A Dead Poem – Interview

Interview with Marlon Combat, A Dead Poem
atmospheric Doom/Black Metal band from Brazil

published 17.05.24

Hey Marlon, nice to meet you.

First of all please introduce your band. Who are the band members, how did you meet up?

Marlon: Firstly, thank you for the space provided.

Dead Poem is currently formed by me and Carlos Misanthropic.

I met Carlos on Facebook, but we didn’t talk much. I remember watching some videos of him singing and playing. When I formed A Dead Poem, I was looking for a vocalist to record “Until The Seventh Day” and another song that would later become “Spherical Tomb”. During the search I remembered Carlos, I ended up inviting him, we exchanged some ideas and original material, which resulted in the EP Absense of Life.

Your band name „A Dead Poem“ is the title of a Rotting Christ song. You also name the band as one of your influences. Is it a tribute to Rotting Christ?

Marlon: Even if indirectly, it ends up being a tribute, especially because I’m a big fan of Rotting Christ. I always found the title “A Dead Poem” cold, aggressive and at the same time subtle, an interesting name to name Doom Metal, Black Metal and Gothic bands. At the time I realized that no one had used it, I didn’t think twice about naming the band after it.

Which other musicians/bands influenced you?

Marlon: I’ve always been interested in melodic and atmospheric bands, bands that care about creating the perfect combination of weight and feeling. This can be from Progressive to Black Metal. Currently I’ve been listening to Harakiri for the Sky, Alcest, Mgla and the latest releases from Katatonia and Evergrey. These bands have influenced me a lot, adding new ideas and helping me discover new paths for A Dead Poem.

You released your first EP „Absence of Life“ in November 2023. Two singles „Dressed in Black“ and „Silent Tears Fall“ came out in april which are going to be on your first album you’re currently working on. How are the reactions on your music so far?

Marlon: The decision to record the first album in a short period after the release of the EP “Absence of Life” is due to the acceptance and positive reviews we received from all over the world. We took advantage of the moment and focused our energies on the production of Dressed in Black and Silent Tears Fall, which were also very well received by the public.

On your social media (facebook and instagram) you sell the EP on CD and a shirt. I guess the album will be available on CD as well. Are you shipping worldwide?

Marlon: Yes! Absence of Life is for sale on Bandcamp and we ship worldwide. The t-shirts were made in a limited edition and will be available for sale worldwide in the future.

Regarding the new album, we are talking to some record labels and we would really like to see our album being released and distributed around the world in all formats possible. LP, MC, CD and digital.

How do you usually compose your songs and where do you get your inspiration for the lyrics?

Marlon: We seek to address real themes, which are part of human existence, issues and behaviors that every individual can experience, such as: Existential and spiritual questions, grief, death, depression, introspection, among others.

Do you have plans for playing shows when your debut album is out? And how else do you want to promote it?

Marlon: We have plans to take A Dead Poem to the stage. But it is still a distant reality. There are some problems we need to solve. Reconciling time, work, family are some of these issues. Another point is the great lack of finding musicians committed to doing serious work in our region. All of these issues require time to be organized.

To promote the new album, in addition to the record companies that release it, we will use the tools we have available such as: social networks, websites, zines, webzines and of course the support of our friends and fans.

Around creating new music and working in the studio many unexpected things can happen. Can you remember a funny or weird situation from your past you want to share with us?

Marlon: There’s actually not much to share, our production process is very simple and independent, we produce at home in our own studios, we only get together to finalize the details, then we open some beers and celebrate the final result with a good conversation.

Last but not least what are your favorite hobbies if you want to relax and get your mind free from everything?

Marlon: I am a lover of nature, motorcycling and cinema. In my free time I go hiking, climb mountains, ride my motorbike exploring new places, sometimes at the cinema or locked up at home (laughs)

Is there anything else you want to let us know?

Marlon: Yes! We are in the final stretch of production of the new album. We will soon release more details. Just like Dressed in Black and Silent Tears Fall, I can say that the album is turning out amazing.