Deathchant + Decade

Band: Deathchant Support: Decade

Date: Thursday 22 October

Doors: 19.00

Live from: approx. 20.00

Venue: Hus 7

Age limit: 18+ / 13+ accompanied by a parent or guardian; read more about what applies: https://slakthusen.se/aldersgr...

“This is without a doubt the most honest and mature record Deathchant have ever made.”

That’s what Deathchant singer and guitarist T.J. Lemieux says about the band’s third and latest album, Thrones. Don’t see it only as the follow-up to 2021’s Waste, but as the other side of the same coin. “While Waste and our self-titled album touched on similar themes, they focused more on the problems themselves,” he explains. “Thrones is full of reflection, self-awareness and solutions for how to move forward and overcome those problems.”

That doesn’t mean, however, that Deathchant have gone soft. Far from it. In fact, Thrones may well be the band’s heaviest record to date. Their seamless blend of classic guitar harmonies, sludgy sludge, bluesy boogie and psychedelic grandeur has reached a new high, while Lemieux delivers powerful stories of reckoning and self-confrontation beyond the limits of reason.

Thematically, Lemieux and his bandmates – bassist George Camacho, guitarist Doug Stuckey and drummer Joe Herzog – strip away the façade of self-deception to reveal the crossroads. “Thrones is about the things that control you, the things you worship, rely on or think you need,” says Lemieux. “Sometimes those things make you feel in control, safe and powerful – as if you were above everything else – but over time they often turn out to be an illusion.”

A clear example is the first single, “Mirror”. The song opens with gleaming Thin Lizzy-style guitar harmonies before shifting into a heavy groove, overlaid with psychedelic bursts that call to mind the long-haired European rock bands of yesteryear. “‘Mirror’ is the key to the whole theme of Thrones,” Lemieux explains. “It’s about looking inward to realise what controls you, what consumes you and how misguided you’ve been about those things. Your self-image is incredibly important, and fully confronting your own truths isn’t easy. It’s about admitting that you’ve deliberately numbed and silenced your mind to distract yourself, to avoid and escape yourself, your memories, loss and the truth. Sooner or later, you have to face all of it.”

The dreamy, understated “Mother Mary” is also central to the album’s development. “If the album were a book, ‘Mirror’ would be the first chapter and ‘Mother Mary’ the last, even though they don’t come first and last on the record for purely sonic reasons,” says Lemieux. “‘Mirror’ says: ‘I’m looking inward because something has to change’, while ‘Mother Mary’ says: ‘Okay, everything has gone to hell and gone way too far, but now we have this insight – and acknowledging reality is the key to being able to move forward.’” Thrones was recorded live in a cabin in the remote mountain community of Frazier Park, California, with their trusted sound engineer Steve Schroeder (also known as Schroeds). “We moved in there for a week, rehearsed a little and got on with it,” Lemieux recalls. “Each song was recorded in about three takes, but ‘Mother Mary’ and ‘Canyon’ came together straight away.” Overdubs were later recorded both in the cabin, at Schroeder’s Studio 3 and at Lemieux’s home. The album was produced by Lemieux and Schroeder.

“On the whole, it’s a pretty dark record,” says Lemieux. “It’s serious and revolves around heavy themes. Sometimes we use metaphors and imagery to soften the blow, but sometimes it hits you head-on. At the same time, it’s hopeful – and cathartic. It constantly teeters on the brink of complete insanity and plays with psychological disintegration. This is our most considered and ambitious record to date.”