A Dirty Dozen with KRISTOF BATHORY from DAWN OF ASHES – February 2022

According to a recent press release: “Los Angeles based Industrial Metal band DAWN OF ASHES has released “The Despondent Hole,” the newest single off of their upcoming LP, Scars Of The Broken. Reflecting on the darkest experiences of severe depression, “The Despondent Hole” is more than a simple song, but an assertation of the overwhelming, all-encompassing struggle that sufferers face. DAWN OF ASHES – whose very name brings to mind “the beginning of the end” – has broken ground across multiple genres, from aggrotech/terror EBM to industrial black metal, producing a unique hybrid of dark electro and industrial-metal styles since 2001.” We get Kristof to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

The new album is based on my own personal experiences dealing with emotional and mental obstacles. I based the theme on an emotional Dante’s Inferno concept. Start at descending into the depths of mental trauma and disorders. 2nd stage is Limbo or the feeling of being numb. Finally is the process of ascending towards emotional stability or a place of calmness. Again, all the songs have a personal meaning that I have struggled with in the past and present. I can’t really recall any secret “nuggets” that I have placed in the album.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I remember during my early teens, listening to White Zombie’s Astro Creep 2000 and imagining myself on stage as a front man to a band. I feel that was the moment when I realized that I want to pursue my career as a professional musician. At least that was my first point of inspiration.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Nine Inch Nails has always been a huge influence. As far as stage performance. I grew in the 90’s in the New York Hardcore scene and was surrounded by Metal, Punk, and Hardcore. Hardcore music always had a personal interaction with the fans and the stage presence was always on point and full of energy. I learned a lot from seeing bands like Hatebreed perform. I feel like a lot of bands lack when it comes to show interaction with the fans. I definitely incorporated that into Dawn of Ashes which makes me feel confident about each show when we perform.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Trent Reznor or Hans Zimmer.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

I’m an introvert, so majority of the time I spend at home. I’m a huge PC gamer so I do a lot of that. I like to read, and I am very active in Martial Arts.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I would say that we are a hybrid of Industrial mixed with Extreme Metal with a huge theatrical image that is tied in with Horror. Our content is meant to have some sort of reaction (Positive or Negative). To be honest, I try to ignore the comments that make me cringe or irritate me. There are too many people out there that have opinions. I try to ignore the comments that I feel are ridiculous or petty.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Hanging out with DOA is definitely not like that. We are pretty chaotic around each other and have a very crass type of humor so our conversations can be somewhat disturbing to others. Probably best not to go into further details.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

At Bar Sinister a few weeks ago into Hollywood. I hung out with Kimmy from Twin Peaks.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

The freedom to express my art in my own way. To utilize my artistic emotions in a very therapeutic way. I would have been a Horror special Fx artist if I wasn’t a professional musician.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

I don’t feel that interviewers ask me about music gear that I use or used on a specific album. I feel like that is a crucial part of what makes me bring an album to life.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Probably in 2009 / 2010 when we wrote Genocide Chapters. I wish that I didn’t eliminate the old sound that we started off with and incorporated it into that album. Like what we are currently doing.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Nine Inch Nails Downward Spiral. That album means everything and to me is the greatest album that has ever been written. It’s genius in every way. A huge source of inspiration in my work and will always be.

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Category: Interviews