In our interview, David Williams, the mastermind behind Chronicler of Ardul, reveals the driving forces behind Sword of Virné, out on August 16. He explores the dark themes of ambition and forbidden magic, and shares insights into his creative process, blending orchestral elements with death metal. David discusses his collaboration with vocalist Thomas Blanc, the role of the bonus track “What Ambition Reaps,” and how this EP connects to Myrewood. He also touches on his storytelling techniques and future plans, including expanding the Ardul saga and potential new collaborations.
ATN: Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind the story of the Sword of Virné?
DAVID: The sword was always pivotal to the story I’ve been working on, and quickly became this evil thing that both craves blood and to be with a skilled user. From there, I wanted to tell a different story than Myrewood. This thing needed to be created on purpose, it needed to have malevolence and have a will of its own . It needed to be uncontrollable at all costs.
ATN: What was the creative process like for developing the world of Ardul and its narrative?
DAVID: The process in creating Ardul starts with the story and then trying to figure out the logic behind it. For instance, there was the Resurgence, an event where spirits come out and attack every 15-18 years. What caused the Resurgence? Why did that event happen? Is it everywhere or localized? Beyond that, I like dark fantasy, the hard choices, the grim and grey morals of it all. Sometimes bad things happen, even with good intentions. I think a lot of interesting stories can come out of that style of writing.
ATN: How did you come up with the character of Durmad and his ambitious quest for forbidden magic?
DAVID: I knew the sword needed to be intentionally created, so it was a matter of figuring out what type of person did this. He needed to be power hungry, willing to push the boundaries of what’s possible, and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. He thinks he’s better than everyone else and will prove it. Magic is malleable in my world, there’s more than one way to do the same thing, and the tried and true ways tend to be safe and predictable. But that wasn’t enough for him, he loved to experiment and explore and see what was possible, and he excelled at it. When he tried to push forward, his instructors told him to stop, and that only angered him and made him strive even higher.
ATN: Can you elaborate on the themes of ambition and forbidden magic that run through the EP?
DAVID: Ambition can be a very dangerous thing, especially in the case of someone who will do anything to achieve their goals. Durmad even appeals to mighty rulers and promises them riches. It’s a huge flaw in human nature to want more and not keep it in check. That even applies to magic. It’s a vast well of possibility, and the greater the magic requires a great deal of power to create it. But that’s the hubris of humankind, thinking one can control something beyond themselves.
ATN: Can you describe the role of the Sword of Virné within the larger story of Ardul?
DAVID: The Sword of Virné has a will of its own, and people try to control it, but end up as another victim. As for the story ahead, you’ll just have to see how it all unfolds, but this is just beginning.
ATN: How did your education at Berklee College of Music influence the composition and production of this EP?
DAVID: Going to Berklee taught me everything I know about composition and production! I did go in with an interest In video game music and took courses towards composition and orchestration. Film and TV music isn’t my style, nor much of an interest to me, but I learned a lot about how to write to scenes and short clips. As for production, it was more geared towards more popular styles of music, but I learned how to listen more intently and applied that to metal music. After that, it’s all to taste, I have ideas of how I want it to sound and I know what is important, so I can really bring those bits out.
ATN: What challenges did you face while blending orchestral elements with death metal instrumentation in this EP?
DAVID: Honestly, it’s not that challenging to me. Once I learned how to write for an orchestra, I applied the same principles to metal and treat those elements as another ensemble. I could take away the orchestra or metal instruments, but big parts of the music would be lost. They are written together and work together.
ATN: What was it like working with session vocalist Thomas Blanc, and how did his contributions shape the final sound?
DAVID: Thomas Blanc is such a great guy and very good at what he does. The first time I heard his vocals on my songs was mind blowing! He brings so much darkness and intensity that my songs really needed, with lots of emotional depth as well. He’s super fast, takes direction really well, and such a pleasure to work with.
ATN: Can you tell us more about the bonus track, “What Ambition Reaps,” and its role in concluding the EP?
DAVID: “What Ambition Reaps” was originally an assignment I did for an orchestration class. I was given free reign to write whatever I wanted and wrote this piece with the intention of it being for my story. I wanted to include it to show this sort of musical story in its original form.
ATN: How does this EP connect to your previous release, Myrewood, and what can fans expect next in the saga of Ardul?
DAVID: Sword of Virné is a brand new story set in the same world of Ardul. Myrewood has developed the setting, and Sword of Virné develops the blade that will be very important to the main story to come. When the story begins, fans should expect new characters, new melodies, and a large expanse of story. It’s all going to come together and grow into something much larger.
ATN: How do you approach songwriting and storytelling to ensure that each track contributes to the overarching narrative?
DAVID: I start each project with an outline of the story and breaking it into important story beats, which are then sectioned off into songs. From there, I will write the lyrics and do it in order. After that is the arduous process of trying to capture the right sound. I will do this chronologically so that I can draw on earlier moments and build on them. It needs to flow and be cohesive, but also making sure each song feels complete on its own. I’m always keeping in mind how it all fits together and trying to build up to something epic.
ATN: How do you balance the dark fantasy elements with the intense musical style to create a cohesive experience for listeners?
DAVID: It’s a lot of intentional writing, everything is written with purpose. The music needs to capture the emotion of the story and express it. Although it may not seem like it, but I am developing these themes throughout, teasing them here and there. It’s not an easy process, and brings out my perfectionism a lot, but I think it really elevates the experience. Even if the listener doesn’t know the lyrics, there’s still a musical journey to listen to.
ATN: What do you hope listeners take away from the story and music of Sword of Virné?
DAVID: I hope they want to hear more! I’ve already started outlining the main story, and it’s going to be a beast of a project! As my second release, this is only the beginning. It’s going to be bigger and more elaborate from here on out. But I mostly hope people will enjoy this to whatever extent they want.
ATN: What are your plans for the future?
DAVID: I have so many plans, like finishing Myrewood Part 2 short story, writing a short story for Sword of Virné, and outlining the main story, which will be 3 albums! Of course there’s plans for merch, and some other secrets I won’t reveal just yet.
SAME 3 QUESTIONS WE ALWAYS ASK
ATN: Artist / band that you feel is the most underrated and why?
DAVID: Shadow of Intent, at least in my realm of people who talk about music. I don’t hear a lot of people talking about them, but they were my introduction into symphonic death metal, and they are incredible.
ATN: Artist / band that you would like to collaborate with and why?
DAVID: Tatiana Shmayluk from Jinjer is someone I would love to collaborate with. She is my favorite vocalist, and I have a song in mind that I think she should be amazing on.
ATN: Artist / band that you would like to tour with and why?
DAVID: I would like to tour with Voraath because they are some of the nicest people and they also are working on large scale story writing in their music. Their music is amazing and I’m lucky to have spent a little bit of time with them.
