Interview with DREAD SOVEREIGN

by Vpower

The Band: Dread Sovereign

Country: Ireland

Answers by:  Nemtheanga (bass, vocals)

https://www.facebook.com/DreadSovereign

On March 3rd you will get through Ván Records the second full-length from Dublin-based trio DREAD SOVEREIGN, a doom combo that with For Doom the Bell Tolls confirms they are at the top of the subgenre, they breath the old classic sound and they deliver a raw doom with so much feeling, an album that captures the long experience of these guys. Time to make the lights down and get into the darkness…

Hello guys and congratulations for your new album For Doom the Bell Tolls

Thanks

Dread Soreveign was born in 2013 but you needed only 2 or 3 years to get a name in the scene an rise up much expectations about your new release

I mean look it helps I am in Primordial of course but DS is it’s own entity, and I think the quality of the band speaks for itself. It just needed some focus on my part…….

Pray to the Devil in Man was a great  ep that put you in the map, very acclaimed around by fans and media

Well sure Burning World trusted me to make it happen without hearing what we were doing and then our first show at Roadburn. The idea of DS had been in my conscience for years but the pieces only fell into place the last couple of years. it was rough and raw and recorded and mixed in 6 hours…..but it has something for sure

6 hours is not a bad mark…With All Hell's Martyrs, your first full-length, you continue growing and recruiting followers

I guess we did…

So, your second album, For Doom the Bell Tolls,  was very much anticipated. You have taken your time to release it, 3 years since All Hell's Martyrs , did you feel the pressure or you were conditioned by the high expectations?

It was less than 3 years I think. No I don’t give a shit about anything like that. No one is going to get an album per year from any band I am in, Life gets in the way. Other peoples expectations have no effect on me at all.

How long have you really worked on For Doom the Bell Tolls?

I mean look I put the final pieces on one song the day before recording. I do things spontaneously in the studio also, nothing is worked out 100% I trust in my ability to deliver under pressue…...

You are 3 guys in the band, any one of you taking more composing load than the others?

Yeah me…..i write I guess 80-90% of the music? but we all structure it and Bones always puts the meat on the bones of my riffs. I just come with an idea and a basic skeleton. The lyrics, aesthetic and all of that are mine however.

Since I read the album’s title I told myself, “oh yeah, this is gonna be doom metal all the way, no jokes here”. I think your fans will be pretty satisfied with the final result

Well hey it’s a play on Hemingway and also Metallica……just sounds pretty damn cool and fits in with the aesthetic right?

You guys are from Dublin, well known for the Guinness but, to be sincere, not that much for the Metal, and less the Doom Metal. Do you have already a street with your name in the city?

Yeah I’m the fuckin Mayor…...

I suspected it… As your previous effort, For Doom the Bell Tolls will be released by Ván Records, are the guys burning all the meat on the grill for you?

Sure. They are great……mutual love and trust.

Beautiful. Comparing For Doom the Bell Tolls with your second album the winner is…? Any significant difference?

The winner? i dont look at it  like that. I’m proud of all of it

For the new comers it may be like…”wow, these guys are so cool”, but you have been around before in bands like Plagued, Blood Revolt, Perdition or Abbadon of Incarnate, burning your skin under sunshine… I mean, usually in this life, nothing comes for free

Eh……Primordial……also altar of plagues, wizards of firetop mountain, zom…...yeah iwe/’ve been around, we’ve all been around. We are old hands at this band thing but together we have a special chemistry. without a doubt

In your sound album we can feel the influence of bands like Candlemass, Saint Vitus, Trouble, Black Sabbath, even underground legends Cirith Ungol

Great sure…..definitely!!!! i dont give a fuck about being original, if that happens great, if not…..the riff is the riff. also for me add old old demo black metal simple riffs style of rotting christ, varathron, samael, acheron and masters hammer

One of the things I love in your approach is the great blend of dark atmospheres with a heavy metal spirit, it flows naturally, even in some songs we can appreciate a little taste of the darkest NWOBHM sound

Of course……i am a complete nwobhm fan so you can also hear angel witch, witchfynde, trespass, pagan altar etc…..and dont forget hawkwind and motorhead also…...

Clear as water. You have done a version of Venom’s “Live like an Angel, Die like a Devil”, how did you choose it?

We play it live…..the record live…..the gear was set up so we bashed through it

For Doom the Bell Tolls is up to the expectations, but surely the fans wil be, I am, asking for more. Are you already working on new tracks?

Nope……we might make a speed metal kinda 10” later this year, like motorhead, venom, verbal abuse meets gbh and destructor or something…..who knows

Will you release any video or some material for promotion purposes?

We are discussing that right now….i have a plan but we shall see

Any gigs around for this 2017? Will Spain be among the awarded?

Yeah we hope so……later in the year I guess though

Yeah!