DAATH Guitarist: 'We're Exploring The Negative Sides Of The Human Mind'

While in London to give a blistering performance supporting UNEARTH at the Mean Fiddler, Roadrunner Records U.K. (web site) caught up with DAATH guitarist/co-writer Eyal Levi to interogate him on whatever came to mind. Read on:

Roadrunner: You're here touring the U.K. for the first time, finally; how have you been enjoying it? What have the reactions been like?

Eyal Levi: The first reaction was relief at not being kicked out! We actually had a great time at the airport this time, it was really easy. The shows have been really good; the crowd already seem familiar with us and appear to be open-minded; there have been loads of kids at the shows. We're really enjoying it very much, and I don't want to go home.

Roadrunner: The album "The Hinderers" has just been released over here – any particular highlights or stand-out tracks for you?

Eyal Levi: I don't know how to answer that, the album is so old to me now and I've put so much work into it. I don't want to give you the asshole musician answer, but I'm kind of over the record now, so I just hope people take from it what they take from it.

Roadrunner: You worked alongside James Murphy in producing the album, what was it like working with someone who is such a legend and has had such a major impact on death metal?

Eyal Levi: It was great. His advice is what's helped us to get here, he was key is us getting to where we are today. And working with one of your influences is always interesting, it took me a while to adjust to him being around and working with him.

Roadrunner: How did it all come about with James playing the solo on "Who Will Take The Blame?"

Eyal Levi: We just asked him to, and he said yes, simple as that.

Roadrunner: Give us a quick insight on what's on heavy rotation on your iPod?

Eyal Levi: MUSE, SATYRICON, DIMMU BORGIR and OPETH.

Roadrunner: You've just been confirmed for Ozzfest, so apart from that, what are the immediate plans for the band? Any more festivals lined up?

Eyal Levi: Not that I know of, they all happen at around the same time, so we're likely to only end up doing Ozzfest. Unless I can be in two places at the same time, but I don't think the laws of physics are going to change by the summer unfortunately.

Roadrunner: And looking further forward over the next 12 months, what's the big master plan you've got laid out?

Eyal Levi: The plan for me personally is for the band to do as much road work as possible, hopefully as much here and in Europe as is humanly possible as this is our first real time in Europe as a band. Last time we managed only one show in front of about 15 other bands and their girlfriends before being kicked out.

Roadrunner: Mike has posted a very detailed explanation of DAATH and all the associated background on your site; can you give us just a quick synopsis?

Eyal Levi: To make a long story short, we're exploring the negative sides of the human mind using the inverted Tree of Life, which is just a system for exploring the mind that comes from many different belief systems. We're just tying them all together and using it as a basic framework for exploring the negative side of the human psyche.

Roadrunner: It's an unusual concept to write an album around, let alone base a whole band around; where and how did the inspiration for all this start?

Eyal Levi: Mike Kameron [DAATH keyboardist] and I started writing music together when I was about 11 or 12, and about the same time we started exploring esoteric and occult subjects, and as we got older it got more serious. After a while I got out of it a bit, but for Mike it became more of a scholarly pursuit. It's always gone hand in hand with the music, so it's not unusual for us, it's just what we've always done.

Roadrunner: On a slightly more light-hearted note to finish — it's gone a bit SPINAL TAP with the number of drummers you've had, including three on the album, so what have you done to them all?

Eyal Levi: Well, we started recording the album in 2004. We just have high standards. I don't want to knock anybody, but I have a vision for what I want for this band, and I'm not going to settle for less. For the majority of the recording for the album we weren't signed, so when you're not signed you can't offer people Ozzfest or a tour with UNEARTH or whatever, so it's very difficult. And in Atlanta the pool of players to pick from is very, very shallow, and small, so it takes a while and is difficult to get the right people together. The way I see it, by not having the right players degrades the end product and the vision, so that's why. I think we've got the right people now though; you never know what might happen, but I'm pretty sure the DAATH of now is the DAATH of the next record.