Interviews: Dizastra

In this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Blackened Thrash Metal band Dizastra from Canada. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that?

The name of the band came to our guitarist Matt Conti while he was watching Neil Degrasse Tyson’ Cosmos. Tyson was explaining how ancient civilizations would react to the sighting of shooting stars, comets, asteroids, etc. They would be viewed as bad omens and signs of the apocalypse. The word Disaster is based partly on the Greek words Dis (Evil) and Aster (Star). He played around with the word and came up with Dizastra, Astra coming from the Latin word for Star. So the band name basically means Death Star in two different languages. Thank you, George Lucas.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Firstly, because it is the greatest. Secondly, because it is also the second greatest. Thirdly, playing and listening to metal opens up realms of emotions and spiritual connections that we just cannot get anywhere else. This world is a godless one, and meta gives us something that godlessness cannot. Also, we love speed and adrenaline.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Yes, we did. We’ve all been friends with each other for over a decade. We’re all pretty close and have been in different bands in the MTL Metal scene for quite some time until we all got together. Nathan and Conti, we’re even together in the Melodic-Symphonic Death Metal band Dissension for 7 years before getting together in Dizastra. We also like to think that despite being born in different years different months (and in one case a different country) all our mothers gave birth to us at the same time, in the same hospital, when the stars were aligned. And cosmos sang.

4. Each band member favorite band?

Conti: Children of Bodom

Nathan: Judas Priest

Petey: Deep Purple

Denis: Metallica

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Satan and Herme. Because we play fast… and evil.

6. Where was your last gig?

We just prepped the gates of hell and opened for Grim Reaper at Piranha Bar in Montreal on August 28th.

7. Where would you like to act?

On Broadway with Al Pacino or Danny Devito. But seriously, a gig at Wacken or even the Bell Center in our hometown could be cool. Also anywhere else in Europe.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Playing a Watain show would be fucking awesome. They put out such powerful and wild energy during their live shows.

9. Whom not?

We don’t dislike anyone enough to call out a name in particular. However, playing with bands who are too elitist or uptight is just an unpleasant experience. Metal is a community of outcasts and the best part of a live show is the feeding off the energy of such a gathering of outcasts.

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?

It’s normal to get nervous before any performance. The trick is to turn that nervous energy into excitement. You have to surrender to the feast of emotions consuming you and accept that you are playing the bloody show. Also, a little spoken-word poetry sesh with your homies in the back-alley of the venue does a lot of good for the soul.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Megadeth, Watain, Dissection, Metallica, Death, Skeletonwitch

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

To partake in their solstice animal sacrifice. Problem was that they wanted to burn the spleen AFTER slitting the throat and consuming the flesh, which is of course ridiculous. You need to do these things right and always burn the spleen BEFORE consuming the flesh and slitting the throat but only AFTER flaying the hide. Otherwise, the Elder gods just won’t listen you know, and we’ll all look like jackasses.

13. What do you think of your fans?

All three of them are really nice people. But seriously, we are extremely grateful to everyone that comes out to the live shows, that support the band by engaging with us online, buying the merch and offers constructive criticism.

14. What do you think of our site?

It's dope. We really appreciate the attention you give to up and coming bands. Breathing the core, baby don’t you know, I want some more.

15. Something add?

We need to address the elephant in the room. Why in our video are Romans and a leather-clad man chasing what is clearly a young Gandalf? It may SEEM like we desperately needed to fit a circular peg into a square hole and bring together whatever bits of antique armor we had in our possession together to fit the narrative of the video. But this is in fact not the case! Rather the various costumes pieces and time settings are an artistic choice to show just how universal the problem of having one’s conjuring orb stolen really is. Look, it’s a problem we all face but that we just don’t talk about. We really wanted to discuss the harsh realities that follow from it while showing people that something can be done about it. We tried to offer some practical solutions, and I think we really did that.