Interview with DEZASTER
!!!SPEED/THRASH METAL FROM SINGAPORE!!!
We had a conversation with Brandon John (Guitars / Vocals). Enjoy!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about DEZASTER (Members, Starting Year etc).
Hey guys! DEZASTER consists of Raimy Rashid (Guitars), Kim Evangelista (Bass), Denise Yeow (Drums) and myself, Brandon John (Guitars/Vocals). The band has been around since 2014 and we did our first release Stand Alone (2016, EP) followed by No Surrender (2019) and of course now, The Sire (2022, EP). Raimy has been in the band since 2015 and it's really been the both of us driving it. Kim and Denise has been with us since 2017 when we began jamming with each other and the 4 of us pretty much stuck with each other all the way. It's been great, we share so much in common and the chemistry we share musically and personally really helped shaped the music to what it is today.
You have recently released your album ''The Sire''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
''The Sire'' is a 6 track EP and so far we've been receiving really good responses. The support has been great and we are really very thankful to everyone who has supported us all these years. We've gone a little darker on this latest release and our listeners definitely took notice of that, so far everyone seems to be enjoying it, which is great because we plan to keep it this way in terms of putting out more horror based/ darker style of thrash metal. We have 4 brand new songs on this one and 2 covers.
Label or DIY and why?
It may be a little biased when I say DIY because we've never been under a label before, haha! So honestly I can only compare it to stories I've heard. But, being a DIY band definitely brings out the passion we all have to play in a band and release music. There are some stressful parts like at this moment we realized our music did not go live as scheduled on common online streaming sites like Spotify etc so we're scrambling and trying to figure out why. haha! Because all we want really, is to be heard. Recordings, pressing of physicals, the money we put in etc is all a lot of time and work yes, but at the end of it when it is all done, there's that extra sense of self achievement, which I am sure a lot of DIY bands will feel the same. All that hard work and when you get the final product, it just feels great!
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
Vinyl in terms of physical copies, it's just something about holding a vinyl record in your hands that makes it very personal, it showcases the music and artwork really well. I tend to buy vinyl copies anyway. CDs are great and convenient too especially for a travelling band going out doing shows and selling merchandises, and of course Digital Formats are the most convenient ones and the best way to get discovered. For The Sire, this is our first time pressing it on Vinyl, we wanted to do it for No Surrender back then but we just couldn't afford both CDs and Vinyl pressings, so we just stuck to CDs for the past 2 releases. For this one, we made it a point to finally press Vinyl.
Your music style is Heavy/Thrash Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
There are so many but to really name a few, the heaviness of Black Sabbath, the technicality and groove of Megadeth and Coroner, the attack and aggression of Slayer and Kreator. There are a lot of other influences too especially when we have our own personal favourite bands, so it really is a mash up of influences and I believe you'd be able to find those influenced elements in our music.
Which things do you think a Band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your Band?
Time really. It all boils down to taking the time to make things work. It is very easy when someone says they are tired or not in the mood to practice etc, but with passion i believe the will to do something is always there. I always believe in "when there's a will, there's a way". We have given a lot of time to the band, but i would not consider it as a sacrifice because it is something we have a passion for. Of course being in a DIY band, you have to set money aside to fund recordings etc. There are days where we'd choose the cheaper option of food source, for example, so we'd be able to record or even rehearse.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance Band. Have you already experienced that?
There aren't much opportunities for shows in Singapore mainly because there aren't much venues that would accept Metal. There are a few really dedicated metal show organizers, and there are so many local metal bands. So all the bands kind of take turns to play the few shows available. So any show we get we will play. A crazy audience (which is pretty much what our local scene is) is the cherry on top. We had the chance to go out to the Philippines to play a show to promote No Surrender, that was a really eye opening show for us because it was our very first time playing a show out of Singapore. We had a few other offers but then you know, Covid happened. We've not played a show since Feb 2020, so I just look forward to the next time we get on stage.
Which attributes, do you think, that a new Heavy/Thrash Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
I feel every band should be themselves. The passion drives the band and brings out the best of each other, and when that happens, that's when the band gets their identity and become unique in their own ways.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Heavy/Thrash Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a Band to promote its work?
Yes definitely! It is great fast exposure! Almost everyone in the entire world has internet at this day and age, I mean hey if you're reading this now it is off the internet. haha! I feel having your music out on those online streaming platforms is great for metalheads to discover you. Of course us metalheads are the more dedicated fans and we'd find out more about the band and if we really like the band, we'd buy their music or merch, which is really eventually supporting the band.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Singapore (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
The Singapore metal scene really needs a HUGE shout out man. We are a really small community, and i refer to when local metal shows happen, not when like Metallica comes to town kind of crowd. You've got dedicated, passionate show organizers in Singapore, to name a few like STREET NOISE PRODUCTIONS, VENTBOX PRODUCTIONS, DEATH SENTENCE PRODUCTIONS taking the time and effort to make a metal show happen for us, a small big hearted community in a small country. haha! There are so many bands here in Singapore, old and new, that i feel deserves so much recognition. It definitely is growing even more. You've got bands like WITCHSEEKER, ABIATOR, DARAH, B.C, TRUTH BE KNOWN, DEUX EX MACHINA, E-THEREAL, ILEMAUZAR, there's just so many to name every single one of them.That website, Encyclopaedia Metallum, that's a brilliant site. I believe every single Singapore band old and new is on there. I don't know who is updating them but kudos to them man.
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
Black Metal from Greece!
What are your future plans?
Well this latest release is more of a little taste and preview of what the band is driving towards to, we already have materials for our next full length and we'd probably starting working on it soon once we put enough money together. haha!
Thank you very much for your time & Keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Thank you so much Stavros for reaching out to us and helping us get the band's name out there. Really appreciate it. Thank you everyone who has been supporting us all these years. Do check us out and if you've got the time, just give a little shout out to us through social media or email. Cheers from Singapore!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
DEZASTER CONTACT:
https://dezaster.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dezastersg
https://www.instagram.com/dezastersg/