London-based Limb bring an element of fun that’s not often associated with a stoner/doom scene that could be accused of taking itself far too seriously – take a look at the video for ‘Dawn Raiders’ to see what we mean. Merging classic heavy rock riffs with the more abrasive elements of sludge and doom has helped not to pigeonhole the band, and allowed them to play more diverse shows and create a more varied fan base. Two years after the release of second album Terminal, Limb are back in the practice rooms gearing up for their third instalment, and it’s between these sessions that we caught up with frontman Rob Hoey to see how it’s shaping up and talk about the band’s (possibly unexpected) influences.
Hey guys, how are you? It’s been a while.
Hey Astral Noize, yeah we’ve been squirrelled away writing album number three!
So I hear! Can you tell us anything about it?
Well, it’s taking on a slightly different vibe to the last album (2015’s Terminal), but we’ll have to see in a month or so how different. Terminal was more of a straightforward heavy rock record and this adventure is shaping up to be a little more experimental, but that’s not to say there won’t be the usual blend of gargantuan riffs and raw vocals.
Will this be produced by Russ Russell again? How is it working alongside him?
Well as you know, Russ is NO stranger to making some of the heaviest records going but then he can also get nice and complex with the layering and subtlety. We honestly think he’s perfect for what we want and going to him for the Terminal sessions was a great experience. We’ve all gone to different producers in the past for very different types of sessions so it’s great to find someone who you can talk references with and he gets them ALL! He is very involved in the process and that’s just fine by us.
So what’s happening show wise if you’re working up to the studio?
Not much on that front currently, but as we know we’ll have an album out in the middle of next year (or that’s the plan) and we’ll be getting on the booking trail of festivals. We have Hammerfest X next year in March with Skindred, Sepultura, Raging Speedhorn and more, so that’ll be fun.
You say you’re trying something different with your sound, is there a reason behind it?
Well, the change has been fairly organic. As we spend more time together traversing the highs and lows of the UK and Europe we’ve developed (as I’m sure most bands do) a playlist that we’re all into as a band rather than individuals. We also want to branch out a bit, we’ve been together a while now so it’s only natural we try different things and see where they take us.
So what is on this playlist?
Slade, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Weedeater, Erasure, Ultravox, ZZtop, Yes and Sea Shanties.
You’re signed to New Heavy Sounds, who have a really cool roster, how are they to work with?
I’m not sure how many bands can say they’re actual friends with all their labelmates (Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard, Black Moth, Vodun and more) and label but I can safely say that every band who is signed to New Heavy Sounds would back up that we all are. It’s so nice bumping into each other on the road or seeing the guys who run New Heavy Sounds at shows or for a pint down the pub to discuss the latest goings-on. Not only are they friendly and approachable, but they take what they do very seriously and as you’ll know they have a pretty awesome back catalogue and lots of exciting releases in the pipeline. The short answer is, we’re all very lucky to have them.
Would you like to leave us with some words of inspiration?
Sure! Eat your greens, worship Lemmy and don’t do drugs (not cheap ones anyway).
Words: David Brand
