Botswana’s metal legend, Starks Daemon, unleashes his debut single Unchain, blending melodic vocals with brutal riffs. He reflects on his journey, evolution, and vision for African metal.
1.
"Unchain" marks a significant milestone in your career as a solo
artist. What inspired you to take the leap from being the frontman of Wrust to
pursuing your own solo project?
I spend over 20 years doing death metal vocals but deep down I have always
loved clean metal vocals, a bit of screaming yeah but I wanted to be more
audible and little bit more melodic. I initially wrote melodic vocal songs for
Wrust but somewhere down the road I felt the change was too abrupt. I was also
struggling to keep the same Wrust Line up, I tired with a couple of a guys but
it was just not the same, then it finally hit me to just go out there as Starks
Daemon. As soon as it hit I felt a lot of relieve, I could not believe the
amount of pressure that came with the legendary death metal band from Africa,
Wrust, that has been around since 2000. I guess a lot of expectations and a way
of life had built without me realizing.
2. With over two decades of experience in Wrust, how did your time with the
band shape your approach to songwriting and performing as a solo artist?
My approach to writing music has not changed that much except that I these days
I always have my acoustic guitar close by and my phone ready to record an idea.
I am always trying to write music from a clean guitar perceptive and capture it
whilst the idea is still hot and as the writing progresses I pick the electric
guitar and add some heavy parts. During the Wrust days it was the complete
opposite, it was the heavy guitar riffs first then jam it with the drummer, try
and find the best groove for the riff, arrange the whole damn thing with the
drummer then all vocals, leads and solos.
Preforming as Starks Daemon is more musical and thrilling, I mean get the best
local bassist and drummer to perform under the Starks Daemon banner, and these
are guys that fucking read music and shit. They are tight as hell and sometime
perform live to a fucking metronome, how cool is that. I also get the best
backup vocalist to support me on stage making the music more intense. I have
also upgraded my amps as well and the sound is always amazing. I love it man.
3. The single “Unchain” showcases a blend of melodic vocals and brutal
guitar riffs. Can you share the creative process behind the song and how it
reflects your evolution as an artist?
When I wrote Unchain, I knew what I wanted from the song. I could literally
hear guitar and vocal parts coming together inside my head. I could hear
thousands of insane fans singing the chorus. I could feel a song starting out
slowly and becoming really heavy on the verse yet groovy as fuck with a kind of
hip hop type of feel to it. Then the sing along ending with a heavy Unchain you
mind. I just wanted to make a bold statement that says Unchain your mind.
I think I have really evolved as a songwriter/musician, I understand the
importance of hitting the right notes for example something that I couldn’t
care less about during the early Wrust days.
4. Re-recording "Too Deep," Wrust's first-ever ballad, must have
been a unique experience. What emotional or creative elements did you aim to
highlight in this reimagined version?
Too deep talks about something that always been in my mind for the longest
time, I question a lot about existence, What is this life really for, why are
we here, what is our purpose and the conclusion is that its “Too deep”. There
is also an element of sadness to the song because it really frustrating to seek
but not find without any hope of finding what you looking for. It gets really
bad when the question comes over and over.
5. Botswana has a growing metal scene, and Wrust has been a pioneer in
putting African metal on the global map. How do you see your solo career
contributing to this legacy?
I honestly can’t really say there has been any growth in the African Metal
scene particularly the Botswana metal scene. I mean for any scene to say its
growing you would see lots on new upcoming bands or lots of gigs but I am not
really seeing a lot that. Compared to the early Wrust years we had lots to gigs
and followers in Southern Africa. We really worked our ass off to put the
African Metal out there, unfortunately or maybe wrong time wrong place I don’t
know we just could not hit the mainstream market. On the contrary there is a
lot of interest now from the international community now compared to a time
when the scene was really thriving. As Starks Daemon I foresee a lot of
positives and a lot growth because I plan to bring more local gigs promote the
local scene and share them with the rest of the world. The beauty about modern
times is the use of technology, social media and I intended to go all out. And
with melodic vocals we should be able to get more audience to our gigs as well.
6. You’ve shared stages with some legendary acts like Sepultura and Carcass.
What were some of the most memorable lessons or experiences you gained from
performing alongside them?
Playing alongside international bands such as Sepultura is amazing and
terrifying at the same time. Amazing in the sense that you get to play to big
crowds, big sound, big stage lighting you name it and terrifying because of the
lack experience. I mean at the time we were also trying to prove that we belong
to the big stage. The after parties are were also amazing getting to hang out
with your idols backstage, making you feel welcome, yeah, I wouldn’t trade the
experience with anything in the world.
7. As a producer, guitarist, and vocalist, you wear many hats. How do you
balance these roles when creating music for your solo projects?
To be honest these days I focus purely on song writing, coming up with cool
melodies and riffs. It can be difficult to joggle but this is what I love doing
and I never really see it as work. I play my guitar daily unless where I have
to travel for family obligations.
8. "Unchain" introduces groovier and more rhythmically accessible
sections to your music. What motivated this stylistic shift, and how do you
think fans will respond to it?
I love grooves and that’s the part that comes very easily to me, rhythmically I
wanted a song that’s easy to follow and bounce to. The pre-chorus section was
to get the fans to sing along. This style is motivated by bands that I listened
to and I realized I was more inclined to groovier bands. I honestly think that
fans are gonna love it and my wish is to see everyone singing along.
9. The metal genre often deals with themes of personal struggle and
liberation. What message or emotions do you hope listeners take away from
"Unchain"?
Its bold statement just unchain you mind and see what happens.
10. What challenges did you face while transitioning from being part of a
band with changing lineups to taking full creative control as a solo artist?
Finding the right musicians in Botswana is bit challenging and finding
rock/metal musicians is a lot harder. On flip side though I was able to find
musician that I could learn from and grow musically.
11. With "Unchain" now available on digital platforms, what are
your plans for promoting the single, and can fans expect more solo releases or
perhaps an album in the near future?
Unchain is basically introducing Starks Daemon to the world. The plan is to
finish up the album and release it early next year. I am obviously going to
work very hard with IRMC to promote the music internationally and hopefully
land some cool tours.
12. After 23 years in the metal scene, what advice would you give to
emerging African rock and metal musicians striving to make their mark both
locally and internationally?
For any band or musician to succeed the want has to be really strong, try all
closed doors until you find one that will open, leverage on technology to put
yourselves out there, share as much content as possible.
Starks Daemon – Great music comes from the heart, but popular music comes from the soul
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