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[ The Biscuit Merchant – Victorious (OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO) ]
Interview Questions for The Biscuit Merchant
1. Introduction & Background
- For those who may not be familiar, can you introduce yourself and explain the origins of The Biscuit Merchant? What inspired the name?
The Biscuit Merchant started as a solo-recording project in 2009 (when I was 17). I had amassed a substantial collection of riffs/song ideas that needed an outlet. I produced 6 “albums” between 2009 and 2011 using programmed drums and bass, along with guitar recorded into a computer microphone. It was a very lo-fi experience. Later, after college, I decided to start recording again. This time, I incorporated vocals, real bass guitar, and drums played on an electronic kit, to feel more like a “band” while still being recorded by myself. I started working with mixing and mastering engineers in 2021, and then assembled the full band in late 2024. - How would you describe your musical style, and which artists or genres have most influenced your sound?
My musical style has been particularly hard to nail down over the years. There’s a lot of evolution from album to album, but even from song to song at times. I think my singing is mostly death metal, my guitar playing is mostly thrash metal, and my songwriting borders on prog metal. I grew up adoring Megadeth, Death, and Dream Theater, so the styles line up at least.
2. New Single: “Kill Time”
- What’s the story behind your latest single, “Kill Time”? How does it fit into the larger narrative of Tempora?
“Kill Time” is a pivotal point of the album’s story. As the first full song of the album, it discusses the current plight of humanity, being “enslaved” by an alien race and utterly miserable with their life on a dying planet. They resolve to “destroy [their] celestial tyrants” by destroying time itself. How they choose to proceed is revealed later in the album. - Sonically, what can listeners expect from this track? Were there any particular challenges or breakthroughs while creating it?
This was a very tough song to craft. I had visions of something huge and grandiose, and far proggier than anything I’d made before. I decided early on to incorporate the keyboard parts (synth orchestra, choir, and 80s video-game-synth specifically), which provided new challenges in working with synth VSTs. I think it came out fantastically though.
3. “Victorious” Lyric Video & Concept
- The lyric video for “Victorious” depicts humanity building a universe-destroying weapon. Can you elaborate on this concept and its role in Tempora?
“Victorious” comes right after “Kill Time” in the album’s story. The humans decide that their best chance of conquering time is by doing what they do best, building a giant bomb and throwing it at the sun. Hopefully their plan doesn’t backfire horribly in the next song… - How do you balance storytelling with musical intensity in a track like this?
It kind of goes hand in hand! The story of Victorious deals with building a bomb big enough to destroy the universe, and I think the riffs echo the concept pretty well. There’s a militaristic “death march” chug that sort of permeates the song, especially in the bridge.
4. Tempora – The Upcoming Album
- Tempora is the tenth installment in your 26-album ALPHA series. What can fans expect from this chapter, both musically and thematically?
Tempora was specifically engineered to be a more prog metal-oriented concept album. Musically, there’s longer songs, more complicated structures and riffs, and the introduction of keyboards on some tracks. Lyrically, this is the first time I’ve made an explicit “full-album” narrative. ALPHA has an overarching story, but the previous albums have a few songs here and there that aren’t entirely related to the concept. Tempora is the first album that I’ve released with its own self-contained story that also fits within the larger narrative of ALPHA. - How do you maintain cohesion across such an expansive project while keeping each album fresh?
It’s a challenge, but it’s super fun. The main connective threads are how the albums “book-end” each other. The ending of Tempora flows into Unexplained Wounds, and then Unexplained Wounds flows into Visible Scars, etc. And strangely, I’ve never really struggled with that. Coming up with the endings/beginnings of each album has actually been helpful from a songwriting perspective. The title track of Tempora was pretty easy to write because I already knew how it had to end. Everything else kind of flowed from there.
5. The ALPHA Series & Long-Term Vision
- What inspired the ambitious 26-album ALPHA series? How do you approach structuring such a massive narrative?
2 major things. I listened to a lot of Morbid Angel when I was growing up and I loved how they released their albums in ABC order. My mind wandered thinking about if they’d ever get to Z (I still wonder) and if they did more with trying to connect them together for people that wanted to listen through their whole discography in order. On the other hand, Dream Theater released a few albums in the mid-00s that flowed into each other like mine do, but there wasn’t an alphabetical thread (and they stopped doing it). So it’s kind of a combination of those approaches. As for approaching it, I’m mostly taking it one album at a time, but now and then I’ll come up with a song idea or a lyrical concept that makes sense in a specific section of the story. I’ve been working on riffs and ideas for the letter Z for years already. - With ten albums already released, how has your creative process evolved since the beginning?
It hasn’t changed too much, actually. I’ve upgraded gear over the years of course, but my songwriting has mostly stayed the same. Everything starts with riffs, and occasionally a vocal part will materialize at the same time. Typically the drums are recorded next, followed by bass, and then finally lyrics/vocals.
6. Musical & Production Approach
- Your music blends death metal, clean vocals, synths, and even piano ballads. How do you decide which elements to incorporate into a given track?
I don’t ever hold myself back. If a song needs a specific element, it’ll happen. I’m very careful with how to structure the songs in the album format though. For the new album, the piano ballad felt like an intro right away. The instrumental songs usually feel right towards the middle-end of the album. And I typically try to make the last song of the album a large scale “finale” so to speak. - As a solo project, what does your writing and recording process look like? Do you handle all instrumentation yourself?
Yep, everything is me. It takes a while of course, since I’m not able to record multiple instruments/vocals at the same time. But it’s been my process for the better part of a decade and I can’t see myself changing anything in that regard.
7. Themes & Lyrics
- Apocalyptic and existential themes run through your work. What draws you to these ideas, and how do they shape your songwriting?
Growing up in the late 90s and 00s, apocalyptic events have been a constant in my life. We’re always living through some new tragedy, and when you live in a world of weaponized fear and confusion, it’s naturally going to infiltrate your mind. And when I write lyrics, that’s usually where my headspace is at. - Do you see your music as a commentary on real-world issues, or is it more of a fictional exploration?
The story of ALPHA is fictional, of course. But the world of Tempora and the other conceptual songs on the previous albums is clearly influenced by real-world issues. I think the humans’ decision to “blow up time” is very consistent with real-world human behavior. And humankind has often wondered about aliens or other-worldly beings “pulling the strings” like The Celestials in the ALPHA-verse do.
8. Fan Engagement & Future Plans
- How has fan feedback influenced the direction of The Biscuit Merchant over time?
Because my music covers so many different sub-genres, I try to “take care” of the fans of each aspect of my music. I know there’s people out there that love the proggier leanings, and Tempora is sort of a love letter to those folks. But I know I have a lot of fans because of songs like “Last One Left to Die” so I’ll make sure those fans will be happy with the next album if they felt like Tempora wasn’t heavy enough. Hopefully the yearly release schedule will keep everyone happy! - Beyond Tempora, what’s next for the ALPHA series? Any hints about the remaining letters?
The album title for 2026 was chosen during the recording of Tempora. The name of the next album is actually directly quoted in one of the songs on Tempora too. I’ve got about 6 songs “finished” with 6 or 7 more with solid bones to be fleshed out later. It’s all sounding Great so far.
9. Live Performances & Collaborations
- Do you have plans to bring Tempora or the ALPHA series to the stage, either live or in a multimedia format?
I’m a total sucker for high-production live shows like Devin Townsend’s “Retinal Circus” or Ayreon’s live performances. I don’t see it happening at the moment because the live band is still in the early stages, but I’d love to do more “produced” shows that incorporate themes from the overall story. But even doing a tour playing a couple songs from each album in bars would be a lot of fun! The shows we’ve played so far have been fantastic experiences, so I’m looking forward to performing more in the future! - Are there any artists you’d love to collaborate with in the future?
With The Biscuit Merchant being a solo project, I don’t see myself collaborating with anyone on the albums, but I’m always happy to provide guest solos/vocals on other folks’ work. And there’s an endless stream of bands that I’d love to play shows/tour with. I’d especially love to play with the guys from Alkaloid!
10. Closing Thoughts
- What do you hope listeners take away from Tempora and your music as a whole?
I got a lot of comfort from music in the tough times of my life. My greatest hope is that my music can help people deal with their day-to-day life if they’re feeling down. Or that it can further brighten someone’s day if they’re feeling good! Granted, Tempora’s not really a “feel good” album so maybe not so much on the latter. - Where’s the best place for fans to support you and stay updated on new releases?
For support, I do have a Patreon that people can subscribe to for monthly updates on new projects (and it’ll get you the new albums a few months early too!). I’ve been posting a lot more show updates and other content on Instagram too. My music is also on Bandcamp and Ampwall for direct support. Other than that, giving me a follow on your streaming platform of choice is a great way to help me reach new ears. “Saving” a song on Spotify is actually really good for the algorithm too!