Vital Vinyl: Emily Kopplin on Mount Salem's Debut EP

Chicago’s doom metal outfit Mount Salem have had an interesting year. In the Spring of 2013, they released their debut EP, ‘Endless.’ Now, nearly 12 months later, the band is getting ready for the re-release of the album, this time with two extra tracks and finally available on vinyl.

In addition to the reissue of ‘Endless,’ Mount Salem are celebrating their recent signing to the one and only Metal Blade Records. “It’s all still insane to us,” frontwoman Emily Kopplin tells Loudwire. “When we signed with Metal Blade, that gave us a chance to go back into the studio and record two new songs. It’s really cool to add those songs to the EP, because the original release was literally the first six songs that we ever wrote as a band. It’s so nice to breathe life back into it.”

Part of that new life is offering ‘Endless’ pressed on vinyl. With the initial release, the band was only able to put it out as a CD and digital download. “Vinyl has always been important to us and we’ve always really wanted to do it,” Kopplin says. That being said, it’s not as though they didn’t experience great success with the initial release. “We sold out twice! We were really surprised about how well people were responding to it ... Initially, we just couldn’t afford to do it on vinyl, but thankfully, Metal Blade came into the picture.”

Regarding her fondness for the vinyl format, Kopplin adds, “It’s a really cool thing. It seems like the music industry as a whole keeps shifting toward the all digital thing. It’s weird for some genres of music to even be put on vinyl because people aren’t shopping in record stores for some of those artists. But the kind of music we’re considered a part of, and you know, just rock and roll, it’s such an important part of that culture. Go to record stores, physically hold the music, look at the artwork. That’s never going to go away.”

It’s not just a part of her band’s culture, but vinyl is important to Kopplin as a music lover, too. “I love going out and picking up records. Nothing sounds quite like it,” she fondly explains. “I have a very nostalgic feeling toward it because as a kid my dad would play records. I just love the way a record looks. It’s so cool.”

‘Endless’ definitely falls in the cool category. With a bizarre, yet captivating cover, the EP’s artwork looks fantastic blown up on a 12-inch jacket. “That was done by one of our good friends, Mat Moreno, a tattoo artist in Chicago,” Kopplin tells us. “When we were recording, we were playing him some of the songs and he expressed interest in offering up anything we needed or wanted. We just left it to him. We couldn’t believe it, pretty much the first sketch that he came to us with is what the album cover is.”

Inside the jacket, the record is housed in a printed sleeve, featuring simple liner notes and two striking photos that complement the artwork and music.

'Endless' is an eight-song EP that is full of dynamic metal and rock built on the foundation of thick guitars, pounding rhythms and an unbelievably powerful and atmospheric vocal performance by Kopplin. Seeming like she wants to stay away from being cornered into one genre, the singer says, "We weren’t going after any specific sound. What was coming out was just pretty natural for us."

Whether you're a fan of psychedelic rock, stoner rock or doom metal, there's a little something for everybody on Mount Salem's 'Endless.' And for fans of wax, the songs sound perfect as they fill up the space around your turntable. From their passion for music to their passion for vinyl, Mount Salem have established their place in today's overcrowded music scene, and with songs already written for a follow-up to the EP, they show no signs of slowing down.

Mount Salem's 'Endless' is available via Metal Blade on CD, as a digital download and pressed on black vinyl. Pick up your copy here.

Mount Salem, 'Endless'