DEATHSTORM – …simply starting a fire
- Posted on 29-06-2013
The promo CD of DEATHSTORM "As Death Awakes" ended up in my to-do pile when it one day earlier this year turned up in my mailbox. Due to the enormous amonth of CD’s being released today, many of the albums ending up in that pile, never get a chance. But, after hearing one song from the album on Facebook, posted by a friend of mine, the album ended up in my CD player and a review was written. I liked what I heard and after some e-mail communication with the record label, an interview was sent to the bands vocalist and bass player Mac. Here is the result of our communication.
First of all, we need some background on the band and band members. When, where, who and why did Deathstorm become a reality?
Hey Rune! First of all thanks for doing this with us and showing support. Deathstorm loomed out of nowhere when three guys decided to make a change in the "local" music"scene" by making music from the depths of their souls, simply starting a fire. Creating something they love and can relate to, something that describes the insides. We were fed up with the shit we were surrounded by to keep it simple. Before changing the name to DEATHSTORM we were around as DAMAGE, beeing formed around 2007.
Did any of the members have any history in other band before they joined Deathstorm?
We started playing instruments around the same time so we always played together in pretty much the same line up with just different names. So basically no real other bands before that.
What can you tell us about your debut album "As Death Awakes" and the "Storming with Menace" EP?
ADA to us is the logical next step compared to the EP. Unfortunately we had a really annoying producer working on the EP which made the sessions not that comfortable to say the least. Thats why we decided to work with some friends on the full length and it really was the best decision we could make. It was just an amazing time to create something you always dreamed of, while beeing completely separated from any influences from the outside. It was like living in a perfect world shifting between the studio and my then empty room with just a matress, books and my record player in it.
You released a couple of demos under the name Damage. What can you tell us about them?
Those were our first steps. I think Time To Attack was the basis we needed to satrt developing which we did on the second demo. Since we think the material is still really strong we used three tracks on the full length as well.
What is the biggest difference between those two and your new album "As Death Awakes"?
The album has more depth to it and is in some parts a bit more thought through or maybe even mature if you wanna call it that way.
How did you end up signing for the Swedish label I Hate Records?
We just shipped around the second demo and Peter really liked what he heard.
How do you feel you evolve as a band during the entire process of songwriting and recording of the album?
It was reaching a next step on both musical and spiritual level. Our songwritting style changed a bit and we developed into a more organic matter.
How has the metal press and fans received the album? How has the feedback been in Austria and the rest of the world?
Most of the reviews are really really good. Some people didnt get it and a few didint like it. But nobody cares about others, whats the point in somebody liking the music we create. We see it as a bonus. We usually try to avoid any contact with most of the austrian plague so i do not have any feedback from people outside our/my circle. The rest of the world seems to enjoy what we do.
Inspirations; where do you get most of them from when writing new songs? Which bands inspire you the most?
The band Deathstorm inspires us most. Of course we involve the whorshipping of our heros but we are our own thing and thats what we do when writting.
Who would you say is your biggest influences? Have these changed during the years?
Basically its abomination to a lot of what we are surrounded by. It started on day one and will never fade.
Do you pick up inspirations from other things like the ordinary life, movies, books etc.?
Everything is influencing us in one way or another. It doesnt matter what it is, if it has an impression on you it will lead to an idea sooner or later.
What about the lyrics? Where do they come from?
The lyrics are written by me (mac). Sometimes they go a bit deeper into my state of mind but sometimes they can be pure imagination as well just to create the right atmosphere. It always depends on how im feeling when writting them. Sometimes you just have to get something off your chest which as an artist you can do permanently by creating and sometimes you dont.
Is there a creative mastermind in Deathstorm or do you work best as a united band?
It depends, some songs are written by an individual member, some rise from the creativness of the three of us. Theres no special formula, things happen just the way they happen.
Austria; how is the metal scene there? Are there any other good extreme metal bands worth checking up besides Deathstorm and Belphegor?
Austria doesn’t exist, theres nothing worth to be mentioned except MANIC DISEASE and EWIG FROST. Back in the days there was this band called RAVENOUS, you should check them out. Other good stuff would be early PUNGENT STENCH or DISHARMONIC ORCHESTRA but those are well known bands. Im not too much into the heavy and speed metal bands we had but MANIAC and U8 are pretty good.
What’s it like for a metal band in Austria? Is it easy to get recognition outside your border?
I cant speak for other bands but for us it was easy because good music and good people are spread throughout the world. We dont care about whats happening within the boarder.
What about live gigs? (In Austria and other countries). I would like to see you up here sometime.
Nothing in austria but this years edition of muskelrock
What’s the future like for Deathstorm? Is it bright and glorious or are you just an ordinary hardworking metalband?
To me it is bright and glorious to be in a hardworking metalband, to have the freedom to create your own world reigned by your own rules. Thats the highest one can achieve.