The following is an online interview from 11/16/06 with Mictian, guitarist for Pennsylvania's only Lycanthropic Metal band Permanent Midnight. Permanent Midnight has more information and music available for download on both MP3.com and MySpace.

WSWB- Hails Mictian! Thanks for taking the time to do this!

Mictian- Not a problem. Thanks for taking the time as well.

WSWB- You are the guitarist for Permanent Midnight, for those that do not know. Who else is in Permanent Midnight and what do they play?

Mictian- What was once a five member band at one point is streamlined to three members (myself included), with Wulv assuming vocal and keyboard duties, and the Barbarian appropriately handling drums.

WSWB- Lineup changes are the plague of all bands, it seems. Any plans to expand the lineup, or are you happy with the chemistry for now?

Mictian- As we are without a permanent bassist, that's one position I'd like to fill. My guitar tuning is in B, so we're low enough that a lower end isn't as much a necessity. Otherwise, we're very comfortable with how things are internally.

WSWB- I believe that in this specific sub-genre of music, it’s more important to find other people who share the spirit than it is to seek out brilliant musicians, so I think you're on the right track. If it should happen, it will come in time. Permanent Midnight has a very dark and angry sound. What's behind the writing / lyrics?

Mictian- I've not contributed any lyrics so I won't speak on Wulv's behalf, but from what I gather from the lyrics is that the meanings follow a somewhat lupine mindset when it comes to day-to-day existence. To clarify, we each seem to present ourselves in what's deemed a 'proper' manner when we would rather run rampant and do what we choose without care or regard. The lyrics to me are our chance to get down to our more primal instincts, which explains the lupine description mentioned earlier.

WSWB - The duality of man that is the beast. I get it. How about the music, though? Being on guitar I imagine you make quite a contribution. The intro to "Saved By Darkness" is very heavy.

Mictian- ‘Saved...’ is one of my favorites to play live, and seems to get the best response from the crowd. It's our experiment with how it would sound if Mortician went doom [laughs]. In terms of music, we within the band listen to a rather varied selection of bands. For example, Wulv loves all things black metal, Barbarian loves death/gore metal, and my favorite bands are Type O Negative, Moonspell, Sentenced, etc. We cover the entire metal spectrum (excluding power metal). Based on what I have heard, my best contributions to the band are the riffs that tend to stick in one's head.

WSWB- Permanent Midnight has a lot of those "sticky" riffs. The crawling sludge of "Wolf" is probably my favorite riff you have, especially how it changes up into the doublekick. I know the recording leaves a bit out, but without a doubt Permanent Midnight has the right sound. Do you have any studio plan in the future?

Mictian- As a matter of fact, we're past the half-way mark of working on our first album. Drums and keyboards are done, and the guitars are done with a few touch-ups to be done yet. I'll also be throwing in some bass to fill out the arrangements, and am also producing the album as well. This album is my first attempt (and not my last, Gods be willing) at producing an album.

WSWB- DIY all the way through. I respect that. When might this see the unlight of day?

Mictian- Hopefully the album will be completed by early 2007. The album's tentatively called Lunar Hunger, and looks to have nine songs on it. Wulv and I are still looking into the possibility of doing a soundscape to add to the atmosphere of the album. No aspect of the album's being rushed; we want to make sure that everything we want captured will be included.

WSWB- Based on the music I have already heard, and the obvious heart you are putting into the current project, I have no doubts it will fully be worth waiting for. Since you're putting your effort into the studio side, I guess live gigs are out for a while?

Mictian- That's correct. We don't play out very often, and with our drummer having relocated to New York about a year ago, we make sure the shows we do schedule are worth the time the fans take to come out and support. I'm highly positive in regards to how the album's taking shape, and when the last edits are done and after the mixing and mastering, I'm sure we'll have ourselves a genuine piece of work that shows that the more creative black metal bands aren't all Scandinavian, saying the very least.

WSWB- Interesting that you should say that. In the last few years I've been finding that the best new Black Metal hasn't been coming from Norway or Sweden, it's been coming from... New Jersey? Illinois? Ohio? Who'd have ever guessed that? I know that your homeland of PA boasts more than a few up-and-coming bands. Care to share any and talk about the local scene a bit?

Mictian- There's an overabundance of the bar band bullshit, where both bands and club owners alike play it safe by playing and hosting the mainstream garbage that they think will draw in business. No one has the balls to try and take the path the others are too afraid to make; they're too worried about their bottom line. Regardless, the metal scene around here manages to thrive and still find its fans. Some bands of worthy mention are Extermination, the late Killing Chapel, Thoraxx, Neldoreth, Funeral Dust (which is Wulv's side-project), and the forth-coming Cryptic Stench. This area is an example that the true heart of metal never dies, and I have nothing but respect for all those who share in that attitude.

WSWB - Hails to those words for sure. Before we wrap this up, any final thoughts?

Mictian - All that I would like to suggest to those reading these words is that they take time to look into bands or shows when opportunity allows. The bands alone can't change the tide of these stagnant waters within the music world.