Doomed Confessionary: Philip Rourke (Druids Cross)
Druids Cross are a five-piece metal outfit from Liverpool, England. The band formed in early 2022 and have so far released three singles whilst steadily progressing to a five-piece, comprising of synth, drums, two guitars, bass and vocals. Blending together influences from their youth with no pretence, this is unashamed heavy metal, darkened with progressive gothic-doom-tinged synth passages.
Their debut full-length album »Time Immemorial« was released independently on September 2nd, 2024.
Druids Cross are P. Seddon (vocals, guitar), D. Newton (guitar, backing vocals), F. Heath (bass), J. Dyke (synth) and P. Rourke (drums).
Can you say a few words about your band?
Doomy story telling heavy metal.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Time. We all work and hold jobs down, we’d like to do more but it’s not always easy.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Making an album and releasing it. It was mastered by Magnus Lindberg of Cult Of Luna, who were big fans of. That was really cool but ultimately getting album out.
What was your biggest regret?
No regrets, only lessons learned.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
For the band? Nothing huge just yet as we’re relatively new but every gig for us is a big event.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
No surprises anymore! We’ve all played in various bands for years. I suppose if pushed for an answer, how welcoming the metal scene is. Lots of scenes are clicky and unfriendly, but the metal scene where we live is great.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
I can’t speak for the others, but for me personally, The Sword are ruling my listening at the moment.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Don’t listen to anyone but yourself. The irony!
What are your guilty pleasures?
Is there such a thing? You like what you like. I like lots of other music other than metal but people tend to frown when I say I love Def Leppard.
Can you say something more about current music scene in Liverpool?
It’s really welcoming and friendly. It’s also very varied which is great. We can play shows with lots of different styles of metal bands, so it’s great to play in front of an open minded audience.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Our next show is in Bangor (Wales) at Rascals bar on November 1st. We’re also playing Pentrefest (again in Wales) in February and we plan on record our set.
Next year we’re hopefully going to put a tour together too.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Play some more shows and we’re currently writing. We plan to record new songs early next year and release an EP in Spring time 2025. We’re also working on some acoustic interpretations of our songs for an EP.
How can people best support your band?
Listen on streaming platforms, YouTube or buy a CD and/or T-shirt if you’re able to.
If you live in England, particularly the north west. Come see us! If you’re a promoter, put us on if you like us.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Thank you for listening and your support. It really is hugely appreciated.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well