The Polish Dormant Ordeal comes from a turbulent period. When founder and drummer Radek Kowal left the band in 2022, the remaining duo briefly considered calling it quits. This impulse was eventually suppressed and the band, despite the fact that it was without a permanent drummer, focused on a new album. At the end of March Zware Metalen spoke with guitarist Maciej Nieścioruk about the new album Tooth And Nail and things to come for Dormant Ordeal.
In 2022, founder and drummer Radek Kowal left the band. I can imagine that it is not easy to simply continue when someone leaves, who has been so decisive and important for Dormant Ordeal. How did that feel for you? Was/is it difficult to continue without him?
Was it difficult? It both was and wasn’t. The moment he told me he was leaving my initial thought was that the band was over. At this point I had no desire to search for another drummer and that seemed like a good time to call it a day since I only had one song written for the new album. However, Maciek, the vocalist, convinced me to give it some time and not act on impulse. It was also around the time Willowtip and I started exchanging emails regarding the potential deal. Once I realized the “grieving” stage is finished, it became obvious the next album is doable. I tried to look at it as an opportunity and, in no time, I was already working on the rest of the album. At the moment there’s just the two of us in the band. It’s not easy to find someone affordable and skilled enough to play these songs, on the other hand, though, we played literally zero shows for the last couple of years when Radek was still in the band. Things change; you have to figure out how to move forward.
What does writing an album look like for Dormant Ordeal? Do you share ideas through the internet, after which one of you finalizes the full song, do you get together in a room or…? Could you elaborate on that?
Since the inception of the band the process was always the same. I wrote the song on guitar, start to finish, then I introduced it to Radek and he or both of us worked on drum patterns. In the meantime one of us wrote the lyrics and the song was ready. With this record, Radek was out of the equation, but everything else stayed the same. Once I wrote the guitars, I wrote the lyrics and then programmed the drums. At this point I obviously knew that we’re going to ask some drummer to record these parts, so I could just focus on dynamics and how they flow, leaving the technical aspect to whomever takes the job.
When I compare Tooth And Nail to The Grand Scheme Of Things, for example the atmospheric approach, the blackened influences and high intensity are still very much present, but the music also seems to have developed a little further. How do you feel when I say it seems as if you have refined your songwriting even more? Don’t get me wrong: Tooth And Nail is unmistakably Dormant Ordeal, but you seemed to have gained even more on detail and dynamics. The songs are sharper, richer, more balanced, yet hold unwavering passion. Can you say something about that?
From the beginning I wanted to write a simpler album. Not simplistic, but rather less technical. I had the idea to dwell on single notes a bit longer, I noticed that’s when interesting things often start to happen. So, you have this new approach mixed with my songwriting that’s been shaping things up from the beginning. It was meant to be Dormant Ordeal, but not The Grand Scheme of Things Part Two. Time will tell if others agree with that sentiment.
The Willowtip Records bio includes the following quote: “… critically praised for blending brutal precision with blackened influences and a thought-provoking lyrical approach. Known over the years for their intense and atmospheric approach to the genre, the band has established themselves as an impactful entity in the modern death metal scene.” Can you say that this a flawless description of what people can consider to be the blueprint of the sound of Dormant Ordeal? Is this combination of influences something that comes naturally to you in your songwriting? Or is it something you have to dig deep for?
I wrote this bio, glad you like it, haha. I have to dig deep, nothing is taken for granted. For the new albums I always try to start empty-headed and devoid of any direct influences. To see where it takes me – that’s the best part. It’s like reinventing my own wheel and although for some it might look like nothing changed, I think there’s a bigger gap between this album and The Grand Scheme than between The Grand Scheme and We Had It Coming.
The drums on the album were not only played and recorded by Chason Westmoreland (Brand of Sacrifice, Demon King, Shrine of Skulls), but he was also partly responsible for the arrangements of the drums. How did you get in touch with him? What made him the perfect one to fill the gap on this album? Looking back on the whole process, would you redo it the same way?
That was the best thing that we had to deal with considering Radek’s departure. I have come a long way from “I don’t want to make music without Radek” to “I can make music with anyone now!“. I’m not a drumming expert, but I know when a drummer makes me feel something. Chason’s a phenomenal drummer, I became aware of him when he joined Hate Eternal a couple of years ago. The way he played on Infernus was mesmerizing. So, one day I simply messaged him asking if he’s interested in a collaboration and he agreed. As I said before, I did the preproduction myself with all the drum parts already programmed, so it was definitely less demanding for him timewise than working on it from scratch. I gave him a lot of freedom, but overall I was in charge of the final shape. I didn’t want to overdo it, which would be a super easy thing to do having such a world class drummer at our disposal, it still needed to be our album. The only downside is that he freshly joined Brand of Sacrifice when I asked him and the whole process was eventually stretched more than I expected due to them touring. On the other hand, even if I knew that, I think I’d still ask him. We have Chason Westmoreland on our album, that’s a total win in my eyes.
The album was, just as We Had It Coming and The Grand Scheme Of Things recorded in the JNS Studio in Warsaw. What makes this place such an obvious and logical choice for Dormant Ordeal? What does this studio bring you? How long did it take in the studio to record and produce this album to your liking and looking back, is there anything you or the band would have changed now that it’s done?
JNS is an obvious choice for at least a few reasons. We’ve been working with Janos for over ten years now since the debut in 2013, and it’s always a pleasure. First of all, he’s pretty easy to work with and gets our feedback almost instantly. Doesn’t interfere with our vision but is always helpful when asked. It’s not the closest studio around, but I always look forward to these trips. We spent a week there recording guitars, vocals and bass as Chason recorded his parts in his own home studio. Would I change anything? Of course, I have it with basically every release. Sometimes it’s hard to listen to these songs and not say “I wish I tried that here“. It’s perfectly fine, though, not a regret by any means. It usually passes when the album gets released and I start to focus on the next one.
Tooth And Nail will be your first release through Willowtip Records. What has signing with them brought you so far?
For once, it was nice to go into the studio without thinking how it’ll affect us financially. They listen to our suggestions, communication is good, they seem to enjoy the record, too, that’s uplifting for sure. They say they endorse ‘forward thinking metal’ and I can definitely hear that in their roster. It feels like a good place to be at this point.
Up till now you have released videos for the tracks Halo Of Bones and Solvent. What made you decide to choose these specific songs as an introduction to the new album? Is choosing these songs completely your choice or does Willowtip Records have a say in that as well?
The label let us choose the singles. Halo of Bones works pretty well as an opener, I kind of see it as a bridge between the old and the new, even if only mentally. Solvent on the other hand is a bit different from what we’ve done so far. Slower, longer, more focused on the emotion than on a point-blank confrontation. Horse Eater is probably the most classic Dormant Ordeal out of the three. It’s not easy to pick a single when your objective is to make a solid album start to finish and I think these songs will only work better in the album environment.
In today’s music market it’s very difficult to generate attention. There is so much music released in digital form that it is not easy to stand out. How do you deal with that?
I think it’s easier to cope with how things stand these days if first and foremost you make music to satisfy yourself. They say 100,000 minutes of music is uploaded to Spotify every single day. You release your 45-minute-long album every couple of years and you need to somehow stand out. On top of it, due to the release process focused on Fridays, you have exactly seven days to do it, because, simply put, your album either catches on or disappears. You better learn to love your struggle.
With the previous question in mind: Is fan reception something you care about, or is it mainly of non-importance?
We are all music fans and therefore Dormant Ordeal is our way of giving back to the scene. I don’t dwell much on praises or reviews, what drives me lies deep within myself, but I do care about the way people perceive this band as much as I am interested in how these songs make them feel.
You have always been a band known for their thought-provoking lyrics, with this time being nothing different. Can you say that lyrics are vital to Dormant Ordeal and not just some lines to accompany the music? Where do you get your inspiration for the lyrics from? Is it comprised of individual tales? How is it tied to your personal lives?
Lyrics will never be as important as the music, but they are pretty important. They’re meant to create another layer of expression, even if 99 percent of listeners don’t care about them. I know how much time I spend on riffs so whatever will be sung on them is obviously also of great importance. Inspiration comes from everywhere and nowhere. Be it a single sentence from a book or even a misheard lyric from another song. It gets autobiographical at times, but that’s never a point in itself.
In a time where streaming and digital consumption of music is more the norm than owning physical releases, do you believe that great artwork is still crucially important for albums?
In most cases artwork will be the first thing a person sees. If you want to be heard, and I guess the majority of bands want that, you should give it some thought as that is your bait, for lack of a better word. We gave up on making official videos, because unless they have the potential to go viral, they’re too expensive and highly ineffective in a general sense. So, the artwork is our front, obviously we’re going to put some serious thought into it. Is it crucial, though? Depends on the level you’re operating, I suppose. Well-known bands will get the publicity no matter what they do or record, small bands like ours need to fight for attention with every release. Some even say the album era is over, so bands should focus on singles and releasing new content every couple of months, not years as it goes with albums. With that in mind, is album artwork even relevant anymore? Every band decides for themselves, I guess.
Is there any prospect of a tour? Are there already plans or is that an impossibility for now, as you are without a drummer. When it comes to playing live, how are you planning to tackle the problem of not having a drummer? Will it be a session musician or are you already urgently looking for a permanent drummer for Dormant Ordeal?
Our vocalist loves playing live and while I rather see myself more as a songwriter than a performer, once a good live show opportunity shows up I usually agree to make him happy. We have a nice deal with a booking agency, Death Over Rome, and booking a few European dates probably wouldn’t be a problem. Lack of a drummer is a problem. We’ve had a good run with Lucass Edquist, session/touring drummer and a highly skilled musician, but he understandably knows his worth which makes it quite difficult for us both financially and logistically. We keep on searching, though.
Are there any other happenings or things going on that you would like me to let people know about? Do you have anything to say or add for closure?
Our new album has just been released: give it a listen. Thank you for your time.
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