Melodic Death Metal 101 by Deadtide
Do you like melodic death music ? Do you have no idea how that sounds? Well, then it is time for you to listen to Deadtide, a band based in New Jersey that knows well that genre and they know how to introduce you to that kind of music!
Q: Let's start with the basics; you are Deadtide, a melodic death band based in NY and NJ. Tell us a little bit about yourselves.
A: We're a bunch of guys who love playing music. Metal is one of our biggest passions, and we love many different subgenres. The specific subgenre “melodic death metal” can encompass so many different elements from other subgenres, so naturally, it became the primary home to our sound and style.
Q: How and when did it all start ? And is there any meaning behind the name of the band ?
A: 2006 when Phil began uploading metal guitar riff videos to YouTube, and influenced Mike to do the same. It's really cool to say we were some of the first ever to do it, and it was a special time when everyone in the community knew each other. We built our following until we had a full band with dedicated members. College was rough for that, so we stuck it out and worked on YouTube and jammed for the time being, and our friend Glenn joined the band as our second guitarist. Then, when we had some money and a few songs ready, we recorded our first EP with Tarik Solangi at Prime Time Sound Studios, who we are eternally grateful to for helping the few of us at the time get something off the ground we could be proud of. A couple years and a full band later after finding Andrew (bass) and Dan (drums), we began rehearsing, shaking off the dust, and hit the stage again. As far as the meaning of Deadtide... we guess you could say there are a few interpretations in our own minds as far as imagery and metaphorically, but a broad definition would be that it's a synonym for the afterlife.
Q: What are your music influences and musical icons?
A: They vary between band members. We all listen to different kinds of music in addition to metal, but it's a shared passion for all of us. Specifically, our band Deadtide's actual influences would be In Flames, Soilwork, Scar Symmetry, Children of Bodom, Dark Tranquillity, Kamelot, Metallica, Iron Maiden, and many others.
Q: Who writes the songs? What are they usually about ?
A: Typically, Phil composes the music, and Mike composes the lyrics, harsh vocals, and clean vocals.
Q: You had a show a few days ago supporting Doyle's tour here in NJ and the venue was packed. Personally, I enjoyed your show and you guys seemed to be having a blast.
A: Thank you! We appreciate your support for our band and for the scene. We had a great time, and Mike is a huge Misfits fan, so to play with Doyle in our shared home state of NJ was a special experience for sure.
Q: What was the best venue that you played and why?
A: So far... The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY because of its history. Many, many legendary artists have graced that stage. We also enjoy Dingbatz because it's like a home venue to us, and important to the local scene. The staff there has been good to us, and we're thankful for them and all they do for us and the NJ music scene.
Q: What do you think are the biggest obstacles for bands nowadays?
A: Noise and clutter on social media. Computers have made it so anyone can make music these days, so competition for small artists is insane; However, on the other hand, it gives everyone a platform now, so it's a double-edged sword. Completely depends on how you use social media outlets.
Q: You released your EP "Ephemeral" in 2013. How did it go ? Rumor has it that you are working on something new ... can you share anything with us ?
A: It was truly special, because it was the first official release for all of us, after past bands we'd been in. The timing was pretty good too, because people weren't so exhausted and overwhelmed by the amount of music on social media yet. As an independent band releasing our first official studio-recorded music, we were so grateful to be able to watch digital sales pour in during the digital pre-release before the physical album release, which would come months later after all the art and everything was finalized. It was incredible to see all the support. We wanted it to coincide with the infamous December 21st, 2012 (the end of the world, according to the Mayan calendar), so in case that happened, at least we put something out and our fans had an epic soundtrack to listen to on the way out! We released it digitally, first, to make that happen.
We also have another demo EP we recorded at home that we released last year in 2017, which makes up half the songs we play live at the moment. That, we titled The Great Unknown [EP], after one of the songs on it. Our song “Begin the Dream” from that EP was re-recorded professionally in the studio, as will be the other two songs from it when funds are sufficient.
We're working on something super-epic that's a little bit different than what we've done so far. Keeping people guessing and keeping things interesting for listeners is important to us. This one will have both growling and singing, as is the norm with our sound, however, it will have more singing on it than any track we've done yet, which Mike intended purposely to reflect the concept of the song, which is about altering your mind and energy to change your life. The working title right now is “Alteration.” Like Begin the Dream, it will also have a music video, and Phil posted it a while ago on YouTube as an instrumental demo under the video title “Song 5.” That's about all there is to say for now. We will let it speak for itself once it's finished. We can't wait for you and everyone to hear it!
Q: Any thoughts about touring?
A: We would love to. It's a dream of ours. We're completely open to it and it's a goal, for sure.
Q: Any upcoming shows?
A: Yes, we will soon be officially announcing that we will be opening for Powerman 5000 at Dingbatz on Sunday, April 29th (Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/770404019817690), which we're stoked to be on. We hope to see you there! Also, NJ Metalfest 4, on June 23rd, which will be our first time playing Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck, so that should be a good time! (Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/139819480035693) Other than that, we're on the lookout for more national and international acts to share the stage with, as well as more great local bands to play with and build excitement with around the NJ metal scene.
Q: And now the weird question of the day; You win $1 million ... between all 5 of you ... what do you do with it ?
A: Invest a lot of it, pay off student loans and credit cards, and allot what we need right now to be able to record more music in studio and shoot more music videos.
Coverage by Anna Antonopoulos
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