Tons of bands come and go but every so often a band comes out that really makes a mark within the music scene. That being said, progressive melodic death metal act Despite has done such a thing, making a mark, releasing content including a new album "Synergi", but that's not all, these guys have got plans on touring, playing shows, and even finishing up writing content for the next album.Guitarist Andre Gonzales discusses this album, a little band history, and the future.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Andre: The band was actually formed by our former guitarist, Timmy Leng, back in 1998. Since then the lineup has changed more times than anyone can remember I guess. The sound and style we have today changed when I (Andre) and Peter joined the band in 2012, along with the recording of the EP "EPic" that now can be heard on our latest album “Synergi". Besides from Peter (vocals) and me (leadguitar), we have Zoran and Eldor on guitars (yep, 3 guitarists), Anthony on bass and Janne on drums.
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
Andre: Timmy had an idea of the word “Despite" being universal in a sense. You can take the word and put it in many forms and meanings to create your own idea. It’s simple and kinda universal as mentioned.
3. What is your music scene in Sweden like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
Andre: The music scene in Sweden is huge. It’s one of our biggest exports. Not least the metal scene. The downside would be the competition, if you’re into that, because of the large number of talented artists and bands. I see them as colleagues though. Just to name drop a few of our friends: Frozen Iller, Engel, Avatar, and Marionette.
4. How would you describe your style?
Andre: The most common style that reviewers have described us as would be “Progressive melodic death metal". Others say “djent", metalcore and whatnot. I think that you can more or less find a little bit of everything. I don’t really like the idea of being placed in a specific genre or style since I find our music so much deeper in every sense. From brutal and fast blast beats to mellow and atmospheric tunes. Even some orchestral elements are implemented. Hence the word “progressive" I guess.5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
Andre: The band’s “old chapter" contains the two album releases “In Your Despite" and “Clenched". Since I joined in 2012 we have released the EP “EPic" and the two singles “Chaos Trigger" and “Praedonum" All those tracks can now, along with five new tracks, be found on our latest album “Synergi". Packed with a shitload of fists, determined to punch your face so hard that not even your dental record would suffice.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
Andre: We have just begun working with new songs. The hardest part is to weed out from all the ideas and material we have in our massive storage, along with all the new ideas that keep coming. I can easily say that we probably have enough material for another full length album.
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
Andre: We have been so busy with the album release and all the work that comes with it, that the live shows got a little unintentionally down prioritized. But we are working on getting our asses back on the road to share the full experience that is Despite. There’s nothing we want more than to tour the world and meet our fans right now.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
Andre: The near future would be touring and finish writing the next album. I guess we’re taking things one step at a time, just to keep our feet on the ground, but there’s no doubt that we want to take Despite as far as we possibly can.
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
Andre: As we speak Despite has climbed the infamous Devils Dozen chart on SiriusXM (currently at 4th place). According to the reports we get from our label, well over 350 radio stations worldwide (mostly in USA) have us in their rotation. We are also on Spotify and Deezer. You’ll find all the info about where you can buy our music and support our cause at www.despiteofficial.com/synergi/ and through our label at www.eclipserecords.com/band/despite/ also we’re available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
Andre: To imagine all the blood, sweat and the ridiculous amount of tears (for real) that we’ve put into making this. Despite (hey) all the adversity through the years, we finally did it. We fuckin’ did it! And there is a lot more to come. Rest assured!
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