“Chasm Of Radiant Despair” sees Dead Deceased evolve beyond pure Black Metal into a fierce blend of Blackened Thrash and Death influences, reflecting Richard’s personal growth, creative independence, and raw emotional depth.
1. Richard,
“Chasm Of Radiant Despair” marks a shift from your earlier Black Metal roots
toward a more Blackened Thrash sound. What inspired this musical evolution, and
how did you approach writing differently this time?
Honestly, I
needed the project to evolve and I didn't feel 100% comfortable with pure
Black Metal. I'm not really a part of that world and it wouldn't feel right to
pretend to be. As the writings progressed, I turned more to my old heroes like
Celtic Frost, Kreator and At the gates but I was also heavily inspired by Grand
Cadaver and Dark Tranquility. I guess there's a bit of thrash and death metal
mixed together...
2. The
album was created solely by you due to the temporary absence of Chris and Marc.
How did that affect your creative process and the overall sound of the record?
I had the
songs finished and was waiting for Chris and Marc to do their thing. I found
out they weren't gonna be able to do it in the near future so rather than
waiting I recorded their parts myself. It went by pretty quick since I knew the
songs. I'm not really a keyboard player but I think it turned out pretty cool!
I think sound wise Chris and Marc would have made their marks on it but I'm
pretty pleased with the end result!
3. The
debut album “The Black Flame” was released as a
limited-edition picture disc but never had an official release. Do you have any
plans to reissue it or make it more widely available for fans?
That is for
the label Phase B to decide. I have no idea. It's pretty sad, but there's
nothing we can do right now. I have a copy of it and it looks super cool!
Everyone should contact them and make them release it haha! It's a bit weird to
release album no 2 before the first one is out properly but I just couldn't
wait. They have been great to us but right now I'm not really sure what's going
on.
4. The
lyrical themes range from horror stories to social and political criticism. Can
you tell us more about how you balance these two worlds—fictional darkness and
real-world despair?
Dead Deceased has no real lyrical niche like with Gokseong where we base everything on Korean folklore. Both Throne of ash and bone and Demon Christ are about corrupt people of power and it seems like a theme I've been diving into a lot lately. You can get mad pretty quickly by reading the news. Lechusa is a Mexican folklore story about an owl spirit that can shapeshift into a witch! It's a cool story! The earth chews them slow is about how we send our kids to fight meaningless wars.
5. You
mentioned there are no traditional solos on this album, but melodic passages
appear throughout. Was this a deliberate choice to create a more direct,
riff-driven sound?
Yes. I had
made so many solos on the coming Gokseong album I was pretty tired of it. I
think it makes for a more direct album and I don't think people will miss it
really. The songs have pretty strong melodic parts.
6. The
title “Chasm Of Radiant Despair” is both poetic and ominous.
What does it represent to you personally, and how does it tie into the mood of
the album?
I'm glad
you say that! The title is pretty personal but it kind of talks about
depression and a void inside. When I came up with the title and the song it
felt like the title of the album was there! It's a plunge into a cosmic abyss
and a sonic odyssey through starless voids and defiant flames. My son
Tim painted the cover and I'm really happy about it! He's a great artist in his
own right!
7. As
someone who’s worked in other projects like Mourning Scars and Gokseong, how
does Dead Deceased differ in terms of creative freedom and musical philosophy?
Right now
since Chris and Marc are unavailable I have actually found a great freedom
in recording everything myself. I'm pretty quick and I can speed up the process
a lot. That said, I miss my brothers a lot and I really hope to work with them
again soon!
8. With
Chris and Marc expected to return for the next release, how do you envision the
sound or direction of the third album evolving?
Oh, I
have no idea right now to be honest. I haven't thought about it yet.
However I have finished a cover EP that will be out later this year!
It will be songs by some of my old heroes I mentioned before. A fun project!
9. The
underground metal scene thrives on passion and perseverance. How do you feel
about the current state of extreme metal, and what challenges do independent
musicians face today?
I think
the scene in itself is fantastic, but I feel we are all lost in crazy
algorithms and shadow banning. It's really hard to promote your band today
unless you spend a lot of money which most of us don't have. I wish we could
tour and play live but given I'm in Sweden and the guys are in the States it's
not possible.
10. Finally,
what message or feeling do you want listeners to take away from “Chasm
Of Radiant Despair” after they experience it from start to finish?
Well if I
get someone to think "Hey that's a cool riff" or "Hell yeah,
that song makes me pumped up" that's great! I think the album is diverse
enough to attract both listeners of death/Thrash and other types of extreme
metal. I myself get calm listening to this kinda music! Maybe
someone will feel relaxed hearing it,haha!
Post a Comment