Interview Dyscordia

Dyscordia, a Belgian metal band formed in 2010 by seasoned musicians, blends diverse metal subgenres for a powerful sound. They discuss their music, lineup changes, and upcoming album.

1. How did Dyscordia initially come together, and what inspired the band's formation?

The band was originated in 2010 and consists of long-time metal veterans  who were the driving force behind Belgian bands like Gwyllion, Double Diamond, Artrach, Anesthesy,  Impedigon and Rhymes of Destruction. These bands played symphonic power metal, death metal, (symphonic) black metal, a wide range of styles. At the time, we were searching for a new challenge, we got together, jammed a few times and felt an immediate connection. Some of us really like symphonic power metal, others are more into folk metal, some like death and black metal (according to the bands we played in). The combination of those influences really define the character of Dyscordia. Powerful riffs, combined with clean vocals and grunts, progressive bits, and recognizable melodic pieces. The music and bands that influence us are too numerous to mention.

2. Dyscordia has been through several lineup changes over the years. How has this affected the band's sound and dynamic, particularly with the recent addition of drummer Chevy Mahieu?

Wouter, our former drummer, was more than an incredible drummer. He took care of our website, was in charge of all the technical stuff (sound and light programming, live setting), and was the owner of our luxurious rehearsal room. You can say that his parting with the band had a lot of consequences. Wouter left the band with the best intentions, his brother Martijn is still in the band. But after COVID, Wouter left, so we had to reorganize the band, we had to look for another rehearsal room and we needed a new web designer too. Musically, Chevy is amazing. He plays the old songs with the same intensity as Wouter does, but adds a new dimension to the new ones. The new songs still remain Dyscordia, but they have a refreshing sound, thanks to Chevy’s different style of drumming.

3. Your upcoming album, "The Road to Oblivion," is set for release in April 2024. Can you give us a glimpse into the themes and inspirations behind this new record?

Piet, our singer, writes all the lyrics. He describes his lyrics like this: “I could pretend like many lyricists that my lyrics are of profound nature. The fact is that my lyrics are 80% simple metal clichés that touch on global, social and emotional events, with some effort to mainly mold them into a beautiful rhyme form. To the fans, I would advise: read them, interpret them in your own way, and just sing a long loudly. Just Stay Metal.”

I do believe his lyrics are mostly autobiographic, and very dark. I always wonder where he gets his inspiration.

Guy and Martijn are in charge of the musical department. They create most of the ideas, and together we try to puzzle them together into songs. We get our musical inspiration in listening to other bands, going to concerts, discussing music while rehearsing.

4. Dyscordia has a reputation for meticulous attention to detail in songwriting and recording. How does this process unfold within the band, and what challenges and rewards does it present?

As mentioned in the former answer, we start building songs by puzzling ideas into songs. We create a base layer, on which we can build layers and layers. We pay a lot of attention to details, that takes time. The creative process takes place at Martijn’s home, in his home studio. The attention to details is something we want to hear in the final result, after mixing and mastering. The mixing, done by Yarne Heylen, shows that it’s possible to create a heavy sound without losing the details. We’re very happy about the end result.

5. The music industry has undergone significant changes, especially with the impact of COVID-19. How has Dyscordia adapted to these changes, both creatively and in terms of connecting with your audience?

I can honestly say that COVID has done a lot of damage to the band. In the beginning, we made a couple of home videos (check out our ‘Castle High’ song on Youtube, it’s hilarious) and some playthrough videos. But after a couple of months, things started to slow down and people started to think about doing other things. That’s probably one of the reasons why Wouter left the band. Luckily, we were able to play a couple of shows in between lockdown periods, but like I said, this was more than a standstill for us.

6. Dyscordia's music blends various metal subgenres. How do you approach incorporating different elements into your sound while maintaining a cohesive identity?

It’s quite a natural process, really. This is our fourth album, we know each other, we know what we like and dislike, we try to play the music we like, and this sounds like Dyscordia. We don’t give in to commercial suicide. I personally listen a lot to death and black metal, to doom and sludge, but this doesn’t affect how I feel about Dyscordia, because a part of those genres is part of Dyscordia, we also have the majestic grunt and the faster or slower riffs. Everyone in the band feels like this (I presume).

7. "Hell" is the latest single released in March 2023, with another single, "The Passenger," scheduled for spring 2024. Can you tell us about the creative process behind these songs and their significance within the upcoming album?

Hell comes with a stunning video we recorded last year, with a lot of clichés, flame throwers, sparkles, and Piet who is dressed up as the devil. The song is a pop song in a metal jacket, very catchy and melodic. For a lot of people, it’s a bit of a strange Dyscordia song, because it doesn’t have a lot of hooks or progressive bits. We love the song because of the simplicity and drive.

The Passenger is a totally different song, a lot heavier than Hell, it has a Nevermore feel to it. It comes with an awesome lyric video, comic based. And again, the grim reaper, the devil and a beautiful woman have the lead role, as always.

8. Dyscordia has a strong presence in the Belgian metal scene and has performed at various festivals. How do you view the importance of live performances in connecting with your fans and showcasing your music?

We like to make music, but most of all we like to play music live. We got the chance to play at a lot of big festivals up till now, and we hope to be able to do this for a long time to come. After COVID, the scene has changed, we have to find our place again in the scene, we have to choose our battles (concerts) wisely. When we have the opportunity to play a concert, the connection with the fans is awesome. We do have a big fan base called the DAF (Dyscordia Army Fanbase), they are like family to us. Especially with the new album, we’re very curious to see the reaction of the crowd when we play our new songs. We hope people will embrace these new songs, like they did with our previous albums.

9. Are there any specific artists or bands that have had a significant influence on Dyscordia's music and artistic direction?

There are a lot of bands that have influenced us, but to name but a few, I would say we’re influenced by bands such as Dream Theater, Opeth, Nevermore, Kamelot, … . In terms of artistic direction, our guitar player Guy is in charge of visuals and artwork, but every realization is a collective one.

10. Your discography includes several acclaimed albums. Looking back, how do you feel Dyscordia's sound and vision have evolved since your debut EP, "Reveries," in 2010?

We have evolved as a band, you will hear that when you listen to the last albums and our debut EP. We still have a very recognizable sound, but our songs have grown and matured, I can’t really describe how this happened, but in terms of song writing, the songs are more to the point, more defined, without losing its spontaneity.

11. What are Dyscordia's future plans beyond the release of "The Road to Oblivion"? Any upcoming tours or collaborations on the horizon that fans can look forward to?

We would very much love to go on tour, work together with other bands, exchanging gigs and venues. There are a couple of projects which I can’t tell you much about, but of course, we would be very grateful if we were able to play our music abroad from time to time. Get in touch, so we can make things happen. Thanks for checking us out, and for having us in your webzine.

Greetings!

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