Wellington Music: The Eighth Note - Dreams of the Damned

Who are you? Tell us a bit about your music:

My name is Zed and 'Dreams of the Damned' is my Metal solo project. This means that mainly all the instrumental parts you hear on studio work are written and performed by me. My sound is heavily influenced by many different Metal subgenres (Thrash Metal, Metalcore, Progressive Metal, etc.) and merges them to create my own defined sound.

What have you been working on lately? Any new tracks or albums on the way?

I recently released my sophomore album, Ashes to Ashes. This record was very special to me because a lot of the songs contain very personal themes and were written through difficult patches of my life. It feels very refreshing to have a cohesive project with all these emotions out in the world for others to relate to and connect their stories to find resolutions in their hard times. I am, however, working on two studio albums, so keep posted for more information on those.

Where is the best place people can follow you & find your music?

I’m most active on Instagram, I also am on Facebook too. My music is up on all streaming platforms so make sure to follow me on your preferred streaming service.

What were the 3 most influential albums to you growing up?

One of the first albums that I remember being influenced by was Rust in Peace by Megadeth. That album, from start to finish, is an onslaught of Thrash Metal with heavy riffs and shreddy solos. Another album that influenced me is Dirt by Alice in Chains. Layne Staley will forever be an idol to me, and his vocal style is prominent in my singing style, and I’m really happy that it is being discovered by other people. I was also very heavily influenced by Metropolis Part 2 by Dream Theater. Dream Theater’s ability to create technical riffs and tell an entire story through an album was and always will be mind-blowing to me. It is my main point of reference when I am tackling writing a concept album.

Which other Wellington musician (s) would you most like to work with?

I have had the pleasure of working with some amazing Wellington bands in Hadees Drudge, Cian and AOSI. I would love the chance to work with and perform at some of the local festivals as there are some awesome ones that would be an amazing chance to show my music to a new audience.

What’s your favourite Wellington venue to play in?

Valhalla. Not only does it have an emphasis in the Metal genre, all the staff are so kind and make sure everything is settled to ensure the best possible outcome for a show. They are an absolute pleasure to work with and it doesn’t surprise me that they’re always busy.

In your songwriting or composing (or the band’s songwriting) how do the compositions and songs take shape?

I have two different workflows. The first is where I get ideas for guitar riffs and build the song up from there, adding in the other instruments piece by piece. The other way is that I have an idea for the themes or story of the song, and work my way, making the instrumental elements fit the overall vibe of the song. I always leave lyrics and vocals to the end.

Where/when is your next gig?

I recently played a show to support the release of my album on the 24th of April with Hadees Drudge and 3000AD and that was amazing official headline debut. I would love to get the chance to support other artists’ shows so please reach out to me for opportunities! There are talks for an event happening soon so keep on the look out for that!