1.Hello how are things going in Canada these days? Please introduce yourseelves to the readers?
Damon MacDonald bass / vocals
Dimitri LaRose drums
Scott Oliphant guitar
Canada has been great recently for music, tons of releases and great bands, the underground scene is doing very well for itself there currently.
2.When did you first discover death metal and what is it about this genre of music that drew you in?
I was pretty young, probably 11 when i moved from thrash and traditional to death thrash / death metal. I really enjoyed the intensity of the genre as well as how catchy and hooky it can be.
3.Who were the first bands that caught your attention?Who are some of the newer bands that you have been listening to?
One of the first bands within Death Metal that really caught my attention was for sure Cannibal Corpse. I was very drawn into how chaotic it was as well as just how heavy and how catchy some of the riffs are, i really like a good riff you catch yourself nodding along to.
For newer bands i've really liked the revival wave throughout the 2010s until now, so bands like Skeletal Remains, Necrot, Blood Incantation, Molder, Carnation, Frozen Soul, Fleshrot, 200 Stab Wounds, Sanguisugabogg, Undeath, Creeping Death, Tribal Gaze. The list is longer, there are just tons of newer and up and coming death metal acts that are so good.
4.When did you first meet the other members of the band and was it long before you all formed Dying Remains? What is the current line up of the band?
I met Dimitri in 2017, he became the drummer of our death thrash band Detherous, Demolition Hammer / Malevolent Creation worship type band. Me and Dimitri formed Dying Remains in late 2022 after we got home from a tour with our other band. We actually met Scott on that 2022 tour with his other band Stench Of Death. Scott joined Dying Remains just about a year after we formed as our other guitarist Chris had to step down.
The current lineup of Dying Remains is
Damon MacDonald bass / vocals
Dimitri LaRose drums
Scott Oliphant guitar
5.Who would you say are the bands biggest influences? And for the readers who have never heard Dying Remains how would you best describe the bands style?
The biggest influences of the band would be Obituary, Jungle Rot, Morta Skuld, mainly 90s mid tempo death metal. The best way to describe our sound would be heavy and bruting. Just very simple straight forward death metal with a lot of hook and a catchy writing style.
6.Merciless Suffering is the bands debut full length that was released through Maggot Stomp how did you all come in contact with this label?
I've known Scott Magrath for a while prior to Dying Remains mainly just through ordering stuff through the label. I hit him up when ww formed Dying Remains to see if he'd be interested in taking on the project and he was and now here we are.
7.Does the whole band take part in the writing process or does one member usually write all the music? How long does it usually take to complete one song?
When we write we have a few different methods, like myself and Scott will write a bunch of riffs alone or even full songs alone and then we present the material to each other and we all sit down and work out structures, measures, and try different ideas out. The process can either go extremely quick or a little slower just depends how we are feeling on particular songs and ideas.
8.Where does the band draw inspiration for the lyrics and what are some topics written about on the debut release?Which usually happens first the music or the lyrics?
All the lyrical inspiration of Dying Remains comes from horror and horror related things. The lyrical theme for this album came from a lot of medieval and older torture methods and devices. The whole album follows a loose story of different ideas of a sprawing chamber of torture methods happening throughout the structure. So every song is its own story within this dungeon essentially.
9.Has Dying Remains had the opportunity to play very many live shows yet?If yes what have been some of the bands most memorable shows to date?Who are some bands you have shared the stage with?
The US tour has been very cool so far! We have never been outside of Canada so we are experiencing a lot of new places, meeting friends finally for the first time that we have talked to for years and years but have never got to meet. The shows have been a lot of fun too, everyone in America has been extremely nice to us thus far and we are very grateful for it.
10. Dying Remains comes out of Canada's death metal scene what are your thoughts of the scene in Canada over the years?
The scene in Canada is great, especially over the last few years it really started to pick up again. We are very lucky to have the bands and strong scenes that we do. The underground in Canada is very active.
11.Who are your all-time favorite Canadian bands and are their any new bands you feel the readers should check out soon?
All time favourite Canadian bands would be Gorguts, Sacrifice, Razor, Snakepit, Congealed Flesh, Last Retch, Mortuary Slab. There are tons of bands and albums that are amazing but these are the first that come to mind for bands.
12.The bio that was sent with the promo it says the band is influenced and likes 70's and 80's horror movies.When did you start watching horror movies?
I started watching horror movies when i was 7, my introduction into horror was John Carpenter's The Thing. I was so interested by the suspense and tension, the score of the movie, the practical affects and gore. So from there i started watching all horror media i could find. When i was around 14 i started getting into a lot of Italian horror, especially Fulci movies. I love the look of how they are shot and the practical work.
13.What are some of your all-time favorite horror movies over the years?What do you think of all the remakes of various horror movies over the years?
Some of my favourite horror movies would be The Thing, City Of The Living Dead, The Beyond, Zombi, for newer releases i really enjoyed Longlegs, Weapons, and 28 Years Later.
When it comes to the wave of recent remakes i still haven't really seen one i thought was better than the original. Personally i just feel like they are lacking a bit of soul and just seem hollow.
14.Thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?
Thank you for having us do this interview! Our debut album Merciless Suffering is out now through Maggot Stomp records and is available to stream on all streaming services, as well it is available on CD, Cassette, and Vinyl so to anyone reading if you like the album consider picking up a physical media copy! Dying Remains https://www.facebook.com/people/Dying-Remains/100091308382555/ https://www.instagram.com/dying.remains/ Maggot Stomp https://maggotstomp.bigcartel.com/ https://maggotstomp.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MaggotStomp/ https://www.instagram.com/maggotstomp/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/@maggotstomp
