Dyscordia, a Belgian metal band formed in 2010 by seasoned musicians, blends diverse metal subgenres for a powerful sound. They discuss their music, lineup changes, and upcoming album.
1. How
did Dyscordia initially come together, and what inspired the band's formation?
The band
was originated in 2010 and consists of long-time metal veterans who were the driving force behind Belgian
bands like Gwyllion, Double Diamond, Artrach, Anesthesy, Impedigon and Rhymes of Destruction. These
bands played symphonic power metal, death metal, (symphonic) black metal, a
wide range of styles. At the time, we were searching for a new challenge, we
got together, jammed a few times and felt an immediate connection. Some of us
really like symphonic power metal, others are more into folk metal, some like
death and black metal (according to the bands we played in). The combination of
those influences really define the character of Dyscordia. Powerful riffs,
combined with clean vocals and grunts, progressive bits, and recognizable
melodic pieces. The music and bands that influence us are too numerous to
mention.
2. Dyscordia
has been through several lineup changes over the years. How has this affected
the band's sound and dynamic, particularly with the recent addition of drummer
Chevy Mahieu?
Wouter, our
former drummer, was more than an incredible drummer. He took care of our
website, was in charge of all the technical stuff (sound and light programming,
live setting), and was the owner of our luxurious rehearsal room. You can say
that his parting with the band had a lot of consequences. Wouter left the band
with the best intentions, his brother Martijn is still in the band. But after
COVID, Wouter left, so we had to reorganize the band, we had to look for
another rehearsal room and we needed a new web designer too. Musically, Chevy
is amazing. He plays the old songs with the same intensity as Wouter does, but
adds a new dimension to the new ones. The new songs still remain Dyscordia, but
they have a refreshing sound, thanks to Chevy’s different style of drumming.
3. Your
upcoming album, "The Road to Oblivion," is set for release in April
2024. Can you give us a glimpse into the themes and inspirations behind this
new record?
Piet, our
singer, writes all the lyrics. He describes his lyrics like this: “I could
pretend like many lyricists that my lyrics are of profound nature. The fact is
that my lyrics are 80% simple metal clichés that touch on global, social and
emotional events, with some effort to mainly mold them into a beautiful rhyme
form. To the fans, I would advise: read them, interpret them in your own way,
and just sing a long loudly. Just Stay Metal.”
I do
believe his lyrics are mostly autobiographic, and very dark. I always wonder
where he gets his inspiration.
Guy and
Martijn are in charge of the musical department. They create most of the ideas,
and together we try to puzzle them together into songs. We get our musical
inspiration in listening to other bands, going to concerts, discussing music
while rehearsing.
4. Dyscordia
has a reputation for meticulous attention to detail in songwriting and
recording. How does this process unfold within the band, and what challenges
and rewards does it present?
As
mentioned in the former answer, we start building songs by puzzling ideas into
songs. We create a base layer, on which we can build layers and layers. We pay
a lot of attention to details, that takes time. The creative process takes
place at Martijn’s home, in his home studio. The attention to details is
something we want to hear in the final result, after mixing and mastering. The
mixing, done by Yarne Heylen, shows that it’s possible to create a heavy sound
without losing the details. We’re very happy about the end result.
5. The
music industry has undergone significant changes, especially with the impact of
COVID-19. How has Dyscordia adapted to these changes, both creatively and in
terms of connecting with your audience?
I can
honestly say that COVID has done a lot of damage to the band. In the beginning,
we made a couple of home videos (check out our ‘Castle High’ song on Youtube,
it’s hilarious) and some playthrough videos. But after a couple of months,
things started to slow down and people started to think about doing other
things. That’s probably one of the reasons why Wouter left the band. Luckily,
we were able to play a couple of shows in between lockdown periods, but like I
said, this was more than a standstill for us.
6. Dyscordia's
music blends various metal subgenres. How do you approach incorporating
different elements into your sound while maintaining a cohesive identity?
It’s quite
a natural process, really. This is our fourth album, we know each other, we
know what we like and dislike, we try to play the music we like, and this
sounds like Dyscordia. We don’t give in to commercial suicide. I personally
listen a lot to death and black metal, to doom and sludge, but this doesn’t
affect how I feel about Dyscordia, because a part of those genres is part of
Dyscordia, we also have the majestic grunt and the faster or slower riffs.
Everyone in the band feels like this (I presume).
7. "Hell"
is the latest single released in March 2023, with another single, "The
Passenger," scheduled for spring 2024. Can you tell us about the creative
process behind these songs and their significance within the upcoming album?
Hell comes
with a stunning video we recorded last year, with a lot of clichés, flame
throwers, sparkles, and Piet who is dressed up as the devil. The song is a pop
song in a metal jacket, very catchy and melodic. For a lot of people, it’s a
bit of a strange Dyscordia song, because it doesn’t have a lot of hooks or
progressive bits. We love the song because of the simplicity and drive.
The
Passenger is a totally different song, a lot heavier than Hell, it has a
Nevermore feel to it. It comes with an awesome lyric video, comic based. And
again, the grim reaper, the devil and a beautiful woman have the lead role, as
always.
8. Dyscordia
has a strong presence in the Belgian metal scene and has performed at various
festivals. How do you view the importance of live performances in connecting
with your fans and showcasing your music?
We like to
make music, but most of all we like to play music live. We got the chance to
play at a lot of big festivals up till now, and we hope to be able to do this
for a long time to come. After COVID, the scene has changed, we have to find
our place again in the scene, we have to choose our battles (concerts) wisely.
When we have the opportunity to play a concert, the connection with the fans is
awesome. We do have a big fan base called the DAF (Dyscordia Army Fanbase),
they are like family to us. Especially with the new album, we’re very curious
to see the reaction of the crowd when we play our new songs. We hope people
will embrace these new songs, like they did with our previous albums.
9. Are
there any specific artists or bands that have had a significant influence on
Dyscordia's music and artistic direction?
There are a
lot of bands that have influenced us, but to name but a few, I would say we’re
influenced by bands such as Dream Theater, Opeth, Nevermore, Kamelot, … . In
terms of artistic direction, our guitar player Guy is in charge of visuals and
artwork, but every realization is a collective one.
10. Your
discography includes several acclaimed albums. Looking back, how do you feel
Dyscordia's sound and vision have evolved since your debut EP,
"Reveries," in 2010?
We have
evolved as a band, you will hear that when you listen to the last albums and
our debut EP. We still have a very recognizable sound, but our songs have grown
and matured, I can’t really describe how this happened, but in terms of song
writing, the songs are more to the point, more defined, without losing its
spontaneity.
11. What
are Dyscordia's future plans beyond the release of "The Road to
Oblivion"? Any upcoming tours or collaborations on the horizon that fans
can look forward to?
We would
very much love to go on tour, work together with other bands, exchanging gigs
and venues. There are a couple of projects which I can’t tell you much about,
but of course, we would be very grateful if we were able to play our music
abroad from time to time. Get in touch, so we can make things happen. Thanks
for checking us out, and for having us in your webzine.
Greetings!
Dyscordia (@dyscordiaband) • Photos et vidéos Instagram
(25) Dyscordia Official - YouTube
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