Written by: Chris Harrington
I had the opportunity to sit down with a few members of Barrie-based metal band Dead Beyond Fear to see what they were up to, and it became quite clear that they mean business!
This five piece outfit is made up of Phil Ross on vocals, Sean Weston on guitar/vocals, Matthew Morton on guitar, Marc Lambert on bass, and Chelsea Rena on drums. Since the summer, DBF has taken the scene by storm with their brutally heavy yet melodic sound, incredible stage show, and heavy presence on social media.
Present were Phil Ross and Marc Lambert to talk about their influences, origin, landing their dream show, and what we can expect from them in the future. It should be noted that despite their obvious metal band appearance, behind the beards are two seasoned musicians that are easygoing, love what they do, and take great pride in their work. I have watched them grow and evolve since their official debut only five months ago, and as a member of the Barrie music scene, I have a real sense of pride and respect for this band.
(Answers come from both Phil and Marc, and have been paraphrased in some spots)
SCREAMS MEDIA: Can you give us the story of how Dead Beyond Fear came to be, the meaning behind the name, and where you draw your influence from?
“Sean and I (Phil) were in bands together before DBF. After a while we realized we weren’t totally happy with what was going on so we broke off to form DBF together. Other members joined in later. The name actually comes from one of our early lyrics! Being ‘dead beyond fear’ means you have lost everything, hit rock bottom, and there is just nothing left to fear in that place.
We draw (lyrical) influence from what we listened to growing up – a diverse number of bands like Life of Agony, Twisted Sister, Blind Melon, and Tool. Musically, I guess the best way to describe it would be if Lamb of God and Killswitch Engage had a lovechild with Slayer and Chimera!”
SCREAMS MEDIA: Ever since your official debut at The Foxx Lounge on August 16th, 2018, you have been working hard with booking, promoting, and so on. What motivates you to push forward?
“Really, we took a pebble, threw it in a pond, and it just rippled out from there. We are all in our 30’s and have been in several projects before. We have the experience and this is kind of the last shot, you know? We hit the ground running, we give it all, and our combined experience makes it that much easier. We all bring our own unique influences and insights, and have this chemistry that really works.”
SCREAMS MEDIA: I couldn’t agree more! Your live show speaks for itself, the sound, even your marketing. So next week – you were chosen to open for fucking Unearth and Darkest Hour at The Foxx Lounge! What was the reaction like among the members? What can we expect from the show?
“We were like a deer in headlights! At first Gillian of PureGrainPromo Events approached us and said it was a possibility, so we were reserved but like ‘Holy shit!’ at the same time. But we had faith in her and knew she would come through, which she did! It was surreal. It still is!”
SCREAMS MEDIA: You guys had such a great series of teaser videos on social media! People were going insane wanting to know what the announcement was!
“We decided to do something unique, so in the series of videos, the only thing we would say is that there was a HUGE announcement coming, and each member had some fun with it, so we would cut the video off before the person said what the announcement was, or said it with a mouthful of pizza!”
SCREAMS MEDIA: It was very engaging and brilliant, for sure. What can we expect from DBF on Wednesday (February 6th at Foxx Lounge) on stage?
“This is obviously the biggest show we have ever played! We are representing Barrie and we are simply going to do what we do – perform and give it all we’ve got. We feed off of the crowd, no matter the size!”
SCREAMS MEDIA: What other shows do you have coming up?
“February 10th we are playing in Brantford with Kavara, Dawn Vally, and Mount Abora. We are taking some time off from shows to work on our upcoming record, then May 31st we are supporting Kavara for their album release.”
SCREAMS MEDIA: Great! What can you tell us about the upcoming album?
“It’s going to be a full length, probably 12 tracks. It’s called Malice for the Hated Enemy and will be recorded at HK Recording Co in Orillia. Jon Hutchinson and Max Kane will be doing the recording, and Dan Smethurst will be doing some production work and mastering it. It’s going to be a fucking rollercoaster – lyrically and musically. We like to call it ‘aggressive progressive’. It has a good mix of each members’ styles. It will hopefully be released late Spring or so.”
SCREAMS MEDIA: Looking forward to hearing it! You’ve had enormous support from the local music scene, you draw more and more people to your shows, and people never leave disappointed – what are your thoughts on the Barrie scene?
“Really, it’s a wholesome thing – a lifestyle. Since I (Marc) met Shane Heath (owner of The Foxx Lounge Rock Bar & Hotdoggery) in 2010, he has been working so hard to create a community. Years ago bands were competing against each other, now we are all working together, supporting each other, and it’s more about the music. All the hard work from promotors, venue owners, and the bands themselves is really starting to show.”
SCREAMS MEDIA: I have been watching your fan base grow, online and at your shows. They are engaged, supportive, and always wanting more. What do you attribute this to?
“Because we look metal as fuck! (Laughs) Honest posting online, engaging the audience on and off the stage, giving them a reason to come back, staying modest – all of this has allowed us to meet some great people and build a great fan base.”
Make sure to check these guys out at their next upcoming show at The Foxx Lounge Rock Bar & Hotdoggery in Barrie on Feb 6th, 2019. Click here for the event page.
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Make sure to check out Dead Beyond Fear live and online at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/deadbeyondfearband
Instagram: @deadbeyondfear
YouTube: www.youtube.com/deadbeyondfearofficial
www.deadbeyondfear.com
