Dark Carnage: Greetings from Dark Carnage! We are fine. Thanks for interviewing us! The name “Dark Carnage” doesn't really have a story behind it. We were just trying to come up with a decent band name and suddenly it hit our minds and it also matched with our thoughts and the theme of our music so it was a perfect name! This has been the band’s name since the early days, we haven’t changed it.
UM: Please list the name, age, school, and respective instrument of each band member.
DC: Edwin Singha - Voclas, goes to Gurukul Grammar School, 17 years of age.
Farhat Hussain – Guitars, goes to Delhi Public School, 17 years of age.
Madhurjya Kishore Deka(Mkd) – Guitars, goes to Sanskriti The Gurukul, 16 years of age.
Sumit Dey – Bass, goes to National Open School, 18 years of age.
Tanfiz Hussain – Drums, goes to Marias Public School, 14 years of age.
Saurav Lakhmani – Keyboards, goes to Faculty Higher Secondary School, 17 years of age.
UM: What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?
DC: We classify our music to be a mixture of Melodic Death metal/ Deathcore/ Math metal. We like to call it Carnage Metal!
Everybody in the band has individual influence. Edwin draws his influence mostly from Born Of Osiris, Dying Fetus etc. Mkd lists Protest the hero as his major influence. Farhat is influenced by Pantera and a lot of other deathcore bands. Sumit’s influences are Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Death etc. Tanfiz is very much influenced by Matt Halpern, Travis Orbin, Alex Rudinger etc. Saurav is more influenced by melodic death bands like Children Of Bodom, Norther etc.
We do have common influences (otherwise the band wouldn’t be there!). As a band our major influences are Born Of Osiris, Veil Of Maya, Children Of Bodom, Protest The Hero, Circle Of Contempt, As Blood Runs Black and many more!
UM: How long have you all known each other? How did you meet?
DC: We've known each other for over a year but the band was formed only some months ago. We met through a lot of mutual friends, facebook but the most important thing that brought us together was our interest in the same type of music.
UM: When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?
DC: The band was formed 8 months ago in July 2010. We were a very frequent follower of the metal scene in Guwahati. We attended as many gigs as we could. We noticed that most bands were doing covers and fewer originals. We were more inclined to hearing original music and that inspired us to form a band and show people that the music we make is as good as any others.
UM: Do you have a record label? Are you a member of any music organizations?
DC: We are unsigned as of now but we are looking for good record labels. We are not a part of any music organizations (we don’t even know if they exist!).
UM: What can you tell me about your instruments? (i.e., are you subject to brand loyalty or will you play with whatever's available? What made you choose the instruments you have now? Was it cost or was it a style/model/brand/color preference?
DC: All our instruments are decent. We are however subject to brand loyalty. Telling that only skills are enough to put on a good show is false. You need good equipment and a good sound! The instruments we use now help us create the type of sound we want, although we are planning for an upgrade soon!We are an upcoming band, so the cost does matter. We need good stuff at a reasonable price. If the quality is good, we can neglect other factors such as style or color preference!
Here is a list of the instruments we are using right now:
Mkd-Ibanez Prestige RG 1527, 7 string guitar and Boss GT10 processor.Farhat-Dean Dime Razorback and Korg AX3000G processor.Sumit-Yamaha RBX 374 Bass guitar.Tanfiz –Rockstar Drum kit, Paiste and Sabian cymbals, Tama iron cobra double pedals.Saurav- Korg X5D and Korg X50 synthesizers.
UM: Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?
DC: We’ve performed at many venues in Guwahati. Outside the state, we’ve performed only in Mumbai and Gangtok. We believe that any venue with a decent crowd and a good sound is a good venue. So, there is no such favorite or least favorite venue for us.
Currently, we are working on our upcoming EP which we plan to release during April-May. So we will be playing a few shows after that and then the entire 2011 will be full of gigs (Laughs!).
UM: Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list?
DC: We have performed originals only since last October. The frequently played songs include Deathmatch Destruction, Acrimony Of Terrorism and Tyrannical Generation. We don’t do covers very frequently but we are going to cover a song by Born Of Osiris in the near future just for the fun of it. Our set play list includes 4 originals and 1 cover as of now.
UM: Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?
DC: Everybody plays a part in the song writing. We do our parts individually and try to synchronize with each other. We keep suggesting each other about what can be done to make it sound better. The themes are more war based. They are based on hatred, terrorism, bloodshed, rebellion etc. Time will pass and the generation will change and so may our topics!
UM: Could you briefly describe the music-making process?
DC: We just try to make something that we think is good. The music make process involves making the song structure first and then our own individual parts. We try to improvise our stuff so that it sounds best. When we are not jamming, we are working on our individual parts, trying coming up with new better stuff .Finally when the entire band is satisfied with the song that’s been made, we play it live to know your views!
UM: What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a set time each week in which you practice or are rehearsals more spontaneous?
DC: We don’t really rehearse for very long hours. We are always practicing at home so everybody is done with their parts and the rehearsals pass smoothly. There is no such time for practice. We practice whenever we are free or whenever we feel we need to!
UM: How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?
DC: We were a melodic death metal band in the beginning and were just like any other band covering a few COB songs and a few originals but within 2 months we realized that just covering songs won’t do us any good and hence there were about 3 line-up changes because we wanted to change our sound. We were more eager to create an original sound which was not the case with the former band members hence they had to leave. We have evolved from a band that was just like any other normal band to a band that is more serious about their music and believes in originality.
UM: What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
DC: The biggest challenge we think we had to face was trying to find time to practice (Laughs!). Since we are all school students we faced problems during the early days but finally, we started finding time in the evening hours and the problem was gone. Another problem for us was mashing up our influences and creating an original sound. After a lot of hard work we succeeded and now it’s not a problem.
UM: What's your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune?
DC: We formed the band because we all love the type of music we play and we wanted to show the people that if the International bands can do it, so can we! Our aim is to hit big in this massive music world. A task not easy but yet accomplishable. We want the people to listen our music just like we listen to the other bands now!
UM: What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?
DC: The best advice that we can give you is not to have too many line-up changes in your band. If your band members are not keeping up to your expectations, give them a time and tell them. Line-up changes can affect the band’s stability, sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a very bad way. So it’s better not to have any!
UM: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
DC: Fans can listen to our music on our Reverbnation Page and visit Facebook Page for the latest updates. We are releasing our debut EP in the not too distant future and it’s going to be free so do stay updated and do give us your feedbacks!
UM: Is there anyone you'd like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
DC: Our parents have always supported us both financially and emotionally. Without them we would still be air guitaring and the band would only be a dream.
UM: Anything for Unholy Maunder?
DC: Unholy Maunder is doing a great job promoting the North Eastern metal scene and i hope they keep doing it in the future. Dark Carnage will always support you guys!
UM: Any word(s) for your fans?
DC: Thanks a lot for the love and support you’ve show towards us and we have you keep supporting us in the future. Finally Keep supporting metal and be a part of the Carnage\m/
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