Two years ago, we tried to wrap our punk-savvy tech-death brains around Dimesland’s debut EP, Creepmoon. The task proved too difficult to complete, but we sure enjoyed trying. Complex frustration/anger/love is one of the perks of freaking out on heavy music.
Next week, the Dimesland crazies will release their full-length, Psychogenic Atrophy, which features this gem we’re focused on today, a song called “Bound in Stone.” Below the player, you can read about some of the band’s influences and peers in our interview with guitarist Drew Cook, or you could listen to the song a few times and do a pretty decent job of picking some of them out yourself.
How long have you been working on the new album?
We worked on and off in the studio from late-2012 until early-2014, as our funds allowed. We did a lot of pre-production, so there wasn’t any wasted time (money) in the studio. The album was recorded, mixed and mastered at Trakworx in South San Francisco with Justin Weis, who was a perfect fit to work with us on this undertaking.
Did you approach the songwriting any differently this time than on Creepmoon?
As far as furthering our sound, it’s usually a pretty natural thing because we’re always writing. It just happens – this is the latest batch of stuff, and everyone helps to shape it. The thing that makes this record different than Creepmoon is that we have a solid lineup that just works, and that’s pretty lucky.
Do you feel like your playing style has shifted in the last couple years?
Our playing style will always be there. The great thing is keeping the wheels rolling and facing some new challenges. The future holds more Dimesland recordings.
What were the recording sessions for Psychogenic Atrophy like?
Nolan and I have worked on a number of albums in the studio together, but this record was still it’s own beast. Harley (drummer) and Greg (bass, vox) just slayed and all the work we did was fun and rewarding. We’ve established a new unit.
Who do you think of as immediate musical peers, bands who are interested in creating music similar to the way you do? Who do you think inspires your musical direction the most?
I’d have to list too many! We love bands that really do their own thing and push dimensions. I guess bands such as Gorguts, Loincloth and Portal come to mind immediately. We recently played a show with Gigan and really enjoyed them. There are many great bands out there, people just need to find out about them and check them out. Get out of the house and go see someone play, even if it’s in some weird warehouse in a bad neighborhood, you could discover something!
What live performance plans do you have coming up, if any? What are your hopes for Dimesland’s near future?
We usually play certain shows locally (Bay Area), but more touring in the western U.S. is always in our sights, and we’re hoping to hit Europe for our first time somewhere in the not-too-distant future.
