|
Written: Late 1997 |
Dying Sun has had a surprisingly long history, from the early Death Metal days to the present Gothic/Traditional/Heavy Metal. Strangely, the whole story starts in a chemistry class in one of Glasgow's most famous and oldest private schools. It was 1993 and at the time the Death Metal scene was entering its strongest period. It was at this time that three friends, Kevin Burges, Graeme Duff and Chris Scott in one spontaneous afternoon decided to form a band. At the time they revelled in being the only metal fans in their year and were heavily into Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden and Suicidal Tendencies. It was in this chemistry class that the first seeds of Dying Sun were sown. However at this time the band would be known as Death and Decay reflecting the three members interest in the occult and horror. During the course of the double period song titles were brought together to form the idea of a concept album that would be called Satan Rise... The Prophecy Fulfilled. More of a joke than anything else, it wasn't until Graeme came to school the next day with the completed lyrics of the song 'Satan Rise... The Prophecy Fulfilled' that the three members started to take things more seriously.
Although Graeme was producing the lyrics (Very much in the style of early eighties Satanic Thrash) very quickly, the main obstacle was that of writing the music to go with it. The problem was that only Kevin had access to a guitar. However they planned that Graeme would buy a guitar and play lead and sing, while Chris would invest in a bass and Kevin would play Rhythm guitar. It was this that would lead to the bands first major setback. While Graeme eventually got his guitar and Kevin bought a better guitar, Chris hid behind excuses about why he couldn't buy a bass. Meanwhile it became more obvious to each member that a split was developing, with Kevin and Graeme becoming interested in heavier bands like Slayer while Chris was mainly interested in Suicidal Tendencies. After bitter arguments it became clear that Chris would never buy a Bass so Death and Decay became a two piece.
"Fire rains down, the Lord takes his
crown
Millions killed, the Prophecy fulfilled"
Satan Rise... The Prophecy Fulfilled / Demonic
Music 93
Although Graeme and Kevin were committed to Death and Decay the original songs were never completed. This was due to two factors. Firstly they were not very experienced with the guitar and as such were unable to write music of any standard at this time and they were also moving towards heavier influences. Bands such as Slayer, Sepultura, Deicide, Carcass and Entombed were now their major influences and this changed Graeme's view on lyrical writing as he explored more gory plots as opposed to the cheesy Satanic slant of before. Indeed 1994 was a very productive year for the band and the strong Death Metal scene at the time was evident in their new songs. Again these new batch of songs were born in a afternoon and were once again seen as a joke. Death and Decay planned to make a demo of new songs to be sent to Kerrang! under a pseudonom to gauge how good the band were. These songs had names such as Dismembered Corpse, Total Death (Complete Nervous System Removal) and Fire Assault. Over time, Graeme completed the lyrics but this time added one major factor, music. The fact that the band now had songs, as opposed to a collection of lyrics meant the old songs were quickly dropped.
"Total death, mind correction surgery
Living Hell, lifelong purgatory
Gleaming blade, starts your Lobotomy
Total death, total death"
Total Death (Complete Nervous System Removal) /
Demonic Music 94
As more and more songs were penned so the band realised that more members were needed. So started a long search for a drummer and bassist. Within the band the songs were becoming more and more mature in sound and in lyrics as both guitarists became more competent with their instruments. At the end of 94 Kevin and Graeme both realised that they had come a long way from the early Satan Rise... days and with new influences coming from the likes of Pantera and Machine Head realised that it was time for a change. This manifested itself in a name change with Death and Decay being dropped and Torrential Pain (A name they had heard while at school) being chosen as a succesor.
"No where to run, the battle you have
lost
Your soul shall be taken to pay for the cost
Look to our eyes, get down and pray
We are here to destroy, We are Death and Decay"
Condemned to Death and Decay / Demonic music 93
The new name wasn't to be the only change and as 1995 rolled on much was to happen. Firstly the band had been a three piece for almost 2 years and it was obvious that it would be very hard to find a drummer or bassist, so to combat this Kevin and Graeme bought a drum kit with Kevin switching to drums in the hope that another guitarist could be found. From then on much of the bands time went towards Kevin learning to play the drums, indeed as 95 came to a close not much had been achieved. However one song, Torrential Pain's anthem, Hate at First Sight, was recorded and this was to become the last work the band did as a two piece.
"Hate, endless pain
Hate, in my brain"
Hate at First Sight / Demonic Music 95
The important change for the band was when Kevin and Graeme went to Strathclyde and
Glasgow
University. It was at Glasgow that Graeme, through a mutual friend, met Scott Miller. Scott at the time was involved in a
band with a drummer playing what he described as funky Kyuss music.
Graeme became friends with Scott and after a few weeks poached the guitarist. Their first
practice opened Torrential Pain to a new style. It was clear
from the beginning that Scott was a gifted Lead guitarist with a very bluesy style. At
this practice Scott played on 'Hate at First Sight' but it would
be the only time the guitarist would play on the old Death Metal songs.
The next major breakthrough for the band happened about a month later. Kevin introduced
Malcolm Thomson
to the band. Malky was in Kevin's classes at Strathclyde Uni and as chance would have it
was also experienced on the drums and was interested in joining the band. The first
practice with Malky on drums was a revelation. With no disrespect to Kevin, it was clear
that Malky was more suited to playing the drums which meant that Kevin would once more
change roles and become the new bassist. After 2 years as a two piece the band was
complete in only a month.
The two new members brought new musical vision with them. Scott was into metal but had not been linked with the Death Metal scene as much as Graeme and Kevin. He was also more interested in rock and blues and to a certain extent pop. Scott also introduced Graeme and Kevin to My Dying Bride which proved crucial in the new direction of the band. Malky was interested in rock ranging from Metallica to Bon Jovi and even Poison. Although he didn't inflict his tastes on the other members it was clear to Graeme that a compromise must be reached. Thus once again the old Death Metal songs were dropped and Graeme changed style opting for clean vocals. The new British metal bands such as Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Anathema were also becoming a major part of his listening habits and he combined these new miserable bands with his heavy upbringing to produce an interesting new metal sound for the band.
"As the Snow Falls, I lie dying
As the snow thaws, my dreams shatter"
As the Snow Falls / Obsidian Music 96
However during 96 all was not well. Graeme and Scott bonded and Kevin and Malky bonded however there was no interlinking between these two camps other than between the two founder members. This was clear when although Graeme had changed his singing style for months, Kevin was still unaware. However the song writing was the most productive it had ever been with Graeme still handling much of the lyrics and music but now Scott was also producing his own songs and lyrics. Scott and Graeme worked well together perfecting a number of songs to a level the band had not experienced before. Songs like 'The Bitter Memory', 'Sorrow's Smile' and 'Faithless' were the result. However the band was still not strong as a unit and as 96 wore on this was to become a source of friction in the band. Not enough practices took place and a wide gulf opened up with Graeme and Scott having virtually completed 5 songs and Kevin and Malky far behind. The band struggled on slowly completing songs. However the band faltered near the end of 96. Scott and Graeme restrained, by the fact that Malky and Kevin were still learning the first 5 songs, no longer got together to practice in an effort to slow down their production. At the same time the band had many cancelled practices which Scott and Graeme saw as further set backs in completing these songs. The split in the band reached its peak and it was realised that something must be done or the band would pull itself apart. Graeme saw the first stage being another name change. Once again the band had altered style and Torrential Pain was no longer adequate. In an effort to pull the band together a mutual vote was taken with Dying Sun being voted in.
Although this did not fix the problem it was a first step to recovery. Tough talking and more band co-operation was the next step to try and get every members point of view across. At the start of 97 things looked very grim for Dying Sun as Malky cancelled more and more practices and the band remained stuck on three songs. However this led to a snapping point in the band, where Graeme who had previously been hesitant decided to take matters into his own hands. He recognised the bands lack of leadership was one of the problems holding the band back, so instead of (as well as - Ed) whinging about Malky he booked a rehearsal room and had long discussions with Kevin about what was needed to force the band to work harder and faster. From this a plan was made in which all band members would contribute more at practices and as such help each other become more motivated and committed to work for each other. Although the band is still not reached a level of perfection, over the last few practices, by adjusting the way the band works, such as planning in advance what should happen at each practice and by contributing more ideas on what the songs should sound like, there has been a vast improvement in productivity. This is particuarly evident when Malky completed the drums for two songs over two practices when it took the band almost half a year to complete three songs.
"You contradict constantly,
You take apart all our dreams,
As you walk away from me,
Your nothing now, you'll always be"
Betrayal / Scared Shitless Music 96
April 97 led to the search for a new singer to ease the increasing load on Graeme, and after three months a replacement was found in the form of Mark Keddie. Slotting easily into the band, Mark's appearance spurred the band on, and he also had previous band experience and so could help them progress more quickly. The main aim of recruiting Mark was to start gigging, which happened within only 7 weeks when Dying Sun stormed the Rat Trap on 28/8/97 where we started distribution of a limited edition free practice tape. A steady stream of gigs followed, including a support slot with The Blood Divine which saw the band playing at Nice 'n' Sleazy's for the first time.
Numerous new songs were being written, as well as practicing a couple of covers, so it was decided to go into the studio to record the original songs leaving the band free to progress. The demo will be recorded shortly at MTC Productions in Glasgow, giving Dying sun their first proper chance for recognition as the demo is circulated to as many sources as possible.
"The nights burnt offering, a joke and a
syringe, the blindness
While children starve in vain, we get high on their pain, addict
The media feeds on it, it's how they get their kicks, contradict
The rules just don't apply, a smile and a lie will get you everything"
Half Mast / Scared Shitless Music 97
DEATH AND DECAY YEARSThe Calling (Burges, Duff) |
 |
TORRENTIAL PAIN YEARSDismembered Corpse (Duff) |
 |
DYING SUN YEARSThe Bitter Memory (Duff) |
 |