The band Burn Down Eden has its roots in Dresden but is currently based in Berlin. How has your location influenced your music, and what prompted the move to the German capital?
Tom: I don’t think that a location would influence our music. William and I grew up in the same small town listening to the same type of music growing up, which is pobably why we’re always/mostly on the same page when writing new music. The move to Berlin just happened over time since more and more of us moved to Berlin for personal reasons. Eventually, when I moved to Berlin we decided that we need to be based in Berlin, since all instruments lived in Berlin by then. Only Pether is left still living in Dresden and who needs a vocalist to rehearse regularly right? 😉
“Dismal Epiphany” stands out for its high production quality. Who was responsible for the album’s production, and what approach did you take to achieve such a polished sound? Are you fully satisfied with it, or have any flaws emerged over time?
William: I did the production completely by myself, just as I already did on the „Sermonize“ EP. So we were pretty much in absolute control and able to achieve the sound that suits Burn Down Eden the most. It’s transparent, fat, yet raw and organic. Basically, you get what you would experience at a live show or in the rehearsal room. There were some issues with the drum recordings, but other than that I am satisfied with the general outcome. Especially, the vinyl master turned out great!
The album features many energetic moments and guitar solos. What were your inspirations when composing these parts, and is the balance between technical skill and melodiousness key to understanding Burn Down Eden’s greatest strengths? What elements of composition and arrangement are most important to you in achieving this balance?
William: When it comes to the leads and solos it was always my ambition to connect bittersweet and catchy melodies with nasty, shreddy and disturbing sounds coming from diminished and augmented tonalities for example. There is also a strong neoclassical vibe going on since day one. This is just the stuff I enjoy personally, so I learned all the theory and skills that make it possible. I think this mixture is a huge trademark for BDE and makes the music less „generic standard metal“.
What themes do you explore in the lyrics of “Dismal Epiphany”? Are they related to broader social issues? Can you provide specific examples regarding this theme?
Tom: The majority of the songs on „Dismal Epiphany“ relate to social issues for sure. In „Death of a Songbird“ we talk about the craziness of Elon Musk who bought Twitter and basically destroyed the whole thing. So it’s about people in power and with a shitload of money, who think they can do everything. This topic is also pictured in the song „Burn Down Eden“, where we talk about how mostly greed destroys our beautiful planet. Kinda the same topic also comes back in the song „Suckbox“. This song pictures the abuse of women by rockstars, politicians and everybody who thinks who can do what he wants. „The War Within“ on the other hand talks about depression, which more and more people are suffering from. This world just became too fast and social media also plays a big role in all of that. I think „Fake News For Breakfast“ stands for itself. This time „Reap The Apocalypse“ is the only song, where we talk about the church, haha.
What have been the reactions of fans and critics to your earlier albums, and what expectations and reactions do you anticipate after the release of “Dismal Epiphany”?
Our critics were generally pretty good in the past. Our third album also made it to the top 20 releases at Legacy magazine and got plenty of 10/10 reviews. Unfortunately, print doesn’t play a big role anymore, when it comes to building a fan base. Social media became way more crucial. This is why we came up with a different approach for the „Dismal Epiphany“ release and spread the single releases way more through the year. This gave us the most exposure we could possibly get. We hope that people like the „Dismal Epiphany“ LP as much as we do. In our opinion it’s the best work we’ve put out.
What are your promotional plans and expectations regarding the release of “Dismal Epiphany”? Are you planning a tour, and if so, what places and festivals would you like to visit?
Well, the expactations were/are high, since we consider „Dismal Epiphany“ being the best work we ever put out. Of course we need the support of our fans and anybody that likes our music. We have to sell records in the end. We had plans to tour and there were also some options on the table. Unfortunately we had to pass on all the options that were given to us due to private reasons from some of our band members. Let’s see what the future holds…maybe it’ll just happen later in 2025.
How much truth do you think there is in the statement “music will defend itself”?
Tom: Difficult question. With AI on the horizon and everything, it might not be the same as it used to be. Time will tell.
What experiences have you had with live performances so far, and which do you consider the most unforgettable? Can you share an interesting story that happened to you while touring?
Tom: We played a bunch of shows over the years and we also toured a couple of times. We had it all…super crowded shows, but we also played in front of 10 people on a Monday in the middle of nowhere. I would lie, if I would say it’s the same feeling, the same energy going on. You always start the show a little less motivated when there is not much audience in the room, but in the end it was always fun and we had great with the people that came around. I think our most unforgettable experience was our tour with Stortregn. They’re awesome dudes and we had fun every night. We mostly do the usual, that every band is doing on tour…perform, drink beers and party most of the time. So there is nothing really interesting to tell. Nobody broke a leg or anything so far, haha.
You promote yourselves with an exceptionally large number of music videos. How do they come about, who produces them, and is the response to them what you expected?
Tom: The majority of our videos were produced by our dear friend Jonas Kreschnak and his company TAILVND. We have a long history in working together and we’re always on the same page when it comes to concepts and everything. It’s easy work and we always love the outcome. And yeah, this time we went a little nuts with the amount of videos we put out. That wasn’t the initial plan to be honest. It was a development over time. The response we got was okay. The views were good, but the reactions/interactions (comments, etc.) were a little low unfortunately.
If you had to convey the character of your music with the title of any film, which one would you choose?
William: Good question. Maybe „In the Mouth of Madness“
What changes have you noticed in the German metal scene over the past few years? Which bands from this scene do you currently consider the most valuable?
Tom: Unfortunately, the underground is basically dead. Not just that smaller DIY venues die, but also the audience is just not there anymore. People are willing to pay 200, 300, 400 euros to see Rammstein, AC/DC or Iron Maiden for the millionth time (and the last two are basically a horror show in a funeral home), but are not willing to pay 15-20 euros to see smaller bands and maybe experience something new and cool. This changed a lot from the past.
What I consider the most valuable band at the moment? It’s probably „Kanonenfieber“. Not my cup of tea though. First album was pretty okay or good even, since it was something fresh. But it lost it’s power very quick in my opinion.
How would you describe the city where you live? What are its biggest challenges? And what are some off-the-beaten-path places you would recommend visiting?
Tom: Berlin is a shithole, but it can also be much fun. Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain have lots of nice bars and venues where you can go to concerts on daily basis actually. If you have the time and money of course. I think the biggest challenge is to make it on time with public transportation. Something’s always not working and you miss connections and shit. William is cursing about that a lot, haha.
What are your personal interests and activities outside of music? Do they influence your creativity and the functioning of the band in any way?
William: Besides the band and all the tasks that come along with it there is not much time left for other hobbies. At least for some of us. There are some movies I admire, like „Blade Runner“ and „Hellraiser“, that influenced the past lyrics though.
If you could make any change in the world, what would it be?
Stop climate change and rising fascism.
Finally, what would you like listeners to take away from “Dismal Epiphany”? What emotions and thoughts would you like to evoke in their minds while listening to your music?
Just enjoy the music and have fun listening to it. Even though we have some serious topics, we consider our music „party ready“. Give it a spin and if you like what you hear, please don’t hesitate to support us and buy a copy.
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https://burndownedenmetal.bandcamp.com/
