Interview with John Yelland of Judicator

March 10, 2025

Interview with John Yelland of Judicator

By Mick Michaels

COSMICK VIEW: Hello! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it is greatly appreciated.

CV: What do you feel sets the band apart from other bands, especially those of similar sound and style? What specific allure does your sound and style have that has people taking notice?

John Yelland: I think there are a couple of compelling things that draw people to Judicator. First of all, we have produced some very unique and well-crafted concept albums about historical subjects, like the First Crusade, Napoleon Bonaparte, and more. Secondly, when I think about our "why" (why we do what we do to begin with), a big reason is to grapple with death. That's a prominent common thread through all our albums, regardless of subject matter. Judicator is an attempt to understand the human condition and come to terms with the inevitability of death.

CV: For any band, dynamics is key to grabbing an audience's attention. What do you feel is the main ingredient to having such a captivating dynamic and being able to bring something more to the music?

John Y: Something I have found myself going back to, time and time again, is an old speech by Monty Python's John Cleese, on the subject of creativity. There are some lessons in this speech that I have held onto for over a decade.

CV: How would you describe the ultimate musical experience for your fans? And how does the band go about creating that musical vision, while generating the impact the band wants to have on its audience?

John Y: "The ultimate musical experience" is such a subjective and multi-faceted idea. If you want to see something more closely resembling "the ultimate musical experience," you might want to look at some of the most elaborate musical productions. Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, Metallica, etc. A more down-to-earth answer though is that I think it depends entirely on your connection to the band and the experience.

For example, one of the most impactful performances I've seen was a blues band in Berlin. What made it so special is I was wandering around the city and came upon this bar. I got a beer and went downstairs to where a blues band was performing. It was a smoky, dingy, and small hall. There was something so surreal and special about that performance, and I don't even know what the band was called. I guess you could then say what makes "the ultimate musical experience" is both subjective and ineffable.

CV: The music business has always been one that regardless of who you are, where you came from or where you've been, you can either sink or swim. Does this type of realism have any effect on how the band drives itself to succeed?

John Y: I think there's truth in this. Luckily the metal community is fairly open and welcoming to new and up-and-coming bands. If you offer something unique then you can probably gain some followers. We are fortunate enough to have grown a respectable following, for what size we are.

When we started Judicator, it was just a bedroom project between Alicia Cordisco and I. We produced one album, and that was really all we expected it to be. However, we got a good amount of attention and support, so we produced a second album. Once again, we got a good amount of attention and support. At that point we decided we should make this into a full-fledged band, and with that we made 'At the Expense of Humanity,' which was funded by a Kickstarter campaign. We grew until the late 20-teens, when Prosthetic Records signed us. We released two albums under them, 'Let There be Nothing' (the last album to feature band co-founder Alicia Cordisco) and 'The Majesty of Decay.'

We then concluded our contract with Prosthetic Records and decided to pursue this new album 'Concord' on our own. That's a big risk. I was unsure of how much support we actually still had. We announced a Kickstarter to fund this album, hoping to raise $7,000, and much to my surprise we came close to raising $10,000. This was very validating.

I have no illusions of grandeur, that we'll be the next Iron Maiden or anything. I have a family, a day job, and those must come first. However, I still want to do as much as I can with Judicator. I'm at a point in life where I need music to work for me, rather than the other way around. The success of our Kickstarter showed me that we can do it. At the bare minimum we can keep doing what we love -- make music, music videos, and perform a few times per year.

So, all that being said, I think if you work hard and manage your expectations, you will be satisfied with yourself and the fruits of your labor.

CV: In your opinion, is there any middle ground for a band or is it a do or die climate in today's music industry?

John Y: Absolutely. I was born in 1990, so I can't speak to the heyday of classic metal, but it feels like prior to the internet, things were much more black or white. I see so much grey now in music creation spaces. TikTok, Instagram, and the like are really challenging our preconceived notions of what it means to be a creator. On the one hand, it's easier than ever to reach an audience. On the other hand, however, this means you're competing against a lot more people, and not only that, people's attention spans are shorter than ever. Usually you only have 1-4 seconds to grab someone's attention.

Anyways, yes I think there is a lot of middle ground in today's music industry.

CV: How would you describe the band's internal energy? Does the band’s outward appearance align with its true inward nature from your perspective?

John Y: I think our internal energy is laid back and fun. We're all in our early- to mid-30s, so we're a little wiser, and we have known each other for a very long time. We've learned a lot about how to be good to ourselves and good to each other. There isn't a lot of jockeying for leverage over others, in terms of songwriting or band decisions, and there aren't really any attitude issues. We're human, so there will always be unforeseen issues that pop up, but as I said, I think we're all pretty level-headed, good dudes who are on the same page.

CV: What's at the core of the band's songwriting approach? Are there certain elements that are considered when a song begins to take form and evolves?

John Y: I write the majority of our music and all of our lyrics, but that's not gospel. Ever since 'The Majesty of Decay' I have been trying to offload music writing to other band members more and more. I can't speak for other band members, but for myself, every song begins with one idea. How I get that idea varies, but the short answer is I seize on that one idea and then try to build on it in a way that is natural and compliments the original idea.

For example, there is a song on our new album called "Sawtooth." One day I was doing some heavy labor for my dad, working in the hot sun, and a melody came to my mind. Physical labor is great. It's meditative. Everyone should do it. Anyways, it wasn't long before I put words to the melody, as I was in a very picturesque location with beautiful mountains. These mountains reminded me of the Sawtooth Mountains up in Idaho, so the words I put to the melody were "Sawtooth peaks above scrape the violet sky, rivers down below hug the valley walls." That really, really stuck with me, so I built a song around it.

CV: Do you allow things to just happen when writing; seeing where a song goes, or is there a certain course of action and structure you keep a song on, thus, essentially making it destined to achieve its overall potential?

John Y: As I previously discussed, yes. I like to discover something unique, whether it's a melody, a rhythm, or a fully-fleshed out part that materializes in my mind, and see where the idea takes me. I feel like writing music is just as much an act of discovery as it is an act of creation.

CV: Do you feel how the fans and critics describe the band’s music accurately reflects how you would describe the band’s music?

John Y: When it's a good review, yes. When it's a bad review, no.

In seriousness though, I feel like most reviewers and fan feedback is fair and good. Our last album 'The Majesty of Decay' was a very strange and difficult album, because it was so different from the rest of our catalogue. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how many people understood the album and what we were going for. I saw one reviewer describe it as avant-garde power metal. Hell yes. 100%.

CV: Walk us through a typical show for the band...what can fans who have never seen you perform expect?

John Y: On my end, I treat every show like a family reunion. We don't perform a lot and we haven't toured since 2016, so when we get on stage it's a special occasion. We want to make the most of every moment. If I see you singing along I'll put the mic in your face as much as I can, haha.

CV: What more can fans look forward to seeing coming from the band?

John Y: Our new album 'Concord' releases March 28. Beyond that, we will release a handful of singles throughout the year. After that, a new full-length album in 2027.

We will perform at Epic Fest, in Denmark, this coming April. This will be our first ever performance on European soil! We also will perform at a Canadian metal festival later this year.

CV: Thank you again for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. I wish you all the best and continued success.

John Y: Thank you, God bless.

Check out Judicator at:

Bandcamp: https://judicatormetal.bandcamp.com/

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.