INTERVIEW: Dread Majesty

Interview and Foreword by Vero Kitsuné

With only two singles under their belt - last November’s “All The Saints Are Dead” and ringing in the new year with “Your Time Has Come” - Colorado-based avant-garde, progressive gothic metal quintet Dread Majesty has been turning heads and making a huge splash in the world of metal and dark music with their supremely ambitious, fantastical monstrous sound that is unparalleled and unmatched. Carrying an Intricately layered, vicious soundscape that shape-shifts between gothic and black metal lifted with theatrical vocal prowess, clever time changes, machine-like athletic performances and vast dynamism, Dread Majesty’s unique, dark regal extravagance sufficiently fills in a huge void in the metal and dark rock spectrum.

ABSYNTH sat down with Dread Majesty’s Rex Vincent, Aharon, See, Desmid and Kyr to talk about the lore behind their music and smashing debut.

Your debut single “All The Saints Are Dead” and the latest drop, “Your Time Has Come” both showcase quite an intricate amalgamation of different styles and treatments. Can you tell us who your influences are and how you all got started as a band?

Dread Majesty: First and foremost, thanks so much for having us and asking us to do our VERY FIRST INTERVIEW! We appreciate you reaching out to us like this.

Hmm. Where to begin...

From the moment we came together, it wasn’t just about starting a band—it was about this shared vision between the five of us to create something storybook theatrical, transformative, and timeless. Each member coming from vastly different backgrounds, all of us carrying our own truths, traumas, and talents.

Our combined influences being as intricate and varied as the sounds we create. We all draw from an immeasurable spectrum of art and music, literature, film, architecture, and religious/spiritual texts— everything from the grandeur of the Baroque to the dizzying intensity of avant-garde metal, from the melancholy of Gothic rock to the extravagant maximalism of Visual Kei. We are what we eat, and we have a voracious and insatiable appetite for art of all forms.

Your sound is so unique and transcends several metal and dark rock genres. It simply cannot be pigeonholed in a specific genre. They are undoubtedly filled with drama, sophisticated nuance, and adventure. How would you describe your style of music?

Dread Majesty: Truth be told, we never focused too intently on exactly what style our music should be or what genre would best suit us, and while that may make it difficult for others to categorize us, we just wanted to create a listening experience that felt cinematic, spiritual, and visceral all at once—a realm where the elegance of the old world collides with the chaos of the future. Just listening to us should make you feel like you've lived a thousand lives.

We aim to exhaust you.

Can you tell us more about the lore behind the band’s enigmatic and mysterious presence and some of the mystical elements that seem to be enshrined in the visuals?

Dread Majesty: Our lore is a tapestry of splintered histories, prophetic visions, and the convergence of ancient faith with a dystopian future. At its core, our story centers on a world where the sacred has been hijacked by corrupt and paralyzing forces, and we—the band—exist as both messengers and rebels. Bound to a digital purgatory, we are phantasmata, summoned into the flesh only for our performances. Our music and visuals are our gospel, a call to awaken those who have been numbed by doubt and despair. Every visual lends morsel to the larger story: the Lazarus Sequence, the struggle against the Paralysis, and the hope for resurrection and transcendence. All will be revealed in due time.

The artwork and visuals are just as stunning. Who creates them and do they hold any specific meaning?

Dread Majesty: The artwork and visuals are integral to our conceptual identity—they’re not just mere aesthetics but extensions of our story. Rex, our lead vocalist, creates all the artwork himself. His vision is deeply intertwined with the band’s lore, so it only made sense for him to bring it to life visually. Each detail and texture is a doorway into world. Each piece is rife with symbolism, reflecting the innate tension between the sacred and the profane, the digital and the divine.

The level of musical bravado and athleticism each member carries in the band is unparalleled and quite extraordinary. It seems that there is a background not just in metal and dark rock, but also in theater. Can you tell us more about your journey as musicians?

Dread Majesty: We've all been living and breathing music for as long as any of us can remember, sometimes in ways we never expected. There's a deep classical and operatic foundation behind what we do, which is probably why everything we create insists upon being so damn dramatic. At some point, each of us has been involved in a little bit of everything from crusty garage bands, to dark pop projects, to rock opera groups, to orchestral ensembles. That being said, we are metalheads at heart. We like aggression. It’s in our DNA. But instead of keeping it confined to just one genre, we took all the tools we've picked up over the years and used them to forge something bigger. Between us, we are fluent in an absurd number of instruments, many of which you'll hear in our songs. You name it. If it makes a sound, we'll learn how to use it.

What is the songwriting and production process like?

Dread Majesty: Everything you see, hear, and experience from Dread Majesty is done entirely by us—start to finish.

Nothing is outsourced, no middlemen, no outside hands shaping the vision. It's all us, for better or worse (and usually with a few sleepless nights and existential crises along the way).

Our songwriting process is probably just like anyone else's. It's our favorite part. Most likely the most effortless layer of our process. Sometimes it’s a vocal melody groggily hummed into a recorder at 3 a.m., sometimes it’s a riff that refuses to leave our heads until we carve it into something tangible. Other times it begins with a concept—an image, a feeling, an experience, or a piece of the larger tale we are trying to tell. We build from there, layering instrumentation, atmosphere, and texture, and making sure each one satisfies and serves the greater whole.

And since we do everything in-house, production is an extension of that same creative flow. We record, mix, and master everything ourselves because we want complete control over how the music takes shape. We experiment a lot—sometimes pushing things to the brink of collapse just to see how far we can take something. And then comes the ritual of obsession—questioning our own sanity, and then finally deciding it's ready...or not. LOL

Is there a full-length album in the works? Any collaborations?

Dread Majesty: Absolutely. A full-length album is on the horizon for 2025. We've been meticulously constructing something that expands our universe—an all-encompassing sonic experience. Expect something that feels like a cathedral collapsing in slow motion while a holographic choir of spectral saints sings its final hymn.

As far as collaborations are concerned, we can’t say too much yet, but trust us—there are conversations happening. Until then, know that the future holds some truly exciting possibilities.

Any tour plans? Any specific cities you guys are intending to perform in?

Dread Majesty: Right now, our focus is fully on creation—building this world, perfecting the music, crafting something truly enrapturing before we take it to the stage. That being said, when the time does come for Dread Majesty to step into the flesh, we will be more than ready. No one will know what hit them. As for where? Wherever the people call us—we’ll be there.

What is next for the band and is there anything else you would like to share to the audience and future fans?

Dread Majesty: Right now we are in the final stages of a double single release due to drop on March 1st, so be sure to stay tuned in for that. We wouldn't want you to miss what's coming. Aside from that we are beyond thrilled to announce that we've joined Bölverk Records as the artist to be signed to their roster. They took a chance on us, and that means the world. They aren't just another label —they're a newly emerging boutique powerhouse that values artistry, vision, and fearless creativity, and that’s exactly the kind of home we wanted. They understand what we are trying to build, and they are giving us the space and means to bring it to life.

Lastly, to our audience and future fans. This journey was never just about us—it is about you. The seekers, the dreamers, the ones that feel too much, who thanklessly carry the weight of the world but refuse to let it break them. You are the reason we came to be, the reason we create, the reason we push forward. Every piece of this world we're building is a gift to you—our way of reaching out through the static and noise and the darkness to let you know that you are NOT alone.

We see you. We hear you. We are with you.

Stay fearless. Stay luminous.

For more Dread Majesty, visit https://www.dreadmajesty.com/