interview with atmospheric/power metallers Dimicandum (Ukraine)

Dimicandum (Ukraine)

In the previous issue of this zine, the review noted, amongst other things, about Dimicandum’s album “The Legacy of Gaia”:

“Listeners into modern melodic heavy/power metal and big choruses should look into Dimicandum today.”

“There are eight songs on here. No filler, just hit after hit.”

“Starting with the first song, ‘The Legacy of Gaia,’ things just get better and sooner than you realize, the album is over with ‘When the Sun Burns Out.’ What is a person to do? Have to play it again.”

Dimicandum sounds like melodic, traditional heavy/power metal, with some atmospheric elements and a bit of growling, but framed contextually, and keeping the music very catchy.

Roman (vocals, guitars) answers some questions about the band.

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Hello, you are based in Kiev, correct? How is the metal scene in Kiev for Dimicandum?

Hi! That's right, we're from Kiev, Ukraine. Our scene is lagging behind the West and now just getting on its feet. We do not have the infrastructure for the development of metal music, all that is done, is done by enthusiast forces alone. The situation with the clubs is stable, it is not always quality concert halls, but there is where to play, there are some cool clubs. In general, each year the development of the scene is enhanced!

What are your current objectives?

In 2013/2014 we plan to release one more video, new single, and start writing the album, the material for which is now composing. The process is slow, but steady. In the summer we’ll play some festival shows. Also, we plan a concert in Poland (autumn 2014). The new album will be a logical continuation of the previous one, both in music and in the lyrics. We found the style that does not limit our scope and our sound, so we'll stay the course.

You have played more than 60 concerts, correct? What have you learned about functioning as a band?

Yeah, right. In total, we played more than 60 concerts. Geographically, it is Ukraine and Belarus. The main thing on the tour is to avoid conflicts with each other :) For us, it was very easy, because in our team is very friendly relationships between the musicians.

What is your opinion about auto-tune, drum programming/drum sound replacement technology, and other such things? Do you sing the chorus every time on the album or do you "copy and paste"?

We think that for some bands, modern technology is a real solution. For example, when there is no way to record live drums. In our case, we wrote everything completely, all the instrumental parts, without copy-paste; vocals without auto-tune, with minimal processing, etc. All lyrics in the songs also recorded completely, including repeating parts.

How is “The Legacy of Gaia” a concept album?

Yes, it's a concept album. All the songs are related to each other and placed in a playlist within the meaning and mood. The overall message of the album is legacy of our planet, what we have now and what will be left for our children. Sources of inspiration are very different, from movies, books to ancient myths and legends.

All your songs are in English. Can your ideas for the songs be expressed just as well in Ukrainian?

No, we do not have the songs in Ukrainian, Russian was [used on] a couple [of songs] at the beginning of our career. But we came to the conclusion that it is better to sing in English. This opens up more possibilities, after all, it’s the language of the original rock n roll.

What are the problems that Dimicandum confronts for reaching Western Europe, and the Americas or Japan?

Previously, the main audience was in Ukraine, then Russia and Belarus. But, after release of our album, geography of our fans greatly expanded. Currently it’s Poland, Germany, Indonesia, Mexico, Japan, France, Canada and USA. This year, two of our members must complete clearance of foreign passport, and then remains the case for [a] small [detail]: to finance our first European tour. For a start it will be Ukraine's neighbors, because going on a big tour with one album and without large-scale promotional support makes no sense, everything must be gradual.

Does the radio in Ukraine play Dimicandum?

Unfortunately, in Ukraine there is only one rock radio station. And they play Iron Maiden, Scorpions, etc., but nothing with growl/scream vocals. All radio stations playing extreme metal broadcast are on the internet.

In the U.S., some musicians, when they have a serious illness, they do not have the money because metal musicians are often not as wealthy as other musical styles. Sometimes their audience donates money for the sick musician. Can you explain something: If you are sick in Ukraine, what happens when you go to a clinic or hospital?

We have a relatively free medical care, but it is effective for simple diseases. If you’re sick with cancer or something like that, you have to pay a huge pile of money for treatment, and the state then does not help. Only charitable funds are doing something useful.

Is there a big problem of unemployment for young people in Kiev and Ukraine in general? I ask because unemployment is a serious problem in the U.S. now.

In our country, it’s also an actual problem, a lot of young people after completion of higher education don’t know where to attach themselves. We would like to earn a living making music, but for now it's impossible. Everyone has a job in the office. I am an internet marketer, the drummer is a web programmer, the bass guitarist tunes cars, the keyboardist works in an airline, and the second guitarist is a builder.

Final question: what do you think about the videos of Dimicandum on YouTube?

YouTube is a great tool to promote your music. And there's nothing bad, when fans posts video from the shows with bad sound, if the band sounds good, it can be seen and heard in any case.

www.facebook.com/dimicandum.official www.dimicandum.com.ua official website www.vk.com/dimicandum_official official VKontakte www.facebook.com/dimicandum.official Facebook www.youtube.com/user/DimicandumTV YouTube www.reverbnation.com/dimicandum Reverbnation www.metalscraprecords.com Metal Scrap Records THE END.