By David Perri

Montreal-based Augury has become a favourite son of the Canadian scene since the release of its debut, Concealed, on Galy Records in 2004. The band recently had the honour of being direct support for Swedish legend Dismember on that group’s Canada Burns 2008 Tour (15 shows, from Quebec to BC) and, as such, Augury vocalist, guitar player and lyricist Patrick Loisel spoke exclusively to BW&BK; after his band’s set in Montreal, revealing the group’s plans for its upcoming record and tours.

BW&BK;: Augury has a new record coming out soon. What can you tell us about it?

Patrick Loisel: “Last Thursday we finished the new record. It’s going to be called Fragmentary Evidence, and it will be out in February. The label is yet to be disclosed. It’s a continuation of what we do and it’s further into some wacky stuff we do, things like playing with the volume swells or me playing on the pick-up of my guitar. I’ve been doing that since the early ‘90s, and I think it’s finally found its niche. We’ll be doing more tapping harmonies on a few songs. I’m the only vocalist, so there’s a few songs where I sing only clean vocals. I think my clean vocals sound like either Eric Wagner from Trouble - especially Trouble’s early stuff - or Eric Adams from Manowar or Chuck Billy, a bit. I used to sing Queensryche and King Diamond stuff, and I can still do that when I haven’t used my voice for a few weeks.”

BW&BK;: What are you guys hoping to accomplish with Augury and the new album?

PL: “We want to be recognized and to tour, and definitely to tour Europe. We’ve been asked to play Europe, and we’re hoping it will happen. We want the same things as any other band, I think. Musically, we play what we feel like playing. It’s not like we have to be the most technical or anything. Sometimes I’m the one who tells the guys that the songs need to be more simple because I’ve got to sing over them (laughs).”

BW&BK;: Still, Augury is quite a technical band - where do you draw the inspiration for that technique?

PL: “We’re not trying to emulate any band in particular, we just try techniques. But just technique alone is boring so we try to have melodies that will come and grab you. Many bands can play fast and difficult parts, but that can be boring to play. I would personally prefer to have a simpler song if that meant more emotion and feeling in it.”

BW&BK;: Augury has a big fan base in Canada; a lot of people in this country are very much into the band. Why do you think Augury has struck such a particular chord with its fellow countrymen?

PL: “Well, the first thing I’ll say is wow. I say wow, because there are some extremely kind people in the Canadian cities we play in. We don’t have a big population in Canada, and the cities are far apart. But we have crowds that make hundreds of people look and sound like thousands of people. And we’re energized to play for those people. The way we’ve been welcomed is overwhelming. I’m proud of the bands, too. Strapping Young Lad, Into Eternity, Voivod and the entire Quebec scene. In Augury, we just try to measure up to them. By playing music I try to produce moments that impress me. Sometimes, it becomes music like you hear in a dream. That’s why I like stuff like old black metal. When you hear music in a dream, the details aren’t that crisp. Well, I don’t know how other people hear music in their dreams (laughs).”

BW&BK;: What are the plans for Augury in the next two or so years?

PL: “Touring Europe. Touring the States. Touring South America, perhaps. We want to play as much as we can. We’re not a band that spends a full year on the road, but we like to play a lot.”

BW&BK;: You write the lyrics and Augury is renowned for its unique lyrics. What thoughts can you relay about them?

PL: “They’re dramatized versions and conclusions of my studies of conspiracy theories. What they all point to is that mainstream humanity has been bred as some kind of cheap labour to something higher. I just kind of portray that something higher looking down at humanity and saying, ‘OK, let’s make cash out of them.’ There’s other topics about secret societies and rebellion and slavery coming back in some places. It’s all connected, but I don’t want to make it too obvious. I make it imprecise so people can apply the story to many instances. I’ve been interested in this stuff since the early ‘80s, so I’m really into it.”