Hanna Tsepesh: Hello Demon Carcass! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you guys and how are the things doing with your concerts?Demon: Hey thanks for having me! Things are going really well for us right now, we are getting ready to hit the road with In Flames and Between the Buried and Me, then we have a headlining run coming up later this year, and then in January 2010 we will finally be getting over to Europe for a proper tour. And you can just call me Derek if you want. (laughs)
Hanna Tsepesh:Ok Derek (laughs). For those who do not know Faceless could tell us a little how it all started?
Derek : The band was originally formed in high school before I was involved. When things got more serious and they needed a full time dedicated member, they recruited me. I joined the band and recorded the first album, Akeldama, after all the songs had already been written, and then we toured pretty much non-stop for a long time.
Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics? The band writes the lyrics first or first the band creates the riffs to comply with the lyrics?
Derek : The lyrics were a team effort, and we all worked together on them. At the time, we were all into (and still are) conspiracy theories, and things involving the suppression of consciousness by a higher governing power. We all read a book called "Children of the Matrix" by Daivd Icke, and decided to base the lyrics on the ideas he was talking about. We write the music first, then the lyrics.
Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any singer that you admire the most?
Derek : Some bands I've really been digging lately, at least in the wor
ld of metal, are Deeds of Flesh, Hour of Pennance, Spawn of Possession, Opeth, Bloodbath, and Fleshrot (from San Francisco). I've been meaning to check out the new Gorod album, but keep forgetting to. I try not to admire or have influence from other singers, but if I had to choose I'd say Mikael Åkerfeldt. He's the best in my opinion, he can do it all. I actually met him in the Czech Republic at Brutal Assault recently, and it was one of the few times I can remember being a little star struck haha.Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any guttural technique lessons?
Derek: As far as I know I don't even have a technique. People often ask me for tips or advice, and I honestly don't know what to tell them. I've been a metal vocalist for a long time now, and I figured it out on my own, and that's the best advice I can give. I feel that vocal techniques are unique for every person. The one tip I can feel good about giving is that you shouldn't try to sound like anyone else. Your voice will do what it is capable of, and that is different in every person. You can hurt yourself, or just sound shitty forever if you are trying to emulate someone else. Just do what your body allows, and build technique from there.
Hanna Tsepesh: Faceless have a new album called “Planetary Duality”. For people who don’t listen yet can you tell to us what we can expect about your new album and what the band wants to accomplish?
Derek : The album was released in Europe on LIfeforce Records in February I believe, and if you haven't got a chance to listen to it yet, go out and get it! It offers technical progressive death metal, but there is something for everyone on the album. We hoped that the album would help gain us fans worldwide, and it has definitely done so. We have been to Australia, Japan, and parts of Europe this year, and will be coming to Europe for 5 weeks in January.
Hanna Tsepesh: Everything went well at recording studio? The band feels proud with the final result or you think that miss something?
Derek: We are all very proud of the product we have produced. Things got a little rushed at the end of the recording cycle, we went long in the studio and probably could've used a few more days, but yes, we feel everything turned out very well. The only thing that I hoped was that the album could've been a little longer.
Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the media and fans?
Derek: The response has been surprisingly great. We sold around 5800 copies of the album the first week it was released in the States, and that got us on the Billboard Top 200, i think number 119. That was quite an honor. The media and fans seem to taking kindly to the album, and we are getting on some amazing tours because of what we've achieved with it.
Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album safely, what they can do?
Derek: I'm not sure if I understand this question properly, but the safest way would be to go to any store that carries Lifeforce Records, and pick it up. You can order it from many places online also.
Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?
Derek : I like all the songs on the album because they are all so different, yet have the same feel at the same time. It's a very cohesive album while having many different sounds going on. Right now, I'd have to say that the 2 title tracks are my favorite, simply because we haven't played them in a live setting yet, so I'm not so burnt out on them. (laughs)
Hanna Tsepesh: The band is thinking about a European tour? You guys have plains to include Portugal in your tour or something?Derek: We will be on tour with The Black Dahlia Murder and many other acts as a part of the Bonecrusher Tour. This is the info I have for our performance in Portugal:
28/01 Portugal, Porto, Cine Teatro Júlio Diniz.
Hanna Tsepesh: Fantastic, thanks for the information! Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?
Derek: I'd just like to thank anyone who has listened to The Faceless, and who has purchased our newest album, Planetary Duality. Thanks for reading the interview and supporting the band. We all appreciate it very very much.
Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a great big with “Planetary Duality”! See you guys on January 28…
Derek : Check out Planetary Duality out on Lifeforce Records, and we'll see you in Portugal on January 28!
By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some FACELESS music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/thefaceless
