Dragsholm/Interview with Asmodai

Interview by Jay Parker

1) Tell us about Dragsholm... who is in the band? When did you form the band? Why did you decide to create the band?

Dragsholm currently has two members in the band. The official members include Wesley Andurium on drums and myself on guitar, bass and vocals as well as some sessions members. Dragsholm started in 2017 as a one-man project with myself playing all instruments. Eventually I found Wesley and he joined to play live shows and as of this year became an official member of the band. I started Dragsholm for my own enjoyment and to create a new wave form of gothic vampyric black/death metal and to create the soundtrack to vampyric horror movies.

2) Describe your music in 5 words.

Our music in five words and as of this year became an would be best described as Dark, Gothic, Sinister, Vampyric and Horrific.

3) Run us through your previous releases... The latest EP Vapmyrism In The Halls Of Worship is an absolute belter, dark and doomy and all things Dracula... Reminiscent of Blasphemy’s early stuff, but more structured, melodic and Vampyric... When and where was it recorded? Who wrote the music/lyrics?

For our latest EP I wrote all the music and lyrics. Malicer a session member and Myself recorded all the instruments in our home studio in Malicer’s basement.

4) What is the inspiration behind your sound? What bands influenced you?

The inspiration behind the band’s sound is a combination of goth and black/death metal. The bands that influenced Dragsholm would be bands such as Behemoth, Belphegor, Bathory, Mayhem, Darkthrone, Satyricon, Dissection, Gorgoroth, Dimmu Borgir, Deicide, Morbid Angel and bands such as Type O Negative, Christian Death and She Past Away.

5) What are you plans for the future with Dragsholm? Are you recording? Playing live?

Our Plans For Dragsholm are to continue what we are doing and to put ourselves out there more. We are currently recording for a new release and plan on playing live soon around the New York and New Jersey area.

6) What instruments do you use? Your tracks are quite down tuned, D and C... Do you find that gives you a more gothic effect when songwriting?

For Dragsholm we record with two guitars, bass and drums. We down tune to get a more heavier sound but in the past we have even used standard tuning. I do not think that the tuning used gives it a more gothic feel rather what gives the gothic feel is in the songwriting and structure.

7) What is your opinion of the current Black Metal scene? Which new bands do you listen to? Recommend some bands for our readers around the world...

My opinion on the current black metal scene is very mixed. I do enjoy seeing new bands but I feel a majority of the bands try to copy the bands of the past too much and do not understand that we live in a different era. I do strongly believe that it is important to keep metal primitive but I feel new bands need to also try to come up with a new riff instead of repeating the same Darkthrone riff over and over. The black metal scene also seems to be very broken as there are so many black metal bands and subgenres of black metal these days. New black metal bands I enjoy would be Hulder, Ieschure, Nocturnal Departure, Lamp of Murmuur, Hellmoon and Vargrav.

8) If you could play with any musician/band, live or dead, who would it be and why?

If I could perform with any Musician/band dead or alive it would have to be Type O Negative because they have had a huge influence on Dragsholm.

9) What is your favourite album of all time, why? Which album influenced you/inspired you the most?

My Favorite album of all time would be Dimmu Borgir Stormblast. I enjoy this album a lot because I feel this album is very unique and I enjoy it during my personal downtime. The album that influenced me and inspired me the most would have to be Cradle of Filth’s Dusk and Her Embrace. This album has had a huge impact on me and still to this day influences me on creating music. This album in particular has also had a huge impact on the sound of Dragsholm.

10) When did you start as a musician? Why did you become a musician?

I started as a musician when I was very young. I began playing music at about ten years old. I started out by taking guitar lessons and then playing bass and learning vocals. I play music for my own enjoyment and to be part of the music scene.

11) How do you think Black Metal will evolve in the next 10 years?

I do not know how the Black Metal scene will look in 10 years but I do hope the scene is still strong by then and Black Metal will continue to stay as how Black Metal should.

12) Do you have any advice for up and coming bands/ musicians that are reading?

My advice for new and upcoming bands would be to not be afraid to reach out to other bands and musicians and to try and build your own scene amongst your peers.

13) Would you like to add anything for our readers?

Make sure to keep updated with Dragsholm. We are on all social media platforms so be on the lookout for new music and live shows. Spread the cult of Dracula. Thank you for the interview.

Thanks Asmodai, J.