Hard rockin metalhead's CHESTER DOOM just released their debut single this year, with a lot more single's on the way, including a debut EP release as well. The band discusses their content and other upcoming plans ahead.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
What would eventually become Chester Doom started in 2009 as a collaboration between guitarist Patrick Blackie and bassist Glenn Arseneau. They recorded a few demos under various band names but eventually set the project aside. In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, they decided to dust off those old songs and start working on them again, bringing in vocalist Josh Best who quickly began adding lyrics to the huge backlog of material they’d collected, plus bringing in his own tunes. We soon rounded out the band with drummer Peter Arseneau (Glenn’s brother), lead guitarist Kellen Menhennett and keyboardist Dave Mackenzie and we’ve been off and running ever since!
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
It’s the name of a character in a sci-fi story one of our members wrote. We liked how it sounded and that it was unique (so it was easy to get all of the socials and domains for it). Of course, people ask “which one is Chester?”, but it’s the name of the band not an individual, and we expected that when we chose it. To us, it’s in the same vein as Billy Talent, Jethro Tull, Max Webster or even Pink Floyd – band names that sound like a single person but are actually a group.
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
We’re based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. We have a lot of great bands and artists here, spanning all genres. Halifax has had a thriving music scene for decades, once labelled as the “next Seattle” by several music industry people in the 90s. It never really lived up to the hype back then but has been a solid music town forever. Some of the biggest bands and artists to come out of here would be Sloan, Sarah McLachlan, Classified, April Wine and Anne Murray.
4. How would you describe your style?
Rock/Hard Rock, leaning into Alternative Metal
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
We released our first single “Monsoon” in January 2022, followed by three more singles and then our EP “Masks” in June 2022. We released our latest single “Anxiety” in Nov 2022. What people can expect from our work is passion, intensity, and really wearing our influences with pride. We’re inspired by bands from several eras and genres including Guns n’ Roses, Rush, Iron Maiden, Tool, Billy Talent and Linkin Park.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
YES! We have a new single coming in January and have 3 more recorded and ready for release in the Spring. We’re also back in the studio in January to record even more so stay tuned, we have a LOT coming down the pipe.
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
We have a bunch of local shows and festivals lined up for 2023 and we’re aiming to get on the road this year to expand our network and get in front of as many people as possible who may not have heard of our band yet.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
Keep releasing music and ramp up our touring schedule. We’ve got lots of exciting things lined up for 2023 and beyond!
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0o71asvPiCzWwRHyrWzUA1
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5IOG3R1ZGaFYVkJIMAnx7w
https://soundcloud.com/chesterdoom
https://chesterdoom.bandcamp.com/
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
That we’re doing this for the love of music, first and foremost. It’s the greatest form of artistic expression humans have ever devised, and we can’t help but be part of that.
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