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In Words: Dyecrest



- Niko Takala - Dec. 2003 - Claudia Ehrhardt -


www.dyecrest.com








Niko Takala - December, 16th 2003




The Finnish band Dyecrest are nobodies to the metal fans. Some might remember the Finnish from their appearance at Sanctuary's Young Metal Gods contest. Now their debut album will be released and so I took the chance to learn more about the sextet. Drummer Niko Takala called me up and we talked about their past, what happen these days and their future. The band started awhile ago, but started about a year ago more seriously working. The Young Metal Gods contest was a huge chance for them. "When we got invited for the show in Bochum, we hoped that we can make it and get the contract. But we knew that it won't be easy after we listened to the other bands," Niko confessed. Musically the six-pack offers a melange of heavy metal, dark power metal. There are reminiscences here and there, but the band already created their own sound, even if it's obvious that they are mainly influenced by 80's heavy metal / power metal. "Originally we called Dyecast, but there was a U.S. band with the name Diecast and their attorney contacted us and had some good arguments not to keep our name. That was in October / November. Our label called us and gave us 2 days to came up with a new name. We couldn't decide, then the next call and an ultimatum of 2 hrs.! And so we decided to rename into Dyecrest. Actually there isn't a real meaning behind, but we thought that it sounds good.... Niko explained why none ever heard of Dyecrest before. "Beside that I hate the typical heavy metal cliché names!" The name sounds good and I think that's easy to remember, so a good decision. The album sounds quite homogenous and so I was wondering, if they recorded mainly new tracks. "Well, it's mixed. There are five new ones and five old ones. Lost Faith is from 2000, for example. For All The Weak and Into The Void are brand-new, followed by Made Me Believe which is an old on. Actually we understood in Bochum that we shall enter the studio in September, but then the recordings started early July! I was the first one to enter the studio - Karo Studio - and at that time the 5 new tracks weren't finished. The melody / vocal line and the lyrics were still missing. But it was okay." Dyecrest worked with Iron Savior mainman Piet Sielck as producer, but the drum tracks were recorded in a different studio. "Piet has a contract with the Karo Studio for doing the drums there, coz his studio is quite small. We are pleased with the turn out. The production is great and Piet had great visions." Other bands haven't pleased at all about the cooperation with Mr. Sielck.... "We hadn't the time to arrange the songs completely and haven't played them as a band before entering the studio. Piet understood what we had in mind and usually had a vision of it. As a guitarist he could show what he had in mind easily. That made working easy. Perhaps it's a little bit conventional, and partly we would chosen a more modern sound. Beside that he helped us with the arranging of the vocal parts. His contribution was just great! He and the engineer also helped out with the backing vocals" the drummer told me. Due to the fact that the band hadn't time to overdo it again and again, Piet as a producer made decisions. But the band is happy with the album in general. "I guess we are a band who needs a deadline. We work better under pressure." And so also their album title The Way Of Pain kinda came naturally through the recordings, Niko told me. "During the recordings of the guitars and vocal parts - I was back home - the guys called me and that recordings are quite painful, coz the songs weren't completely written. We had to change things which is pain to a musician. To work out things... It's a way of pain... The way of pain for us. It kinda stick to the album since and so we though it fits. For me it was mainly to re-write the lyrics, coz I thought they were perfect, but Piet told me to change things. He had a certain idea about it." Even if there are a few bands where the drummers are responsible for the lyrics, it's still unusual... Not that typical... "Perhaps I'm not a typical person. I'm a kind of poet. I like to write about feelings and impressions. The lyrics are dark and it's for me a kind of self-therapy. It helps me to cope with things that happen around me. Also I should mention that Janne wrote the lyrics for one song." There are parts which remind me of Helloween... "Well, the latest Helloween release Rabbit Don't Come Easy is dis­appointing. But I still like their older stuff. I got into Helloween when I was 9 years old and their Keepers Of The Seven Keys Pt. 1 was released." That leads me to the question about playing live... "There isn't anything confirmed yet. But we are 90% sure that we'll play a festival in Helsinki and we're trying to get on the billing of Sweden Rock Festival... But that's just an idea we are working on. There will probably be a tour with a bigger band, but it depends on the sales figures... At the moment it seems that we'll just play a record release show in Helsinki, but the contract has to be signed... You see, it's all wait and see." Niko said with a little sadness in his voice, but there is also hope. The band is hot to play live, to convince metal fans live on stage. "We are looking for­ward to play live! Check back on our website www.dyecrest.com for details!" Nothing more to say...


Claudia Ehrhardt

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