Black metal project Deitus, known for their blood-drenched, rabid, violent live performances, have recently released their third offering, Irreversible, on July 14th via Candlelight Records (order here). We caught up with the band to discuss the fresh album, moving forward with a new label, overall challenges, and more.
What was the process like recording the new album, Irreversible?
The writing process for ‘Irreversible’ was vastly different to our previous albums (‘Acta Non Verba,’ 2016 & ‘Via Dolorosa,’ 2018) due to the covid situation and the three core band members of Deitus being displaced over different continents. We never got the opportunity to rehearse any of the songs in person which was extremely frustrating at times. That said, this new isolated writing approach undeniably resulted in the vast musical diversity found within ‘Irreversible.’ As far as the recording process is concerned, we managed to cram and record everything in 2 weeks with our engineer, Greg Chandler of Esoteric. This time around we tuned down, added more complex and intricate layers, more amps, more guitars etc. Essentially, we just pushed everything way further than on ‘Via Dolorosa’ to create the huge, dynamic sound we needed for ‘Irreversible.’ Tore Stjerna of Necromorbus Studios handled the mixing and mastering. Given Tore’s remarkable legacy to date, he was always someone we wanted to work with and we are extremely satisfied with the results.
The lyrical themes in your music often delve into philosophical and existential topics. What ideas or messages do you hope listeners take away from the new album?
I’d advise the listeners to just read the lyrics and interpret them as they see fit. When an individual strongly identifies with an artist or song, those words and messages often take on a new meaning. They become personal and bespoke, as they rightly should.
How would you describe the essence of Irreversible in just three words?
Personal, Spiteful, Emotive.
Can you discuss more about the song “Straight for Your Throat?”
That one deals with the subject of cancel culture within art and our distaste for the sheep who blindly support or encourage such censorship.
With two albums prior to Irreversible, how has the band’s sound evolved over the years, and what aspects of your music do you feel have remained constant throughout the discography?
Our intention is always to grow both musically and lyrically, there’s no denying we accomplished that again with ‘Irreversible.’ Certain notable bands such as Slayer, Fields Of The Nephilim, Dissection, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath to name a few have undeniably shaped our sound. It’s black metal but it goes places that other bands don’t dare or wish to venture.
As your first release with Candlelight Records, what are your expectations and goals with this new label behind you?
The new record demands a wider reach in terms of distribution as well as publicity and this is something Candlelight is able to provide us with. We’re honored to have been picked-up by such an esteemed label and we hope to continue working with Candlelight for years to come.
With your known blood-drenched, and violent live performances, how do you prepare yourselves to bring an unpredictable and dangerous element to the stage? What do you hope your audience takes away from these intense live experiences?
You can’t prepare for unpredictable or impulsive acts. We’ve always done Deitus for ourselves but of course we hope the audience leaves feeling blown-away by the performance and drained, both mentally and physically.
How do you prepare mentally and emotionally for such intense live shows?
We wouldn’t want to divulge any secrets pertaining to that.
Is there anything else you want to say or add about the new album?
I’d encourage people to check out our recent music video for ‘Voyeur’ (featuring Toni Coe-Brooker) which is available to stream on YouTube. This was a project unto itself, and the song is far removed from anything we’ve previously done artistically. ‘Irreversible’ is available to purchase now in various formats from the Deitus Bandcamp store; do yourself a favour and support physical media!
