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Interview with Beneath The Massacre lead vocalist Elliot Desgagnés

Elliot Desgagnés, lead vocalist for Canadian death metal act Beneath The Massacre, took some time out of his busy schedule to speak with me about the band’s newest disc, Marée Noire. In the past, the band has come on strong, pushing the envelope and staying ahead of the curve in a severely overcrowded genre. This eagerly awaited new release does not disappoint and with ferocious guitars, thundering drums and menacing throat-ripping vocals, the band has yet again created one hell of a memorable disc.

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Elliot Desgagnés, lead vocalist for Canadian death metal act Beneath The Massacre, took some time out of his busy schedule to speak with me about the band’s newest disc, Marée Noire. In the past, the band has come on strong, pushing the envelope and staying ahead of the curve in a severely overcrowded genre. This eagerly awaited new release does not disappoint and with ferocious guitars, thundering drums and menacing throat-ripping vocals, the band has yet again created one hell of a memorable disc. Here is what Desgagnés had to say about Marée Noire and their upcoming plans.

Your brand new EP Marée Noire is now complete. How do you feel about it? Are you satisfied with the outcome?
Elliot: Very satisfied with the result. In fact, it’s the first time I left a studio satisfied with what we just recorded.

What was the writing process like for this CD? Did you guys all write together? How long did it take?
Elliot: It’s more a chaotic process in which everyone tries to put in his two cents. Of course most of the songs start from Bradley’s guitar riffs but sometimes it can be Justin’s percussion that starts it all. I normally try to keep a eye on the whole process to make sure that it will be possible to fit lyrics on this… cause sometimes it’s hard to fit meaningful lyrics on shredding guitars and crazy drumming. I also work a lot on the song structures. We took a lot of time to write last year. I couldn’t tell how much time just for the EP because we also wrote songs that will be on a full length later on.

The last time I spoke with you guys you had just released Mechanics Of Dysfunction. I know a lot has happened since then but I was wondering if you could tell me what the biggest lesson you have learned since the release of your first disc?
Elliot: I learned to always do what felt right to us. You know there is a lot of different ways to handle a band. The industry will always try to promote one way of doing things instead of another and it’s to the musicians to make the right decisions. I know we didn’t always make the best decision in terms of business, but I know we always tried to do what seemed right to us and that’s what really matters.

All of that passion that you play with must be tough on you physically. How do you prepare for the physical demands of a tour?
Elliot: I try to sleep and hydrate myself as much as possible. But you can’t prepare yourself too much. It has to be a little spontaneous. I’m not one of those singers having endless warm ups in the backstage. Bradley and Justin are warm up more in the traditional way and me and Dennis are just get pumped by drinking and screaming. I think it’s like anything else and you start getting used to going mad every night.

How is the current economic slump affecting your band?
Elliot: Bah. We don’t tour in the US as much as we used so it’s not affecting us that bad. The economy in Canada is still strong and it doesn’t seem to affect the shows. In Europe, I can say that we were getting 2 Canadian dollars for every pound and 1.7 for every euro we would bring back home. It is now almost worth the same as Canadian money… So yeah, it shows but we deal with it.

In a hundred years from now what will the music history books say about your band?
Elliot: It was the angriest French Canadian death grind band.

What has been the most memorable moment of your career so far?
Elliot: Ah man. There are so many moments that it’s not even fair to ask. Traveling very far in countries such as Russia only to realize that your music traveled way faster than you and that kids know the words is a very special feeling and I’ll remember this forever.

How much roadwork do you expect to be doing this 2010?
Elliot: Well 2010 is almost done and we wanted to take it easy, and we did. In total we did a European tour with Fetus and Origin, we’re now headlining Canadian dates and that’s it. We’ll be back in studio by the end of this Canadian run and hopefully hit the road next year with a new full length.

Are you looking at any particular bands you’ll be touring with?
Elliot: We have no confirmed touring plans right now so. But our friends from Ion Dissonance are back with a new CD and we know they’re getting back on the road so we’re definitely looking forward to playing shows with them… if only people knew how dangerous we are when put together.

When can fans expect a full-length release from the band?
Elliot: 2011. Hopefully in the first part.

Any closing words?
Elliot: I want to invite everyone to go listen to Marée Noire. We worked hard on it and I definitely think it is worth a deep listen.  [ END ]

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