DreamLongDead Interview

Answers by Tassos (vocals/guitar)
1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
We’re DreamLongDead from Athens, Greece. Those of you that are interested in checking out a more detailed account of how we came to be, and how our current 5-piece line up came together can check out the following link: http://theantifleshnimbus.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/dreamlongdead-interview-with-tassos/ from the ‘anti-flesh nimbus’ blogsite.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?
If you’d call us “doom/death” we wouldn’t argue much, although there’s much more going on in our ‘music’. We use the phrase ‘primitive monolithic doom death metal punk…’ to describe us and it is quite accurate if you are of those people that give that much attention to labels, genres etc. We are not. Suffice to say that we want to sound huge, crawling, epic, rotten, cinematic in an exploitation/b-movie way, ominous and in general absolutely inhospitable and claustrophobic.

3. The lyrics cover a lot of occult and Cthulhu Mythos topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interests in these topics?
Well, to start off with the ‘occult’, our interest in this area is more academic than practical, a general knowledge and curiosity if anything else really. As far as the Cthulhu Mythos is concerned however, things are quite different I’d say. The Cthulhu Mythos is something more than just our lyrical subject matter. Its basic principles permeate the very essence and core of the sound of the band. We want the people that attend our gigs, or listen to our recordings for that matter, although I must admit that we haven’t managed to capture the ‘hugeness’ of our live sound in the studio as of yet, and get attacked by what is coming off the P.A. and the backline, to feel that sense of smallness and humiliation that the petty humanity ought to fell when confronted with the primordial pre-human essence of The Ancient Ones!

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
The initial inspiration behind the name comes from the Godflesh song “Dreamlongdead” from their “Streetcleaner” masterpiece. Godflesh, although not a direct influence, and that record especially, has always been one of my, and our guitarist’s Panho, favourites, in terms of claustrophobic atmosphere and hypnotic repetitiveness. However, and although in Godflesh, ‘Dreamlongdead’ had a more of a social commentary meaning, in my mind it always had a ‘Lovecraftian’ undertone. Cthulhu lies dead but eternally dreaming in the submerged ruins of Rlyeh. So here your have it “DreamLongDead”  

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
Although it is a cliché answer, all of our gigs are good for us. I mean the only thing that can screw up a gig is equipment failure or technical issues and what not, but even then you do what you do, and we’ve found out that even when we thought we sucked people came up to us after the gig to say we kicked ass. But if I had to choose I’d say our first gig, just because it was our first one and it has that special meaning, although then we were a 3-piece and not the 5-piece we’ve been for the last year or so. Our first gig as a 5-piece was also very important cause we were a bit anxious that people might prefer us as a 3-piece, but fortunately not only that was not the case but we got rapturous reception for the upgraded line-up. As far as our stage performance goes, although our music is slow and dirgelike we don’t stand on stage like miserable unmoving bastards. There’s sweat, headbanging, a lot of facial grimaces and in general total Venom-worshiping stage madness!

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Well you have to take into consideration that most of us have day jobs, are married, have (or are expecting)kids, so touring is not really an option. However we would NOT refuse any good offerings for festivals or one off gigs abroad and that is something we will work more when the second record is out. Despite that, as far as domestic(either in our hometown Athens or the rest of the country) gigs are concerned, for a band that is so ‘busy’ with everyday distractions, we get to gig quite a lot and it seems that gig offers keep on coming. Our plans for this summer are as follows. We are doing a gig in the Six D.O.G.S. club in downtown Athens, in the 15th of July with our good friends Earth Of Distrust, which by the way were the band that offered us our first ever gig so we owe them for that, and that gig will be kinda like a warm up for the New Long Fest that takes place in the summer resort of Nea Makri some 40 kilometres or so, if I’m not mistaken, northeast of Athens, and features some of the best extreme bands in Greece. We are playing there on the 22nd of July on the second of the two days of the festival. We have a great offer for October as well, but that’s too far ahead.  

7. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or received any interest?
Oh yes. If there’s any label out there that likes our music send us money and we’ll send you a record, ha ha ha! Seriously now, for the first record we were on a rather limited budget, so we didn’t send out that many promos. We’re planning of going into the studio in September to record the second one. As soon as we have some decent rough mixes we’re gonna mail out promos and shop for a label. We have some labels in mind so cross your fingers.

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of doom metal?
Actually it had some heads turned which was quite encouraging considering that as I’ve already said in the previous question we didn’t kill ourselves promoting the record. It’s all good. The record ended up in some end of the year lists, we had tracks from it included in compilations, we got some really good reviews, there’s been some radio stations playing stuff from the record. As I’ve said a really good and solid reception considering our limited resources.

9. Are there any other musical projects going on these days?
I’m currently recording bass with a bunch of good friends and seasoned musicians in the Greek scene. It’s more of a psychedelic rock/Americana Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Band, Mark Lanegan kinda vibe. It’s coming out in October and there’s gonna be gigging and shit. Although all of the musicians involved are into other bands too it’s gonna be a ‘real’ band not an offshoot project, or at least I hope so. I know that some people in DreamLongDead have other shit in mind for sure, and there’s always some “late night too many drinks” bar talk amongst us, and with friends from other bands. You know:”let’s do a band that will play this and that…” Some of this shit takes flesh, others don’t, but we are always into motion as far as music is concerned!

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
As I’ve always mentioned we’re planning to get into the studio in September. Most of the material for the second record is ready. We’ve already played a couple of the new songs live and the reception was really good. We’re rehearsing new stuff and for the first time we are doing some pre-production recordings as well, which is really helpful in getting everybody to see the full picture of the song since our songs are rather lengthy. I would say that the new stuff is less monolithic, more varied, there’s a more mid to up-tempo death metal circa 90-91 influence, more Merciful Fate kinda riffs, some middle eastern passages, and there’s DOOM in there for sure. And although we haven’t even started recording for the second one we are gearing our minds towards the third one. That’ll scare you shitless.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Let’s see. “Classic” stuff: Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, Venom, Bathory, Mercyful Fate/King Diamond, Possessed, Autopsy, Winter, Entombed/Nihilist, Candlemass, Grave, Carnage, early Therion, Carbonized, Excruciate, Grotesque, Morbid, Treblinka and early Tiamat, Abhorrence/early Amorphis, Funebre, Xysma, Convulse, Unholy, Beherit, Impaled Nazarene, Pungent Stench, Disharmonic Orchestra, Pestilence, Asphyx, Bolt Thrower, Benediction, Carcass, Napalm Death, Cathedral, Amebix, Sacrilege, GBH, early Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Anathema, Death, Obituary, Morbid Angel, Immolation, Nile, Incantation, Deicide, Sadus, Absu, Sepultura (“Schizophrenia”), Merciless, Massacra, Invocator, Slayer (“Hell Awaits” forever), Kreator (“Pleasure To Kill” & “Terrible Certainty”), Destruction (“Infernal Overkill”), Infernal Majesty (“None Shall Defy”), Onslaught, Dark Angel (“Darkness Descents”), Sabbat (UK),Voivod, Repulsion, Saint Vitus, The Obsessed, Reverend Bizarre, Pentagram, Paul Chain, Darkthrone, Mayhem, Emperor, Immortal, Gehenna (“Adimiron Black”), post “Rebel Extravaganza” Satyricon, Neurosis, Godflesh, Killing Joke.
“Contemporary” stuff: Coffins, Portal, Hooded Menace, Goat, Ghost, Deathspell Omega, Cruciamentum, Encoffination, Necros Christos, Yob, Indesinence, Disma, Evoken, Ulcerate, Pallbearer, Ahab, Earth.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Grand orgies, perversions, rituals and sacrifices to the most ancients of the days. Not. Spending time with our wives, girlfriends, kids, families and friends. Going out drinking to our favourite joints, barbequing with friends, fishing, watching movies, reading, taking time off from the world and everyday routine in general.

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Our sincerest gratitude, for this interview. Do not forget to check out the following links:
https://www.facebook.com/Dreamlongdead
http://dreamlongdead666.bandcamp.com/
for updates and to order our debut CD:”MadnessDeadGrave - Invocations Three to the ONES That Lurk at the Threshold” and download for free our Live EP:”MadnessDeadLive – Live Invocations to the ONES That Lurk at the Threshold”.
May the Great Cthulhu show mercy on our puny souls and shove his gigantic abominable protoplasmic tentacles up all of our asses! Ia ia…