      sea
     
     
      monsters
      while
      during
      a
      swimming
     
     
      race.
      The
      night
      he
      arrives,
      Beowulf
     
     
      and
      his
      men
      wait
      in
      the
      Mead
      Hall
     
     
      for
      Grendel
      arrive.
      Beowulf,
      as
      he
     
     
      explains
      to
      the
      Queen
      (Robin
     
     
      Wright
      Penn),
      fights
      in
      the
      nude
     
     
      because
      Grendel
      has
      no
      armor.
     
     
      This
      means
      we
      get
      some
      Austin
     
     
      Powers
      style
      nudity,
      i.e.
      strategi-
     
     
      cally
      placed
      objects
      to
      prevent
      the
     
     
      display
      of
      the
      male
      member.
      I
     
     
      thought
      this
      was
      pretty
      funny.
      You
     
     
      can
      show
      all
      the
      violence
      you
      want
     
     
      in
      a
      movie,
      but
      people
      draw
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      album
      is
      more
      "mature,"
      but
     
     
      Welcome
      To
      The
      Night
      Sky
      defi-
     
     
      nitely
      has
      that
      feel,
      and
      I'm
      won-
     
     
      dering,
      what
      your
      thoughts
      are
     
     
      on
      that?
     
    

    
     
      WS:
      I
      guess
      I
      wouldn't
      say
      its
     
     
      more
      mature
      on
      a
      songwriting
     
     
      level
      .
      A
      different
      batch
      of
      songs
     
     
      with
      different
      needs
      I
      guess.
      I
     
     
      think
      we
      just
      had
      the
      right
      batch
      of
     
     
      songs
      and
      the
      right
      producer
      in
     
     
      Tony
      and
      great
      confidence
      as
      a
     
     
      band.
      We
      were
      on
      the
      road
      for
      2
     
     
      years
      before
      recording
      this
      record
     
     
      SO
      we
      just
      really
      came
      prepared
      to
     
     
      do
      it.
     
    

    
     
      CH:
      With
      the
      departure
      of
      Jud
     
     
      (former
      bass
      player)
      and
      the
     
     
      addition
      of
      Mike
      Bigelow
      (bass)
     
     
      and
      Jon
      Samuel
      (keyboards),
     
     
      how
      has
      the
      band's
      dynamic
     
     
      changed?
     
    

    
     
      WS:
      Mike
      and
      Jon
      are
      fabulous
     
     
      players
      and
      amazing,
      caring,
      beau-
     
     
      tiful
      people.
      It's
      nice
      to
      have
      such
     
     
      a
      great
      group
      of
      people
      around
      all
     
     
      the
      time.
      I
      can't
      think
      of
      a
      better
     
     
      way
      to
      spend
      my
      time.
      We're
      all
     
     
      just
      really
      happy
      to
      be
      doing
      this
     
     
      together.
      I
      feel
      as
      though
      we've
     
     
      reached
      a
      new
      level
      as
      a
      band
      and
     
     
      group
      of
      friends
      over
      the
      past
      few
     
     
      years
      and
      it
      just
      feels
      like
      every-
     
     
      thing
      is
      running
      smoothly
      and
     
     
      we're
      just
      excited
      to
      be
      doing
      this.
     
     
      Tight
      ship.
      Feeling
      great!
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      line
      at
      sex
      and
      nudity.
      Well,
     
     
      Grendel
      arrives
      and
      Beowulf
      takes
     
     
      him
      down
      a
      peg.
      Grendel
      is
      a
      mar-
     
     
      vel
      of
      design,
      looking
      like
      and
      act-
     
     
      ing
      an
      abused
      child.
      I
      hope
      don't
     
     
      the
      spoil
      the
      movie
      for
      anyone
      to
     
     
      say
      Beowulf
      does
      kill
      Grendel.
     
    

    
     
      With
      that
      troll
      out
      of
      the
      way,
     
     
      happy
      times
      should
      be
      ahead,
      but
     
     
      Grendel's
      mother
      is
      none
      too
     
     
      happy
      about
      her
      boy
      dying.
      Can
     
     
      you
      blame
      her?
     
    

    
     
      Beowulf
      heads
      into
      her
      lair
      and
      is
     
     
      confronted
      by
      (I'm
      quoting
      here)
      a
     
     
      "water
      demon"
      who
      has
      the
      beauty
     
     
      of
      Angelina
      Jolie.
      When
      she
      rises
     
     
      out
      of
      the
      water,
      she's
      completely
     
     
      nude
      but
      her
      naught
      bits
      are
      cov-
     
     
      ered.
      She's
      damningly
      seductive,
     
     
      hiding
      her
      true
      nature.
      Beowulf
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CH:
      Judging
      by
      videos
      I've
     
     
      seen
      on
      the
      internet,
      some
      of
      the
     
     
      songs
      on
      the
      new
      album
      have
     
     
      been
      around
      for
      a
      while
      and
     
     
      sounded
      quite
      different,
      so
      I'm
     
     
      wondering
      how
      you
      arrived
      on
     
     
      the
      versions
      that
      make
      it
      on
      the
     
     
      album,
      and
      how
      songs
      tend
      to
     
     
      evolve
      within
      the
      band.
     
    

    
     
      WS:
      We
      like
      to
      mess
      around
      with
     
     
      original
      concepts
      as
      much
      as
      pos-
     
     
      sible.
      We
      like
      the
      idea
      of
      perform-
     
     
      ing
      live
      and
      so
      we
      use
      that
      as
      our
     
     
      basis
      for
      treating
      the
      songs..
      Some
     
     
      times
      though
      you
      can
      get
      carried
     
     
      away
      and
      they
      way
      you
      d
      some-
     
     
      thing
      live
      may
      not
      best
      suit
      the
     
     
      dynamics
      of
      the
      "album
      as
      a
     
     
      whole"
      so
      it
      is
      important
      to
      be
      able
     
     
      to
      strip
      down
      and
      change
      it
      up
     
     
      when
      need
      be.
      Tony
      again
      was
      so
     
     
      helpful
      in
      this
      department.
     
    

    
     
      CH:
      As
      one
      of
      the
      most
      well
     
     
      known
      bands
      from
      the
      maritime
     
     
      region,
      what
      are
      your
      thoughts
     
     
      on
      the
      current
      scene
      here
      and
     
     
      why
      have
      you
      felt
      it's
      important
     
     
      to
      stay
      such
      a
      large
      part
      of
      it?
     
    

    
     
      WS:
      The
      people
      in
      Nova
      Scotia
     
     
      (the
      East
      Coast)
      really
      appreciate
     
     
      music
      in
      a
      very
      unique
      way.
      I
     
     
      think
      it
      is
      just
      a
      very
      supportive
     
     
      base.
      It's
      where
      we
      come
      from
      and
     
     
      they
      let
      us
      know
      in
      a
      big
      messy
     
     
      way.
      I
      love
      it.
     
    

    
     
      CH:
      Are
      there
      any
      bands
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      Cold
      and
      Distant
      Exp
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      returns
      to
      the
      Kingdom,
      claiming
     
     
      he
      has
      killed
      her.
      During
      this
      time,
     
     
      Hrothgar
      announces,
      upon
      his
     
     
      death,
      Beowulf
      will
      become
      king.
     
    

    
     
      The
      film
      now
      jumps
      about
      50
     
     
      years,
      and
      Beowulf
      is
      king.
     
     
      Obviously
      much
      older,
      he's
      more
     
     
      of
      a
      resigned
      person
      than
      the
      vig-
     
     
      orous
      self
      seen
      many
      years
      earlier.
     
     
      The
      relationship
      with
      his
      queen
     
     
      (still
      Wright
      Penn)
      is
      distant,
      and
      a
     
     
      reminder
      from
      the
      past
      comes
      back
     
     
      to
      haunt
      him
      in
      a
      big
      way.
     
    

    
     
      When
      I
      first
      heard
      of
      this
      film,
      I
     
     
      assumed
      it
      be
      would
      be
      live-
     
     
      action.
      This
      is
      director
      Robert
     
     
      Zemeckis's
      second
      feature
      to
      uti-
     
     
      lize
      3-D
      CGI
      animation,
      or
      what-
     
     
      ever
      they
      call
      it,
      is
      interesting
      but
     
     
      not
      wholly
      successful.
      The
      prob-
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      you've
      played
      with
      that
      stand
     
     
      out
      in
      your
      mind
      as
      being
      really
     
     
      great
      experiences,
      and
      are
      there
     
     
      any
      bands
      you
      really
      want
      to
     
     
      play
      with?
     
    

    
     
      WS:
      Wooden
      Stars,
      Tragically
     
     
      Hip.
      I
      feel
      like
      this
      past
      year
      we
     
     
      really
      got
      to
      witness
      some
      of
      the
     
     
      greats
      and
      it's
      been
      humbling
      and
     
     
      mind
      blowing
      and
      what
      more
      can
      I
     
     
      say.
      Dog
      Day
      and
      Land
      of
      Talk
      are
     
     
      the
      two
      bands
      I
      really
      want
      to
      tour
     
     
      with.
      Constantines.
      Basia
      Bulat
      is
     
     
      fantastic.
      We
      can't
      wait
      to
      see
      her
     
     
      play
      live.
     
    

    
     
      CH:
      Similarly,
      are
      there
      any
     
     
      shows
      or
      places
      you've
      played
     
     
      that
      really
      stand
      out,
      or
      places
     
     
      you'd
      really
      like
      to
      play?
     
    

    
     
      WS:
      Every
      place
      has
      its
      charms..
     
     
      Too
      hard
      to
      say.
      Thunder
      Bay
      was
     
     
      a
      real
      eye
      opener
      last
      week.
      That
     
     
      was
      I
      guess
      the
      most
      surprising
     
     
      show
      for
      me
      this
      tour.
     
    

    
     
      CH:
      As
      someone
      who
      has
      never
     
     
      seen
      you
      live,
      but
      is
      a
      fan
      of
      your
     
     
      music,
      what
      should
      people
     
     
      expect
      at
      one
      of
      your
      shows?
     
    

    
     
      WS:
      We
      have
      a
      pretty
      simple
     
     
      mission
      statement.
      We
      are
      a
      rock
     
     
      band
      with
      a
      batch
      of
      songs
      that
      we
     
     
      love
      to
      play.
      We
      have
      the
      best
     
     
      rythym
      section
      in
      Canada.
      Tim
     
     
      D'Eon
      will
      be
      there.
      In
      P.E.I.
      we
     
     
      will
      play
      all
      of
      the
      songs
      from
      our
     
     
      newest
      record.
      Plus,
      we're
      sexy.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      erience
     
    
   
   
    
     
      lem
      lies
      within
      the
      use
      of
      this
      style
     
     
      of
      animation.
      Many
      scenes
      border
     
     
      on
      completely
      realistic,
      so
      why
      not
     
     
      just
      use
      live-action?
      This
      hybrid
      of
     
     
      animation
      and
      live-action,
      done
     
     
      through
      motion-capture
      technolo-
     
     
      gy,
      left
      me
      cold
      and
      unattached.
     
     
      But
      it
      seems
      this
      movie
      would
     
     
      have
      been
      impossible
      without
      the
     
     
      CGI
      animation.
      Beowulf,
      as
      he
     
     
      appears
      onscreen,
      has
      a
      physique
     
     
      fit
      for
      a
      Spartan.
      Winstone,
      who
     
     
      plays
      Beowulf,
      is
      far
      from
      that.
     
     
      That's
      not
      to
      say
      he
      doesn't
      deliver
     
     
      a
      good
      performance.
      His
      Beowulf
     
     
      is
      one
      full
      of
      life.
      The
      best
     
     
      moment
      occurs
      when
      fighting
     
     
      Grendel:
      "I
      am
      the
      ripper,
      the
      ter-
     
     
      ror,
      the
      slasher.
      I
      am
      the
      teeth
      in
     
     
      the
      darkness!
      The
      talons
      in
      the
     
     
      night!
      My
      name
      is
      strength!
      And
     
     
      lust!
      And
      power!
      I
      am
      Beowulf!"
     
    

    
     
      John
      Malkovich
      is
      also
      quite
     
     
      good
      as
      Unferth,
      loyal
      servant
      to
     
     
      the
      King.
      Also,
      as
      Beowulf's
      long-
     
     
      time
      friend
      and
      warrior
      in
      battle,
     
     
      Brendan
      Gleeson
      adds
      another
     
     
      notch
      to
      his
      increasingly
      impres-
     
     
      sive
      resume.
      He's
      one
      of
      those
     
     
      actors
      who
      are
      often
      better
      than
      his
     
     
      material.
      ~
     
    

    
     
      This
      film
      is
      also
      being
      presented
     
     
      in
      3-D,
      and
      there
      are
      many
     
     
      moments
      throughout
      you
      can
      tell
     
     
      were
      intended
      for
      that
      effect.
     
    

    
     
      Rating:
      **1/2
      (out
      of
      ****)