Luke Vinland - Third Realm

This episode of Void Signal features a wide-ranging and personal conversation with Luke Vinland, promoter, event organizer, and member of Third Realm. We dive into his journey back into the goth and industrial scene after years away, and how that return reshaped his life.
Featured Songs:
Third Realm - Doom & Gloom

https://www.thirdrealmofficial.com/ for more Third Realm.

https://darkforcefest.com for more information about Dark Force Fest.

Void Signal intro courtesy of Processor. Visit https://processor2.bandcamp.com for more Processor.

Transcript

Brian Prime: Okay. we're rolling. so, welcome to Void Signal. I'm Brian Prime. I am joined, for this episode by Luke Vinland. I met you at Dark Forest Fest a couple years ago. You are in third realm. You do community things at Dark Force Fest. you do a whole bunch of other stuff. You make things.

so thanks for coming on the show, making this work. how are you, how are things? 

Luke Vinland: I am quite well. Thank you very much for having me, actually. 

Brian Prime: Well, could you kind of tell people a little bit about who you are, like what you do?

Luke Vinland: I was out of the scene for a really, really long time once I got back into the scene and I was embraced so well, and, so heavily I was like, oh, wow. I, I need to give back. I just felt like I did. So, I run, I did run for a short period of time, my own goth night, which was more of a social event, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in eastern [00:01:00] Pennsylvania.

And, I frequent pretty much every goth night in the Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey kind of, scene. dark Force. I run a panel for people to meet each other for, for new time people, for newcomers and people maybe came by themselves and. Wanna meet new people, or if you've been going for years and you're just like, you know what?

I've been going with the same people every year. I just wanna meet new people. so, myself and Joseph Mozilla, run one of the first panels, at Dark Force called the, let's Get Dark Game. It's a conversation game, which just opens it up and makes it real easy for people to get to know each other, especially if you're someone who's usually introverted and you know, you feel maybe it's hard for you to open up to other people.

We've had tremendous response from our, from our panel last year, and it looks like we may be doing that again. so that's good. I do play in third [00:02:00] realm, so that's fun getting to go around with those guys and, bring joy through music to people. 'cause that's pretty much, what I need. So I like to be able to give that to other people.

I started a production company to run large. Very large goth events and alt events. that's is super recent actually. You're the first person to hear about this. so we're doing a production company now where we'll be running, goth balls, masquerade balls, vampire ball, a lot of balls. we just did, blood Bank, which was our inaugural event in Eastern Pennsylvania.

sold out 400 tickets, and third row played the event. so I like to do that and, and generally I try to do everything with either as taking as little as I can. Or nothing at all. I, I do pretty much everything I can for free. just so that it's easily accessible for people. no barrier to entry.

You want to come out, you wanna have a good time and be around like-minded people. I wanna provide that. 

Brian Prime: someone said to me, years ago that, [00:03:00] the things that were cool when we were young are the things that we have to build now, for the next generation to be able to appreciate.

I am glad that you share the mentality of low barrier to entry and just, like myself, you know, voice signal is ad free. I just want to do this for the people's entertainment and, and pleasure and whatever. so I can definitely get behind your reasoning for do it, for doing it. That's exciting doing events.

what do you, what kind of stuff do you have planned? Can you talk a little bit about that? 

Luke Vinland: I can't talk about the details of the bands or the performers who will be at the next event. we had at our blood bank event, like I said, third Rum played actually like an hour and a half long set.

we had a dj, Brad Scott, actually, and, DJ Ian, who are local to us in great promoters and great DJs. They played for us the entire evening. We had Madam X come out and perform a vampire ritual, which was fantastic and really [00:04:00] a good way to get people into kind of a themed event like that.

we had a kind of burlesque esque performance as well from the, daughter of my business partner in the new venture for got. Themed events, Emmy, she, came in and did, entertain the crowd. so we're trying to throw that kind of extra stuff in there. the next event we are hoping is going to be a eighties, an eighties themed goth prom.

and we're going, we've heard, we've seen a lot and we've heard about a lot, and we're gonna try to go even further with it. So it's gonna be the most eighties gothy, ridiculous, perhaps even some horror elements. Who knows? Prom, around. So that'll be pretty awesome. And then we are going to be.

Hopefully if everything works out well, performing or holding a masquerade ball later in the year as well. And a traditional masquerade ball, around Halloween. so we'll see if that works out. details will be available, [00:05:00] as soon as, they're able to be available. 

Brian Prime: Nice. And you mentioned doing the panel at Dark Forest to try and get people, newcomers to, you know, meet each other.

you mentioned a conversation game. What does that look like and how does that work? 

Luke Vinland: well, I, at one of my socials, we, it was, they're defunct now, unfortunately, I held my socials at a distillery, a friend of mine owned, which was Gallows Hill Distillery. It was a witch themed distillery, from the, the owner was one of the last survivors of the last person, who was hung in the Salem Witch trials.

And, Basically, I was like, oh, I need to do something with you. so we would hold this night every month where I always tried to give a different theme. And one month we did a board game theme. So someone brought in a game, which was for people on like a first date or something like that to get to know each other.

And five minutes in, I was telling people my darkest secrets. and at that point I was like, oh, this is a thing. [00:06:00] So Joe Mozilla and I actually reworked it into a goth. Themed, get to know each other, not for dating purposes, just completely casual.

Get to know some cool people really quickly and you can be as silly as you want or as serious as you wanna be. so what we do is we have people come in, separate them into groups and the groups change every 10 minutes or so, and we give you topics. You pull from three separate decks of cards, like a sinister deck with really invasive questions, kind of a more mild deck, a chill deck, and then a dark deck, which is your standard kind of goth questions.

And then you kind of explain why you choose one or the other, or what's your darkest secret, you know, that kind of thing. and what you're getting to do is kind of, you're meeting new people, you are immediately kind of exposing yourself a little bit to them, but you don't have to think about what to say.

We're giving you a topic and it's completely random. And each section has its own questions, so you [00:07:00] won't run into the same questions over and over again. And at that point you can be, I think, a little bit more yourself. And if you have questions like, I don't know how to answer this. Like someone said last year, I don't know how to answer this question.

The question is, what is goth to me? And I, I said, that's cool. And I got on the microphone and I said, someone over here just asked the question, what is goth to me? And I answered, it's community. It is the people I wanna be around. It is the people that I hope are like-minded to me without even asking.

It's the community that I wanna serve. You know, that kind of thing. And then they just rambled off for five minutes on what goth meant to them. so it's a game. It, it's no winners other than meeting people. And, I've seen people who were completely closed off, who just decided to give it a chance.

Open themselves up and then come up to me on Sunday and be like, I was talking to people all weekend. That was amazing. I met them at your panel. I wanna do that again. That was so cool. And I was just, wow. Okay, great. Thank you very much. A [00:08:00] very, very proud moment. 

Brian Prime: I had that experience last year of, you know, somebody was like, oh, I, you put me on a random team for trivia, and, I hung out with those people, the rest of the festival. Yep. And, you know, I, I like bringing people together because it, at least for me and for probably a lot of the people in our scene and, and sounds like you two in your past somewhere, we're all awkward neurodivergent people who.

Maybe don't always want to talk or communicate or, you know, have too much eye contact or whatever. so I can definitely appreciate having some context for why I am talking to someone, right? Because I was a person who was a wallflower for much of my life and just, you know, I don't know how to engage. I don't know how to strike up conversation.

And having someone sort of do that for you kind of does a lot of the heavy lifting, I feel. 

Luke Vinland: for me it's funny because, Luke, Finland is the face I put on, to be that person. in [00:09:00] general life, if I'm at the supermarket and someone asks, Hey, can I help you? That can ruin my day. I'm sorry, I know you're just trying to be nice, but I am very closed off.

And if someone that I don't know starts talking to me, it's very difficult for me to deal with. whereas at Dark Force, I will put on my performer face and I'm out there to promote the band. I'm out there to promote our event and my future events, and I feel like that's the person I want to be. And I put that face on and once I do, I become a different person.

So there is that kind of duality and a bit of an issue sometimes where people will contact me afterward and they'll start messaging me very constantly, or, or we'll be talking readily and then all of a sudden I'll shut down and they think they did something wrong. And you know, we're all like that.

But that game really, I think. Helps to open people up and kinda keeps [00:10:00] them open to those relationships. 

Brian Prime: Yeah, absolutely. And I similarly, I find there are times that I have to step away and go, like, be by myself outside and, you know, sort of be in my own head for a time and like, sort of take the mask off, I guess.

Mm-hmm. Like get some air and like, okay, I'm gonna recharge the social battery and then I'm gonna put the mask back on and go back in there and, and do whatever. Be a personality, be a character. 

Luke Vinland: Yeah. And I, I appreciate that because just my love of eighties bands, like I, as when I was growing up, I was like, this would be my name if I was in an eighties band and this is what I would do.

And this was a, you know, but then I always thought to myself, but look at the hotel room. I'd be making sure no one was getting too rowdy and no one smashed my TV and no one threw anything out. The hotel window I was always at, they call me the VAM pop because, like I was, was the old guy in the group who was like, is everyone okay?

do you need help? Like, how can I, so for [00:11:00] me, yeah, I kind of portray or give off this kind of like, I'm down for anything. Let's just party kind of vibe when I'm on, but I'm mostly off. 

Brian Prime: Okay. I think by contrast, not to talk about myself too much, but I feel like I'm mostly on with small periods where I need to just go be off for a time.

Ah, my natural state is just sort of, like dog energy. Like, I'm so excited, ah, new person, hello. Like, let me see what's going on. And but you did touch on something in your first answer of wanting to give back and, you kind of touched on your thoughts of goth and community. could you just tell me a little bit about sort of what you mean by that?

Luke Vinland: So, when I was younger I was one of the goth kids. we hung out at the corner at the high school and it was kind of weird for me 'cause I've always been, yeah, I'm Puerto Rican, so, just one right off minority. And then I was a goth kid, so you know, [00:12:00] another minority. So even within my group, I.

Was, you know, a minority and a minority. but they always accepted me and had no problem with me. And there was other minorities within the group, and it was a public school and a big city, so, that's what we were going to experience. when I got in my twenties, it was mostly about work, work, work, and maybe hit the bar, hit the bar, hit the bar.

And then in my thirties I stopped going to goth clubs, anything goth related. I just stayed home for 10 years. and then, what ended up happening was, I invited a bunch of people to an event. Nobody showed up, and it didn't really bug me.

At least for a while. And then like about a month later I was just like, I just crashed. I was like, wow. I try to always be there, do all these things for people and that kind of stuff. And I just kind of got a little weird and in my own head about the fact that like, at the time it seemed like nobody was coming out and or, or, or, or [00:13:00] there to support me.

And I know it was just in my head, but that's how we all are. So I shut myself off for 18 months and I didn't talk to anyone whom it was not totally necessary to my day-to-day existence to speak to. And at the end of that 18 months, I was like, I'm gonna go out for my birthday. 'cause I never do anything for my birthday.

I don't celebrate it, but I'm home alone. I am. I'm friends with some new people, you know, from work and whatnot. Let's do something. And they all canceled and they were like, no, let's not do anything. So I went on Facebook and a friend of mine who is a karaoke dj, said, Hey, come out to Gallows the where I held my go of eds.

And after karaoke at Gallows, we are going to go to our local club, night Coven, run by dj, Brad Scott and Easton. And, I was like, oh, there's a goth night over there in Easton that I haven't been to. Let me check it out. And I mean, that was 40 years ago at this [00:14:00] point. And that night changed my entire life.

The course of everything I was doing, I went, I was accepted, immediately felt just love for no reason. people were just like, oh, thanks for coming in, enjoying this with us. And I, I de definitely had not felt anything that open and easy in 10 years. So it was. Insane. I didn't know what to do with it, right?

I was like, oh, this is what this is. This is what these people are willing to give, just friendship and be nice for no reason. let me see if there's any more of this to be had. So I started going to other club nights and I just went crazy and I just went to everything I could possibly go to. And everywhere I went, everyone was just amazing.

And I was like, this just doesn't make sense. When does the bottom fall outta this? And I, for about a year, just went to every night I could. I was going to Dark Force, but even my first dark force, I didn't really, I hung out with one [00:15:00] friend and didn't talk to anybody, and it was kind of just to myself. and it was just, or I guess at that time it was dark side.

But that first year was a really good turning point and I felt. So good that I changed almost everything in my life. I was 240 pounds and just not feeling great. And now I was experiencing all this new community and I was like, you know what? I love this fashion. I love this music.

I wanna be better at everything. And for about three years I focused on fashion. I focused on, working out and getting myself healthy so that I could wear the fashions that I saw and I liked and I could represent it well. And that's when I, you know, I lost 90 pounds and I've kept it off the entire time.

and that's mostly through dancing at the clubs and everything and, and working out at home. And, it's just. I'm looking [00:16:00] at it like year by year. Every year it was okay, dark Force is getting better, the clubs are getting more packed, and we're seeing more and more people. More and more people are just opening themselves up to everyone and just being like, Hey, I'm this person.

Let's be friends. I had just, the community was driving me insane. I was like, this is too much. When again, when does this end? And it just didn't. So I said, these people helped me realize I was worth more than I thought I was for a really long time. And I keep seeing them struggle with different things, whether it was financial struggles or political struggles, family struggles.

I knew that I felt good when I went out. I was good when I was with those people. So I wanted to give them the same thing more often. And that's when I said I need to do stuff. Like a goth social, not a club night, just come out, we'll play board games, come out, we'll watch a movie come out, we'll [00:17:00] do this.

And every month was a different event to give people something different, to do a more of an opportunity to be with the people you want to be with, but not just, you know, yelling over music or having to sit there at the bar and you know, drink minimums and anything like that. Just come out, be one with us, we'll have a good time.

And it's just, the response has been insane. Everything, everything good that's been happening to me. All the opportunities I've gotten have been really just from staying positive and trying to give back. So, like I said, the community saved my life. And this community really, really turned, not only turned my life around, gave me completely new opportunities I'd never thought I'd have.

And you know, essentially. It just look at the difference in, in who I am now from then. It's just, it's insane. 

Brian Prime: what's interesting to me about what you said and just sort of, putting together a timeline [00:18:00] for this. So you mentioned kind of getting out of the scene a little bit and feeling disconnected from it for a time and then returning to it, assuming post pandemic and, you were very changed and perhaps the world was very changed at that point.

How much of a factor do you think that was on your experience? 

Luke Vinland: It was, it's interesting because it wasn't necessarily post pandemic. I had been going since Darkside two. and, and that was pre pandemic? I think it was actually, I can't remember which year it was, where it was actually, I guess canceled.

Until the next year because of the pandemic. It was that first year and they were like, you know what? Too much is coming out. So it was like probably two years. I had already been kind of back in the scene, when, when the pandemic itself happened. and then they, they canceled that that year. I, I would say that first year when I got back in it was, it was me kind of just dipping my toe in [00:19:00] again.

I went to Darkside and I went to some clubs and I still mostly hung out by myself. I didn't have it in me yet to open myself up to people and talk to anyone. So I would just go to clubs by myself, and just kinda chill in the back, enjoy the night, slink out, not say goodbye to anybody.

but just, you know, not say anything. And, you know, maybe every now and then I would compliment somebody on what they were wearing and you know, where do you get that? I think, I think that's cool. Did someone make that for you? That kind of thing? After the pandemic. I definitely did notice a change in that it seemed like people were way more selective in what it was they wanted to do or, or give their time to.

everyone was like crazy. Let's go to every event. Let's go to everything. And everything was packed. But that waned pretty quickly. it felt like the clubs got packed really quick and then all of a sudden it kind of dropped off. And that's when I said, okay, maybe I need to run a goth night where other things are going on, because my [00:20:00] goth nights were early.

people who couldn't afford to be out at Fridays, Thursdays, Saturdays till two in the morning could at least come out and still spend time with us. So I saw a whole different group of people come out. And I think that's, that was the weird thing to me because I was like, oh my, there's all these people in our community who don't go to the club who are coming out to my events, and I'm telling 'em, Hey, come to the club with us.

And they're like, no, no, this is cool for us. And so I was seeing many different subcultures within our subculture. you know, just some older people, some younger people, everything. Just very introverted people.

People who only wanted to play board games. So they'd come out every time we were doing a board game thing, and I was like, wow, we're really everywhere. We're, we're all over the spectrum. speaking just kind of to what we enjoy. so if I did a movie night, I knew people would, certain people would always be there for a movie night, you know?

So it was kind of strange. I think people realized after the pandemic that there were things available for them to do. [00:21:00] They were allowed to be more selective about it. They didn't feel forced to be like, for you to be my friend, I have to go to the club this month and sit in a corner and not dance and blah, blah, blah.

But we'll still be no people. You're my friend whether I talk to you every six months or not. And, if you're doing something fun that I wanna do, we're gonna go do it together. so I, I, I enjoy that, because I get into everything. So I get to see so many different people every month at different places doing different things that I don't see.

Anywhere else, you know, just like, oh, hey, we're at this movie theater together because it's a special movie night for us to doing a special screening of the Crow this month or something. it's like, I know exactly who's gonna be there, somebody I haven't seen in six months. So I'm just, I'm happy that people now feel comfortable and they don't seem to have to defend themselves when they only wanna do one or two things.

Brian Prime: Right. 

Luke Vinland: Sure. You know, but they're still a member of the community. People aren't shaming them for not going to the club every month. 

Brian Prime: Yeah, I think that's important because as [00:22:00] at least for me as somebody who has not done it nearly as much as you, but you know, I've put together a night a couple of times and sometimes there, and I've been to plenty of local things where I have that feeling of like, oh, where is everybody?

and I think it's incredibly important to not ever take that personally 'cause everybody's got their own stuff going on and you don't know the reasons.

Luke Vinland: Well, I have a rule about that now. 

My new rule is make it to what you can make it to. I won't hold it against you. so there were plenty of my own goth nights where there were very few people that showed up, but the people that showed up knew I had appreciated that they did, and I spent time with them and we talked all night and everything.

there are people who are well-known, quote unquote at our, like, let's say local club who come out once or twice a year. You know, it's just, you're still going to be welcome. so yeah, it's, it, it is [00:23:00] kind of, I think some people take it more tough, than others. And I, I like, I don't hold it against you if you don't make it to anything I do.

That's. Perfectly fine with me. We're still friends. I still love you, you know, not an issue with me. if you never make it out to anything, but you send me a text saying, Hey, I hope it goes well. No, love you. Thank you very much for that. 

Brian Prime: I like that mentality and that mindset because I've, adopted it a lot myself for, you know, I've had a lot of people tell me like, oh, I'm sorry I don't listen to the podcast.

I don't care. Like, it doesn't bother me. Like, you know, I'm never gonna take it personally because, you know, it's whatever. People are busy and you don't wanna listen to podcast. I don't care. It's not a reflection on me or, or you or our friendship or anything. so yeah, I think it's important to just not take things.

Personally, mm-hmm. And just, you know, let it slide. tell me a little bit about how you got involved with Mortal Realm and being in a band. 

Luke Vinland: third realm. 

Brian Prime: Third realm. Yeah. Mor not Mortal Realm Love [00:24:00] much loves the Adam Jones. but oh, absolutely Third realm. 

Luke Vinland: third Realms pretty funny. I don't know if it's a short story.

I don't know if I've actually told it. 

Brian Prime: Can you suggest to the other members of Third Realm a. I would love third Realm and Mortal Realm to do a cover of the Mortal Kombat theme and we'll just really, really double down on it. 

Luke Vinland: So Mortal Realm X three Mortal Kombat theme? 

Brian Prime: Yeah.

Luke Vinland: yeah, I don't know how well that's gonna go over, but I, I, I have no problem suggesting it, as, as, as far as how I got in the band, that's really weird. So I've been into music, essentially forever. I, it was, the kid in school, in, in, I guess middle school going into high school that would burden Napster CDs for people.

I think that's past the statute of limitations, so I can say that now. so I was providing super cheap CDs to everybody. so I, and that was like a thing. And then I released when I was really young, really silly techno album, that I had put together with samples that I'd collected from around the internet.

that kinda was the bug that really got me going, which I [00:25:00] still have to this day. And I share with people on a one-on-one basis. I picked up a guitar and I was actually, I know I said I was, in the goth group at school, but I probably, at the time I didn't really think of goth as goth and I thought of it all, alternative culture, so I was more a metalhead, I guess you might say.

I listened to lots of heavy metal and power metal and operatic metal and photic metal and black metal, which is probably my favorite genre of music. And, so I listened to just a lot of that stuff. and I just thought it was all kind of the same thing.

I never really differentiated, didn't matter to me, kind of still doesn't matter to me. And I, I, you know, I just learned to play guitar when I was younger and started, I was in a bunch of little small bands that didn't go anywhere or anything like that. and then as I got older and I got more, into like typo negative and that kind of thing, I was like, oh, I need to make this.

So I was in a band that made this, you know, it kind of sounded like typo. and, you know, stuff was fun, but it's hard to work with other people. you know, [00:26:00] not that I don't love them, it's just, you know, everyone has their own life. So I just kind of gave it up and that, that fell into the whole point of which I was just going to work.

And I love my job. I was, I was gonna work and just kind of focusing on that. and not much of anything else because for the time it was artistic and it was fulfilling and that's all I needed. but, third Rum was playing actually, and, they were on the second stage and something happened with the lighting, I guess, previous to them. And I, I think it all like shut off. So when I went to see Third Rum, I was just like, oh, this is weird.

I can, I can't see Nathan. it's fine. I guess I know what he looks like. so it was just weird. It stuck in my head. So the next day, I think it was like Saturday, I was just walking around the event and I saw him and I said, Hey, I checked out, you know, you're set. It was great set, but I couldn't see you.

and he said, oh, you know, yeah, there was a little bit of an issue and this explaining to me is no big deal. and that was it. And then the next day [00:27:00] I was walking around with a friend of mine and he walked up to me and was like, Hey, I found out what happened with the lighting. this is what the issue was.

And I was like, oh, okay, cool. You know, they figured it out. They got it all worked out. And that was it. And then I went home and about a week later I just had like a friend's request from Nathan and it was this, I guess, you know, he is a, he is a very personal person, personable person. So he, you know, we'll friend you after talking to you for two seconds.

So he friended me and I was like, oh, that's pretty cool. Guy from third Realm friended me. And then we just randomly would start talking to each other like once every six months and I'd run into him at events because we were going to the same concerts and club things and, and that kind of stuff.

and it was actually at the end of winter, 2025. I was in February of 2025. we were at the end, end of winter and. He was like, Hey, we're having a party at the hotel or whatever you wanna join. So, and we had been friends for a little while just talking on the internet and all that kind of thing.

So we hung [00:28:00] out the year before then too. So we had been hung out in person. but we're there. And I said to him, I was like, Hey, you know, I heard a friend of mine got a copy of your, your album before it came out. how do I get to hear that? And he was, oh, I'll send it to you, or whatever.

I was like, okay, cool. Maybe I'll put together my demo. And he was like, your demo. He's like, oh yeah, I'm a musician. He, he had no idea for years. He was like, oh yeah. So I just was like, okay. And, I play up the, the cowboy goth quite a bit, as I, I dress rather dapper cowboy and, I told him, that's not a joke.

I grew up on a pig farm in Puerto Rico every summer. so like, not that I was a cowboy per se, but No, I know farm work and I know being out there in the, in the heat and the sun and everything. And, so I was like, I like country music. Not all country music, but I like that kind of the darker stuff.

And that's kind of what my music is. It's dark folk and that kind of thing, but I also make metal and, goth metal and that kind of stuff. So I just send him a demo reel of a bunch of different things that had straight up metal on it. It had, my old band, which was goth metal. It had me doing just coffee [00:29:00] shop stuff.

and basically he heard it and he's like, I, I had no idea you did this stuff. You should, we should play together. I was like, okay, cool. Yeah, we can come up with something, you know, let's talk about it. He is like, no, you should play in third row. I was like, oh, okay, maybe someday. And he is like, okay, well, after what I heard, I don't care if it's five or six years.

Whenever you're ready, you let me know. 

And someone joking, joking around said, we're a goth boy band and we're the eyeliner boys. And, I was like, yeah, we're the eyeliner boys. and then Nathan just joked around and said, no, we're, this is third real. This is the future lineup of third row. 

So Sunday, or I guess Monday morning actually. so the festival's over, we're all hanging out, back at my hotel room and everything. And I just looked at him and said. If you want me to be in your band, I'll be in your band. and he is like, yeah, sounds cool. You know, that's exactly what we've been talking about.

So about a week later, I sent him just a demo of, I think it was, Liz of the Nation and dance, like, you wanna die? [00:30:00] Just me playing guitar over it. And he was like, oh, this is, this has legs. We, this is the thing. This is what, this is what we need to do.

And as soon as I heard him say that, he was so excited about the way he heard it. I was like, okay, I'm in. And that was literally it. it was years in the making and then kind of just happenstance, but it was organic, which is the best way for it to have gone. And the fact that, like I shared that little recording I had made of me playing over the music with a couple of people and everyone that heard it was like, oh yeah, this is what it needs.

So. It was really fun. 

Brian Prime: I feel like, you know, very rarely in our lives do we get to experience a thing that comes so naturally and easy that it can feel like cheating or maybe meant to be. I mean, I hate to use those words 'cause the world is chaos, but, you know, sometimes it does sort of feel that way and I feel like if you, are charting a path for yourself [00:31:00] that's sort of authentic, good things will usually kind of fall into place for that.

I feel like it will lead you to things that you know are good for you. 

Luke Vinland: I agree in a level that I don't think you possibly could understand. it's true. I was, not a great person for a very long time. I was bitter. I just was not a great person.

And I did, I guess now it would be referred to as the shadow work. And I kind of just looked and I was like, why am I like this? And tried to make changes and I actively did make changes. And I found philosophy as a thought process. And once I started studying philosophy, I said to myself, okay, I'm not the only person who's not only ever had these problems.

It took about a year, of really getting into philosophy, and I just kind of woke up one day and I was a completely different human being.

And the weird part about it is like from that day, [00:32:00] everything changed. And, I just, so many opportunities opened up and it was just a positive mindset. you know, I'm, I'm just, I'm not any different. I'm still brooding, you know, I just, I still gloom and doom, all the time, but I can find my way out of it now and, and be a happy person.

If I see, I tell people all the time, don't tell me you are, you want something. It's a dumb little thing, but like, if, if you're like, man, pancakes sound good, I'm gonna do my damnedest to find you pancakes right now. So you have to preface everything with a, I don't want pancakes right now, but man, pancakes sound good right now.

like where I have to intervene, I have to try to help. which before wasn't a part of me, but because so many people helped me out, I just feel like I just need to repay everything I hear. It's, it's a weird mental state, but it's helped me so much and it's given me so many opportunities.

Brian Prime: having gone through a lot of changes [00:33:00] myself, you know, a weight loss, a being plugged into a community, becoming involved in a scene, growing meaningful friendships that turn out, you know, wonderful. I can appreciate all of those experiences as well. And, man, it is so important to sort of overcome the discomfort of, you know, just, being who I used to be.

that person, I wouldn't hang out with him. Mm-hmm. If I met my former self of a few years ago, I didn't have my shit figured out. But now, you know, having grown a bit and in. You know, I, I do sort of feel that kind of a caretaker kind of a mentality of, like, Hey, let's make sure this community stays together.

And if I can be some of the glue that makes that happen because somebody felt welcomed or seen or heard or whatever, cool. Great. It costs me nothing to do that for a person. And there's been plenty of times myself where I was like, all I needed was just a person [00:34:00] to listen to me. Mm-hmm. so it seems like so easy to give back, I guess.

Luke Vinland: Yeah, it doesn't hurt at all. if you need some of it, reach out. I will talk to you. as long as you respect it. And I actually, that's literally the, the rule. If you respect my time.

where I work is, doesn't gimme a lot of time to, to help out as much as I would like. but yeah, if you respect my time, I will respect everything about you and, we'll be good and I will help you out. I've tried to mentor people. I actively still mentoring some people and kind of had to be alternative and in the work scene and, you know, just kinda deal with people and I deal with a very conservative group.

All the time, every day. I try to help in completely unseen related ways with seeing people. I have people reaching out to me all the time with, my weight loss, or they'll see me at like a club or something and that, you know, I was, like I said, I lost 90 pounds and now I'm not afraid to wear mesh out, or, you know, just [00:35:00] like be out there.

And people like, they, they'll never have imagined that I looked the way I did before. I mean, the pictures are out there. it's not like they're hidden. Then they'll, they'll ask me, how'd you get there? And I'm like, well, diet and exercise and hard work. And they're like, well, can you help me? I was like, yes.

You know, and I will help and coach you and, you know, so I, I try to give back in any way that I can. 

Brian Prime: I similarly, I, you know, I, I'm no expert, but I can give you my expertise and I can tell you what worked for me and hopefully it works for you too. If not, like, you know, I hope you find what does, 

You know, change for me myself, just talk about feeling like a different person was like, feeling confident enough in my own body to be like, I'm gonna just wear a t-shirt and, you know, go to this event instead of feeling the need to like, ooh, put on layers and cover up and, you know, hide myself away.

that was a very transformative sort of a feeling that you must have gone through as well. From the sound of it, 

Luke Vinland: it did take a little while. I did it [00:36:00] in a very unhealthy way and, I had very fast and addicting results. but I have since maintained it in a very healthy way. And that's the way I try to coach people, is if you're gonna listen to me, you gotta listen to me and you're gonna do it in a healthy way.

'cause I made a lot of mistakes and I don't want you to make those same mistakes. as far as, like locally for me, like our kind of tri-state scene is just so positive and it it, what I mean by positive, like body positive and everything, it's like we, we don't, I, I don't see any shaming, you know, I don't see anything that concerns me is, is it come as you are and if you are willing to put yourself out there, we are gonna love you.

And I hear it's not that way everywhere, and I wish everyone could experience what we have. 

Brian Prime: I can't say that I've ever seen or experienced that myself, but people who are that way, who might judge people for what they're wearing or their, their body or whatever, those people can fuck off.

'cause that, [00:37:00] that's not who I want in my scene anyway. either that or maybe they just need to grow in a way that they don't realize of just like, you know, I try to give people the benefit of doubt, even after they've sort of proven themselves to be rotten maybe at times. and sometimes people disappoint you, but you can be surprised. 

Luke Vinland: I don't know if I could be surprised anymore, but, 

Brian Prime: Okay. 

Luke Vinland: That being said, I don't want people to di early. I don't want you to have problems. You don't, you could avoid, I won't ever push myself in your path.

I won't ever be like, Hey, unless you're actively doing some substance or something that you really need to stop right now. but if you're comfortable in yourself and everything like that, I'm happy for you. Good for it. You go, go for it. If people reach out to me kind of on a side note and they're like, Hey, you know, I portray this, but really I, I'd like to get here, or whatever, I'll never divulge that [00:38:00] confidence and I will help you as much as I can.

Brian Prime: I don't want to keep you too long. I will go ahead and hit you with the last question of the show, which is just what is something that you have been enjoying recently, and your answer can be anything, book, movie, TV show, just what's something that you wake up and are excited about? 

Luke Vinland: so my, my interests change very rapidly.

right now, cla, obscure expedition 33, indie, or not indie, but double A game that has just absolutely frigging captured my mind. I can't do anything but think about that game right now. so I've been playing some roleplaying games. I, I've always been a gamer. it was a way for a short, not short, I dunno, let me say, overweight kid to kind of like comfort himself.

I would stay at home, I'd play games, you know, I'd, you know, do that kind of thing. I haven't lost that part of it. So when I'm sitting at home, I'm in my head. I'm [00:39:00] gonna play a game, I'm gonna put a game on, and I'm just gonna not think, I'm just gonna experience their story so I don't have to experience my own.

cla obscure, that game is awesome. I, I refuse to play it for so long just because I'm like the rest of us and oh, it's popular. I don't wanna have anything to do with it. So, but now I'm like, okay, fine, I'll play it. And it's fantastic. that and just kind of deciding recently, actually literally on the drive home today, that I'm going to start working on my own album, again.

That has been something that for year, I have lots of songs. I just don't really, I release them to individual people that I think will appreciate them. but I don't release them, at wide and, and so many varied things I do. Gotha Billy, I do rock, I do metal, I do folk. a lot of folk actually. country, dark country or gothic country.

and I think I'm just going to narrow it down and actually finally get something out. 

Brian Prime: on that note, quick question. you mentioned being in the [00:40:00] metal for a time. Have you heard, neral from Behemoth has a side project called me and that man. Have you?

Luke Vinland: Oh, I know me and that man very well. 

Brian Prime: Okay. Just making sure, because that seemed like a very Luke Finland like, ah, 

Luke Vinland: Oh, totally, totally. A Luke Finland thing. I, I think, a couple years ago, neral was, oh, I should say behemoth was, playing a nationwide tour. I'm pretty sure I took the picture of the whole tour, which was just, I'll, I'll post it on my social media at some point if I haven't already.

It just nerd up there with his tongue out with his guitar and everything, and it fucking looked awesome. and the whole time I'm there I'm like, damn, I wish this was me and that man. so yeah, I do like dark country. I do like that dark folk, kind of thing. And I definitely know who they are. And I'd say right now, I would say zeal and arter.

It, it is, fuck yeah. Is, ho, ho man zeal. And I put that on and I will transport time like. I have an hour drive home from work every day, or I have an hour drive there and home. If I put zeal and arbor on, I'm home before I know it and I'm [00:41:00] like, oh, I didn't get to hear enough. 

Brian Prime: Yeah. 

Luke Vinland: I've seen them live and oh man, the experience was as close to a religious experience as I think I'm ever gonna have.

it was just absolutely insane. and that's the kind of thing where I was like, I'm not gonna be able to do this, so I need to make my stuff way simpler 'cause I can't shoot for this star. but yeah, like that kind of thing, that kind of like dark folk kinda, 

Brian Prime: yeah. 

Luke Vinland: Groove. 

Brian Prime: And that is such a band that like, man, all the chemicals in the pot interacted just so to just like make magic and just nothing is wasted.

It is powerful. And man, I've, I discovered them a few years ago and just like, fucking incredible. Such a wonderful blend of style and, man. Yeah. Great choice. what have I been enjoying recently? hmm. I always like am stumped, like, I know I'm gonna ask this every time, but I'm always like, oh, what do I even enjoy?



Luke Vinland: does it count if you know ahead of time it's better that you don't know [00:42:00] before you ask the question. 

Brian Prime: I've been enjoying just sort of watching films, I think is my, is my answer. Like I, I'm a big horror movie buff, and I, I like watching, you know, art, art housey kind of movies at times, and I like discussing film and like the themes on offer and so on. So I've been enjoying watching movies a lot lately.

Luke Vinland: Can I mention something on that real quick? Yeah, of 

Brian Prime: course. 

Luke Vinland: I actually don't know how to say this because this, like, I immediately lose all goth credibility whenever I say this, but like, I'm not a horror movie guy. I'll watch a romantic comedy, a slapstick comedy, like I'm a comedy guy, I love comedy.

Carlin's my hero, like hands down without a doubt. and I like dramas and suspense thrillers and everything. But horror, no, not so much. And then, someone kinda special to me recently. Mentioned, the, incident in a Ghostland movie. And that was Nicholas Cage movie? No, no, no. Not a [00:43:00] Nicholas Cage movie.

I have no idea. Like who the com production company behind it, but incident in the Ghostland. And I, I was like, okay, you know what? This comes highly recommended. I, I checked out a couple of other sources. Everybody says this is good.

I, I'll go and watch it. And I watched it and I was like, this movie's messed up on a lot of levels and like, my favorite movie in the world, I won't even mention it here, because when people hear it and they watch the movie, they're like, what's wrong with you? 'cause I used to be into really messed up movies.

I watched that movie and I'm like, Ooh, I gotta watch this again. It rekindled me wanting to watch horror, horror movies. So if you got recommendations for me, shoot 'em over to me I want good story. I want really good cinematography, something really good about it, but man, I'm really back into horror now. So Nice. It's kind of an interesting thing. 

Brian Prime: Yeah, I'm not a comedy person. Like, it is so difficult for me to sit and watch a comedy movie or a TV show or anything.

And it's not because I'm like some humorless bastard or anything. I just generally, jokes feel very contrived and it's [00:44:00] hard for me to just let myself enjoy it. but, horror, I like my slasher stuff from time to time, but for the most part, like my favorites are all the ones that are gonna be thought provoking in some way.

maybe viewed through a certain lens is going to have something intellectually stimulating on offer. so I will make a couple of suggestions. I'll send them over to you after this, but Yes. yeah, I like stuff that, you know, challenges me as the viewer a little bit of like when the credits roll, how do you feel about this?

And, man, I'm such a fan of that. really good, really powerful stuff. 

Luke Vinland: So then when this gets, posted or you do the social media link post for it, I'll send you a link to a movie and then you can just put in the comments what you thought of that movie. So there'll be a full circle coming around of you hearing about a movie, you seeing the movie, and you commenting on the movie.

Brian Prime: Yeah, please do. I'm interested, on that note. have you seen, Bo is Afraid, 

Luke Vinland: I've never even heard of this. 

Brian Prime: Okay. familiar with Ari Astor, the filmmaker at [00:45:00] all? 

Luke Vinland: think so. 

Brian Prime: Okay. 

Luke Vinland: I've seen Hereditary. 

Brian Prime: so did a movie. Bo is Afraid, which is a sort of anxiety horror about, Joaquin Phoenix and his overbearing mother, and there are.

It made me so uneasy and like it's, I've only seen it twice and as soon as it was over, I had to go to bed. I just was like, Oop, totally overwhelmed. Anxiety through the roof. I need to go sleep. 

Luke Vinland: Ashwagandha, 

Brian Prime: yeah, definitely check it out. 

Luke Vinland: Ashwagandha That'll help you with that anxiety. 

Brian Prime: but yeah, that's what I would recommend. Give it a try and, see what you think. 

Luke Vinland: Absolutely. 

Brian Prime: you mentioned music and I've, it always feels prudent, like whenever I ask this question to people, people usually will mention like, ah, this thing, but also a band. 'cause this is a music padd podcast after all.

thing I've been enjoying musically recently has just been a lot of, there's a band from Sacramento called Holy Water and, sort of a nine inch Nails Depeche mode, post punky kind of thing. [00:46:00] Like the album kind of dances in between those. 

Like, he's like metal dad, like, he's like got the leather jacket and the big sunglasses and he, but he like, you know, bald head and it looks like he's gonna come out and he used to be in like punk bands and hardcore bands and stuff, but he comes out and does like, sad boy shit. Like a really good cure cover, like a fantastic cover of love song.

Oh, good stuff. just really sells it. And fuck, he's so amazing. his most recent record is just like a must listen. It's like wall to wall, like, good stuff. 

Luke Vinland: I would have to say, so the, the closest thing I found to every genre in one style of music that I like is, a cult rock. so I, I know that it, they're very divisive, but the band ghost.

I'm, I'm actually not talking about ghosts. I'm just bringing them up because most people understand that that's a cult rock. it's not necessarily metal, it's not regular rock. It's a cult rock. I [00:47:00] actually have a, okay, I'll admit it.

There's a place in my house where I have all the ghost masks and all the ghost bobbleheads and all that kind of stuff on top of one of my amplifiers. It's a little spot that is special to me. But, the band that I think exemplifies the genre of a, a cult rock the most actually released an album just, last year, which is a Year of the Goat.

And I, I talk about them as much as I can to everyone who's willing to listen. year of the Goat. Is just unbelievable. It's Prague Rock. It's a cult rock. It's death rock, it's all these things mixed together. And I believe Scandinavian band, like it was like, who knew? they're really rocking it out there.

and they just released an album last year. they're just, they're amazing. the guitar work, the drums, everything, the way they put everything together is just next level. so when people are like, oh, I don't like, ghost, it's Scooby-Doo chase music, I'm like, okay, that's, that's fine.

You don't have to listen to, that's hilarious. Scooby Doo Chase [00:48:00] music. You can listen to Year of the Goat and hear what a cult rock is supposed to be. And I hate to say that, but I mean, this year of the goat is just amazing. 

Brian Prime: Okay, I'm gonna check it out based on that recommendation, because I am not a fan of Ghost.



Luke Vinland: Oh, that's fine. Yeah. I don't care if you show up, do what you can do and show up to what you can show up to is the, and I've said this for years and it makes people so angry. Is the like what you like.

Brian Prime: Like what you like. 'cause I may not like it and you may not like what I like and I don't care. Yep. Like that's really fine. 

Luke Vinland: Yep. I still love you. I have no problem with that. Just like what you like 

Brian Prime: bands that I maybe don't get or are just not for me and that's fine.

'cause people can love 'em and be crazy about 'em. But man, sleep token just, I don't get it. 

Luke Vinland: I haven't listened to a lot of Sleep token. I don't get it either. when I hear it, I don't have any problem with it. The problem is like you hear something and it doesn't bring you back.

to Sleep Token to me sounds like what I describe Post Black Metal as, [00:49:00] and I just like other post black metal bands better. And I don't know if that's what Sleep Token is supposed to be or what they are. I have nothing against them at all. me either. My philosophy when it comes to music is if you're making people happy and they're buying tickets to your show, and this one I, when people are like, oh, you like Ghost or whatever, I'm like, are they making people happy?

Are they playing music and making money and making a living? And yes. All those things. So how can you be mad at that? Just turn the channel or don't listen or whatever. it's the same kind of thing with like Sleepy token. So it's, it's I probably do need to sit down and actually give them a good listen.

But halfway through a Sleep Token song, I'm like, I'm gonna put on Neo Vascar and I'm just gonna listen to some Prague death metal, and with a violin and a beautiful singer, and, I'm gonna be happy. So a lot of times that's what happens to me is I, I fall into the, music pasta, kind of like, oh, I heard one note of one song and it made me think of a song I heard 25 years ago.

And then I listen to that and I'm like, [00:50:00] well, what's that guy doing now? Oh, he's in another song. 20, he's in another band 25 years later, and I'll go down six degrees of Kevin Bacon on every band. And I was like, how did this start? It's been three months and, I'm now into this band.

I've never thought I'd be into, oh, because I listened to Sleep Token three months ago. and that'll happen to me all the time. Like, I have music, HDHD or whatever it is. 

Brian Prime: Yes, I definitely do. I'm preparing a set list for this Friday night and I'm just like down the rabbit hole of just like, ah, this song and then hours pass.

And I'm like, oh, I've added nothing to my set list because I was listening to whatever trying to decide this one thing. And Sleep Token is a band that like, I want people to love things and I want 'em to love 'em as hard as they can. And the people who, you know, there's worse things to love in the world, like you.

Oh, absolutely. You know, I'm all for people being into bands that at least have artistic things to present and, you know, good branding and so on. 

Luke Vinland: okay. I don't wanna hold onto you, but I have a point to make [00:51:00] on that. 

Brian Prime: Yeah, please. 

Luke Vinland: But within our scene, nightmare Before Christmas is probably, I don't know, possibly considered like our holiday movie. 

Brian Prime: Sure. 

Luke Vinland: Right. so we all love Danny Elman, right? So why is it when I play Dead Man's Party at a goth night, it's a big deal. All of a sudden people are like, is this a goth song?



Brian Prime: out there? 

Luke Vinland: honestly Oh yeah. 

Brian Prime: okay. 'cause here in Reno, like, the local Goth night, like sometimes they'll just play Dead Man's party and like everybody goes fucking wild. 

Luke Vinland: Reno. 

Brian Prime: You need to come to Reno, is what I'm hearing.

Luke Vinland: So, no, it's just one of those things where I hear that and I'm just like, can we all just get along? Like, where's the problem? 

Brian Prime: Yeah. And that's a great song.

Anyway. It's a fucking banger. similarly the only thing I've experienced quite like that is like, you know, industrial adjacent stuff. Like I played some Divo and I just like messed up. I love me some Divo, but just like you messed up, that connection doesn't quite land for other people. 

Luke Vinland: it's crazy how deep the Devo goes, which I didn't [00:52:00] know until I, have you ever read the book Ready Player One?

Brian Prime: not read all of it, read about half of it 

Luke Vinland: I've read about 1825. 30 times. like whenever I'm in a bad mood, I just, it gets reread. and then I found the, the audio book and I'm like, oh God, this is, this is bad. so it gets reread, it gets reread, listened to. I am a fanatic for it. And you will talk about all the old bands and everything.

And bill talk about like they might be giants and devo and all that kinda stuff. And I'm like, why aren't we just more musically literate?

Like we should just be more open to everything. Like I'll listen to, I don't care what you got. if what you got is good, I'm listening to it. 

Brian Prime: Yeah. 



Brian Prime: yeah, a hundred percent. That's where I'm at. something might surprise you. Like I've 

Luke Vinland: mm-hmm. 

Brian Prime: Been exposed to hard style lately and I've just been like, ah, this is the shit.

Mm-hmm. Like just so energy and high, fast-paced. And I'm like, it's too good to be denied. Like just, it's, just, I, I can [00:53:00] appreciate and get down on a lot of stuff, so yeah.



Luke Vinland: Yeah. 

Brian Prime: Alright, Luke Veland, I will let you go. Thank you so much for your time and for the chat. I look forward to seeing you perform at Dark Force Fest. 

As I do. alright. Thank you my friend. This was a pleasure. 

Luke Vinland: Thank you so much for having me. We're playing Sunday at Dark Forest Fest 

Brian Prime: Okay. I will be there for both those things. Alright, thank you so much. Have a wonderful rest of your evening and we'll talk again soon.

Luke Vinland: You too, sir.