Blackened Horde: How did the band get started?
Damjan: This project started as a side project to my main metal band MRTVI. The idea was to make a more old school raw black metal sound.
Blackened Horde: What kind of music do you play?
Damjan: From the EP to the album it’s morphed into melodic/ raw Black metal.
Blackened Horde: How has the fan response been?
Damjan: The response has been great. People have seemed to enjoy the dark atmosphere of the music and the vocal style which I wanted to be very pained and apocalyptic.
Blackened Horde: Where did the band name come from?
Damjan: I originally wanted to call the band Poine, after the Goddess of retribution, but realized it was a weak name for a band so changed it to Goddess. There’s a song called Poine about her though.
Blackened Horde: Introduce the band members and what they do in the band.
Damjan: This is a one man band. I write and play and record and mix all the music and vocals. Usually I send my music to Warlock Studios in London to master but this time around I mastered myself.
Blackened Horde: Who writes the music? Lyrics?
Damjan: That’ll be me =)
Blackened Horde: And where do the lyric ideas come from?
Damjan: The lyric themes started about animal rights/abuses. They developed to more ecological commentary on the short sightedness of humanity towards our planet and nature. The mythological aspect came as a way to point out that the personification of nature in deities will reap its revenge upon a species that doesn’t care for the world bigger than itself.
Blackened Horde: What is your view in Satanism and Occultism?
Damjan: Interesting to read and add to and develop ones view of spirituality and psychology and the world, although I think satanism is short sighted. I think occultism is essentially another way of explaining the laws of nature, as many religions do, through poetry and metaphor. Its all chapters of the same book really.
Blackened Horde: How many albums/CD’s have you released?
Damjan: One EP on cassette and this is the first album. Only digital so far, I’m still looking for labels.
Blackened Horde: Tell me about some of the songs on the latest CD?
Damjan: In some ways its a loose concept album building to a climax of the divine promise, we can’t get away with negligence forever.
Blackened Horde: Do you have any side projects?
Damjan: This is/was a side project. I work on MRTVI, new album ‘Omniscient Hallucinatory Delusion’ coming out this year on Transcending Obscurity Records. I’m also playing with Necropalypse with former members of Cradle Of Filth and Nattraven.
Blackened Horde: Who are some of your musical influences?
Damjan: As many as possible. I went from classic rock and funk, to mainstream rock and metal as a teenager. Then punk/hardcore, then black metal, then jazz. Now I’m quite into progressive rock this last year or so.
Blackened Horde: Which current bands?
Damjan: Oranssi Pazuzu, Imperial Triumphant, King Crimson.
Blackened Horde: What is the band like when you play live?
Damjan: I haven’t played live with Goddess yet, though I would like to put a band together to perform it.
Blackened Horde: Have you guys ever played in another country?
Damjan: I’ve played all over Europe with various bands in the past.
Blackened Horde: How big of a crowd do you normally get?
Damjan: Depends on the band… I’ve played to empty rooms and to fests with thousands of people.
Blackened Horde: How is the crowd response when you play?
Damjan: Again depends on the band. Although I’ve noticed generally if it’s not totally agro music people tend to stand and absorb. Some of the more hardcore bands get pits going.
Blackened Horde: What do you think of the US Metal scene?
Damjan: There’s some interesting stuff coming out, Imperial Triumphant seem to be doing something similar to what I’m doing with MRTVI. The level of musicianship in places like NY and LA is high, I lived in London for a long long time so I can relate, there too the level of playing is ridiculous.
Blackened Horde: What do you think of the Overseas scenes?
Damjan: Depends on the place. I think Europe seems to have a pretty strong DIY spirit in most places.
Blackened Horde: What are some of new favorite black metal/death metal bands?
Damjan: Cythraul, Damim, Corpsing, Voices.
Blackened Horde: When do you guys plan on writing any new material?
Damjan: I’m working on MRTVI and on the debut album of my Belgrade based band Jedi Guv’nors, which is in the mixing stages, so I’m not sure when another Goddess will happen.
Blackened Horde: What does the future hold for the band?
Damjan: Honestly I’m not sure at this point…hopefully more music if I feel inspired to blast some more.
Thanks for the interview!
Contact them at:
https://www.facebook.com/Goddess-1885433388418622/
