Hi! Can you tell me about Dreadmask? Why did you choose that name for the band?
'Dread' captures that chilling anxiety, while 'mask' represents the fronts we put up to hide our true selves. It’s a metaphor for life, really: trying to keep up appearances while battling our deepest fears, our very own Prime Dread. This name continues to be inspiring for us.
The album Thy Prime Dread will be released next month. How does that make you feel? Do you feel that you have put the album out to the masses without any desire to change anything now?
We are very excited to release our first album 'Thy Prime Dread' on November 1st 2024. This is the product of us meeting each other early 2023 and not wasting much time, firing ideas and landing on a theme that is inspiring to us. We are proud of the final product and excited to show it to the world. We feel like these songs are as complete as we envisioned them to be.
Can you tell me more about Thy Prime Dread? What were the ideas behind the album?
The album is about our internal fears that are imprinted on our minds from the moment that we are born. The oppression and the fear to stand up, to try something new and different. The necessity to belong and wear a different facade every minute of the day in order to please people. The patriarchy that eats society like a virus. And many more ideas revolving our primal fears, our prime dreads.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Every day in our life, every decision, every thought. We always base it on human fears. We as humans live in restrictions, we are in chains and never truly free. Those feelings keep us uneasy and we want to express our feelings through our music.
How would you best define Dreadmask's sound?
Modern metal is the best way to say it. It is influenced by many different genres, as we all have different inspirations. One can say that the main core inspiration is Swedish melodic death, but that would be the first hearing. You might also spot splashes of the melancholic side of black metal music, and some nuances from progressive metal. It's up to you to decide.
Are you on hiatus now, just relaxing and looking for album feedback, or have you started composing new material immediately?
At the moment we are focusing on the promotion of the album and we are preparing for the concerts that will follow. But we have many things to say to the world, and already new material is taking shape.
Who are your main musical influences? How much of an impact have they had on your sound?
As a band we have a few different kinds of backgrounds musically. That is what makes our sound. The main influences collectively are Paradise Lost, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, Rotting Christ, At The Gates, Lamb of God, Alcest, Amon Amarth.
Is there a particular well-known musician that you would like to collaborate with on one of your upcoming albums?
We are very open to that, but at this point we feel like we have so much to say to the world ourselves, and to prove that to the listener. In the future, who knows...
What is your personal strategy for getting your music heard by a larger audience?
We focus on promotion, and we signed a collaboration with Wormholedeath for global distribution. Of course the fun part will be hitting the stages. And at the end of the day make the best music pieces that we can.
Do you have any hobbies besides music?
Most of us have kids, we like to visit concerts, some of us are into cycling or fitness, we love food and cooking, and also other creative outlets.
Are you all supported by your families in your dedication to music?
We would never be able to achieve anything without the support of our partners. It is very important to us to have a balanced way of working.
Thank you for answering my questions. See you on the road!
The honor is ours, thank you for the interview. Stay tuned for more dreads...