The Band: The Dead
Goats
Country: Poland
Today we talk to The
Dead Goats, a death metal band from Poland with 2 albums and many EPs and
splits in their pockets already. They are another proof of the great moment the
Polish Metal is currently living, and that you don’t have to be old to be wise,
quoting Judas Priest. Moreover, you don’t
have to be old to play good metal music, quoting myself. The goats might be
dead but these guys will make you feel very alive with their powerful death
metal.
Hello guys, tha band
was born in 2011, how did it happen and how you summarize all these years
together?
Hi there!
You must have read our biography pretty perceptively ‘cause
during all these years we play together, we came across lots of
misunderstandings with the time band came to be J The idea behind the The Dead
Goats was born during the last european tour of grindcore band Neuropathia
(founded in 1996 or 1997 by our drummer Radek, joined then by TDG bass player
Marcin, somewhere in 2008) in July of 2010. A few days before the tour kick off
both of that time guitar players couldn’t manage to go. We desperately had to
search for replacement and we involved Pawel to give us a leg-up. While
travelling through Europe, spending more time at the motorway stops drinking,
smoking & having fun than driving to the next city (high five to all the
concert organizers for patience & understanding), we’ve decided to start
something completely new, without serious expectations. We enjoyed our bevy
even more we assumed. Later on, we’ve met on the first rehersal and prepared
two songs („Maggot’s March” and „Drowned In Puke”, which appeared on our debut
album). Few months of not-so-extensive rehearsals brought the material which
would later be known as “Path of the Goat”. And to be honest with You, nothing
has changed in last 5 years. Oh wait, we became older, we loose more hair than
we expected, we have families, some of us still raise up kids. But I believe we
still love spending time together, seeing each other while rehersing /
travelling to different cities to play live or simply „drinking beers &
forever blowing bubbles”.
The Dead Goats
debuted in 2012 with “The Path of the Goat”, which received very positive
reviews. Ho do you feel about that album 4 years later?
We’re still very proud of it. „Path Of The Goat” is the best
thing we could conceive in this time. Our debut album received much critical
acclaim, gathering almost exclusively postitive reviews in Polish press as well
as international one. The album was featured at some of the summaries of best
records of the year, and Terrorizer Magazine (!!) called it “some of the most
compelling and headbangable Swedeath since the term Swedeath became a viable
word” while awarding the album a highest possible score. This was huge! J In
addition, it was released by the small label Instant Classic, held by two music
enthusiasts – Maciek & Arek, who man up with death metal band. CD-version
sold out in less than a year & a half, so as we were begginers, we couldn’t
imagine better start. To date, people still ask us if we have any spare copies
to distribute, some of them patiently wait till we decide to re-release it.
That’s the real award and we feel it’s worth doing what we started as a
band.
Curiously, the
following years you released 2 EPs and no less than 3 splits, is there a reason
for so many splits?
There’s no particular reason for so many EPs & split
albums. While we’re not playing live, almost each rehersal brings new riffs,
even songs. Additionally, we always wished our band follow our dreams. Some of
us always wanted to have EP on 12” („Children Of The Fungus”), while preparing
„Ferox” demo we came accros the idea of making additional song as we’re asked
to participate in 7” split with German band Revel In Flesh. 12” split with Icon
Of Evil was the brainchild of our beloved friend Tukan, who lead his own label
„Dark Side Of Punk” (he also released our debut album on LP-version). The 3
songs appearing as „Don’t Go In The Tomb” mCD were firstly to be put on a 12” split
with our friends from Calm The Fire (that’s another dream – to have a split
album with people who you love). Unfortunatelly for us, they were preparing
their newest full length album at this time (check their „Doomed From The
Start” LP/CD, hc-punk in vein of Entombed & Cursed – it’s really worth
hearing!) and we didn’t have a choice of not releasing it J
Now, in this 2016 you
get your second album in the streets, the great “All of Them Witches”.How long
did you work on it?
Thanks!! To be honest, we appreciate every opinion, even
those negative (hopefully, we didn’t come accross dragging us through the mud.
Maybe it’s because our newest album is to recent and not many reviewers
familiarized oneself with it, haha). Hmm…let me think…there are 8 songs plus
short instrumental intro arranged while recording, so the answer is - 8
rehersals J We felt we needed to start working on full lenght album. And we did
it! The result? We’re fully satisfied at this moment!
Comparing your new
material to the former years what is the evolution of the band?
Honestly speaking, I can not analize our outputs. Let the
people who are familiar with it to dissect music on primary factors. However,
we can’t disclaim „All Of Them Witches” is more varied & difficult to play
live.
You are in the death
metal thing but with several shades, we could say that most of the sound is old
school death metal?
The notion of abandoning the 90’s Stockholm sound is out of
the question. We love the buzzsaw guitar sound and this characteristic feeling,
if you know what I mean. Simultaneously, we’re ordinary guys from the city
situated in northern east of Poland, wearing jackets, Converse sneakers, loving
Blink 182. Is it enough metal nowadays? J
What are the lyrics
about?
Lyrics mostly handle day-to-day problems. Horror, zombies,
witches, all kinds of wickedness, creatures from beyond the grave or damned
adandoned villages. I need to mark, that our „poetry” does not dazzle impudent
brutality. We prefer rather to concentrate on atmosphere and the climate of
horror.
In your album we are
gonna find songs like The Curse Of Gallows Hill, with an old school flavour but
full of tempo changes and a variety in it
As I’ve mentioned previously – I’m not keen on clarify what
stays behind each particular song. But in our opinion, „The Curse Of Gallows
Hill”, due to the rhythm breakdown refers to Entombed’s „Clandestine” where
songs are based on different riffs, little amount of repetitions, variety.
While listening for the first time, you are not sure what comes next. They are
one of our total favourites (both, the whole Clandestine album & mentioned
song from our newest album).
There are also some
more atmospheric tracks as The Gloom That Came To Salem
„The Gloom That Came To Salem” was the last one we composed
for the album. We had lot of untapped ideas and tried to fit them in one song.
Additionally, we thought it might be interesting „winking” to all the Lucio
Fulci fans – the great horror master who brought to life enormous amount of
movies!
And to complete the
picture we get some very strong songs, dark and sinister, as Dwarves In My
Coffin
I don’t know what to say (again! J). It’s really up to the
recipient whether he finds „Dwarves In My Coffin” dark & sinister,
fun-loving dance anthem, another „wink” (this time aimed in Behemot or
Repulsion fans) or just simply our neverending love to Radek’s & Marcin’s
previous band Neuropathia, where titles and lyrics were kept in grotesque
climate. Feel free!
So, in the same album
we get death metal but with many angles, which makes your work fresh and
enjoyable
We are huge fans of music! Despite playing, let’s call it
„swedish death metal”, we really spend lot of time giving full vent to CD’s
& LP’s listening. Furthermore, Marcin comes from the punk scene, Pawel used
to play in several black metal bands, Radek is a typical 100% grind core
maniac. Potpourri of all these factors made us the people who we are now,
affects on our lifestyles and vicariously on the things we create together.
Before releasing this
“The Path of the Goat” you were touring around with many bands such as Napalm
Death, Nasum, Black Breath, Calm The Fire, Icon Of Evil, etc we can say that
The Dead Goats was born for the live shows?
You have to ask our shows attendants if we’re born for this.
It’s impossible for any of us to be the part of the audience, until ones get
sacked from the band J In fact, there’s quite a long list of the bands we
shared stage with but we do not play much (OK, sometimes – for people who have
only 26 days free at work during the year, families, kids, animals, everyday
duties, etc. 15-20 live shows is a goodly amount) but we try to reach as many
places as we can – with strictly one exception: from the early beggining we
stay out from homophobic / racist / sexist venues, bands, people. Nazi punks
fuck off!
I endorse your words.
Talking about gigs, what are your plans for this year and 2017 regarding live
downloads?
Till the end of 2016 we have to (we gave our word to Calm
The Fire band we’ll manage to record 3-4 songs for 12” split album I mentioned
previously which is the priority for us at the moment) get into the recording
studio at least twice J We’ve already played 20 shows almost all around Poland
this year so with one or two exeptions, we concentrate on new things. And
speaking of 2017? We’ve started booking summer festivals. For sure we’re gonna
visit a couple of cities with CTF promoting our common release. We’ll see what
future brings!
Poland is a country
that is leaving kind of a blast in Metal right now. For example, the black
metal scene is very rich, with bands opening new routes in terms of sound even.
Do you think Polish death metal is more conservative?
I would not say that death metal is more conservative. Try
to compare (the first 4 bands which come to my mind) In Twilight’s Embrace,
Icon Of Evil, Vader & The Dead Goats. They all play different things and
are located in recalled genre! I wished to answer you more extensively though
as far as polish black metal scene is concerned, I listen to Furia only J
Right now, in terms
of quality, I think The Dead Goats can see right to the eyes to bands such as
your comrades Vader, and many others, what do you think?
Honestly speaking, we do not know guys from Vader except
one, who comes from our hometown J We’re still to small to even out the band you
mentioned or Behemoth, Decapitated and many many more. Music is not a
battlefield and we’d wish ourselves to become better & better every day without looking over
others. Weeks before „All Of Them Witches” was released, we’ve came accros lot
of opinions that the best polish metal albums have been already recorded. So,
let’s leave the ranks to the others. But thanks anyway for seeing the quality
in TDG. We really appreciate it!
-With 2 albums in your handbag, what can we expect from The
Dead Goats in the future?
You can expect tons of split albums, EP’s, mCD J Just kidding. The priority is to make 2
split albums this year, later we concentrate on next full lenght album. We’d
wish to avoid having another 4-year gap in our discography concidering longer
releases. And additionally, we’ll prepare something special but it’s too early
to reveal our secret.
Modesty is a virtue
and the base for success, as the poet would say J
That’s all, thank you for your attention and congratulations for your big
album!
Thanks once again! We’re doing our best & having a great
time being together, bringing obeisance to the music we love! See you
somewhere, sometime!
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