My Story
I've been singing for all of my life. I knew I wanted to sing professionally by the time I was 8. I fell in love with Heavy Metal just as I entered my teens. By age 15 I had joined the band METAL ANGEL as a bass player. I ended up taking on the lead vocals for the group with the original singer shifting to the position of bassist. We only stayed together for about 10 months but we played a lot of small gigs and had a lot of fun doing it.
I jammed with a few local bands and continued working with the drummer from METAL ANGEL. We formed a group called DETHSKREAMER, which shortened it's name to SKREAMER, which changed it's name to several things before deciding on VIOLENT TERMINATION. "Battle Cries" was written during the earliest formation of this group.The name wasn't all that changed. We had a new drummer. We ended up losing our original lead player and bassist and played musical chairs keeping their positions filled. When that unit began we were an original band that threw in a few covers. By the time the band had disbanded we were really little more than a cover band.
Again, I jammed with a few bands and musicians before joining DARKEST FEAR. I felt myself being drawn to God. I had always used Christian overtones in my lyrics. But "Lonely/Reality" was blatantly bold. It hit a nerve with a couple of the band members who didn't want to alienate anyone by invoking the name of "Jesus Christ". This divided the band to the marrow. The founding guitarist and I left the group together. It was at this time that I rededicated my life to Jesus Christ.
We formed a unit which went through several name changes before ending with the title GRUDGE.There were times we had a complete band and there were times it was back down to just me and the guitarist. It wasn't easy to find competent musicians interested in playing Heavy Metal with a Christian message. Most competent players would tell us they liked the music but wouldn't be comfortable with the lyrics. The ones who had come because they were attracted to the message, simply couldn't keep up with the musical end. We managed to put together a few working units from time to time. We would gig out at a few bars, play a couple parties, and just when it seemed like everything was going well, someone would up and leave. We'd have to find a replacement (still not easy) and get them up to speed, play a few shows and then repeat the process.
I became the primary songwriter in GRUDGE. It was during this time that the majority of the material on ORIGINAL SIN was written. While GRUDGE had seen many members, the underlining constant was the lead guitar player and myself. We poured a lot of blood,sweat and tears into that band. We worked as a united front. We made no apology for the lyrical direction of our songs when auditioning potential band members. Yet, we held a litmus test to none.
We were well received at the bars when we played out. In the last days,I was in communication with a couple of minor labels who were showing interest in the band. We had just broken in our new rhythm player with a small gig at a local nightclub. It wasn't our best performance for sure. But the club owner and patrons didn't seem to mind as we were cheered and asked to come back. Personally, I felt like we had just started gigging a couple weeks before we were actually ready to perform as a tight unit. But the blame game started immediately and ended with a member walking out.
We stayed together for maybe 3 weeks after that. We did have a couple people interested in taking the open position this time. We were auditioning them when I made the call to just disband the group. I could tell the other founding member's heart was no longer into the project. He wanted to do other things. We were close. He was staying with me out of a feeling of obligation. He didn't say it but I could tell. It was for this same feeling of obligation that I chose to disband the group.
A couple of months prior to the break up I started looking for a studio in which we could record. I entered Niko's Recording Studio with the intent to record a solo project (a song for my wife) and to check it out and see if it might be a place to record the band as well. I recorded "Dawn's Song" and then "Speechless" as the band dissolved. Now, my plans had been to be in a Metal band with one sound and to release a solo album that was a completely different sound.
I tried to find people interested in playing "Christian Metal" while I started to record the heavy material myself. You know what? It's still not easy to find people who are interested in playing Metal with a Christian theme. I continued to search while I continued to record. I first released the SONG FOR LIFE EP as a demo in 2006. The songs chosen were simply the first 4 songs (2 from each project) that were presentable. I was a member of several online Christian social networks and people had requested I release some of my music. .
Since then I have continued to work on finishing the full length CD on a limited budget that only allows me to enter the studio for a hour or two a week (on average). One of my former band mates did join me in the studio for a while. His contributions are noted in the liner notes of the CD. I went through so many local drummers who committed to doing the project in the studio that it was pitiful. They'd listen to the material, commit, drag me along a month or four, and then just drop off. I stopped counting at 4 or 5. It wasn't until after I had decided I had put it off long enough and to go a head and release the CD as it was that David Zaffiro hooked me up with a competent session drummer. I had him add tracks to 4 of the songs and plan to use him from the start on the follow up. David Zaffiro was gracious enough to add a solo to the title track for me and he mastered the album.
Over the past couple of months I have been handling all the red tape that goes along with releasing a CD and getting merchandise ready for the pre-order campaign. I plan to reenter the studio to begin the follow up just as soon as possible.
~D.D.Skreamer June 13, 2014
I jammed with a few local bands and continued working with the drummer from METAL ANGEL. We formed a group called DETHSKREAMER, which shortened it's name to SKREAMER, which changed it's name to several things before deciding on VIOLENT TERMINATION. "Battle Cries" was written during the earliest formation of this group.The name wasn't all that changed. We had a new drummer. We ended up losing our original lead player and bassist and played musical chairs keeping their positions filled. When that unit began we were an original band that threw in a few covers. By the time the band had disbanded we were really little more than a cover band.
Again, I jammed with a few bands and musicians before joining DARKEST FEAR. I felt myself being drawn to God. I had always used Christian overtones in my lyrics. But "Lonely/Reality" was blatantly bold. It hit a nerve with a couple of the band members who didn't want to alienate anyone by invoking the name of "Jesus Christ". This divided the band to the marrow. The founding guitarist and I left the group together. It was at this time that I rededicated my life to Jesus Christ.
We formed a unit which went through several name changes before ending with the title GRUDGE.There were times we had a complete band and there were times it was back down to just me and the guitarist. It wasn't easy to find competent musicians interested in playing Heavy Metal with a Christian message. Most competent players would tell us they liked the music but wouldn't be comfortable with the lyrics. The ones who had come because they were attracted to the message, simply couldn't keep up with the musical end. We managed to put together a few working units from time to time. We would gig out at a few bars, play a couple parties, and just when it seemed like everything was going well, someone would up and leave. We'd have to find a replacement (still not easy) and get them up to speed, play a few shows and then repeat the process.
I became the primary songwriter in GRUDGE. It was during this time that the majority of the material on ORIGINAL SIN was written. While GRUDGE had seen many members, the underlining constant was the lead guitar player and myself. We poured a lot of blood,sweat and tears into that band. We worked as a united front. We made no apology for the lyrical direction of our songs when auditioning potential band members. Yet, we held a litmus test to none.
We were well received at the bars when we played out. In the last days,I was in communication with a couple of minor labels who were showing interest in the band. We had just broken in our new rhythm player with a small gig at a local nightclub. It wasn't our best performance for sure. But the club owner and patrons didn't seem to mind as we were cheered and asked to come back. Personally, I felt like we had just started gigging a couple weeks before we were actually ready to perform as a tight unit. But the blame game started immediately and ended with a member walking out.
We stayed together for maybe 3 weeks after that. We did have a couple people interested in taking the open position this time. We were auditioning them when I made the call to just disband the group. I could tell the other founding member's heart was no longer into the project. He wanted to do other things. We were close. He was staying with me out of a feeling of obligation. He didn't say it but I could tell. It was for this same feeling of obligation that I chose to disband the group.
A couple of months prior to the break up I started looking for a studio in which we could record. I entered Niko's Recording Studio with the intent to record a solo project (a song for my wife) and to check it out and see if it might be a place to record the band as well. I recorded "Dawn's Song" and then "Speechless" as the band dissolved. Now, my plans had been to be in a Metal band with one sound and to release a solo album that was a completely different sound.
I tried to find people interested in playing "Christian Metal" while I started to record the heavy material myself. You know what? It's still not easy to find people who are interested in playing Metal with a Christian theme. I continued to search while I continued to record. I first released the SONG FOR LIFE EP as a demo in 2006. The songs chosen were simply the first 4 songs (2 from each project) that were presentable. I was a member of several online Christian social networks and people had requested I release some of my music. .
Since then I have continued to work on finishing the full length CD on a limited budget that only allows me to enter the studio for a hour or two a week (on average). One of my former band mates did join me in the studio for a while. His contributions are noted in the liner notes of the CD. I went through so many local drummers who committed to doing the project in the studio that it was pitiful. They'd listen to the material, commit, drag me along a month or four, and then just drop off. I stopped counting at 4 or 5. It wasn't until after I had decided I had put it off long enough and to go a head and release the CD as it was that David Zaffiro hooked me up with a competent session drummer. I had him add tracks to 4 of the songs and plan to use him from the start on the follow up. David Zaffiro was gracious enough to add a solo to the title track for me and he mastered the album.
Over the past couple of months I have been handling all the red tape that goes along with releasing a CD and getting merchandise ready for the pre-order campaign. I plan to reenter the studio to begin the follow up just as soon as possible.
~D.D.Skreamer June 13, 2014