DREAMCATCHER Interview
Category: Interviews Published Date Written by Verkaim Hits: 149
Genre: Power/Thrash Metal
1. Hello! How are you? How do you feel now that your debut album is ready and released? Are you anxious to see how people will accept it?
Hi Nick, I’m fine, thanks, and you? We’re proud and happy now that the job is done. Some mixed feelings between “Yeah! We’re ready to fight!” and “What will they think about us?” We did our best to make the best album possible. I think it’s a strong record. Now, it’s out of our hands, it’s up to people to like it or not.
2. How long did it take you to compose the songs and produce the album “Emerging from the Shadows”? Which were the biggest problems that you had to confront? Is there any funny or strange incident that occurred during the production of the album and you would like to share with us?
It’s a very long story… Some songs like “Fire & Ice”, for example, were written more than 15 years ago, before the band DREAMCATCHER even existed. “Redemption” had been composed a few weeks before we finished mixing the album. So, you could say it was a very long creating process. Most of the songs were played “live” on stage for years before being recorded in studio.
As it’s our first album, in many ways it’s some kind of a best of DREAMCATCHER’s first ten years. From the first bass drum kick to the final mix, it took us one year and a half to record “Emerging from the Shadows”. The recording sessions went on from February 2010 to July 2011. But you asked for funny stories, here we go! During this time, we had to decide to stop working with the guy who was producing the album because he made us sound like pop music! Then, we found Olivier “Did” Didillon who was the good choice for us. “Did” is a metal fan and he understood quickly what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go. But the best is yet to come... In fact, I was planning to record this album many years ago, with the previous DREAMCATCHER line-up, but in 2007 the other members all quit the band and left me alone with my plan and my songs yet to be recorded. It took me one more year to rebuild DREAMCATCHER and recruit the right people who were ready to play with me and to share the same goal. So, here we are today, in 2012, still alive and doing well. As they say “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”.
3. From all the songs included in your debut album which one was the easiest to compose and which one was the toughest and why?
“No Way Out” and “I Will Spit on Your Grave” were the easiest ones. “People of Darkness” is more complex and progressive with a lot of riffs and instrumental parts. It took me a lot of time to compose it. The vocals and melody lines for “Into the Light” were the toughest ones. I had to write 3 different lyrics versions before I found the right one.
4. Why did you choose the name “Emerging from the Shadows” as a title for your debut album? Does it also work as a statement?
“Emerging from the Shadows” is a sentence taken from the lyrics of our song “People of Darkness”. When it came to find a name for the album, I felt it was a good idea for a band like DREAMCATCHER which is still an underground act not many people has heard about. We were hidden in the shadows for all these years, and here we come into the light with our first album.
5. By the way was the band name inspired by Stephen King’s novel or by the Indian legends? What does “dream catcher” mean to you?
Definitely by the Indian legend, as I am very interested in Native American Indian culture. I tried to watch the Stephen King movie once but it was so boring that I couldn’t watch it until the end.
6. There are people who will read this interview and don’t have a clue about how the band sounds. So, how do you describe your sound? Which are the elements that make it stand out? Also which are your influences?
DREAMCATCHER draws inspiration from IRON MAIDEN, MEGADETH and ICED EARTH, but has created its own sound, developing its own originality.
We play a mix of heavy and thrash metal, and even if it's melodic of course, you're always able to find strong loud riffs and rhythms in our music.
7. The biggest part of the French metal bands choose to sing in their native language, but you have chosen English. Why is that? Is there a chance to do a song in French?
Heavy metal was born in England, so you can say English is the native language for heavy metal. Most of the bands I listen to sing in English. As a kid, I grew up with this music and bands like IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, SAXON or ANGEL WITCH who are (and sing in) English. It became for me the natural way to sing metal. As strange as it may sound, I wouldn’t feel at ease if I had to sing in French.
8. Who writes the lyrics? Can you tell us in a few words which the theme of each song that you have included in your debut album is?
You found the right person, Nick! J I wrote all the lyrics for this album, so let’s talk about them one by one:
“The Soul Can’t Rest” is based upon the James O’Barr’s character “The Crow”. This song is also related to a Native American Indian Legend.
“TRUSTN01” is about the TV series “The X-Files”.
“Into the Light” is about finding your way out of the darkness… “into the light”. J
“How Much I Miss You” brings back all the sadness you feel when someone you love dies.
“People of Darkness” tells a strange story of sorcery and vengeance. It’s also named after the Tony Hillerman’s novel.
“No Way Out” shows how what doesn’t kill you can make you stronger.
“Fire & Ice” is a schizophrenic kind of song, good old rivalry between Good and Evil.
Have you ever been so angry with somebody that you wish literally to spit on his grave when he’ll be dead? That’s what “I Will Spit on Your Grave” is all about. J
“How Much I Miss You” (acoustic version), same as the electric version but even more emotional.
“Redemption” is related to the first song of the album “The Soul Can’t Rest”. A last, “The Crow”, Eric Draven, doesn’t seek for vengeance anymore, he has found redemption.
9. Do you have any plans to do a video – clip in order to promote your new album? If yes, which song will you choose and why?
We will film a video clip next month for the song “Into the Light”. To my eyes it’s definitely the best choice for a single from this album.
10. Recently most people prefer to listen to visualized music (I am talking about YouTube and other sites like this one). What do you think about it? Personally I feel that it doesn’t help the listener to fully enjoy a song.
I’m an old school metal fan and I’d always rather listen to a CD than watch a video. It’s more fun to go to concerts instead of watching a DVD at home. In my opinion, the best way to discover a new band is to buy its album. Video clips are a great way to promote music but the most important thing remains the music.
11. How have the press and fans received your album so far? Which is the best and which the worst comment that you have read till now?
We’re only starting to promote “Emerging from the Shadows” which will be released next month, but people who listen to it seem to like it so far. The funniest and worst comment I’ve read sometime ago is that my voice is so bad that it’s just impossible to listen to our music. J The best comment we received is that we managed to create our own sound and style and that DREAMCATCHER is different from the other bands. Anyway, as I told you, Nick, now that the album is done, it’s totally out of our hands. It’s just a matter of taste and up to people to enjoy our music or not.
12. Thanks for your time answering my questions! I wish you all the best and please leave a message to the readers of our webzine…
Thanks very much to you, Nick. I love Greece! J I got many friends in your country. I’ve even been writing some stuff for Rock On and Rock Hard (Greece) as a journalist in the past. I know you, guys, are going through hard times at the moment with the economic crisis. Don’t despair and keep carry on listening to good music. Thanks for your support. Stay metal!
Nick “Verkaim” Parastatidis
http://www.dreamcatcherfrance.com/