Darkc3ll are a band that definitely differ from the mainstream with a strong passion for their craft and their fans.
The Brisbane band has played massive tours, including Soundwave, and will be bringing their industrial, groove sound back to the Sunshine Coast to play as a part of The Most For Daniel 2 event.
The boys are also currently touring the country, promoting their fourth album ‘Haunted Reality’. Dracman, the group's lead vocalist, talks about the tour, new music and playing The Mosh For Daniel 2.
You boys will be involved in the ‘Mosh For Daniel’ event again. How did you first get involved with this event?
[Dracman] We had our Sunshine Coast album launch already booked, but a mutual friend asked what if we did another MFD. It was too great of an idea to refuse. The idea of bringing the heavy music community together for an amazing cause. We're good friends with Dean Morcombe who plays bass in Holistic (LOVE THAT BAND!!), and they were more than keen to do this again. Last time was so much fun and we raised a lot of money for the Morcombe Foundation. I love charities like this, cause they are legit and the profits go where it's supposed to go.
You’ll again be sharing the stage with four other, fantastic metal bands. What is it that you enjoy most about playing this event with them?
No egos, no attitudes, just mutual respect, admiration and a common love for what we all do. And getting to launch our album at this cool event is exciting!
'Haunted Reality' is the new album. How has the response been?
Overwhelming in some ways. We knew we'd made a great album, but the response and enthusiasm has been more than what we anticipated. It's a rewarding feeling.
What was the writing and recording process like for this particular album?
Probably one of the most physically and mentally taxing periods to date. We knew we had to dig deeper than ever, and with two years of insane experiences, we had more than enough inspiration to achieve this. Postmortem (Matt: guitars/ programming) was at the helm again mixing, engineering and mastering with me co-producing at home base in RTD Studios. We juggled babysitting his one-year old, where I got educated on 'The Wiggles', 'Peppa Pig' and relived my love of 'Sesame Street'. Let me tell you, this was no easy task, as this involved timing vocal takes between feed time, nap time etc., which I really wished we'd filmed. It was hilarious.
We pushed ourselves harder than ever vocally, lyrically and musically to find the definitive Darkc3ll sound. If we haven't found it on this record, we're ridiculously close. And this is the first album with the whole band contributing to the recording. We recorded Jay's drums at Heliport Studios, Buderim, which was an amazing experience. We challenged ourselves and the results speak volumes.
You’re on a national tour; what are you looking forward to most about touring this new music?
Playing a new set is both scary and exciting. We want to play the whole album on this tour. What we have put together is a hell-exciting roller coaster set, so buckle up and get ready to ride.
As a band what do you prefer, going on tour or recording in the studio?
There's strong aspects to both. Getting to record new music is a thrill, as too is travelling and getting the privilege to play our music to new faces and people who support us. It's a party either way! Both provide a unique challenge and buzz that make for life experiences that rock.
On a more personal note, you have been named one of the top ten best heavy metal vocalists of the last decade by Heavy Mag. How does that high recognition feel?
I'm still in shock at this. I never imagined being named alongside guys like Winston from Parkway [Drive] or any of those singers. It's an honour of such greatness to me as a singer who prides on striving to be the best I can be. I can never be complacent as a singer and everyday's a school day. Love what you do and seek new ideas. It's a fun journey and I love singing more than ever.
Lastly, after this tour what are your future plans?
More touring will be on the agenda. Already started writing a new album. Self publishing my first novel, which is written from the tour journals I kept last year in the US. No time to sit back. This mind's on overdrive. Thank you.
Written by Ellen Cook
Darkc3ll Shows
Fri 18 Nov - The Mosh For Daniel 2 @ The V Room (Sunshine Coast)Sat 19 Nov - The Brightside (Brisbane)
Fri 25 Nov – Elsewhere (Gold Coast)
Thu 1 Dec - Woy Woy Leagues Club
Fri 2 Dec - The Bald Faced Stag (Sydney)
Sat 3 Dec - The Vault (Newcastle)
Fri 9 Dec - The Loft (Warnambool)
Sat 10 Dec - Cherry Bar (Melbourne)
Sat 11 Feb - Lagerfest @ The Triffid (Brisbane)
Fri 3 Mar - The Hard Rock Cafe (Gold Coast)
Sat 4 Mar - Monsoon Rocks @ Lake Kawana Community Centre (Sunshine Coast)
Fri 17 Mar - The Bald Faced Stag (Sydney)
Sat 18 Mar - The Vault Newcastle
Fri 7 Apr - Solbar (Sunshine Coast)
Sat 8 Apr - The Brightside (Brisbane)
