Phantom Spell: "It's not a huge leap to go from traditional folk music to heavy metal"

Phantom Spell is the new sensation in the underground traditional heavy metal scene, with their unique blend of epic and proto-metal with '70s progressive rock. Their amazing second full-album "Heather & Hearth" proves without any doubt their high artisty.

On this very occasion, mainman Kyle McNeill, also guitarist and vocalist in the british heavy metal act heavy metallers Seven Sisters was very kind to answer all our questions regarding the unique project, the creative process, future plans, the queer community, as well as the first and the upcoming show at the Up The Hammers Festival.

Hello Kyle, this is Theodore from Greece. We welcome you at Rocking.gr!

Hello! Thank you so much for having me.

Well, I think that I love '70s hard rock and classic heavy metal almost equally. Though I respect Seven Sisters, I'm not really a fan. But I fell instantly in love with Phantom Spell. I guess that I'm not the first one telling you so!

No, you aren't. It can go both ways - I've had people tell me they prefer Seven Sisters and of course either is fine. Or neither, ha! That's the beauty of music, and all art, is that once it has been released into the wild then the art itself no longer belongs strictly to the creator. Everybody has their own version of their favourite songs or pieces of art because we all interoperate things in different ways. I wish I could listen to my own music through the ears of someone else.

I also guess that you firstly fell in for heavy metal and later on for '70s rock stuff, that's usually the case for metalheads!

Sort of, yeah. My first experiences with music were through my parents. My mum would play a lot of Pink Floyd in the house, that certainly stuck with me. My dad was into thrash metal when it was an emerging thing in the '80s. I found all the classic thrash stuff through him, of course. Prog, I stumbled onto myself in my early teens when the internet started opening up and you could find things online. I'd also buy vinyl records for super cheap at my local record store. I'd just take a chance on something that looked cool and most of the time it paid off!

Let's come to the amazing second full-length album. I think that your voice sounds better and don't get offended, it seems to be more original than "Immortal's Requiem". According to you, which are the main differences?

Oh believe me, nobody is more critical of my voice than I am. I doubt you could say anything that would upset me more than the stuff I tell myself, ha. It's difficult for me to judge my voice in that kind of way. Although I don't think of myself as a great singer I do believe I have a fairly recognisable voice. I guess I've just been singing more so I might've improved a little bit! I’m also getting better at choosing the right key for the song and I'm more aware of the points in my voice that can be problematic. There’s still so much for me to learn so I hope to keep improving as time goes by.

I strongly support, especially at this time and age, that good songs come first. But in the case of Phantom Spell, the style of music is so special. It's like having '70s hard/prog rock with an epic metal touch!

I mean, what is life without good songs? I would never dare to suggest that I am improving on anything that's come before, but before I started Phantom Spell I always had a craving to take all my favourite parts about Prog Rock and just inject it with a bit more “oomph”. I guess that's part of what I'm trying to do. Simply put; I'm just trying to write music I want to hear.

The music of Hällas is somehow similar, but in a different, more spacey context, whereas Phantom Spell has a strong folk base.

Yeah, absolutely! I love Hällas. I doubt that will come as a surprise to anyone. I would say their music is less rooted in “traditional” song structures. I really love what Kansas did on albums like "Leftoverture" and "Point Of Know Return". It's straight-up good songwriting that's embellished with playful ideas and expert musicianship. I'm trying to channel as much of that as possible.

It's not a huge leap to go from traditional folk music to heavy metal

In Greece we really love what we call epic heavy metal or epic metal. Years ago, I read somewhere that the album "Argus" by Wishbone Ash, a monument of (epic) hard rock, has folk influences. And it was like a new world opened for me.

Oh, absolutely. In Britain especially, there was a strong folk-revival around that time so it made it's way into a lot of music back then. It's not a huge leap to go from traditional folk music to heavy metal. The rhythms, the melodies, the chord progressions. They are all woven into the fabric of metal. Even the story-telling tradition of heavy metal has carried over from Folk music.

Apart from the '70s classics like Sabbath, Purple, Rainbow and Uriah Heep, which '70s (prog) albums of bands should a fan of Phantom Spell listen, in order to have a better understanding of your music?

In no particular order:
Camel – The Snow Goose
Return to Forever – The Romantic Warrior
Kansas – Leftoverture 
Genesis – Selling England by the Pound
Jethro Tull – Heavy Horses

Watching the genocide of the Palestinian people unfold only made me more appreciative of the places I call home

Which is the meaning of the album title "Heather & Hearth"?

The idea for the title started forming last year when I was travelling back to my home town. On the final train ride from Leeds to Burnley you pass through some lovely countryside. The seemingly perpetually grey skies and moody hills decorated with these flashes of heather inspired such a nostalgic feeling in me. I wanted to channel that feeling. A sense of belonging. A sense of home. Sadly, it's gained further meaning as we've watched so many people have their homes brutally taken away from them. Watching the genocide of the Palestinian people unfold only made me more appreciative of the places I call home.

On the album, we have two epics over eleven minutes, one clocking almost at six, and thee less than four minutes in duration. That's a rather unusual mix! While composing music, do you set any limits in general?

I think the limits are defined by the type of equipment I like to use. Even though it's mostly digital emulations, I keep the "equipment" I use to things that would have been available in the ‘70's. That defines the sonic pallet. The rest is just my preference. I love the sound of the prog and metal records from the '70s so I try to mix my music that way. I'm really just following my heart and my ears. When it comes to song length, I try to let the ideas dictate how long the song will be. It's a balancing act between letting the ideas flow and using songwriting craft to steer it all in the direction you want it to take.

Why you chose to cover "Old Pendle"? Which is the story of that song?

Old Pendle was written in the '40s. It was composed in the style of a traditional folk song and it's about a famous hill in the Pendle district of Lancashire called Pendle Hill (surprise!). It has close ties to the history of the witches in north England and has been a landmark for many years. I didn't know about the song until Paula, my wife, found it online and showed it to me. I fell in love immediately and it fit with the theme of the album so well I felt I simply had to cover it. You can see Pendle Hill from my home in Burnley. It's been with me my whole life and it feels nice to pay tribute to such a grumpy old hill.

Though Phantom Spell play live with a regular full band, all instruments on the album are performed by you? Will that always be the case?

I hope not! I would really love for the guys in the band to contribute to the recording. At the very least I want to record Josevi playing live drums. That would be such a tremendous improvement on the programmed ones I do. I'm hoping for the next release I will be able to do this.

You also did all the mixing for the album, you are a true craftsman of your art form. Have you always been into producing and sound?

Thank you very much! I have, yeah. Recording music is this wonderful balance of science and artistry that really appeals to my nature (nerd). Mixing is a double-edged sword. It can be wonderful but it depends entirely on the material you're working with. Thankfully, because I record everything for Phantom Spell myself, I know exactly what I'm going to be working with. It’s taken me a long time, and a lot of trail an error, to get to the point where my mixes don’t sound like total ass. I still have a very long way to go but I’m content with how "Heather & Hearth" has turned out. I really wanted the record to breath. I hear a lot of records coming out in this Traditional Heavy Metal scene that are super-super squashed and lifeless. All the drums sound the same. The guitar tones are the same. I don't want that. I want to hear the space and the personality of each performance. It's ironic I should be the one saying this, considering how many digital instruments I use, but it goes to show that if you approach anything with the right frame of mind you can achieve great results.

So much positive change has come about because of the campaigning done by members of the LGBTQ+ community

You have said that you want Phantom Spell's music to be a place of welcome, curiosity, resilience, and truth - so much of what the queer community is built on. Could you elaborate on this statement?

I mean, it really speaks for itself. So much positive change has come about because of the campaigning done by members of the LGBTQ+ community. Queer people are truly some of the most resilient because their very right exist is challenged every day and still the community thrives and grows. They're my heroes. I'm bi-sexual but I very easily pass as a straight guy because I have a wife and I don't immediately come across as queer. I'm pretty reserved and I don't really open up to people right away. So I'm pushing myself to be more vocal online about my queerness because it serves two purposes. One, it lets queer people know they're welcome in my space. Two, it pisses off the fascists.

On the same subject, there is the stereotype that true rockers and metalheads are macho guys, while inclusion should be considered as fundamental in our community. Which is your own experience?

Well, like I said, I pass pretty easily for a straight guy. I'm white and northern European looking. I have it very easy. It's certainly better than it ever has been in the underground scene. Honestly, I think younger women, queer people, and people of colour that want to get into Metal music just find more spaces in modern Metal. It's more accommodating. They have more representation from the artists - If you read Kerrang! Magazine, for example, you see lots of newer bands with members that are women, queer people, people of colour being pushed to the forefront of their respective genres. It's more outwardly diverse and colourful. That’s not to say that the underground Traditional Metal scene doesn't have those spaces or that kind of representation - like I said, it's better today than I've ever known – but it’s not so outspoken as more mainstream Metal. We have to understand, that when trans people are getting killed on the street for simply existing, if a space (or a band, music venue, festival, whatever) doesn't openly say that they support the queer community then it's a simple survival tactic to not go to that space. You cannot risk it because who you trust, where you spend your time,  and who you surround yourself with can be a matter of life or death. It sounds so drastic to put it that way, but that is the reality that trans people, and a lot of queer people, face. To be perfectly clear, saying all this doesn’t mean guys should stop being macho and that we should cancel everything that isn't queer and painted in fucking rainbows. That is absolutely not the point. There's no reason why the macho true-metallers can't crush cans with queers and listen to Manilla Road. Nothing would make me happier.

You have more in common with the trans woman fighting her cause to piss in public toilets than scumbags like Trump and Musk who spread nothing but hate and misinformation

Is sexuality a matter of politics? Do you think that hard rock and heavy metal bands nowadays should be more political?

I’m not an expert in political theory and I cannot speak for the entire queer community myself. Do I think that peoples genitals and/or sexuality should be discussed throughout mainstream media and pushed to the very front of political discussion as though its some sort of threat? No. Whether or not NATO should increase military spending to 5% of a country’s GDP is a more pressing matter of politics, for example. People's gender and sexuality have been used as political fodder for too long. It’s distraction and division tactics. You have more in common with the trans woman fighting her cause to piss in public toilets than scumbags like Trump and Musk who spread nothing but hate and misinformation. I’ll put it this way; The only people that would not benefit from us all being more political are the people in power that are destroying this planet and murdering children on faraway shores. Music has always been tied to politics and the “Oh, it should just be about the music leave politics out of it” brigade need to pull their heads out of their arseholes and check their privilege. Maybe read a history book not written by a white dude.

Do you think that until now, you have achieved more with Phantom Spell than you have expected? Which are your plans for that project in the near future, but also in the longterm?

Absolutely. I had no expectations when I started Phantom Spell so I am truly amazed at how well it's been received. In the near future there is, of course, a new album coming out! We are playing some club shows in the UK in September and we have some festivals booked for 2026, most of which we have yet to announce. I would like to get the live band involved in some recording at some point. I also have a few ideas that are maybe a little too big for me achieve right now but I will see if I can make them work!

We saw Phantom Spell performing at the Up The Hammers Festival last year, a truly great show, and we cannot wait to have again next year, at the anniversary edition of the festival. Which are your fondest memories and expectations?

We can't wait to return either! It's such a magical festival – the atmosphere is brilliant. I also can't wait to eat in Athens again. The food is incredible. My fondest memory of last year might be when Paula, my wife, and I were watching Visigoth play from up on the balcony. That's one of the best heavy metal concerts I've ever seen. It was such a wonderful atmosphere and performance.

Thank you for your wonderful music and your time. See you soon in Athens! The last words belong to you...

Not at all - Thank you for having me here and for the interesting questions. I would just like to say thank you to any of my fans reading this. It really means so much to me to have your support. I can't wait to see you in Athens again next year!