Every death metal fan knows Dave Ingram for his outstanding vocal efforts in Benediction, particularly, but also later in Bolt Thrower. After the release of Honour, Valour, Pride Dave Ingram left Bolt Thrower, and has been unusually quiet for the last three years. Back in June this year, Dave contacted Evilution Magazine to tell us the news that he is back with his new band Downlord, and that this newborn constellation has recorded a four-track 'promotion-only' demo entitled Full Scale Hatred. Dave offered us an exclusive pre-listen as well as the very first interviews with Downlord, which in addition is the first interview with Dave since the split with Bolt Thrower. For that reason we are proud to present the assertive return of Dave Ingram as well as the bloodied birth of Downlord

# Greetings, Dave! Before we talk about Downlord; if you look back to the very first beginning of your musical career, what are the biggest achievements and highlights?

Greetings to you also! My first interview for several years and the first Downlord interview as well. Quite a special occasion for me! Looking back over the years, it's hard to say what the biggest achievements and highlights were, since I felt proud of the many things I did. I remember the first time I held a copy of Benediction's The Grand Leveller in my hands. That was pretty special, as it was my first official release. There were many tours through the years, each one having its own unique feeling of nostalgia. Plus, of course, my time with Bolt Thrower has just as many fantastic memories. In all honesty, it's difficult to pinpoint the highlights since just about everything I did was a joy! Though, I can say that one of the greatest and most enjoyable moments for me was playing in front of over 24,000 people at the With Full Force festival when I was guesting as vocalist for Bolt Thrower (while still a member of Benediction) in 1997. Man, what a rush!

# When did you decide to become a death metal vocalist instead of pursuing a normal career?

I gave myself a few career options when I was younger, since I wasn't certain what I wanted to do. I mean, what is a normal career, really? To me, being into music so much is normal. I've always said that if I hadn't found a career then maybe I'd join the armed forces. But music was always a big part of my life so I kept putting off any decisions, drifting from one dull job to another, until I met up with Benediction in a pub in Birmingham. They asked if the singer from my old band Plague H.D.C. wanted to audition for them. Up until I joined Benediction I was a bass player. Not a particularly good one, but a bass player nonetheless. Luckily for me, the singer from Plague H.D.C. was going to travel around Europe on vacation so I offered myself up for the audition. A week afterwards Benediction told me I'd got the job, and that I had to therefore buy the beer for the rest of the night. So it was in 1990 that I made my decision on what to do, and I have never once regretted it.

# What has the time in Benediction, Warlord and Both Thrower meant for your personal musical development?

Firstly, I better say that the Warlord project wasn't mine. They were a band from Birmingham that had been together for several years and were damn good! They hadn't got a deal, so I approached Nuclear Blast Records about getting them signed, and NBR kindly agreed. The only tracks I appeared on were the 3 cover versions at the end of the album; the rest of the stuff was totally those guys. My time with those bands has taught me a lot. Not just about the music industry as a whole, but also that there is in fact more to music than meets the eye. Or ear, for that matter. I've learned a lot about studio techniques, tour planning, merchandise... I'm not sure people would believe just how much hard work being in a band can be! On a personal level it's opened my musical tastes up even further, and has made me want to try other new projects. I'm usually satisfied by working with one project at a time, since it's hard to share out which project is most important and which would demand the most creativity, so as of now I'm totally committed to Downlord. Plus, in a reverse way, it's also given me the wisdom to judge, in my own view, what music I enjoy and which music I won't waste my time or energy on by listening to it. Basically, if it doesn't do anything for me, then I reach for the fast-forward button.

# Please give us your version of the split with Bolt Thrower as well as your career with the band. Do you agree with the official announcement from Bolt Thrower and what lies behind the statement due to long-standing health and personal problems?

Absolutely. Both myself and Bolt Thrower talked over what the press release should say, and we were all in agreement over it. To start, I'll say that I enjoyed every single moment of being a part of the Bolt Thrower war-machine, and will carry those memories with pride through the rest of my life. My illness really began way back in 2000 when my sister committed suicide. I just never got over it. I suffered some severe depressions, and had to take medications and see psychiatrists because of it. It didn't get any better; in fact it got a lot worse. I had a nervous and mental breakdown (it all got a bit Twelve Monkeys for a time) at the beginning of 2004, and I needed to pick up the pieces of my life and start rebuilding. To do this would and did take time, and I told Bolt Thrower that I didn't want them to suffer unduly. It was a very hard decision to make, but my departure from the band was necessary for me to concentrate on regaining my mental health, and for Bolt Thrower not to have been put on hold. It just wouldn't have been fair to them had I remained. This is the first time I've spoken about my illness to people other than family/friends/doctors and this last couple of years, when I was experiencing all this turmoil, now seem somewhat removed and distant. Even though it wasn't quite so long ago.

# You are now back with Downlord. Please start by introducing the band and give a few comments on how it all started and perhaps a brief explanation of the idea behind the name Downlord?

There's me on vocals, Donovan Spenceley (guitar), Rene Falther (guitar), Thomas Fagerlind (bass) and Jesper Frost (drums). It originally started back in late 2004. Rene was working with our previous drummer and bass player, and he contacted me to see if I'd be interested in jamming with them and possibly joining. I took along my long-time buddy Donovan and we all felt that we could produce something concrete, so we agreed to work together. Originally, the band was called Full Scale Hatred but we just weren't too happy with that. Mainly because we're tired of the overt negativity prevailing through metal lyrics. Of course, that kind of thing perfectly suits death metal, but we just didn't feel 100% comfortable with that name, especially in the climate of the world today. We spent a long time figuring out a name, with a lot of different ideas. One evening we sat down and wrote out a huge list, while getting drunk, and discussed them all. A few days later (once we'd recovered) I looked back over the list, and the almost illegible handwriting due to the copious amounts of alcohol we'd consumed and saw Downlord on there. I think we.d tried to write DownLOAD but we were just SO wasted that night, so you can say the name was fueled by booze. But back to that negativity thing... I'm not disrespecting death metal for that; it's just that in my experience through the last eight years of life, I've found that something positive can always come out of something negative.

# What is the musical philosophy and aim of the band?

It's probably been said before, but we want to have a good time and also make something constructive and enjoyable by people out in the world who are into extreme music. That's our aim. And a little of our philosophy too. We've got a hard working attitude that suits us all well, and a strong belief in what we're doing. Musically, if we don't like something we've written then we either change it drastically, or abandon it for something better. I'm personally at a point in life to not make any sacrifices in quality just to speed the process along.

# What would you describe as the most significant musical difference between Downlord and your previous bands?

This is the first band I've been in that plays grind/blast beats, and has an overall extreme feel to it in comparison to the others. (I know Bolt Thrower did use them on their earlier releases, but I never performed any of those tracks live). In no way am I disrespecting my previous bands, as they were also extreme in their own areas just that this is the first time I've put vocals over blast beats! That's one example of a musical difference, and possibly the most obvious. Another thing is the way songwriting is accomplished. We work through them by recording it as we go along, building from a scratch-track right the way up to what we want the end result to be. Then we can use that as a learning tool for when we record the track again, with a better idea of what we want. It really helps. On a more personal level is the fact that the members of Downlord today knew each other as friends long before we hooked up as a band, so we're very used to each other. It helps overcome a lot of problems that may arise during the process of writing a track, and also that it's great to hang out together several times a week, or go out partying. There's a real family feel to it.

# If you were to single out one track on Full Scale Hatred for a favourite which one would it be and why? Would it be detrimental to the overall texture of the demo to listen to the tracks separately, or can each and every song stand alone?

I believe each track stands alone, since we have a wide range of styles within the band (from 3 different scenes/areas of the world) but a demo favourite? That's maybe hard to say, since Groin Of God +++Amen & Out+++ has a lot of real great hooks, and during the recording of Nailing You In me and Donovan had such a good time (drink was involved) when we did the backing vocals and effects on it. Though overall I definitely think the songs can stand up all by themselves. No doubt about that.

# The title of the demo pretty much speaks for itself. You sound angrier and more bitter than you used to be. What fuels your hatred these days?

My illness was a fuel for it, but these days I'm recovering. Though I haven't lost the bitter edge! In fact, the song Hate Brace is actually about psychiatrists. Mine in particular! He was my very own brace against hate and helped me through some real rough times, so I wrote that one for him. Thanks, Bjarne!

# To what extent do you use Downlord as a vent for your emotions and frustrations?

I use it in exactly the same way as my other bands; it was both a very easy and also a rather difficult way of expressing some deep emotions and inner thoughts, and trying to do it in a way that would maybe make people think about themselves and how they look at life. Hopefully making things better.

# It says in the biography that Downlord is a blistering coalition of the American, English and Scandinavian music scenes. How does the songwriting in the band work, and are there any songwriting differences due to the different musical backgrounds?

It's all pretty easy-going when concerning the writing of music for Downlord. The guys have known each other really well as good friends, or worked in various projects together for many years, so we all know our limits already. It also gives us the foresight to see when something isn't working well enough so that we can shelve it, and turn our energy and time to something else. Having three different backgrounds within the band is an added bonus, since we can all relate to the experience we have, so as to push us along at optimum afterburn.

# Since the formation of the band and recording of the demo there have been a few line-up changes. Will it affect the direction and sound of Downlord in the future?

A simple answer: it will only make it better! Even now, the songs have a new and deeper dimension to them after working with both Thomas and Jesper. They brought along a lot of good ideas into the band, subtle changes that have made an immense difference. Even things that we or previous members simply hadn't seen would advance the songs to higher ground.

# As said, the band has recently teamed up with Jesper Frost of Iniquity fame. What is it like to work with Jesper, and has he been musically active since the demise of Iniquity?

What can I say? He's a drummer! Just a bit of in-band humour, only kidding. He's a great guy, and a very solid and extremely precise drummer. I've always admired his ability. I remember going down to Iniquity rehearsals most Friday evenings and sitting watching him play, while the rest of the band tore my ears off, and being astounded at his techniques. (Gobsmacked is the English word to use!). He's been working with a couple of bands since Iniquity; I believe one of them he's still working with is Thorium.

# What is your impression of the Danish metal-scene from your interaction with members of local bands and your attendance at various concerts? How does it differ from the British scene, past and present?

There are a lot of comparisons overall on the scenes for me, especially in how bands know each other, and it often ends up in a night out on the town together (before, during and after a show). I like the feeling that you're surrounded by a lot of friends, all out for a good time and working together to achieve it. The only differences I could offer are so small that they aren't worth mentioning! That's how good I feel about the scene here. Another positive point is the lack of assholes here. There are a few, but small in number. And IQ.'

# Please tell us about the lyrical orientation of Downlord. Is it all about full scale hatred, or are there more specific subjects beneath the surface?

Well, as I said before, we're attaining to push through a positive message with the lyrics, even though they may have somewhat negative titles. I'm very much into word play as well, now and again leaving hidden messages in songs to friends (and even enemies) or having the theme/subject matter twist and change into something else during the track. The demo name, in fact, isn't the real title as such. We once discussed using it, and so I tagged it on there when passing it around to friends and family. The demo doesn' actually have a title! At least, not yet. We're always recording something, so we'll be getting another, better slab of metal together real soon!

# What are your plans as far as live performances and general exposure of the band?

As soon as we have at least 35 to 45 minutes of music ready, then we're going to start some back-to-back rehearsals while planning some shows here in Denmark. We could throw in a couple of cover versions to lengthen the set we have now but why bother? We'd all rather write, play and promote our own music, rather than someone elses. We don't see the point in doing that!
Initial contacts would be a great help so if anyone out there can help then please feel free to contact me, but only in reference to any future live or recording arrangements or further interviews. (I'll give my email at the end of the interview). We're setting up a website soon which will answer anymore questions people may have. As for doing shows... We can't wait to get out there and shred!!!

# Are there plans for releasing Full Scale Hatred to the general public, or will it solely be a demo for label-shopping?

We may place a few tracks on the website for free download, but if we're near completion of new tracks, or new versions of the old ones, then we'll wait. Even though we feel the demo is very good it doesn't completely do the band justice as we stand now. Our overall impact has broadened with the addition of the new members, so we'd rather the world sees and hears us as we are now, rather than as we once were. We've grown and strengthened so much in the last couple of months!

# Do you expect to start negotiating with various labels soon, and when can we expect an official full-length release from Downlord?

We'd love to release! I mean, which band wouldn't? We've all had a large amount of studio experience in the past, so we know our time recording a full-length release will be enjoyable, painless and professionally productive. That's always a good start when you know something more of the processes involved. We believe that the website, once operational, will help get us around and known a lot more on the scene, too. When we've done the next demo disc, and we're satisfied with it, then we'll be using that to shop around. Another idea was to finance a recording ourselves, then have it available online with downloadable CD art so we do it all ourselves, for a lot less. Something else I learned from my recent past is that by cutting out the middle-man, a band can lose a lot of the trouble involved, and then give back to the scene that supports them.

# Right, Dave. This is your chance to finish this interview with comments, thoughts and all things conclusive.

A very big thank you to Bo & Evilution for this interview; my first for Downlord, and my first in some years! Greetings to all the usual suspects out there, the unnameable masses that we know, all families and close ones to Downlord, and of course my boy, Oliver. I hope you follow in my footsteps one day, son.

Dave Ingram's current playlist:
1. Queens Of The Stone Age all releases (including bootlegs!)
2. Desert Sessions - I See You Hearin' Me/I (Heart) Disco
3. Kyuss - And The Circus Leaves Town
4. Eagles Of Death Metal - Peace Love Death Metal
5. Discharge - Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing

My worst enemies are those that assume me to be harmless. They cannot imagine how much I resent and disdain them, or just how great a threat they would face if I could get at them. Everything in their behavior speaks of insult and presumptuousness, and for now it is all I can do to make constructive use of my anger toward them. At this time, I just make a list of them and keep a watch on. Some day, with the help of time, space, and circumstance, I will be able to humiliate them properly not in a manner they would enjoy, but in a style calculated to make them wish that they had never been born. DESIDERATA SATANICUS, A.S. LaVey.
I've just opened up our website, which is currently running at a very basic level simply to get us online as fast as possible. I'll personally be updating it as time goes by, so it'll grow in size and will eventually look a lot better. So far it has a biography/band member introduction page, a photo gallery (containing us guys in various states of oblivion) and a download section where you can get two tracks 'Nailing You In' and Groin Of God +++Amen & Out+++ on free download. Please bear with me on the site; it's my first one so there's bound to be a hitch or two.

Many thanks again for the interview!

Conducted and written by Bo & Misereion