Hello Corun how are you?
Hello there! Right now I'm sitting in a lesbian coffee shop which is totally cool, 'cause I'm sure no-one will disturb me here while I'm going through your questions :). Feeling good, a little tired of yesterday's work of mixing drums for the upcoming 10th Anniversary compilation cd of CODE666. It will be an exclusive track which will only be released on that disk, probably followed by an Italian gig; so quite busy and, so far, satisfied ;).

Your debut album "Weird Constellations" was released not long ago, how content are you with the final result of your work and how is the response to it so far?
Actually, promotion just have started, but responses via our myspace and that few reviews I have read so far are really pleasant. Not everyone gets us yet, but we're considered interesting which seems to be a good start. From our point of view, it is great that finally we had the chance to record these songs of the past four years. It feels like we skipped one or two albums already, but at the end it always turns out that things happen at the right time regardless of hardships we have to face all the time. Weird Constellations sounds almost exactly like we wanted and whatever changes it went through were worth it.

"Weird Constellations" combines various music genres, like black metal, progressive metal and especially a lot of techno elements. Do you guys all have different musical backgrounds or what's the reason for that?
Well... we also started out with different backgrounds, and those diversities only widened since our existence. Sacrun (keyboards) had classical training and is a big fan of disharmonics; Vyrn (guitars) - our boss :) among us - is considered to be responsible for most black- and thrash-metallic elements; Sinox (lead) first had an insane trust in the music of Mayhem, Immortal and such, but since he uses clear vocals, he mostly listens to pop-singers he finds good professionally; Sigan (drums) is into almost everything which is crazy and unusual; and I enjoy everything what is melodic and/or original, and has fine grooves from drum n' bass and hip-hop to avantgarde metal. But we all feed upon each other and now it would be hard to make such differences. We're looking for meaning, professionalism and most importantly honesty in the music we listen to.

You first recorded a demo and then an EP entitled "The Growing Spirit", both released by yourself. How long did it took the labels to take notice of you and why did you choose to sign with Code666?
Both times, with the Ep and the album, we waited for about 4 months. We got several responses. Code666 was there at the beginning as well, but VicRecords was so eager to sign us that we rolled with it. After years of delay regarding 'The Growing Spirit' we tried again and this time Code666 seemed to be the right choice. Their response to the album was amazing. Their distribution is great and only a couple labels were higher on our list. They give us a free hand in whatever we do and for our first material this was very important. Emi, the head of the company, wrote that it fits perfectly with their attitude and we just couldn't say no to a company who works with such original groups as Atrox, Aborym, or any other they have for that matter :).

There aren't many Hungarian metal bands that are very popular in Europe yet, exceptions might be Ektomorf or Sear Bliss. Is the Hungarian metal scene a flourishing one and how is metal music regarded in your country?
First of all I have to emphasise that Ektomorf has put an insane amount of work in their band in order to reach their position! And that's why the Hungarian scene is not well know, I believe. Because no-one else goes that far. Apart from that there are tons of metal bands in Hungary, but somehow they are always following subgenres. Hungary is very traditional in many ways and those chains are hard to break. We intend to be more specific on that situation in our future work, but don't want to disturb the silent water right now. I must say, great talent is lost here, and morals have to change to overcome that. There is hope :)...

The band formed in 2002, so it took quite a while until your first album was out. Are there any special reasons for that or was it just perfectionism? "Weird Constellations" sounds to me very professional and mature for a first full-length effort.
We have written soooo many songs over the years and each and every one of them is a pain for me not to have recorded them. I'll be frank. We are still very young and it was always a struggle to get the money for studio, but even for equipment. Also there's a cruel psychological side of DSD which points out members from time to time who have to change. Growing up to our own expectations is a long process. Some steps seemed to be left out, but they were all there, believe me :). Thank you for the nicely put thought though!, it's honestly great to hear, but I don't think we'll ever be completely satisfied. Also our musical director Viktor 'Max' Scheer, who's a far more experienced and awesome person, has a lot to do with what turned out to be 'Weird Constellations'. When working with him, we always learn a lot!

Let's have a more detailed look on your album, beginning with the cover artwork: Did you have no money to let someone create an artwork for you (just kidding) or why did you decide to show yourselves on it?
Haha, good question! Covers just never turn out the way we imagine. But this time, this was the second draft already. For once, we would like to emphasise that DSD consists of members. And each member is a different personality. There are groups where the audience is in favour of their uniformed outlook, or the singer. And others are famous for their personalities like GNR, or Metallica for instance. We decided to go with this last one. Also, with the logo and the cover, we are not ashamed to suggest that we kinda wanna look like a pop-group. It is not like any metal band would do, which will hopefully bring up some issues, haha, and you can also spot it out on a shelf full of metal cds. Anyways... couldn't find anything which looks better than us :). Of course, it's not an accident.

My favourite song on "Weird Constellations" is "Devil's On His Way"; it would be really interesting to know how you come up with the ideas that are used in that song and on the rest of the album, too. How does the songwriting process look like?
That one I remember exactly. I came home from high school one day and I had the first riff in my mind which bothered me so much that I put it down. Then I continued with that funky part which you can barely here now under the verse. In a couple hours I had a full song which the others completed with their ideas. This is how it normally goes... One of us brings a song which is almost completely written. Then we all mess it up. Then from the parts we put it back together so everyone's intentions can be heard in the final thing. Usually the music comes first, which is basically stupid in the classical sense so we try to turn it around. Bad metal-music-habit. Devil's on His Way was easy 'cause I had almost everything thought out, but it's not always the case.

One point that might be criticized is that the two instrumentals "Weird Constellations" and "Raven" interrupt the flow of the album a bit, as they almost directly follow up to each other. What would you say about this critique?
The first one has to interrupt. It divides the album in two parts and also helps the listener to settle down a bit. The first part is very intense so we decided to ease up the second half, but the last songs are also a lot more serious than the first ones. 'Raven' shows that joking is over. The trip is coming to a disturbed and tiring end. There are still lots of references, but the songs on the second part are very personal. Even the techno beat in 'Fake' is not a joke, but more about that later...

In the second half of the album the techno elements are more present than in the beginning, reaching it's climax with "The Angel And The Dark River" and the part of "Fake", that could compete with any song by Scooter (if you know them). Are you really into this stuff or is it just one part of the limit-free music cosmos of Damned Spirits' Dance? Will some other non-metal genres be more in the focus on your next releases?
Well... it's not the techno, or any genre, but more what backs up the lyrical and the mental state of a certain song. Actually, we are a great fans of partying to Scooter, so we didn't wanna give a finger to them at all. BUT, that part reflects on groups of people who are so fake and, as we say it, made of plastic that no other musical style could suggest that more. Love is fake, men are fake, women are fake. There's an immense lie-cloud above some who don't know, don't wanna know, or don't care where they are heading to. Answering your question, anything can be a part of DSD which seems right. There are genres we play better or worse which is a limit till the end, but we're hoping that some day we won't have to be affected by such weaknesses. Because the mind is limitless and so has to be the music. Music only accompanies the message and raises strong emotions, therefore it cannot be anything, of course :). Difficult stuff, but we are as understandable as someone in our age can be. DSD grows up with us, and I belive, that's normal. Only a strong personality with a solid background has the ability to change, bend and not break as the saying says - and DSD has a stong personality. It's hard to deal with, it's hard for us to even deal with ourselves, but it's full of life and it longs for being understood.

The album ends rather contemplative (maybe even melancholic) with "Guess, I'm Dying". Don't know why, but it somehow reminded me of the ending of a drug trip. Why has the "party" to stop then?
When Reason cuts my Flying? :) At the peak of every intense experience comes a point when a person becomes disgusted with him/herself and doesn't see a way out, because reality hurts a lot more than being 'free'. Realizing that the two things are not apart at all and one has ups and lows in both state is a bitch. We're running in circles and we musn't stop. When understanding a bit of this, one understands what dying is. Everything is decomposing, things only seem still. And the feeling of dying is always clear, no matter what. Accepting that comes with tranquility, and much melancholy.

The way the lyrics are presented in the booklet, it seems like there's a whole story being told; however, many different topics are treated. So, can it really be read as one complete text?
That would be the concept of a mind. It's a whole, but it rages on from one topic to another. Sometimes there are real connections, sometimes it's only mere association. So many things have effect on a person, we wanted to create an outline of that chaos we have to put in order so we can live a normal life. It's a life story. A part of it.

What served as inspiration for the text of "Black Savage"? It's a rather controversial issue and not what one would expect on such an album (well, of course one might say that anything can be expected on this album).
You see! We haven't thought of that and yet so true. So it worked in a way. The symbol-system of 'Weird Constellations' allows many directions. When Sacrun asked me to write the lyrics, he wanted something very oblique. It is supposed to be about how people treat you when you are different, but can easily be put in a category. It doesn't have to be a race, or religious belief. I only wanted to turn it around. Becouse many times a group feels like an outcast, they also feel divine and better than the group they are chased by. Hail parts of the metal-community! People tend to hate what they must fear. Because people always fear what they don't understand. A healthy curiosity would be ideal...

So, since the album is finished, how are your plans about touring and playing concerts?
That's the most difficult for us in every sense. We have little experience organizing tours, but we're on it!! The plan is to become a part of a Nightliner tour already organized as support. For the summer we have booked some gigs around the country, but as soon as autumn, we want to get out as well and go as far as we can. Work issues don't allow us yet to leave for a whole month, but if we ever get an opportunity we cannot possibly turn down, we are ready to set off. Meanwhile, we are rehearsing our show and try to give as many concerts as we can afford. T-shirt and cds on our hands help us to make this happen :).

We come to the end of the interview with our traditional brainstorming. I give you some words and you write what comes to your mind first when you hear them:

Wine: A place I used to go to a lot. Cheap, but quality wine. Actually, Hungarian wine can be really fine! Also the times when we didn't know that and had crappy ones for years which made us sick all the time :). Great and terrible nights when Sinox had still drunk alcohol.
Hungarian Dances: Saw an amazing show once which summed up Hungarian history in a dance show. Even bought the DVD. Contains almost all forms of traditional Hungarian dance, it's crazy!
Love Parade: My sister laughing while reading this and that it clears out my mind completely :). Love is in the air!
My Dying Bride: Her again. That she cannot listen to more than two tracks without wanting to swallow a blade. Also how I called my first love of my life, only when she wasn't around.
Metal1.info: The review of the highest standard I have ever read regarding our music. Seriously! Also our first interview ever!

Thank you for your patience to answer all my questions and good luck for the future of Damned Spirits' Dance. The last words are yours:
This does not concern you guys, but check it out: our name is spelled like this! D A M N E D S P I R I T S' (there is an 'S' and an apostrophe afterwards!) D A N C E. You wouldn't imagine how difficult that is :).
For those who read this amazingly long stuff we put together: be nice to each other, be reasonable when you have the chance, don't forget to express your worries, work hard, but have lots of fun when you can. Balance is most important! Let your spirit dance!

Interview von: Sebastian Schott