Spawns of pestilence, plague and destruction! Based in Uppsala - Sweden, DEBER was born to execute Funeral Doom. Consisting of Hcf (vocals, drums) and Die (guitars, bass, keyboard/organ), they have both recorded and released their debutant, “Aspire to Affliction” which contains four tracks; 1. Aspire To Affliction (intro) / 2. Pestilence / 3. Decay / 4. Soulbind. DEBER is something you need to check out! – Interviewed by Atandistorted, 19 August 2021
Funeral Hails! First of all, please introduce Deber; the history, the philosophy and band members?
Deber is a Funeral Doom Metal band created by DIE and me (HCF) in early 2020, about the time when the Corona virus struck the world. The main idea behind Deber was actually to create something far darker than we have ever accomplished, and Funeral Doom Metal was a natural choice of genre for that. Me and DIE have worked together for a very long time in the past, as we both derive from the Doom Metal act Anguish, which DIE still is a part of. Today I am mainly active in the Doom band Acolytes of Moros.
If ‘Funeral Doom’ is just a general word, please elaborate Deber in a more thorough and detailed description, musically and lyrically?
Musically we want to convey our darkest thoughts into pure music, basically. Lyrically we deal with subjects such as regrets, self-loathe and dark spirituality (no satanic bullshit, just working with lower energies). We like to think Deber as a vessel for our darkest and deepest thoughts and a way to express them flawlessly and honestly.
Who and/or what influenced and inspired you, in terms of songwritings and sound preferences?
If we are talking about inspiring bands; Worship, Evoken, Colosseum, Comatose Vigil comes to mind. Soundwise, I don’t think we aimed for anything specific. We just used the sound that we liked, and recorded it. But I do remember that we discussed the sound in the beginning and we both agreed on that we wanted it to sound unpolished and raw.
How do you interpret “Aspire to Affliction” as the debut? What does this album mean to the existence of Deber, and how strong can this release spread your name?
The name “Aspire to Affliction” basically means ‘the search for misfortune’ which pretty much sums it up. I’d say that “Aspire to Affliction” pretty much defines Deber as it is now and I think this is the album people will think about in the future when they hear the name ‘Deber’.
Share some important facts and other good information about the composing process and recording session of the album?
I don’t know about any important facts regarding the composing process but we worked both separated most of the time, DIE doing most of the music and I did the lyrics. There is one song we both worked on but other than that I focused on the lyrics and DIE on the strings. The actual recording were done between early 2020 and May 2021. DIE recorded the music at his homestudio and when that was done we met up and recorded the drums and vocals.
The cover art is quite simple but it is probably full of meaning for Deber. What is it all about?
It was actually the simplicity that made us use that coverart. The photograph is taken in the northern parts of Sweden, and is a very powerful place, energy-wise. Far from civilization spirits roam freely and is a perfect place to regenerate, and explore location-bound memories.
Tell us more about your plans for the physical release of "Aspire to Affliction"?
The plan is to release “Aspire to Affliction” on CD, and we have struck a deal with a label. We can expect the album to be released later this year.
What is on your mind for next recordings and future releases? Has Deber already prepared new tracks, and how do you see your latest works will be different from the debut ones?
We haven’t really thought that far ahead. As mentioned, we are part of other bands and are pretty busy with our main projects.
Would you please report briefly on the metal/underground scene in Uppsala, Sweden?
There is nothing much right now that is active, as I see it. Except the usual Black and Death Metal bands that have stayed true to the scene since early -00s.
Thanks and Salute from Malaysia. Any final messages?
Thank you very much for the attention and the interview. Hail to all you griefing Doom Metal maniacs in Malaysia, hope you’ll grab a copy of “Aspire to Affliction” when it’s out. Cheers! /Deber, Hcf & Die.
