Interview to DESOLATE MISERY (UK)

Let´s talk about your beginning as a musician. Can you tell us about some of the early bands that captivated you and then provided the impetus to pick up an instrument and play?

When I was a young teenager I developed an obsession with heavy metal music and this drove me to learn about writing music and pick up the guitar. Bands like Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Saxon have had huge influence on me musically and they built the foundations on which my love of extreme music blossomed.

How did you end up deciding to make a one-man project instead a full line-up band?

Desolate Misery features two members, myself and a drummer who is a close associate of mine, who would like to remain anonymous. Initially Desolate Misery was just me and I played all instruments, this was because I live in a fairly small town in rural England and so meeting other like minded musicians is difficult. In the time that Desolate Misery was a one man project I created a number of recordings which can be heard in a compilation entitled “Chapel Spectre : The Rough Demos”. This release was charming and at the time was something that I was proud of. However, the drumming on the release wasn’t to the standard that I wanted and so a second member was brought in. This new member allowed me to take my musicianship to another level and develop as a songwriter. The step up in songwriting is definitely noticeable on my second demo “Black Frost” and I give a lot of the credit to the other member of Desolate Misery.

Your first release as a band was a four-song demo. Tell us about the recording sessions ? Any specific challenges, surprises, or obstacles to get through?

“Chapel Spectre : The Rough Demos” was put together in my bedroom with minimal recording equipment. This of course created a number of different challenges but in my opinion only added to the charm of the first release. It is incredibly raw and still an interesting listen, however I would like to record some of the songs on the demo again in the future, as I feel the songwriting deserves more attention than the rough production allows for.

Just a few months after, you released your second opus “Black Frost”. One of the most impressive things about this EP how well you’ve paced the songs, meaning there is a good balance between the raw black, and heavy, doom atmospheric passages. Was this done on purpose?

“Black Frost” was constructed over many months and of course some things were planned and intentional but a lot of great spontaneous ideas came about in the practice sessions naturally. Ultimately, “Black Frost” achieved exactly what I wanted, which was to create a raw black metal release with some doom influences and to make for a unique listen.

What are the most challenging aspects when writing a song and how do you go about the approach?

Most Desolate Misery songs begin with a simple riff. I tend to spend a lengthy amount of time playing around with the riff and will often record multiple versions of the same riff played in a number of different ways before settling on a final sound. Following this me and the other member of Desolate Misery get together and play with some different ideas for a strong structure and how the drums should sound. This can take a long time; some of the songs on “Black Frost” took months until we agreed on the drums. Once the drums are complete and recorded, I record the guitar and bass and create a rough mix.Usually, I listen to the rough mix on its own for a few days and think of fitting vocal patterns that work with the structure of the song. This then allows me to write the lyrics.

The lyrics seems quite important for the band and your expression, how do you look upon the importance of the lyrics?

I find that the lyrics are one of the most important parts of the creation of a Desolate Misery song. Desolate Misery is a vessel for my own expression and interests and so I take time when writing. I am fascinated with the occult and horror and I believe that these influences bleed into my lyrics. The first song off of “Black Frost” entitled “The Night is Chill” is about Dracula and his first meeting with John Harker. I am extremely interested in horror literature and this is a topic that I am revisiting on my upcoming demo that I hope to release in 2026.

As a musician, how mandatory is the process of coming up with new ideas or incorporating new influences?

I think development within a project is key, otherwise the music will become stale and uninteresting. I don’t want Desolate Misery to release music that is a carbon copy of my previous releases and I hope that I will be able to tweak the sound of Desolate Misery over time.

What do you attempt to capture, express or communicate through your music? Or… is this even the goal of music? Is music communication or decoration? What is the goal of your art?

For me personally, the music of Desolate Misery is an outlet for my interests. My goal is to create music that I enjoy and if that captures the imagination of listeners then that is a bonus and I am always very pleased to hear that people have taken an interest in my project.

Where did you record your both releases and how did you achieve the sound you did? Was it to your satisfaction? Would you do anything differently next time?

Both demos have been recorded in my home, on an old laptop. The sound achieved on “Black Frost” was certainly something that I was happy with but as I mentioned I am interested in evolving this sound, which will become apparent with my next demo as I feel it takes a step in a slightly different direction whilst still retaining the core features of my earlier works.

Everyone has their own ideas on what black metal means so I was interested in your opinion what does black metal stand for?

Black metal stands for a myriad of different things which vary from person to person. For me, black metal is all about atmosphere. If a band can create a captivating atmosphere with their music then this will make the listening experience much more enjoyable for me. I like to listen to black metal when I go for a walk in the countryside, something that I am blessed to be surrounded by and often the setting compliments the music perfectly.

Do you find anything valuable in human society? What about individual humans?

There is good and bad in everything and everyone.

What would it really take for human beings to change or do you think we are incapable of such?

I think everyone is capable of change but I don’t feel as though everyone is capable of being willing to change. The world would be a better place if people were able to enjoy and appreciate the simple parts of life.

What are your experiences with promoting Desolate Misery so far in today’s digital environment?

This interview is a prime example of how the digital age has allowed me to promote Desolate Misery to people from around the world. I have found it really enjoyable to see interest in my music from people from all different walks of life and this would not be possible without the internet. However, I do feel as though music can be harmed by the digital age. The extreme music scene is very saturated and sometimes great releases can get buried amongst the constant barrage of music. With that being said I think we are very lucky to be able to find such vast amounts of music that cater to your taste with relative ease.

What have you been listening to lately? Any new and upcoming bands that might have caught your attention?

I have been delving deeper and deeper into black metal and have found a number of albums recently that I have been really impressed by. One of which was from a band that I recently interviewed as a part of my zine Black Frost, they are called Glamsdring. Glamsdring's first self-titled album demonstrates fantastic atmospheric black metal and it certainly captured my imagination. Another band who have consistently impressed me are Blood Countess, whom I could try to describe but I would highly recommend listening to their music for yourself as it is truly exceptional.

And now we have finally come to the end of this interview, do you have some important words for our readers?

Thank you for your continued support. I appreciate all of the positive feedback I have received since the creation of Desolate Misery and I hope that my music and contributions to black metal remains to be an interest to you.

Take care!

-The Chapel Spectre

https://desolatemisery.bandcamp.com/