Metal Monday: Catching Up With Draconic

posted in: Exclusive Interviews • Rock

If you’re a long-time reader of the OurStage blog and/or Metal Mondays, you might remember our review of Draconic‘s From The Wrong Side Of The Aperture. The Serbian metallers are now back at it, working on a batch of new metal jams to please all of our ears. Draconic has been a bit quiet since the release of Aperture, so we thought we’d see what they’ve been up to. The bassist and one of the primary songwriters, David Galic, took some time out of his schedule to sit down answer any and all questions we had for him, including the band’s new song (which you can download for free below) and the current state of the metal scene in Belgrade.

OS: So, it’s been a little over two years since Aperture dropped, and your bio mentions two turbulent years for the band. Can you elaborate a bit on what’s been happening with the band since then?

DLG: Just annoying stuff that seems to be plaguing tons of bands these days. Instability in the line-up. Since metal is hardly a profitable thing to do these days, not too many people can commit to being in a band situation where you spend more money on it than you will ever make. So it was just a case of losing band members all the time. Our singer left as soon as the album came out pretty much, so that pretty much killed any momentum we had at that point. And then we had another singer that didn’t work out personality-wise, and a drummer that couldn’t commit and we had to let go because he basically ditched us three days before we were supposed to play to shows over a weekend to play for someone else who was going to pay him. So we just took a break and had to regroup.

OS: But now you’ve got another solid lineup?

DLG: Best one yet in terms of personality and ability as far as I’m concerned. I just hope it can last. You never know these days, but I really love the dudes in the band now and I hope this line-up lasts for years and years to come

OS: Is it the same lineup that produced your latest song, “Hospitals”?

DLG: Yep. That was the whole idea of the single, to let people know we were still alive. Instead of having to assure them that we are still around while writing an album for another we figured, let’s just get one song out to show everyone where we are at musically now and let them know that we are back.

OS: How’s the reception for “Hospitals” been so far?

DLG: Pretty great. There are some people who are disappointed in the lack of clean vocals, but overall, I’d say a majority of the comments are very positive. We even had a bunch of people give donations to download the song, which we weren’t even expecting.

OS: Always a nice surprise. Even without the clean vocals and with the member changes, it still very much feels like a Draconic song.

DLG: Well, the songwriting core is pretty much the same, that’s why. Me, the guitarist Dusan and the keyboardist Branislav are the consistent members, we’ve done at least 85 percent of the music before that anyway, and I’ve always come up with the vocals and most of the lyrics, melodies, vocal patterns, etc.

OS: Makes perfect sense, then! How about the other new material? Is it in line with “Hospitals” or more like your older stuff that is pretty varied from song to song?

DLG: Well the next album is in line with the old album in the sense that it’s going to be very varied, but with a consistent vibe coming from the fact that these same three people are writing everything. Just like there was a super speedy song on the album called “Bleak Future Trauma” there’s going to be songs like “Hospitals.” It’s not all going to be that fast obviously, but it felt like it was a good song to kick it all off with because it [represents] most of the things we are about: it’s fast, it’s catchy, there’s a good bit of proggy noodling and solos, it’s a lot of information stuffed into four and a half minutes. But, it’s definitely not a reflection of all of the new material. There are a couple songs that are over ten minutes and feature a lot of stuff we haven’t done before. But, I think that people will still be able to identify it as Draconic as we continue to evolve the sound

OS: So it sounds like you have a fair amount of new material in the works. Anything close to being ready to be released to the public?

DLG: A couple months ago, we won a local competition where fans on a Serbian metal site voted for what band they want to record a song for free in one of the more prominent studios in Belgrade. We are wrapping that song up now as far as the writing and arranging is concerned, and we hope to record that song really quickly, within the month, and have it out in November. Just like “Hospitals,” a free download. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be called “The Fire’s at Our Doorstep,” I’ve been writing the lyrics over the last couple of weeks. After that, we are going to get down to business and start working on a new album while rehearsing and trying to start playing live during this process.

People have been asking why we aren’t playing live. And it’s because we really don’t feel like playing the old material with a third singer, you know? We want to get a total of three-five new songs in the bag before we present the band in a live setting again. I think the goal is to start recording the next album in the late spring/early summer, but hopefully faster.

OS: Excellent. So, how is the metal scene in Belgrade, anyway?

DLG: It’s pretty disappointing, in the sense that there are a ton of great bands from every imaginable metal genre, but no one to support them. Kids don’t go to shows, they’d rather drink in front of the venue. Venue’s won’t give you weekends because they are reserved for the shitty pop/rock cover bands that make them money, tons of venues are closing down, there’s not much support from the media, etc., but as far as the music is concerned, the scene is pretty great and unexpectedly diverse. When you go to a show of a local band, 70 percent of the crowd is usually dudes from other bands showing their support.

We obviously haven’t because we haven’t played that much, but there are a few bands that go regularly. The bands who play music in which the scene is a lot more united tend to do better. Black metal bands like The Stone or Bane, who are excellent, they do a lot of touring and shows in the region and throughout Europe”hardcore bands have a greater sense of unity and are able to hook up tour easier. There’s definitely some activity in that sense, but it needs to get better for sure. But then again, the financial situation isn’t that great here, and everything costs money. But bands that are intent on traveling and playing shows around the continent are able to do so now. I don’t know if you know, but until recently, you needed a visa to travel into EU countries, but since that restriction has been lifted it’s become a little easier for everyone that wants to do that.

Not many big bands come here either. It’s just not financially favorable. People don’t have much expendable income here, and kids I guess aren’t as hardcore as I was when I was a kid. I would save all of my money for shows, CDs, shirts. Kids don’t really care these days. I have a cousin that loves Kamelot and In Flames but has never seen them live even though they’ve been to Belgrade numerous times. I guess it’s just not that important to people. And concert promoters are tired of losing money. You book Helloween and Gamma Ray, or Amon Amarth and you need to sell 500-600 tickets to cover yourself, and 300 people show up, you know. It’s a bit depressing, but it’s a reality now. A lot of us who really want to see bands still travel to Zagreb or Budapest or Ljubljana or Vienna to see shows…I go regularly to other countries to see shit I want to see.

OS: So, on a more positive note, if Draconic could play a show with three other bands”live or dead, together or disbanded”what bands would you choose and why? (I know, it’s a tough one)

DLG: [laughs] It’s tough because I’m not sure whether to think about it as “bands I want to see” or “bands Draconic should play with. In any case, Strapping Young Lad”metal has been much less cool since they broke up.
I’ve been a religious [Devin Townsend] fanboy since 1997, but haven’t been feeling the recent stuff. I’ll say Death (Human–Symbolic era) too and let that be it, because I don’t want to waste time thinking any more. Actually, it has to be the Human era so that Gene Hoglan doesn’t have to pull a double shift. If I could have chosen to write one album and claim it as mine in metal, it would be Strapping Young Lad’s City so that influence is always present in us I think.

The third can be Anaal Nathrakh then, because they have been able to fill a little bit of the void left in my heart when SYL broke up.

Make sure you keep tabs on this band, as they’re destined to do great things. Join their OurStage fan club, follow them on Twitter, like them on Facebook”whatever you have to do to stay in the know. And don’t forget about the free download above.

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