Inspired By the Voices in Their Heads
Since their formation in 1997, Deamon have been staples in the Ottawa metal scene. Their brutal music is death metal at its best. Despite an almost entirely new lineup since its creation, the band is not only still running strong, but is in fact much improved upon. With two CDs under their belt, "End of Ages" and "Synopsis of Sin", the band is currently working on a new full-length album, which is highly anticipated in the Canadian underground. Each show tops their last, and this band will be around for quite some time, hopefully someday leaving the underground behind and finding their niche on a worldwide scale.
NoC - Em
CM - Cory Malone(Vocals, Guitars)
RM - Ron McLean(Guitars)
TD - Topon Das(Bass)
SC - Shawn Carrier(Drums)
NoC: You guys have almost entirely changed your entire lineup since the formation of the band in 1997, how do you feel the band has grown with the drastic change in members?
SC: I defiantly think the current line-up brings more experience to the band. As well as a sense that we are all going in the same direction Before the line-up changes started that was an issue. Ron ,myself and Topon have also been jamming together for a better part of 9-10 years which helps enormously with being on the same wavelength.
NoC: You've recorded two albums already, the End of Ages demo and the full-length Synopsis of Sin, how do you feel you the new album will differ? How will it be similar?
SC: In terms of sound it will be heavier and much more of an accomplishment music wise. It has Cory still on main vocals but with a much deeper and aggressive tone as well as myself doing back-up vocals. As for the songs themselves they are bound to sound slightly different since they were written almost entirely as a collective effort from everyone in the current line-up. This album was written with everyone on the same page in terms of what we wanted and where the band is heading.
RM: I think it’s a way more brutal CD. The other two always had an underlying thrash base to them, which is really not present any longer.
NoC: Cory, how difficult is it to play such complex guitar lines and growl at the same time?
CM: I just picture all the women at the show naked and..... oh wait, that’s before we play. Really I’m not sure, I play the riff and the vocal patterns kinda make themselves so in that way it easy for me.
NoC: What are some challenges that came up during the recording of your latest album?
SC: Getting a decent sounding album with the budget we had. Matt Connell recorded it for us (ex FTF currently Exhumed drummer) He is a good friend of our which helped a lot in having things done but still having fun while doing it. He did a great job so far on it and we are very please. It should be released shortly. The challenges were very minor and the actual process was not much of a problem at all.
TD: Getting everything done in the time frame that we set was a bit of a challenge, but all in all I think everything went smoothly.
RM: Coming up with the budget to do it. Everything was paid for buy our merch and money from shows. Would be nice to have a label help out a bit.
Noc: Where do you get your inspiration for lyrics?
CM: When I turn on the TV. and see the horseshit that passes for "music”, that’s what makes me hate!, I'm pretty much anti everything. So lyrics come fairly easy if not totally by themselves.(when I can find time to do it)
NoC: What's the writing process for your songs? Do you usually start with the music and then add lyrics, or vice versa, or are the two completely separate processes?
SC: Sometimes we just jam and come up with ideas other times people will just bring riffs/ideas in they were working at home. What helps is that everyone in the band plays guitar so we are all capable of writing in that aspect. As for the lyrics some of the tunes are written with lyrics in mind and lyrics are sometimes written without a particular song in mind but most of the time we work on the music first. And the lyrics come after.
TD: : I go get the coffee while they work on new songs and then I pretend to learn them.
NoC: What bands are the most influential for you as both individuals and as a band?
RM: I really like some of the older Death Metal bands like Carcass and Bolt Thrower, Napalm, Morbid Angel, Sepultura etc but I also love the stuff some of the guys are doing today that's really extreme like Vital Remains, Origin, Necrophagist, Psycroptic, Spawn Of Possession etc. I like the combination of heavy technical and speed all mixed into one. As for influence if I sound like somebody or write like somebody it is not intentional because when I write music or play it I try to be myself and play what feels right to me.
TD: For the band it's definitely death metal, death metal and more death metal. Ron knows like a gazillion death metal bands, so once in awhile I get to check that stuff out in the van. I haven't really kept up to date with the death metal scene for a few years. But, since I’m not very active in the writing process it hasn't affected the brutality of the songs. My personal influences would be people like Trey Spurance and James Plotkin, I also really dig bands like Piledriver (from Norway) and Asterisk. I love music that's created as an art and not as product.
NoC: If someone who has never heard Deamon was curious to check you guys out, what song would you send them?
SC : I like (Rise) myself
CM : (Gutted) is pretty cool
RM: : I really like the newest one, which we finished literally hours before recording began (Messiah Despised)
TD : I think anything off the new CD would get the job done.
NoC: How were you all inducted into the band?
SC: I worked in a beer store and the guys are all alcoholics and wanted a discount. haha!
TD: I lost a bet.
RM : They needed me to cover up their suckiness haha !
CM : I’ve been there from the start of Deamon I think
NoC: Have you guys played with any other bands and if so what's the difference between playing with them and playing with Deamon?
SC:: I have played in a variety of bands since the late eighties but I feel like this band is actually accomplishing something. It’s a combination of experience and getting older and not just wasting our time playing in the basement anymore. We are all rather focused individuals when it comes to the band.
TD: I play in Fuck The Facts and Time Kills Everything as well, and I’ve played in a shit load of bands before this. Every band is different in its own way. In Deamon I get to drink more beer.
RM: I've been in bands since the mid 80's. This seems to be the first one that has the drive to do this though. My first real band was Ritual Sacrament; I played in that band for many years, Decayer, a Toronto band with Brent from Horde of Worms. Then it was Avulsion. Then Vile Intent with Shawn and Topon and Recondite with Topon. (I think I'm a Band Whore)
NoC: What made you decide to pick up your instruments?
SC: Chicks dig it
TD: My brother played bass and I guess I just wanted to learn. I also used to love Metallica.
RM: Slayer and Kreator. Although I really have no interest in them now. They were definitely my gateway to something much heavier.
NoC:What is the Ottawa scene like in comparison to the Toronto scene?
CM : Ottawa = Punk/ T.O. = Metal
RM: I think they are very similar seems there is not enough support for local bands in either city.
TD: It’s hard to compare cause we live here so we see what’s happening in Ottawa all the time. But, I think both places are pretty similar. We got shows happening all the time, so you can’t expect people to attend every one. The bigger shows draw more people obviously, but smaller shows do quite well too.
NoC: What's something you'd like to do with the band but haven't had the opportunity to do yet?
SC: Get some label support and more traveling to places we haven't played yet. It's always fun playing to a new crowd.
RM: Yeah what he said.
CM: Play birthday parties! Haha!
TD: I would like to tour in Europe, Japan, etc…. As well as do a lot more touring through out the US and Canada.
NoC: Would you like to do music full time or are you happy also having "day jobs"?
CM: Full time music would be cool, but with what we play there is not a lot of help around, If we played 3 chord shit and rap over it, we could be superstars!
SC: In my case both make me happy. Since my day job is something I like and I own my own business (a tattoo shop). It's not really like work when you enjoy what you do. I don't think I would quit one for the other.
TD: I would like to play music full time, but I don’t mind having a part time job with a flexible schedule that would allow me to tour regularly. I guess that’s the goal.
RM: I would quit my job tomorrow to do a huge world tour.
NoC: How did you come up with the name Deamon, and why did you decide to pronounce it in the way you do?
CM: Just popped in to my head one day (the voices) and we say it the way it reads I would say
Deamon.ca
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