Getting to Know… Dying Visions | Interview 🎤

In the 295^th Q&A in our Getting to Know… series, we get the inside scoop from London extreme metal band, Dying Vision.

“The music layers dissonant textures over otherwise melodic sections.” Ah, you had me at dissonant textures, 🎙 Dying Vision! In response to our first burning question, the London extreme metal band expounds, asserting, “The songs are often structured to include multiple dynamic changes sometimes afforded by clean guitar sections to contrast against what would otherwise be considered death, black, thrash or grind styles.” Woo! Like our many other Getting to Know Q&As, we get the inside scoop on the collective’s genesis, goals, musical influences, and of course, current, and future musical endeavors. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into 🎤 Getting to Know… Dying Vision: Interview No. 295!

For those who may not be familiar with Dying Vision, what would you say makes you distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

🎤 The music layers dissonant textures over otherwise melodic sections.  The songs are often structured to include multiple dynamic changes sometimes afforded by clean guitar sections to contrast against what would otherwise be considered death, black, thrash or grind styles.

Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did Dying Vision form and what were some of the goals or visions you had early on?

🎤 Following the dissolution of Diachronia in 2012, 🎙 Krzysztof ‘Starash’ Grabowski, 🎙 Daniel ‘SeeKing’ Stanik, and 🎙 Kofi formed the band. Later adding 🎙 Pawel ‘Navar’ Wojcik and 🎙 Mavors Herra on Keyboards to produce the debut album, 💿 Univerself.

 Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting out? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?  

🎤 We have been fairly consistent with establishing and realising goals (mostly being the cycle of creating music, gigging, and touring).

🎤 Aspirations we can sum up with a couple of individual perspectives from band members:

🎤 SeeKing: continuing to enjoy longevity in drumming – no more, no less.

🎤 Owen: seeing our music reach as broad an audience as possible – I am not concerned with their appraisal as much as having it out there and widely available. I also hope that what we create outlives us somehow and remains available. Leaving something behind with integrity and un-compromised is arguably the highest achievement an artist can hope for.

Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Whom would you consider some of your biggest musical influences and how are they influential?

🎤 Starash: early Metallica, Iron Maiden, Death, Slayer, and Emperor.

🎤 Richard: Death, Strapping Young Lad, Devin Townsend, Vader, Kreator, Zeal and Ardor, Gojira, Hypocrisy, Entombed, Bolt Thrower, Napalm Death, Slayer, Sep, Testament, and Sepultura.

🎤 Owen: Rush, Cream, De Lirium’s Order, Cryptopsy, Hexen, Death, Opeth, Ouroborus, Cynic, Akercocke, Athiest, Pestilence, Martyr, Spawn of Possession and Abhorrent.  Bass guitar musician influences: Geddy Lee, Jack Bruce, Erlend Caspersen, Steve Di Giorgio, Jereon Paul Thesseling, Steve Cloutier, Eric Langois, TonyChoy, Victor Wooten, Evan Brewer, Geezer Butler, and D.D Verni.

Ah, the fun stuff.  What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance?  Feel free to be creative.

🎤 Owen: This was with another band (Edge of Ruin) I am in but is worth telling.  At a New Year’s Eve show, we had our own smoke machine and after the last song, there was some free time, so we partied a bit on-stage including the classic smashing an old guitar on stage cliche.  I found out that during that commotion someone had emptied the grey fluid used in the smoke machine into a glass and knocked it back down their throat.  I assume/hope they lived.  That’s probably the wildest one that comes to mind now.

Up until this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?  

🎤 At our last gig it has been refreshing to go back to the first album and revisit 💿 Inner Wishing Well  We have the synth tracks used on that album for live use now and that adds another layer to certain parts – the lead parts seem more satisfying with that added-in.

Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left of center the world should know about you? Secret talents or surprising tidbits? 

🎤 Outside of the band we lead busy lives with full-time jobs and families to support.  Some members enjoy pastimes such as fishing, gym, and playing with other bands (for example, Owen with Edge of Ruin and Tyrannos).

Closing this thing out, what is Dying Vision currently working on, promoting that you can share with us or want us to know about? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure.   

🎤 We are writing music for our third album and posting updates on our Facebook page including excerpts of new music. We plan to continue writing through 2022 whilst gigging in parallel and then begin producing the third album in 2023. 

Thank you so much for sharing and taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward.

Getting to Know… Dying Vision: Interview No. 295 [📷: Alfred Derks from Pixabay, Brent Faulkner, Darkmoon_Art from Pixabay, Dying Visions, The Musical Hype]