Hi Dam!
Thankyou for taking the time to be interviewed for The Veils Edge Zine!
L: I understand that you are the vocalist of Death Plague- how would you describe your sound?
DK: This will probably be the hardest question to answer. I personally don’t like to stick to just one genre and we as band members have all grown up with different influences. I would like to think that we boarder the “extreme” metal genre however we are not as fast, we are very heavy but with groove elements and then we also bring in melodies and solos, just try to play what we enjoy and give the fans as much variety as we can.
So in saying that, we have elements of black, death, thrash, but also progressive rock structures thrown into the mix. There is something for everyone.
L: Are there any new Death Plague material in progress at the moment?
DK: Absolutely, so anyone who has been watching the socials would have seen a couple of teasers go up recently of our 2nd EP that will be coming out shortly. We have named the EP “The Panoramic Bloodscape”, it was engineered and produced by Adam Merker in his studio AndersDebeerz. Absolutely loved working with Adam, his passion and his skills are awesome but also he welcomes you like family, he is just an all round awesome guy to know and he really cares about his craft.
What i can say about this EP particularly is it’s darker, heavier and a lot more thought about in the way the tracks are structured. Lyrical content has taken a more meaningful path due to certain issues that i felt had to be expressed.
This EP i think has really hit many home truths for Death Plague, but also the members personally and the fans (Rats) of Death Plague will also find a fair few home truths in it as well. We didn’t want to produce music that we were not happy with and we wanted to do right by the fans, so all up the process of recording it took roughly 6 months for 4 tracks worth but the end result is a really personal driven approach and i think people will appreciate the songs more because so much effort and hours went into this. There is a fair bit of definition in the lyrical content aswell that I will clarify but for now we are very excited to have this come out.
L: Sounds excellent- I’m excited to review your new material as well! Do you find yourself and Death Plague working constantly to create new material?
DK: Almost everyday, the cogs keep turning, finding new ways to create and new ways to challenge ourselves. At the start the band didn’t really have to much direction and we just played for the fun and love of it.
However nowadays it’s more exciting looking at how we can find ways to impact the fans and be their for them but also have them trying to guess what we are going to do next. I like to keep an element of surprise with the song writing and be a bit odd ball.. must drive the other members crazy but they are enjoying it.
L: Would you like to tell us about your projects that you have going currently?
DK: I think at the moment I’m pretty bulked down with this release coming, I have a fair bit going on and the wheels just keep turning. Each day I’m finding less and less time to be able to do everything I want to accomplish, the other members have already been writing more new material which is incredible.
I’m under the impression that its more heavier then what we just recorded and more technical. So I’m keen to get in and start figuring out these new songs that are coming up.
L: So what got you started on this path with Death Plague and how did you form as a band?
DK Well I was in a black metal project called chemical cascades back years and years ago, things were on pretty shaky ground and it was always on and off, then one day, still have no idea about what happened as it was pretty quiet between everyone, we just ended up spliting ways. It took me a couple of years to build back up mentally.. that band destroyed me and I didn’t know what to do or what I felt about music.. so a few years passed and I decided I was going to buy a guitar, just a second hand one, budget was like 70 bucks and I got this horrible black Yamaha, anyway, it did the job... so I called a mate of mine who played drums and we got together for a jam, grunge was the tone and we were rocking.
Had a few songs under the belt, but it just wasn’t feeling right.. so my friend said he knew this guitarist, Denim was his name. He came into the studio and I was blown away.. I felt really fucking terrible compared to him, so I let him take the lead and I just fit where I could.. then we found another guitarist called steve, absolutely love this bloke, great guitarist and a good mate, unfortunately he isn’t with us now, but I do hope nothing but the best for him and I would do anything for that dude, such a great soul.
Then I shifted to bass and vocals. Then things where getting heavy, really heavy, I cam to the conclusion that I couldn’t do bass and vocals for live shows, i then enlisted a good friend of mine from chemical cascades days to give me a hand with live shows on bass, lindon, what a cool fucking dude he is, he knows just about anyone and every band there is to know, he jumped on board and to my surprise he actually liked it considering he was busy with his grindcore band Awful Noise, he even joined us in our original parasitic homicide music video.
Then eventually we found a fully dedicated bass player called Chris who absolutely scared the shit out of me with his playing abilities, he can play, very well. Then we got a different drummer, lewie stepped in and he smacks those skins, holy shit, everytime he plays, after a jam or a gig, just look at the floor, wood chips everywhere... ha.. so yea, that’s how we formed and as we grew we became heavier and more defined as a style and as Death Plague.
Its been a monster from the start, it has kicked our arses massively but that monster is us but it now controls us.
L: Through your personal struggles- I have noticed that yourself and Death Plague have started quite the movement. I’d first of all like to let you know that we stand with you. Would you like to go into this?
DK: During the 6 months of tracking The Panoramic Bloodscape , myself personally has been tackling an ongoing legal battle. This legal battle has been to do with family law. During that time I have been to about 4 hearings and its been a non stop battle to fight and stand up for myself. Then the person I am also thought about other people who could possibly be in the same situation. Without going into to much detail because it is still an ongoing battle, I was, let’s just say, really screwed over.
Unfortunately if you don’t have access to the money then you kind of just need to put up with how it plays out. I wasn’t going to do that, I’ve been fighting tooth and nail through all of this and i couldn’t let it rest to have a judgement pushed on me without the full facts. So I have been sitting in silence and looking at the bigger picture. There are people out there with these battles happening, they have no funding and they have no one to turn to and its just a bad state of decay to be in. Mothers, fathers, grandparents, extended families, they all suffer from the unfair system thats in place in the family law act, especially in the domestic violence act as well.
Some of the issues is the ongoing financial hardship we suffer from the lawyers, then the profiteering from state governments and federal agencies, the whole thing is set up with a real nasty agenda. Then you have the very one-sided gender inequality that shouldn’t be allowed and you have the ongoing labelling stigma that goes with it all. I
feel there has to be change and we as the people must be taking a stand against the system and the government to fight for our children so they don’t need to grow up in this system. I was a product of the system and now I’m being treated as a contributor and criminal in the eyes of the system. But this has been happening for years... so we now as Death Plague and myself are pushing awareness of all these issues and are trying the change the Bloodscape so to speak.
I am placing myself as the voice for those who can’t fight and every win a get its a win across the board for our fans and for our future.
L: I just want to let you know I’m so proud of you for taking such a stance to protect our children and vulnerable people legally, it shows such a strength of conviction. So what ways are Death Plague working to push the awareness?
DK: Thankyou so much for supporting us with this. The issue is we can’t continue to neglect change and leave these issues for our children to have to deal with, at some stage someone needs to make a stand and I’m seeing no one being a voice or doing anything about it, its frustrating that the alienation we suffer from society and community about these issues is still going on. when we should be displaying a unity against what the real issues are. Its not uncommon, its out there in society and the stigma behind it is unjustifiable.
It fuelled my rage and disgust so much so that I thought what can I do? How do I make a stand?. I started looking at my lyrical content and thought here is a great opportunity to use the exposure I have in the music scene and also the platforms I have at my disposal, no one is being part of a solution or making noise about it, so I decided that all the lyrical content in The Panoramic Bloodscape is about the mission Death Plague is taking on thats against the courts and against the government .
I approached Death Plague members and asked them, we had a discussion about it and the outcome was more then I thought it would be, let’s donate to ABF (Australian Brotherhood of Fathers) the proceeds we make for 1 year from band merchandise sales, ticket sales and when its released EP sales. The ABF are there, not for profit and trying to change the Australian legislation inside false claim domestic violence and the family law act. I don’t see how we can let this slip off the radar, they are fighting for all, mothers, fathers, kids, extended family, everyone. My self being dragged through the family law act and domestic violence act has made me realise how inhumane Australia is with this legislation.
The ABF are trying to show that both sides are equal and we should have equal opportunities and basic fundamental human rights when it comes to making a judgement on someone. They also make it aware with their #21fathers that 21 fathers a week statistically die from suicide due to these ongoing issues. Same with #notyourright bringing awareness that using false claims of domestic violence should not be allowed, also no one has a right to have this power against someone who could be innocent, there are so many men out there that have these orders that stops them from seeing their kids and stops the kids from seeing their father and they can’t fight it because they don’t have the resources, it isn’t because they were all guilty, yes some are but some just can’t afford to have their side heard.
Same with women, some can’t get out of situations because funds are being used up for false claims, and yes, some women can be just as equally dangerous towards men by use of manipulation and mental abuse. Why does the system allow this? Both sides are victims and both sides are as equally damaging. And yet the kids are being dragged through it and shown how gender rules are different . So we want to back this cause and I think everyone should. In today’s modern world we shouldn’t just be voting for one section of equality, it should be equality across the board and better yet, shouldn’t even have to vote for equality its a basic human right. Why is it that gender even plays a part in today’s judgements?
Modern society is rejecting gender identity and gender rules , why is that not reflected in the legislation? For example, there are no men’s legal services but yet there is free women’s legal services funded by the state and federal governments. It just automatically makes you aware of the gender differences. However, unfortunately, everything i just spoke of is just the face of the issue, the reason why the family law and domestic violence acts are set up this way is actually not to protect, its about whats more financially beneficial for the government.
Their agenda is to make sure they keep the genders separated by the legislation as it creates financial motivators for false domestic violence claims which then creates the volatile family disputes. This is why we need to support this organisation, we need to make a stand, we are all blinded by the fake facade of an agenda that profits and benefits from families being torn apart.
So, in saying this, we hope that people supporting us are also supporting the war, people can buy merchandise and know that their purchase has gone to a great cause (and that they got a wicked cool shirt or EP or a great show) or if people wanna help other ways then maybe sign up to the ABF or donate straight to them or if you don’t have funds then just spread the word, talk about it in the community, do your part to help have this changed.
Let people know that Death Plague is for them, we understand their pain and that we feel it together.
L: I’m very much looking forward to catching up down the track in another interview to see what yourself and Death Plague are up to! Do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share with our readers?
DK: The Panoramic Bloodscape will be out shortly, we have new merch out soon and we also have a tour planning in the works for the Australian east coast, make sure you catch us when we are near your area. Push for whats right, help and support Death Plague so we can help and support others who are in need, jump on the ABF and give them a like, see what they are doing and see if you can help at all.
We are all in this together and together we will change this Bloodscape that is plaguing us all. Also I just want to thank you folks at The Veils Edge for reaching out and asking myself for an interview, legends.
L:Thankyou so much for your time and agreeing to be interviewed for The Veils Edge Zine!