A Dirty Dozen with DAN THOMPSON from LOWHEAVEN – May 2025

Photo credit: Fabiana Moreira

According to a recent press release: “Toronto post-metal outfit and new MNRK Heavy signees lowheaven will unleash their stunning Ritual Decay debut full-length on August 29th. Formed in the Spring of 2020, beneath the dark clouds of the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders, lowheaven is Dan Thomson (vocals/guitar), Mikey Buchta (vocals/bass), Alex Pley (guitar / keys), and Pat Pajak (guitar). Their sound oscillates somewhere between post-hardcore, screamo, blackened noise, and metal. They’re not quite genreless, rather, a band that blends genres so thoroughly that they are better characterized by their distinctive emotional intensity than by any one label. Their debut album, Ritual Decay, pulls heavily from 90’s influences like Cave In and Deftones, and feels nostalgic in nature. Produced by Brett Romnes and mastered by Mangus Lindberg, the ten-track offering explores the reality of complete social isolation and the acceptance of what it means to lose faith in life and yourself. Following the dissolution of his previous band and the mandated COVID-19 isolation, the very foundations of Thomson’s identity crumbled. Several unfortunate medical diagnoses led to a great deal of change, many of which would alter his life forever..” We get Dan 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?

Ritual Decay is the culmination of about 5 years, from conception to the point we are at now. A pandemic mission that we all took on, to ensure we saw it through. It’s very much about the end of things. About what it’s like to have life completely fall apart, and the processes that go on to come to terms with the evil you put into the world. There’s definitely a ton of ear candy on this record. It’s very much a headphones record, to be able to hear all these sneaky little things we added into the layers of each song. Working with Brett (Romnes, of I Am The Avalanche/Crime In Stereo), you’re always going to get a music brain at work. So I think there’s a lot to catch.

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

I grew up surrounded by music. My grandfather seemingly could play any instrument in front of him, which was just a wonder to see as a child. My father was a drummer, and very into rock n roll. There was always some rock radio station on in the car (playing Thin Lizzy or Guns n’ Roses or Neil Young) and the volume would always be as loud as it could be. That feeling hasn’t left me. As far as knowing I needed to do this, that band was Moneen. When I was 17, I had driven up to a very small venue in Kingston, Ontario to catch Moneen and Park on a whim. It was moreso an excuse to hang with a few friends outside of our hometown for an evening. Instead, it changed the whole course of my life. The show was absolute chaos. Guitars and bodies were flying across the room with reckless abandon, and everyone in that room seemed to know every moment of every song. It was almost like I had accidentally been let in on a secret that I had needed to know about my whole life. I left that show knowing that I would be forever pursuing that feeling. Since that day, nothing else has really mattered.

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

Music has dominated every moment of my life since that day mentioned above. I’ve been really lucky to see a lot of shows, but nothing will ever beat that first Moneen show. It’s the show that I compare everyone to. It’s my personal guide to whether I myself have put a good show on or not. You can’t mess with the kings hahaha. Cave In has also been a major influence (and is my favourite band of all time). They’ve really made a path for themselves that is unmatched by anyone else in our heavy music world. The songwriting, and general lack of fear to experimenting is something to strive for, and something I derive a lot of inspiration from.

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

Honestly, as referenced above, I think that answer would be Stephen Brodsky / Cave In. I really admire the drive and creativity that he demonstrates across many genres. He’s a prolific writer and I would love to see first-hand how our ideas could mix.

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

3/4’s of us are really into hockey, so that’s definitely a big passtime in the winter, and involves a ton of trash talk (to varying degrees of success). Myself personally, I love to flip through records at record shops and aggressively drink too much coffee. We’re very lucky to live in Toronto, surrounded by a good selection of both.

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 actually enjoy the vast array of comparisons we seem to get. I like that our music resonates in very different ways with different people. So it’s kind of hard to find a cringe-worthy moment, because I’m just happy that they found their way to connect with us. The description of this band is where we struggle, somewhat because of the previously mentioned. My go to is the soundtrack to your decay.

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?

I think our version of this is who is going to groan first from eating too much. We are a very low-key group, very food driven.

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

I actually had a bit of a moment with Stephen Brodsky towards the end of last year (and he was very gracious about the whole thing, even though I did put my foot in my mouth). I actually think my favourite of these was with Pat and Mikey, when we played in Richmond last year. The vocalist of The Bled happened to be working at the venue we were playing. He was very kind in giving them some time to chat, but it was a nice reminder that we all are still just fans of art.

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?

Creating and (at least in my opinion) practicing are in the same boat for me. Of course, playing shows is the best payoff of it all. But I truly love the process of turning an unknown into a muscle memory function. Of turning a thought into a piece of art. The process is where the real joy comes from. Outside of music, I would have to be doing something creative. Not creating makes my sink crawl, in a way I can’t even describe properly. I would probably be trying to be an author, or something that deals with words.

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 like the unusual. I had an interviewer once ask me about my preference in shoes for live performance, and that definitely threw me a bit. But it also is a very detailed and specific question, and has a very specific answer. It’s all in the details hahaha. It would be nice if people stopped asking Canadian specific “based on tv” questions. I don’t know the Trailer Park Boys references…

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?

I think I’ve arrived at a point in life where I’m able to look at all those regrets and see them for what they were: Youthful excitement. Emotional reactions. Uneducated gambles. It sounds very cliche, but it’s all value in your way to where you’re supposed to be. I think there’s been situations where I’ve made concessions that I regret more than a lot of other stuff, but it still falls into the same kind of feeling. I’ve learned where to stand pat and where to bend. I’ve learned and adjusted to the road.

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?

I mean, I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for the Nevermind sessions, but that’s strictly from a generational movement standpoint. How can you deny the impact that record made? The curiosity alone would be hard to quash. Let alone that group of musicians, watching them create this mammoth record. It’s hard to deny. More directly for me, I think it would have to be something Cave In related. To be involved in some small way with your favourite band is a dream. To be around for the beginning of your favourite band, and see how it develops. I don’t know how you give any other answer. Specifically, I think it would be Jupiter. I know that’s the cliche Cave In answer, but it’s because I have a very defining life memory attached to hearing that record in full for the first time. Plus, it’s the first left turn they really make (out of a career of left turn records), and I think there would be something beautiful about watching that unfold.

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Category: Interviews