Q. – Hello Chris!
Chris: Hello Paulo, I’m glad to talk to you again!
Q. - "The Road So Far"
is out there already, where was it recorded?
Chris: Vocals, guitar and bass were recorded at Dreamcatcher’s home studio. Drums were recorded at Studio de la Vimondière by Vincent Liard. We went back to Axel Wurstorm’s Walnut Groove Studio for mixing and mastering. We were both so happy with Axel sound production on our previous album ‘Blood On The Snow’, that we decided to work again together. He has done a fantastic job on ‘The Road So Far’
Q. - Was it a lengthy writing
process?
Chris: Well…Yes and not. Some
songs were written during the lockdown, but most of the album was written
between January and March 2021. We had a band meeting on December 2020 and, as
soon we decided to record our new album to celebrate Dreamcatcher 20th
anniversary and as soon as we have recruited our new guitar player Bastien
Lemoine, things went really fast. Basic tracks were composed by me and our bass
player, Alexx Qen, then Bastien added his guitar parts and Thierry Thuane, our
drummer, did the same for the drums. Then it took only two months between April
and May 2021 for the album to be recorded.
Q. - The line-up was completely
changed, what was the main reason for this?
Chris: That’s life, Paulo, people
come and go in our lives. Geoffroy Lacarrière, one of our guitar player and
main composer, left us to join Azziard, a Black Metal band. Vincent Liard our
bass player was too busy with his new recording studio to carry on playing with
us. It feels like Nicolas Costes, our drummer and Djo De Keiser our other guitar
player simply lost interest in playing with Dreamcatcher.
Thankfully, my new partners in crime, Alexx, Bastien and Thierry are completely dedicated to the cause of Dreamcatcher.
Q. - Is the road still full of
obstacles and challenges?
Chris: Yes, that the way it is, when you play in an underground Heavy Metal band, Paulo. You have to accept and deal with events as they occur, with a composed state of mind. Never surrender and do your best, day by day, step by step, albums after and albums, gigs after gigs. That's our philosophy. Each step is a new challenge and a triumph against adversity.
Q. - How do you manage to be
alive and well after 20 years?
Chris: I’m a stubborn person who never gives up!
Q. - Your lyrics are full of
references to Native American culture, is this a matter that you like to read
about and that you like to follow?
Chris: Yes, since I was a kid, I
read a lot of books, watched a lot of films about this matter and it became one
of my passions. There are so many things to write about this culture such as
history, mythology, connection with nature…
Q. - Do you keep an eye on what's
going on actually on the Indian Nations?
Chris: Yes, I’m particularly pleased with the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline termination. This is great news for the tribes who have been fighting to protect their people and their lands.
Q. - What made you write shorter
songs with a more direct approach on this album?
Chris: We needed to get back to the basics of what Dreamcatcher really is, a Heavy/Thrash metal band. This more direct approach may be related to the fact that the album was written and recorded during a short length of time. Being able to be free again and to get out after the lockdown/curfew period also created this sense of urgency.
Q. - How did the idea of record
"Silent Bloody Night" came up?
Chris: As you may know, this song is a mix between traditional song ‘Silent Night’ and our song ‘Blood On The Snow’ which was featured on our previous album. I’ve always been a fan of Christmas songs. I wanted to do this for a long time with Dreamcatcher. So when the opportunity came up last year, I had a chat with Alexx and I explained my crazy idea to him. That’s how we decided to shoot a Christmas video for this song and called it ‘Silent Bloody Night’. We were so pleased with the response we got to this video that we decided to recorded it again as a bonus track for the new album.
Q. - Is it still difficult to
rehearse because of this pandemic situation?
Chris: No, Paulo thankfully, that’s
fine, we’re back to normality
Q. - What expectations do you
have for this album and for the future of Dreamcatcher?
Chris: As you said in your review, Paulo, this is definitely a solid album, with great songs and great sound production. It’s one of our best if not the best to date, in my opinion. It’s a great way to celebrate our 20th birthday. We’re so proud of this album that we hope people will enjoy it as much as we do. We have done our part, it’s up to you guys, now!
Q. - Are there any plans to
record a live album in the future?
Chris: Not at the moment
Q. - Anything more you want to
say, to end up this interview?
Chris: I would like to thank you sincerely,
Paulo, for your continuous support over the years. Your help and friendship is
significant and it is very much appreciated.
