EMQ’s With Dyoxidon
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview with USA instrumental Black/ Death Metal project, Dyoxidon. Huge thanks to project founder, Host_Revenant, for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
I am Host_Revenant, and I handle all instruments, main vocals, and programming in Dyoxidon. The project started in 2009 and recorded a handful of rough recordings, but did not assemble a proper full-length until 2017, which was later re-recorded and is now considered a demo. To date, Dyoxidon has officially released one EP and two full-length albums.
How did you come up with your band name?
“Dyoxidon” is a word that I made up. I wanted something that sounded like a beast or entity made from toxic chemicals, to match the unnatural and alien-like atmosphere of the music.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
Dyoxidon is based in Colorado, USA. The metal scene here is excellent, and consists of many well-known black/death/doom bands, as well as several up-and-coming ones. Large metal tours frequently have dates in the major Colorado cities, so there’s no shortage of metal shows going on. Some of my favorite bands in Colorado include Akhlys, Nightbringer, Helleborus, Akhenaten, Tovenaar, and Dreadnought.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
“The Decaying Multiverse” is the 2nd Dyoxidon full-length and was released on March 5th, 2023 via Bandcamp. A promo video for the song “Tempest Nexus” was released shortly after.
Who have been your greatest influences?
Musically, the bands Aborym and Blut Aus Nord have been the biggest influences in the creation of Dyoxidon. Other bands from various genres have also influenced the sound of the project, but those two have been the biggest inspiration since Dyoxidon’s inception.
What first got you into music?
As a small child, I remember being infatuated with the soundtracks from the video games I was playing, which, later in life, I learned were composed by Koji Kondo and Kenji Yamamoto. I eventually began listening to the radio as a young teenager and heard all the big rock/metal bands like Metallica, Korn, Pantera, etc. The band Fear Factory was instrumental in me wanting to find heavier and more brutal music, as well as piquing my interest in fusing metal with electronic genres. From there I discovered death metal via Cannibal Corpse, then black metal via Emperor and Dimmu Borgir, then industrial via Skinny Puppy, and the rest is history.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
I would love to do a split release with the industrial black metal bands Borgne and/or Decoherence, as I enjoy the music of both bands and feel as though we are on a similar wavelength musically. Being able to play a show alongside the Colorado black metal band Akhlys would be an honor.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
There are so many large festivals throughout the world now, that it would be impossible to narrow it down to just one. I would be content just to be able to play at any of them. Although Dyoxidon has yet to play live, there are plans to make it a possibility in the future.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
Several people have purchased The Decaying Multiverse on Bandcamp for way more than what I’m charging for it. I’m very honored that many people thought it was worth paying even more for. Besides that, I’ve also received candy from someone (or rather, had it thrown at me) after playing a show in a different band.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Thank you to everyone who has chosen to listen to Dyoxidon. There are a lot of things in the works right now, so be patient and eventually new music and live shows will appear on the horizon.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
The world would greatly benefit from having Quorthon around again. If not him, then definitely Peter Steele.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I enjoy being able to transform whatever emotions I am feeling into something that mentally takes people to another world, or makes them feel my same emotions. I hate that oftentimes, life gets in the way of being able to produce music, and those around who are not musicians don’t seem to understand the struggle and effort it takes to create music.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
Perhaps it would be the fact that it’s going in a more digital direction. People are rarely buying CDs and vinyl these days and instead choosing digital, out of convenience and that it’s increasingly expensive to produce physical media. I am guilty of this, admittedly. The die-hards will always collect vinyls/tapes/CDs, but more people would start their own collections again if things were cheaper.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
“With No Human Intervention”, the third Aborym full-length.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs or Downloads?
Vinyl provides the best audio quality, but can’t be listened to outside of a stationary place. Cassettes are the next best thing for the most analogue sound, but it’s hard finding modern
technology that will play them. I grew up on CDs, so I’m used to the fun and convenience of collecting them and burning mix CDs with them. Download is by far the most convenient of them all in the mordern age, which is why modern physical media is suffering.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
To date, Dyoxidon has yet to perform live. I, however, have played live multiple times in the bands Auxeptheon, Damnation Winds, and Colorado melodic black/death band Ob Nixilis. We have had several great shows throughout Colorado, especially in Denver, and are looking forward to more.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
I am currently a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and have been training since January 2020. If I weren’t making music, I would probably just train more often and harder.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
I would invite five of my ancestors, to find out if I am on a path in life that they deem worthy. What’s next for the band?
The idea of live Dyoxidon shows will be on the table, as many friends and fellow musicians have expressed interest in helping to make it a possibility. There is an entire archive of old music that I’ve written in the last 15 years, which can be re-worked and properly recorded, along with new music always in the works. The possibilities for a New Dyoxidon release are endless.
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
All Dyoxidon releases can be downloaded via Bandcamp: https://dyoxidon.bandcamp.com Dyoxidon is also on Spotify, iTunes, and Apple Music.
Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm (or Barm Cake), a Batch, a Bun, a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll or a Tea Cake?
This question made me Google all of these terms, and I learned that not only does it vary by region throughout England, but currently I am also very hungry. I will ask my English ancestors what it’s supposed to be called when we have the dinner party.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Thank you very much for the interview opportunity.
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.