Stephen James Omen of Post Death Soundtrack Talks BARREN MOTHER OF ALL, Artistic Freedom, AI, Going Against the Grain & the Power of Real Music
Post Death Soundtrack founder Stephen James Omen joins The Zach Moonshine Show for a wide-ranging...
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Stephen James Omen of Post Death Soundtrack Talks BARREN MOTHER OF ALL, Artistic Freedom, AI, Going Against the Grain & the Power of Real Music
Post Death Soundtrack founder Stephen James Omen joins The Zach Moonshine Show for a wide-ranging conversation about the massive 37-song double album BARREN MOTHER OF ALL, the importance of artistic freedom, the changing music industry, AI, authenticity, his influences, his recording process, and why sometimes the best thing an artist can do is simply say “fuck it” and make the music.
There are albums you listen to, and then there are albums you have to spend some time with.
BARREN MOTHER OF ALL, the latest release from Canadian experimental heavy music project Post Death Soundtrack, is very much the latter.
The massive 37-song double album is the latest chapter in a run of ambitious, sprawling releases that have become a defining part of Stephen James Omen's creative journey. Rather than treating the album like a collection of songs designed to fit neatly into a genre, a playlist, or an algorithm, Omen approaches the music as something much more personal and immersive.
During his appearance on The Zach Moonshine Show, Omen explained that the sheer size and scope of the project wasn't necessarily something that was carefully planned from the beginning. It was something that happened because the music kept coming.
“It's like falling in love. It doesn't make sense. It's compulsion,” Omen explained.
For him, the creative process is about entering difficult places emotionally and coming back with something meaningful. He compared the process to a shaman venturing into frightening, nightmarish territory and returning with a “gem for the tribe.”
That philosophy has shaped the last three Post Death Soundtrack albums, all of which have grown into massive projects containing 30 or more songs. BARREN MOTHER OF ALL ultimately reached 37 tracks, something Omen says is intended to be experienced almost like a book, something listeners can pick up, put down, return to and absorb over time.
And ultimately, he doesn't see the project as simply another band or another series of releases.
“It’s pretty much the mission of my life,” he said.
From Metal Bands to a One-Man Creative Force
Post Death Soundtrack began in 2006, with Omen serving as the project's founder and primary songwriter throughout its evolution.
Before ultimately taking the project in a more solo direction, Omen had already spent years working in other bands and projects, including the punk/thrash metal band Inner Surge and progressive metal project The Unraveling.
Eventually, he realized that if Post Death Soundtrack was going to move forward at the pace he wanted, he needed to take control of the process.
The reason was simple: working with too many people could mean projects taking too long or never happening at all.
That decision is a familiar one for independent musicians. Sometimes the only way to get the music out of your head and into the world is to stop waiting for everyone else to be ready.
Omen's approach has increasingly become about embracing that independence rather than fighting it.
That mentality is reflected in one of the strongest themes throughout the conversation: don't wait for permission to make your art.
Learning From the Artists Who Refused to Play It Safe
One of the most interesting parts of the interview was Omen's discussion of the artists who influenced his philosophy as much as his sound.
Nine Inch Nails, particularly The Downward Spiral, came up as a major influence. Omen praised the record for taking risks and deliberately pushing against conventional songwriting and production expectations.
That led to a larger discussion about artists who reached a certain level of success and then chose to do something unexpected rather than simply repeating whatever had made them successful.
Nirvana's In Utero was another major example.
Omen pointed to Kurt Cobain's refusal to simply reshape the album into something safer or more commercially acceptable, despite resistance from the record label.
Faith No More's Angel Dust and Pantera's decision to become even heavier following Vulgar Display of Power also became part of the conversation.
The common thread was obvious: the artists followed the music instead of following the money.
For Omen, that's a crucial part of what makes those records special.
“Life is not all about that,” he said, discussing the pressure musicians face to constantly ask whether they're making money.
The point isn't that making money from music is bad. It's that financial success shouldn't be the only reason to create.
Sometimes you make the record because the record needs to exist.
Sometimes you make it because you have something inside you that needs to get out.
And sometimes you make it because you're simply tired of being told what you're supposed to do.
“I Want to Be Difficult”
That attitude becomes particularly clear when Omen describes BARREN MOTHER OF ALL itself.
“I want to be difficult,” he said.
He described the album as radical and said he wants the music to get directly into people's faces. Listeners can embrace it, reject it, pick it up or put it down, but he's not interested in creating something that simply blends into everything else happening around it.
Omen described himself as “just a truth teller,” acknowledging that the result isn't always going to be pretty.
But that's exactly the point.
The music isn't designed to make everybody comfortable.
It is designed to communicate something real.
Authenticity in the Age of AI
The conversation naturally moved into one of the biggest issues facing independent musicians right now: artificial intelligence.
Omen's position was blunt.
With an enormous volume of music being uploaded to streaming services, he believes authenticity and the human story behind the music are becoming increasingly important.
The discussion wasn't simply about whether AI music is good or bad. It was about what happens when music becomes disconnected from the person who created it.
For Omen, discovering an artist isn't just about hearing a song.
It's about wanting to know who made it.
You find the artist's social media. You look up interviews. You learn their story. You follow them. You buy their records. You become invested in what they're doing.
That human connection is a huge part of being a music fan.
As the conversation pointed out, if there is no person behind the music to discover, interact with or support, that connection simply isn't there.
Omen also revealed that more than 60 of his songs have already been scraped by AI systems, making the issue far more personal than an abstract debate about technology.
At the same time, he believes AI may eventually settle into more of an editing or production tool rather than completely replacing human creativity.
But the human element remains the important part.
The flaws, imperfections, stories and experiences behind real music are things a machine can't simply manufacture.
Stop Treating Music Like a Casino
Another major topic was the economics of independent music.
Omen questioned the obsession many musicians have with streaming payouts and the constant question of how quickly they can turn music into money.
His philosophy is much more long-term.
Build real fans.
Build relationships.
Give people something worth caring about.
He pointed out that an artist doesn't necessarily need millions of casual listeners. A relatively small group of genuinely dedicated fans can become a much more meaningful foundation.
The conversation also touched on Bandcamp and how platforms like Bandcamp can provide artists with a more direct relationship with their listeners.
Streaming platforms, YouTube, radio and social media can all serve as ways to get the music in front of people. But ultimately, if the music connects with somebody, that person can go looking for the artist and find a way to support them.
As Omen put it, the goal shouldn't simply be asking, “Where's my cash?”
The goal is to make something that changes culture, changes lives or at the very least connects with another human being.
That's an old-school idea, and honestly, it's one worth remembering.
Before every song became a data point, people discovered bands because somebody handed them a record, played them a song, wrote about them, or said, “Dude, you have to hear this.”
The technology changes.
That part doesn't.
A Musical Palette That Goes Far Beyond Metal
While Post Death Soundtrack certainly carries elements that will appeal to fans of heavy music, Omen's musical influences stretch far beyond traditional metal.
He discussed discovering music through Nirvana before moving deeper into artists such as Sepultura, Tool and Skinny Puppy, with industrial music becoming an important influence.
But that's only part of the picture.
Omen described himself as extremely open musically, with influences ranging from John Coltrane to Andrea Bocelli, industrial music to heavy rap.
Trap and drill-inspired beats actually played a role in the creation of BARREN MOTHER OF ALL, adding another unexpected layer to the album's sound.
Chief Keef became a particularly interesting point of discussion.
Omen talked about the aggression in Chief Keef's work, particularly the way he can suddenly change his vocal delivery and flow, almost flipping a switch and going into battle mode.
That influence can be heard in “Red Rum,” where Omen intentionally incorporates that sudden change in energy.
It's another example of why trying to categorize Post Death Soundtrack too neatly misses the point.
The influences aren't coming from one scene.
They're coming from everywhere.
The Beauty of Imperfection
Perhaps one of the coolest revelations of the interview came when Omen discussed how some of the music on BARREN MOTHER OF ALL was actually recorded.
He uses delay, reverb and bit-crushing effects on his vocals and works with a Vox amplifier, Fender Stratocaster and Gibson SG.
He also makes extensive use of a Seagull 12-string guitar.
But some songs don't involve elaborate studio production at all.
Omen explained that he sometimes simply grabs the 12-string, records his voice and guitar on his phone and captures the idea as it happens.
Some of those raw recordings ended up on the album essentially as they were.
They're not polished.
They're not necessarily “properly recorded.”
And that's precisely what he likes about them.
“There’s some kind of beauty in that,” he explained.
It's a fitting philosophy for an album built around authenticity.
Sometimes the perfect recording is the one that captures the moment before you have time to overthink it.
The Gear Behind the Chaos
For those who like getting into the nuts and bolts of how the sounds are created, Omen also talked about his gear.
His guitar setup includes a Vox amplifier, Fender Stratocaster, Gibson SG and Seagull 12-string.
For effects, he talked about using delay, reverb and bit-crushing effects on vocals, along with EarthQuaker Devices pedals and atmospheric effects such as the Ghost Echo.
The goal isn't simply to make a guitar sound like a guitar.
The effects themselves can become part of the songwriting process.
Omen described how plugging a simple note into an atmospheric effect can completely transform it and inspire an entirely new idea.
That approach fits perfectly with Post Death Soundtrack.
The equipment isn't being used merely to reproduce a preconceived sound.
The equipment becomes part of the experiment.
What's Next for Post Death Soundtrack?
Despite having just released a gigantic 37-song double album, Omen isn't exactly slowing down.
He revealed that there are already more songs in the works, with some recently completed material potentially appearing on a future release.
He's also working with the two-man project He Is Me on a full-length album that was described as being nearly finished.
Meanwhile, Post Death Soundtrack itself will continue to grow.
Omen says the catalog is continually building, with more music and videos on the way.
In other words, BARREN MOTHER OF ALL isn't the end of the story.
It's another chapter.
And judging from the conversation, there are plenty more chapters already being written.
“I Want People to Dig In”
As the interview wrapped up, Omen had a simple message for anyone discovering Post Death Soundtrack for the first time:
Listen to BARREN MOTHER OF ALL.
Dig into it.
Take your time with it.
It's a lot of music, and it's meant to be explored rather than consumed and immediately forgotten.
That's probably the best way to approach a 37-song album anyway.
Don't throw it on while scrolling through your phone for three minutes and decide you've got the whole thing figured out.
Put the damn thing on.
Get lost in it.
Come back to it.
Find the weird parts.
Find the heavy parts.
Find the beautiful parts.
Find the uncomfortable parts.
That's what makes a project like Post Death Soundtrack interesting.
There is no obvious box to put it in.
And Stephen James Omen doesn't seem particularly interested in helping you build one.
Listen to the Full Interview
Stephen James Omen of Post Death Soundtrack joined The Zach Moonshine Show for one of the most wide-ranging conversations we've had about music, creativity and what it means to remain genuinely independent in an increasingly automated music world.
From BARREN MOTHER OF ALL and the philosophy behind the album to Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Faith No More, Pantera, Skinny Puppy, Chief Keef, AI, Bandcamp, independent music, recording techniques, gear and the future of Post Death Soundtrack, this one went everywhere.
And naturally, we couldn't end the conversation without cranking up “Red Rum”.
As Stephen put it during the interview, he wants to make music that is radical, difficult and honest.
In a world increasingly filled with polished, predictable and algorithm-friendly content, maybe that's exactly the kind of music we need.
Post Death Soundtrack's BARREN MOTHER OF ALL is out now.
Listen to the full interview on The Zach Moonshine Show and dig into the world of Post Death Soundtrack.
Interview conducted by Zach Moonshine for Metal Devastation Radio.
Track List:
Battle Of The Bands Top Six Winners:
1 - Okl's FruitLoops - Scream Of Silence2 - Soul Of Sheol - Paradise Is Not For Us3 - Mistress - Terrified eyes4 - Manuel Saavedra Duarte - Warlock5 - RÄgi - AtgrieÅ¡anÄs6 - ALIS - Poised To Outlast
The Zach Moonshine Intro
7 - Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (live 1998)8 - Ola Englund - The Ember Saga/DOGMA PROGMA9 - ACCEPT - Balls To The Wall/Fast As A Shark (50th Anniversary editions)
Post Death Soundtrack - Interview featuring Queen Bee/Red Rum
10 - Lovage - Stroker Ace11 - Nine Inch Nails - Terrible Lie/Right Where It Belongs12 - Dan Lorenzo - Silver Lined Cyanide Serenity13 - Heretic - Reckoning14 - Wizard Tattoo - Part I The Fall15 - Hellfrost - Swamp Body16 - Black Altar - Infernal Damnation17 - The End of Melancholy - Halo18 - James Legendforge - The Witchfinder's Flame19 - Fight - Human Crate/Into The Pit/Contortion
Listen to the full show recap on Mixcloud:
Check out the interview clips on Spotify, YouTube, Apple etc:
[jrEmbed module="jrYouTube" youtube_id="rXFRymmRmP4"]
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-zach-moonshine-show/id1533618474
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