DIOCLETIAN (Eng.)
– Hello and first of all, thanks for taking the time. To start, please tell us what are DIOCLETIAN currently up to, just after releasing your new album. Diocletian is the name of a Roman Emperor so, how did you come up with the idea of naming the band like that?
Well in early 2004 we had been rehearsing and slowly writing songs for the first 6 months, we had a few ideas but nothing concret euntil i came up with Diocletian, i had been reading some christian history which had villified the Emperor Diocletian for his persecutions against the church. I suggested the Diocletian to Logan and we both agreed it was a good name to use.
– The band was formed in 2004, but some of the songs on your 2005 demo were written backduring the early 90’s. Why did it take you so long to gather a band and finally unleash some of that material?
Oh it wasnt whole songs only a couple of riffs i had remembered playing about a decade earlier, from around 1992-93. No one was interested in playing what i wanted to play so i gave up on the idea until iwas inspired to try again a decade later. The riffs we are talking about are the opening riff to Doom Cult and a part of the opening riff in Annihilation Ritual.
– You have now released your third album,»Gesundrian». What are your thoughts on it? Is there anything you would change about it?
Overall I am really pleased with the outcome, the recording process was really enjoyable and Cam did a fantastic job with engineering, mixing and mastering Gesundrian. I wouldnt change anything, it has its place ,its a moment captured in time and space I wish we had recorded Doom Cult and W.O.A.A.A this way infact. They would sound even more aggressive and powerful.
– This has been your first opus with Osmose after working with the underground label Invictus Productions. How did you hook up with them? And how is this cooperation working thus far?
I initially had contact with Herve, in regards to the second Witchrist album, The Grand Tormentor.. I ended up talking about a new Diocletian album as well and we went from there. All the labels we’ve worked with apart from Asphyxiate have been extremely helpful and totally supportive and easy to work with within the desired framework.. Invictus is a great label and i still support Darragh 100%. Osmose have drawn some criticism but we’ve only had total support from them, they have done everything and more for Diocletian. So no complaints.
– Digging into this new «Gesundrian», I found there are more slow parts compared to your previous releases. Why did this album needed this more slow tempo parts?
Its just how it comes about in the writing process. Once we have the skeleton of a song we work together and consider how it moves and what we are trying to achieve with the song and develop it from there, pretty standard really. Fundementally a song will have a beginning a middle and an end. How we achieve this depends on how we evolve the dynamics. Interesting you say we have more slow parts in the new album because a lot of reviews have said just the opposite, which is great, different people have a different perception of an album like this, which is a good thing.
– In fact in that sense I think it draws a lot from 80’s Death Metal, something that was quite present on your previous «Warof All Against All» but now has a stronger pressence. What could youcomment on this? Or is it just my perception?
There is always going to be an 80’s vibe inDiocletian, Im 43 now and my taste in metal will always be grounded by that time period. So yeah your correct to bring this to the readers attention.. when writing new material, I dont really take a lot of inspiration from either our contempories or modern bands in general. I actually take a lot more inspiration from a film and its score. Conan hahaha… we have something called the Terminator riff as well.. almost a trademark.
– Anyway you are purely 80’s, and you manage to capture that essence and sound with a really organic sound. The album sounds like it has been recorded the old way, live, and with an analogue gear but, how was this whole process like? Was it actually done the old school way?
Yes we’ve always used an organic process, its been analogue to some degree in everything we do. The first two albums were recorded as live takes, with some overdubs of vocals, leads or bass, no tracking at all.. Gesundrian was recorded in the more orthodox way, tracking drums, bass, guitars then adding vocals, leads. Cam mixed the album through this big old school analogue desk.. NO triggers on the drums, no sample replacement, not that that is neccessarily a bad thing if done tastefully and correctly but Cam tuned his kit to suit the tune of the guitars and captured everything quite well overall.
– You have always had a personal sense of chaos, beingalmost a trademark of DIOCLETIAN. You are really primitive and raw but withcertain sophistication, so you get a perfect equilibrium. Is this something youstrive for? Something easy to get? As I don’t think you are the kind of band that plans everything.
I believe we do find it relatively easy at times. A part of me thinks we will stand above the mediocre shit, simply because we can and will because of who we are and that we uphold our own standards by doing so. The challenge is the blank canvas in front of us when we are writing, finding new ways to feel that sort of power in a riff.. the structure or the intensity.. and at times translate a feeling of chaos in the music. Tempo became very important focus in Gesundrian.. the album was written chronologically so we purposely made the album feel more intense as you head from the beginning to the end. Not just a random bunch of songs. Once youve captured a persons sense of ownership of the music you have produced, A good band should be able to manipulate th elistener, give them motivation to be removed from normality. Make them transcend. Whether that be lifting weights, hiking in the mountains or forning over your elite vinyl collection ahahaha.
– This being said, how does the songwriting process tend to be like in DIOCLETIAN? Everything sounds honest and spontaneous.
Certainly an honest approach to writing is taken and it can be or has been spontaneous as well, a song like ‘Sect of Swords’ was writtenin skeleton form in roughly 5-10 minutes. I did something similar with «Zealot’s Poison» where i had a few riffs that i kept coming back too and i bashed the majority of it into its basic form in about half in hour then presented it at rehearsals to iron out the kinks. Its not till Cam gets a hold of a riff that things make more sense any how, drums can make or break an idea. Cam’s drumming is the backbone of Diocletian. What you will see from us in future is a more calculated form of ruthlessness. An expansion of ideas heard in the likes of «Beast Atop the Trapezoid».
– Once more, the artwork was crafted by Paolo Girardi. How did he work on it? I mean, did you tell him some of your ideas or send some of the lyrics to him?
I actually drew the cover for Paolo to base his painting on. Logan and myself alsodiscuss the drawing composition and took ideas from some classic paintings as an influence of the general atmosphere. Being apocalyptic in tone and how it should be conveyed, there is also some hidden symbolism and metaphor in the cover art. Paolo also got to read the lyricsas well and listen to a rough mix of the album, which no doubt helped appreciate the concept.
– This being said, how well does the cover fit the lyrics on the album? They are diverse, but several of them deal with strength I could say, but can be interpreted in different ways depending on the listener. Is something important for you to let your listener make their own interpretations?
Well there are different levels to Gesundrian, there is the obvious and then there is some degree of abstraction. On the surface the album appears to be
a continuation of WoAAA… barbaric butwith some sense of intelligence and it some ways it is in theme but also thisis a new improved line up and its both about presenting something familiar but also adding something new. Lyrically we took a different path and we had a good friend of mine write the lyrics. From Miklos Kovats, you find elements of philosophy, occultism, science, sci- fi, mythology, ancient history, strategy etc etc.. He draws from a huge barrel of resources.
– All this about «Gesundrian» being said; how could you describe it in just 3 words?
Barbaric Death Metal.
– As I said earlier on the interview, this year is the band’s 10th anniversary. What have been some of the most memorable (both best and worst) moments of your career thus far?
I dont regret either the good or bad choices I make in regards to Diocletian, it is what it is, it’s been a great journey so far.. we as always appreciate the support and we dont take it for granted. We as a group all understand its important to keep a band like this in perspective, its underground, we have a good following and it grows stronger year by year but it is also nothing to get an inflated ego about. That sort of stuff is superfical and weak in my eyes.
– And will there be any special to «celebrate» these 10 years of career?
No, just continue on our path..
– Finally, what are your near-future plans? You played some dates in the US but, any plans to hit Europe anytime soon?
There is talk of touring Europe in 2015, its a very expensive exercise to commit to from both sides, so its not something to take lightly, by us or the promoters or Osmose for that matter, touring overseas also effects us financially on a personal level so to travel is something we need to make the most of when we get given the opportunity.
– That’s all, thank you once more for answering ourquestions. If you want to add some final words; feel free to do it.
Thank you for the good questions in this interview and to all who support Diocletian. Our facebook page is regularly updated with info on merch etc. or support Goat Gear whic his our official outlet for merch when we have it in supply. www.diocletian.net
