The Aristocracy proudly arrived at their Twenty-eighth Interview. This time, we will talk to a band with a very beautiful and very strong history in metal. A history that began in 2004. We are referring to the Belgian Band Declared Dead. They present us with their eleventh album titled as Integument Of Golden Luster. All answered our questions. These all are: Anders Milovovich On Vocals/Guitars, Dimitri Nagel III on Guitars, Deiter Cox on Bass and Mikhel Van Zaal On Drums/Keyboards. follow this interview in all your emotions in this friday of passion.
A1:Talking about the composition work in Integument Of Golden Luster?
Declared Dead:I'd say the composition work of the new album is in the vein of "Blackened Progressive Death-Thrash" style-wise. As for the structures within the compositions,there's free flowing ideas without rigid adherence to a standard blueprint.There's hardly any repetition of choruses for example, yet I feel there's a catchiness to most of the songs within that given spontaneity.It's not overly complex, I'd say but hopefully there's some interesting surprises" here and there with some moments of "horns up headbanging fierceness"? The sequencing of the songs was deliberate, also in the grand scheme of presentation. Like, the notable first three songs being somewhat "lengthy" with the third of those three having an extravagance of guitar solos throughout that leads into the fourth song that's shorter and having no solos whatsoever,might be the first Declared Dead song without any solos? I'm not sure to break things up a bit. I think the last song on that album might have the repeat chorus type of thing going on and the song "Tonguing the Amputee" is close to it as well,but not exact, if I remember correctly. The guitar solos are/were very spontaneous as well. Some were even first takes. All were without thought, capturing the pure feeling of the moment. The bass guitar has a nice solo/lead type feeling in "Decimation Blood Tithe",while the drums have some loose play here and there throughout the whole as well.
A2:How does the band make violence work as an aphrodisiac?
Declared Dead:Well, we don't necessarily make violence work as an aphrodisiac for ourselves. That song is more about those in the so called "human race" that do a lot of those who are "in power" but it can also trickle down into such things as "sibling rivalry",etc.We weren't trying to glorify violence with that song or anything.It's more a commentary on such a thing. Like, the joy bullies seem to get by picking on someone they think is smaller than themselves. Plus, it's just a "fun" song title. "Violence as Aphrodisiac" And really, I can't take credit for that as an invention of my own. I found that combination of words in a book I read either "The Picture of Dorian Gray" or "Not of His Image".I'm thinking the latter but I'm not sure.My mind tends to seek out "unique/interesting" word plays that might not have been used in a musical setting before, so this phrase was one of them I found and used.That phrase could even be a commentary on the lame/weak scenario of the concept of microaggressions".It's almost an attempt at "getting off from victimhood", yeah?
A3:How was the experience to do a live album?
Declared Dead:That was a blast! Intimidating but overall a satisfying endeavor.We're not "lucky enough" to be a touring band so we had to settle playing a small gig along the "countryside" for some "friends", "friends of friends", and "friends of friends of friends"...haha. A one off show that we embellished as a "festival performance",our own and only our own "Hangman's Fest"!Upon listening to the full show before releasing it as a bona fide Declared Dead album I'm a bit "perturbed" at how many times I yelled "all right!" to the crowd.So much so I almost called myself Anders "All Right!" Milovovich in the credits for "Integument of Golden Luster".I didn't but was so tempted to do so! If we ever get to do another live event like that, I'll have to curb the use of that phrase!
A4:What band mean with Blood Tithe?
Declared Dead:Well, the whole song title is "Decimation (Blood Tithe)" of course. So, "decimation" means "one tenth/ten percent" destruction of something while "tithe" is an "offering" of one tenth/ten percent of financial income or livestock, basically.Both is a loss to some and a gain to others. So, something like atrocious wars provides blood sacrifices to and for the "archontic forces" that feed on "negative vibrations" caused by such things if one is accustomed to these ideas and doesn't dismiss them too casually and hastily.Both are imbued with the cliche of "blood of the lamb".The blood that "saves" and enslaves.The vice of sacrifice. The lyrics have an additional edge like a first person embodiment of one of the blood thirsty globalist Georgia Guidestones worshiping depopulation freaks that have been coming out of the woodwork like cockroaches on their final holiday outing, lately think about what has occurred in the past two years scamdemic.Now,another contrived war, etc., etc. Then another planned famine.
A5:The fact that the band doesn't need the help of a label company to what extent can it be considered an asset?
Declared Dead:An internet facility like BandCamp has really helped bands such as ours but I'd say it still takes some luck and some intrepid music enthusiasts to help bands like ours get even a token suggestion of attention. So,THANKS for that whomever it may concern! Speaking for ourselves,Declared Dead has just kept on releasing new material for almost 8 years, now, and has managed to garner a fair amount of continual listeners with very little "promotion".Though can there ever be "more than enough" when it comes to sharing artistry? Well probably. But I don't feel we've met that criteria yet. Label support could and most likely would take us to a higher level of exposure but I'm not sure that Declared Dead is meant for too vast of an audience and we're really not in the ready to compromise to do/be so, either. Not that other bands necessarily have and do especially really underground bands.Hopefully, it doesn't hurt attempting to raise a little more awareness to and of our craft in whatever fashion is presented within integrity like this interview!Akin to a steady monetary income (when people speak of six figure or seven figure incomes,I wouldn't mind Declared Dead's popularity going up by another figure or two if that makes sense.Adding a zero or two behind the numbers we're getting thus far as in "followers" and "downloads.We're not talking about money - we have no intention or cares of earning any money from and for Declared Dead. We just want to reach however many listeners that might enjoy what we do for whatever reasons. Other than that to stay around the level we're at currently,there's no thoughts of doing any of this for anyone/anything other than ourselves and if others partake of it.great! So,it comes down to pure gratifying magic and creativity, etc.!That's what it should be about whether it's 100 "fans" or 1,000,000 "fans", though, ideally!
A6:Some Literature or film inspire the band?
Declared Dead:Yes,for sure! It would be difficult to specify exactly what inspires the band fully. There are quiet subtleties that are more abstract in nature than can be detailed in words colors form,dreams,nostalgia,personal tragedies, sorrows, loss, compassion, irritations, regrets, etc.I personally don't really watch very many movies anymore but when I did and occasionally still do my mind tends to again keep alert for interesting dialogue that I might pluck and use for lyrics or song titles,etc.Also,even shapes and colors in the background might somehow add texture and tone to later works much like dreams of familiarity that somehow get captured in the music as well.Some definite knowing of my own where some of the concepts came from for Declared Dead besides the aforementioned "Violence as Aphrodisiac" would be the title of of the newest album "Integument of Golden Luster" itself. This was a phrase uttered by a so called entity called "Ra" in the channeled book series "The Ra Material/The Law of One" when asked what it/they looked like when they supposedly visited Earth during the Egyptian Dynasties period in physical bodies and walked among the other Earth inhabitants. The answer was along the lines of "I Am Ra: They were bodies consisting of the integument of golden luster." I'm paraphrasing,this isn't exact using my fallible memory). The key point is seeing "integument of golden luster" just made me want to use it somehow for Declared Dead and so I did, obviously. Haha. "Veiled in Flesh" is another phrase "Ra" used in that series though,I took it and twisted it into something "macabre" - hence, another aspect of "corruption".Oh! And also, the first song off the new album is a title that was a phrase from "Ra" with Unfettered Tread".So, besides the possibility of a loose concept being "corruption" for this/that release two of the song titles were from the same source as the album title making the album title more meaningful by happenstance.The album before this newest one is/was "Of Stakes and Grisly Burdens". That title is/was a variation from a sentence I read in a David Icke book "Human Race Get Off Your Knees:The Lion Sleeps No More"). He was speaking about Vlad the Impaler and how there were thousands of people on stakes along a roadside and something to the affect of and those stakes with their grisly burdens.Became,for me and Declared Dead) "Of Stakes and Grisly Burdens which can allude to the sickening preponderance of "Christ on the cross" as well as the general "stakes" of individual and collective life itself being a "fragile art of existence" as Chuck Schuldiner put it and the "grisly burdens" a.k.a. the general misery the majority of semi-awake people endure 'til it's time to "give up the ghost". The game of existential angst.Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness"? Smashing Pumpkins? Really? Did I just do that?.A few more quick inspirational manifestations would be the song "Guardian of the Other World" which is a phrase from the first or second Carlos Castaneda book (shamanistic reference) off of "Retirement Plan B". Off of the "Way of the Reaper" album: "Atonement of the Myriad" is related to a different version of "Ra"/"Egyptian wisdom teachings("The Hermetica"}while songs like "Samsara is Nibbana" can be attributed to a spiritual teacher known as Adyashanti mixed with my own "understanding" of Zen Buddhist musings.The same can be said of "Longing & Loathing" and "Empty Sky of Being" - Zen/Advaita Vedanta traditions.The Twitch" off that same album was inspired by the movie "Omen III", I think it was where the executive guy is moving briskly through the town and shuts himself in his office and blows his head off under his desk his leg/foot does a death throe twitch that was spoken about in the dvd commentary, I believe. And yet ANOTHER song off that album ("A Field of Crows") was literally inspired by seeing a small group of crows flocked in a field and the lyrics just sprouted forth from there.I can't say Declared Dead fleshes out lyrics about poetic events from storytellers and newsmakers (akin to Iron Maiden, Judas Priest or even Metal Church.It's usually more abstract than that.But my mind is always scanning anything and everything for something original to me anyway to use. So,that being said inspiration is boundless!
A7:Why the band have this name?
Declared Dead:It just kind of happened. I was seeking a name for a new band and went through a number of ideas most were used already,then it just came to me."Hmm...what about Declared Dead"? Sure enough it wasn't used! How odd! After that, the name started showing more "profound" meanings like everything that is born in this world/realm/dimension/density is destined to "die". we're all "declared dead" from the very beginning! Then as the band started working on songs, we noticed that we were "cannibalizing/recycling" old riffs/patterns/ideas/motifs from our various other music projects. Projects that we had "declared dead" were now becoming a part of something that had "new life". Declared Dead! So, there's a bit of "irony" or even maybe, some "greater truth" behind that occurrence (relating to the probability of "reincarnation" and "ascension", etc.Most of what Declared Dead does/has done is just kind of "brought about". It's like the material is already "there" in "the ethers", so to speak) and we bring it into this realm and try to express it the best we can.But, it seems it's never "perfect", of course.But anyway, Declared Dead can kind of symbolize "perseverance", also. If someone or something proclaims,"You're dead!" They declare you dead.You just get the hell back up and continue on! Flesh can be destroyed soul/spirit/consciousness, can it? It can be twisted and "corrupted" but can it truly die? It's something to ponder, I guess.
A8:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
Declared Dead:Hmm... I don't want to try and explain it in succinct terms.Like the music/concepts/lyrics of Declared Dead,they just seem to transpire.The artwork is the same.It was pieced together 'til the moment came where it was noticed, "Yeah! That's it! It's done!" Most Declared Dead album covers are finished before we even write the material or have the song titles, oddly enough. This was not an exception for "Integument of Golden Luster".After the music/lyrics were finished is when we started to see parallels with that and the artwork. Like for instance,the "mummified man with a piece of rope around his neck has a golden tinge to his skin and he seems to have such a peaceful demeanor with his closed eyes and mild smile,yet it could represent the song "Languishing in Ligature", too? He's "dead but dreaming"? There's a candle above him representing "spirit/soul it continues? A flame of infinity/eternity?There's a window that seems to show an idyllic world beyond. Of lush green life when in this world,it seems there's an ever driven pursuit towards dystopia.How do we get to those "greener fields? Are we trapped here in a prison, a prison of the mind? Can we "ascend"? The golden idol in the center can represent "ancient wisdom" that can lead to "enlightenment", luminosity" ,"Integument of Golden Luster".On the left lower corner is kind of an "alien/u.f.o./starseed" motif which relates to "The Ra Material/Law of One" that the album title is taken from.The upper right corner has an "all seeing eye" type of thing with a feather fallen angels? Egyptian lore? There's an aborted fetus on a cross around that area.Many tangents can be drawn from that. It can correlate with the song "Tonguing the Amputee" at a more "base level".There's Saturn above the Declared Dead logo there's talk of Saturn in "The Law of One" material and in the Illuminati world,there's Satanic affiliation with it.To the upper right are "pyramid type structures" that look like mountains as well with an aspect of "twilight" dusk? dawn? and a "mirrored" aspect to them as above so below"?What lies beyond that horizon? Mystery? The unknown? The various colored "balls" throughout the piece could represent "duality" plus "The Music of the Spheres"? Planetary influence? Over all,the cover is meant to be "intriguing" and to draw one to it while having a balance of angles and fluidity.
A9:How is Declared Dead different from your previous bands?
Declared Dead:I'd say our other bands/music projects were what we "cut our teeth on". Declared Dead seems to be more cohesive. Yes, in the beginning to middle portions of our offerings there's been some "odd" maybe even "clumsy"? Choices we made experimentally but it's all about artistry more than anything else. It was right for the time and continues to be so with each creation/manifestation,etc.Other than that our playing styles were probably about the same with our previous attempted bands/music endeavors just more juvenile,less developed,of course? Also, the difference of previous band attempts and Declared Dead is that Declared Dead is actually getting some attention/allure.Our others, basically went nowhere! {Haha!}
A10:Literally Speaking:Is the world ridiculous?
Declared Dead:Well,there's much absurdity definitely! Would I define it thusly only? No.I can't really take much seriously, that's for sure.But that might just be my personality - not an attribute of the collective whole.But what I've observed thus far is there's lots of superficial pettiness related to "ego/identity") that I find quite "ridiculous" as you put it! I don't enjoy being a part of it. I tend to be "introverted", "introspective",self aware" not hungry for attention/fame", "uncomfortable on this planet". I'm not a "people person". I don't like "inconsiderate people" nor "fakely considerate people". How all this relates to your question, I'm not sure. I guess it relates in the sense of seeing all the ridiculous behaviours and providing satire about it sometimes? Playing with irony about it? But mostly it just irritates/annoys me and I naturally try and stay away from such things. I tend to be drawn to the so called "lesser creatures" that which has far more authenticity animals, plants, rocks nature and slightly "higher minded" things like "philosophy", "psychology", "metaphysics",etc.The "destruction of innocence" is what brings the most "seriousness" to my being. The most heartfelt agony (anger, despair, sorrow, grief, disgust,etc is experienced when I see and acknowledge such intrusion.
A11:If the theme of this album is corruption, can we say that corruption is an evil of humanity and not just in a specific position?
Declared Dead:Sure. Everyone is susceptible, in my opinion. Maybe, it's a part of duality in general? If we take it far enough - it could be said that coercing someone towards "morals" or take for example: "The Golden Rule" to keep with that color theme of the album is a "corruption of selfishness". Or seeking and gaining knowledge is a "corruption of ignorance". What's "good"? What's "bad". It's all "subjective". For instance. Personally, I love animals. I enjoy their company and behaviours/personalities etc. However,do I still eat meat? Yes. If I were stranded in a forest and became ravenously hungry, might I find a way of killing a sweet little rabbit or a fanciful deer to fill by belly with? It's not out of the realm of possibility/probability! Is this "corrupt behavior"? Or is "corruption" only a word to define when a "law" is broken (even though, these days it seems laws stem from corruption itself!)? If I were to define myself as a "perfect Vegan" or whatever and then killed an animal to eat and broke my own "code of honor", would this be corruption? Or is it only when something is salaciously beckoned and manipulated that one comes to the affiliation of "corruption"? Is "corruption" a vehicle that drives between "ignorance" and "wisdom"? Is it "needed" in some way?
A12:Is a men an animal that carries the corpse on his back all the time?
Declared Dead:Wow! If I read this in a book or heard it in a movie I would snag it and use it for Declared Dead! Haha. Quite a few "men/women/humans" seem to fit in that category, I must agree! And it might be due to a deliberate "corruption" from and by "secret societies"/"controllers"/"Archons"/"Shadow-selves" that want to keep a "greater spirit" from realizing its power to rise above such tyranny, etc.Declared Dead has a song called "Dragging the Corpse" funny enough off of "Retirement Plan B" that speaks of what you so poetically asked. This is represented by the terms:"indoctrination", "beasts of burden", useless eaters", etc., etc. I believe the opposite is true. I believe we are "Bound to the Boundless".This is related to what's known as passing through The Gateless Gate.This state is beyond "animal" and beyond "divinity". It's "beyond good and evil".But,most of us continue to be drawn back down to the illusion me included it's tiring!But there's something about us that "has always been, has never been, and continues to be".Can you or anyone reading this sense this and hold on to it without grasping it?
A13:What´s bands influence ours?
Declared Dead:Oh, man. There's so many.I pondered recently what might be my five top favorite bands overall. I'll share that first. The five top favorite bands of mine might seem to be in no particular order:TestAmenT, Annihilator, Morbid Angel, Hate Eternal and Dream Theater. But there's just so many others that I partake of as well and I'm always seeking more to add and celebrate. By the way, those listed bands doesn't mean my contributions to Declared Dead provide mimicry of those bands. I'm drawn to bands that seem to have an original/trademark type of style usually and it's my "hope" that Declared Dead is becoming or has become one of those bands that has it's own sound/style like what I enjoy,Other bands I gravitate towards or have in "the past" could and would be: Death, Slayer, Carcass, Coroner, Exodus, Flotsam and Jetsam, Death Angel, Pestilence, Suffocation, Overkill, Emperor, Meliah Rage, Deathrow, Armored Saint, Control Denied, Damn the Machine, Mithras, Napalm Death, Charred Walls of the Damned, Angelcorpse, Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Mordred, Anacrusis, Vio-lence, Metal Church, Mastodon, Lynch Mob, Scorpions, Judas Priest, White Lion, Savatage, Vendetta, Handful of Hate, Immolation, Motely Crue, Steel Panther, Vicious Rumors, Alas, Bruce Dickinson solo stuff, Nile, Kreator, Possessed, Centurian, Prostitute Disfigurement, Impaled Nazarene.Ugh,just so many and so many more!Recent stuff I've gotten into would be: Cambion, Cynic, Chemicide, Rites of Thy Degringolade, Malignancy, Incantation, Nekrokraft, Midnight, Soreption, First Fragment, Warfather, Tankard, Augury, Rage, and just various "one time only needed listens" that I can't remember at the moment. But even more stuff than this but I don't want to use up too much space here.I don't wish to speak too much for the other band members but I'll touch on that our second guitar player (Dimitri) is more into "technical" and "brutal" death metal over all but likes some of what I listed as my own tastes as well, our bassist Deiter is drawn more to simplified "punk" and "punk type" metal and stuff like Metal Church in that vein. Slayer, of course. Our drummer Mikhel is the more "eclectic" of the bunch, for sure.He tends to be into some of the Metal I listed but can veer into more "experimental" stuff most of which I just let go in one ear and out the other when he's talked about it.But some I can remember that's not all that Metal (except for Sigh - that stuff is Metal and I can get into it a little, too) might be: Faith No More,they're okay to me,Voivod,I like them quite a bit - should've put them on my list, too Cutting Crew, Midnight Oil... I don't know,Various 60's type rock, some 70's "progressive rock". He likes Rush,they're okay to me.What's it called "New wave".He gets into some of that. Some 80's "pop". Some "weird" stuff like I think it/they are called Kayo Dot or something like that? Ultimate Spinach? I remember that one 'cuz the name sounded so funny. Frank Zappa, of course.
A14:This album is conceptual? Yes or no and why?
Declared Dead:It wasn't intentionally "conceptual" or "traditionally conceptual". If anything, it's loosely conceptual upon investigating the full presentation. We didn't set out to develop a theme, the theme developed itself and we just brought it forth, so to speak. I guess that might be an attribute of art in and of itself? We noticed like other Declared Dead albums - there can be a "general theme" that seems to embody the whole like "Blood Bender" was very much linked to "blood"/"circulatory systems",etc.Way of the Reaper" and "Retirement Plan B" also have overarching themes related to the album titles.Declared Dead is more intuitive" than "instructive" if that makes sense? The "why" in this would be that I, personally, like to see patterns of connectivity in what I present as art. We don't force it to be, it just becomes a force?
A15:What kind of subject don´t deserve a Declared Dead Song?
Declared Dead:That's tough to answer because right away I think that if it doesn't deserve a Declared Dead song, it's going to naturally be something we haven't even thought of and if we haven't thought of it, how are we to know if it deserves a song or not?{Haha!}.But to go a different route to answer this,I'd say there probably won't be a song dealing with "purple pickles dipped in elephant dung" anytime soon. But you never know! :-D
A16:Is it better to think of the human being as agony than an animal for health?
Declared Dead:I "think".It's, probably better not to "think" at all!Of course, we have to use our "mental faculties" to "navigate" this bizarre palace.But,"over thinking" leads to both "agony" and in terms of health ill health",In my opinion.Maybewe need to "think our way out of thinking"?
A17:The band feel differences between Of Stakes And Grisly Burdens and now in Integument Of Golden Luster?
Declared Dead:I think there's a similar feel to both albums. "Of Stakes and Grisly Burdens" might have a little "darker feel" to it than "Integument of Golden Luster".Both albums have quite a bit of "free form surprises", I think. Both albums have a little more "effort" from Mikhel on the drums than a few of the other Declared Dead albums Way of the Reaper" and "The Devious Grotesque" are examples of a more simplified version of drumming from him.Both albums have very spontaneous guitar solos that suit them well, in my opinion. I guess I'm not really stating many differences, now that I notice it. Haha.One difference might be correct me if I'm wrong) that there are no keyboards at all on "...Grisly Burdens", whereas, on "Integument..." there's two songs with them. Pretty much, I feel that "Integument is a great album to follow "Grisly Burdens". They seem to compliment each other.Maybe,I'm completely delusional? If so ,that's okay. ;-)Hey! I want to thank you for this very intelligent and thought provoking interview! Hopefully, I've provided sufficient answers without being too long-winded? I really appreciate the time we shared, here, and hope it is or becomes some sort of "benefit" for both/all of us in whatever way.Anyone still interested in Declared Dead after this don't hesitate to help spread the word about it and most importantly the music,if you feel called to do so!
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