1. Hello my friend, pleasure to have you on Rotten Pages ´zine. How are you doing today? Let us set the scene first. Where do we find you right now? Please describe your surroundings.
Hello Edu, I'm doing fantastic, thank you for asking, I hope you're doing well too!
I live in Austria in the state of Upper Austria and it's quite a green country with breathtaking scenery outside my window, while there are a couple of guitars hanging on my wall behind me.
2. The band was formed in 2023, what attributes do you think that a new Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
It's quite challenging to start a metal band nowadays due to the huge competition since it has become quite easy for everyone to make music with simple home studio equipment without having to break the bank to have a decent sound. up to the massive Label record companies that produce music in a high quality which sets today’s high standards. for new bands to stick out in the mix they got to have a unique style in their music that makes the band's signature sound with some affordable gear that doesn't sound like crap and tons of practice. Roland Moore Vocalist/rhythm guitarist adds: ‘’My opinion. Just singing about death, guts, and Satan unfortunately won´t do the trick anymore, as fun as it.’’
3. What prompted you to explore melodic death metal direction, and how do you feel it enhances the overall listening experience?
We didn't have a plan for what genre the band should fall into, I just sat there in the early days of the band around 2019 with rhythm guitarist Roland Moore we started writing the single ''Iron Crown'' along with the old Vocalist of the band who already wrote the lyrics to the song and it came out naturally that he started growling and along with my melodic leads and solos, things worked out for the band to follow the Melodic Death Metal genre...
Roland adds: ‘’The mix between harsh riffs, shrieking vocals, and the melodies define us now and makes our music somehow aggressive but still easy to listen to.’’
4. Your debut album, “Desperate Times” delivers a powerful, massive, and melodic sound. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the album and how it felt to release your music to the world?
Well... The fact that I was born in Syria and had to witness a different level of chaos which was caused by war, opened up my eyes on many levels and I was more aware of the dark side of the world that no one wants to acknowledge. With the help of my amazingly talented bandmates, I was able to let out this trapped anger, along with desperation and aggression with some deprived love throughout riffs and melodies. It is an indescribable feeling to be able to put out a record for the whole world to cherish.
5. Were there any elements of the recording that proved particularly troublesome?
Yes sir, haha xD in the early days, we had so much trouble with the recording to be able to get a somewhat decent sound that everyone would be satisfied with. We had to rerecord the first single ''Iron Crown'' multiple times with no luck finding quality in the sound. But every time we recorded it, we learned something new leading up to our current sound.
6. Can you give us a glimpse into the creative process behind your music? How do you typically approach songwriting and arranging?
It differs from one song to another. Usually, the whole band is involved in the writing process. The main riff writer for the majority of the Album is Roland our Vocalist/rhythm guitarist, while I write most of the leads and solos along and lyrics.
I love to write music with Roland because we musically get along, whereas Paul (Drum) and Armin (Bass) tend to write alone and then show us the material. Then we put our heads together to make it a Dream Demise song. It's quite the challenge for all four of us to like the final form of the song and once we do, we know it's a good song.
7. How do you manage to incorporate melodic elements into your music while maintaining the aggression and brutality?
Roland and Paul tend to write very aggressive riffs and drumbeats while Armin and I tend to take care of the melody and harmonies throughout layers of guitar leads, strings, and clean backing vocals...and somehow the mixture seems to be working hahaha…
8. Is every member of Dream Demise involved in the composition of your album and general artistic choices?
Yes, as I said earlier, the whole band is involved in writing a particular song. All four of us have to confirm the validity of the song and whether or not any of us has anything to add. Obviously, this goes hand in hand with discussions about artistic choices, but we manage to agree most of the time.
9. How has the reception been for your music so far? Have there been any standout moments or memorable experiences you'd like to share?
So far, all positive. What was astonishing for us was that even people who don't like harsh vocals came to us and said it's a good album. To us that means a lot!
On a wider range, the venue promoter of Metalnight Outbreak heard about us and listened to the album and he got us a deal to open up for Dead by April on the 12th of October 2024 in Vorchdorf, Austria. I'm very proud of this, to be honest.
10. Have you read any reviews regarding the album? Do you care about what critics have to say about your work?
We had mostly positive reviews about the album, of course, it can always sound better but that's the best we could do for the time being... Critics are important to learn how to
improve from where we are to reach and impress a wider audience. Therefore, we welcome all critics including '' you just suck guys'' haha xD
11. The metal world is known for its intense brotherhood and camaraderie. What’s the craziest and most memorable experience you’ve had as a band so far?
We stick together as one big ass family even the members that aren't in the band anymore… Aleks, and Mario who contributed to the making of the album. They keep in touch with the band and show love and support and that's what matters in the metal community that friendship lives forever...
12. How do you define “underground” and where do you see yourself and your band in it?
To me, it’s called ''Underground music'' because it's where you stay hidden from the surface. Most people don't come along with the idea of screaming and heavy music probably because it's not mainstream and everyone's favorite and I am totally into the idea of spreading the message and the diversity of music and how it's mood-related and about how a person really feels. Life isn't always about Happy bunnies, Disney land, and autotune. You also scream, cry, and punch a hole in a wall.
13. Austria has many good metal bands, but the concerts are often relatively poorly attended. What do you think, why is that?
That’s actually a problem that concerns the whole world. The keyword here is profit.
A lot of promoters just want to make money and therefore support mainstream music, leaving Metal music behind. Especially underground bands often suffer from this lack of support. And that most of the time leads to breaking up the band, due to not being able to play shows or afford enough money to produce music and keep up with the costs.
14. Thank you all so much for taking the time to chat with us. Honestly, it means a lot! Your final words.
Thank you, Edu for having me.
It was really fun to do this interview, I'm happy that some people still dedicate energy, time, and effort to spreading the message and giving other bands the chance to speak up and shine and to keep the Metal music alive.
Special thanks to Rotten Pages Magazine for making this possible.
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