Interview with DEATHMARCH
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about DEATHMARCH (Members, Starting Year etc).
DEATHMARCH started off as a side-project for Quint Meerbeek (former drummer for Bodyfarm) on guitar, Olle on drums and Dirk on vocals writing the first couple of songs. At Olle’s birthday, Walter (who has played together with Olle in Cavitation) noticed the lack of bass player in DEATHMARCH and his own ack of band occupation and offered his services. In this line-up, DEATHMARCH recorded a demo an the EP ‘Dismember’ and did some Live shows the Netherlands underdground scene. As the band developed from side-project to full fledged band, Quint and Dirk decided to step down to focus more on their main bands Bodyfarm and Codex Mortis (Go check them out! https:/ www.instagram.com/bodyfarm_official/ https://codexmortis.bandcamp.com/ ). Replacement was found in Olav on vocals and Sebastiaan on guitar.
You have recently released your debut album ''Violent Retaliation''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
Feedback from the crowd has been awesome, some reviews have been coming in and we stoked that the album is landing well! We’re still sending out promo-packs, so we hope to share some more reviews soon!
And what about the lyrics?
Starting off as a pure OSDM band (and having a Dirk being history teacher as lyricist), initially the lyrics were thematically about war. As Olav (and Walter, occasionally) took over lyrics duty, and DEATHMARCH’s music started incorporating more elements of punk and crust, the theme shifted towards societal and personal injustice, abuse of power, vengeance and retaliation.
What do you prefer, Label or DIY and why?
Our EP was released through Black Lion Records, and they did a great job, but we decided to release VIOLENT RETALIATION ourselves. Having full control on the recording and production process, release dates, distribution and communication is a lot, but it adds an ‘ownership’ to the band and music. Besides, the direct feedback from the audience, magazines and scene as a whole is very heartening and leaves us even more determined to get our stuff out there!
Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
A very important moment for DEATHMARCH was the show we did January 14th 2024 following the death of DEATHMARCH-founder Quint. The show being in our hometown of Amersfoort, we had the opportunity to honour our fallen brother on that show in front of his wife and parents. We set up a photo of Quint on stage with us, and playing some songs from the starting days of DEATHMARCH as tribute almost felt as if he was there with us.
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
As a product of the 90’s and 00’s we absolutely prefer physical releases over digital. Holding a CD or tape (or Vinyl) in your hands is just so much more satisfying then digital release. Then again, releasing through digital services enables you to get your music everywhere with a half-decent internet connection. Getting reactions on your album from half across the World within a day of release is really awesome. We get the appeal of ‘only buying (or reviewing for that matter)’ physical copies, but printing and shipping all add up pretty quickly and as a small DIY band 20 bucks is still 20 bucks... Embrace change.
Your music style is Death Metal with punk/crust elements. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
Dismember, Coffins, Autopsy, DRI, Gatecreeper, Integrity to name a few.
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 and money. There are very few metal bands able to sustain themselves through their music only. Let alone a small band as ours. But there’s a balance to everything. Family and friends are always more important than music. Don’t sacrifice anything you love. As for sacrifices within the band or music. None. Make what you want to make, sincerity and authenticity is what makes a band a band and not a product.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
Playing a small venue in front of a eager audience together with authentic bands will always be our happy place.
What do you think about the rise of AI in music production?
We don't use AI in our writing or our art. Speaking for myself (as musician and visual artist): it’s a tool i personally don't use. But to others it’s a tool that can help broaden idea’s. We all have our scope and frame of references and it can help to think outside the box. As everything, don’t overuse it and always make sure the end result is authentic.
What attributes do you think that a new Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
See question 8. Make what you want to make, sincerity and authenticity is what makes a band a band and not a product. Uniqueness is overrated. Everything is done a trillion times, so just make sure to own it and make some authentic stuff.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
Yes, see question 6. You need physical releases to sell on shows and you need digital releases to get your music to the end of the globe. Embrace it.
From your experience in the music industry, what would you tell to a new Metal band to avoid or what to do?
We don't have a lot of experience in the ’industry’, so i woudn’t count on our advice. But i’ve said it before, make authentic stuff. Then again, if you don't care and just want to make money, be a sell-out. You do you. I’d pick another genre, though...
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scenefi in the Netherlands (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
The Netherlands have a solid (death) metal scene. Our hometown (region) of Amersfoort birthed for example Pleurisy, Bodyfarm, Bloodphemy, Codex Mortis, Shoot The Messiah, Khaoz, Whispering Gallery, to name a few. Lots of good black metal coming from the Utrecht region (shameless plug: https://sterveling.bandcamp.com/album/sterveling ). There’s a decent rock club in every mayor city and distances between are small. So if you like you can catch a show every week within an hour travel.
What does Death Metal means to you? And give us 10 metal (or non-metal) albums that run in your veins.
There's a thousand ways to make or view death metal, but we like to we see (our) death Metal as straight to the point. No finetries or fuss. In your face, aggressive and energetic. Don't overthink, don't overplay. Have fun. We’ve mentioned our inspirations earlier.
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
Nope, we would love to play some shows there though :)
What are your future plans?
Get some gigs to promote the album. Write new songs, because we’ve been playing these songs for a while now. We would love to do a split record with a like minded band.
Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Thanks for the opportunity to get our say!Hope to visit Greece some day and see what the scene there is like!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
Photo Credits: Vagebond Photograpy (instagram.com/
DEATHMARCH CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/deathmarchdeathmetal
https://www.instagram.com/deathmarch_nl/
https://deathmarch-nl.bandcamp.com/music
https://open.spotify.com/artist/431b4BD1z2xLfzBMuvCvZR