Introduced by Monk
Realistically, Delusional Silence should need no introduction to Northern Irish rock and metal fans as, in the pre-Covid era, they were one of the fastest rising, and hardest working, bands in this particular corner of the Überverse, their taut live performances quickly establishing them as fan favourites no matter where they appeared on a bill… But, just as they were building some serious momentum, the pandemic hit and stopped the entire world dead in it’s tracks. Then, just as light appeared at the end of post-apocalyptic tunnel, the band hit another massive road block, with the loss of first their drummer and then charismatic lead singer Phil Ashe…
Well, the band are back – and in fine style, with a new line-up, a new single and a new sense of purpose. Today, Über Rock can exclusively reveal that the man tasked with filling Ashe’s big boots is another name familiar to many on the Norn Iron scene – Pete Renshaw, perhaps best known as frontman of death-groovers, and erstwhile ÜR faves, Ketos. So, what better time to catch up with the band and find out exactly what the feck has been going on in their camp (sic) and where the land lies at the moment – and in the immediate future…
I started by asking how the change in circumstances, and musical direction, initially came about:
It really came about when AJ joined on drums. We already had a lot of new material written, but when he came in it just broadened our sound and helped us experiment with things a bit more. Plus, also it’s good to have NI’s top model and a bit of sex appeal in the band!
Not too long after AJ joining Phil left due to personal reasons and the hunt was on for new singer.
Was it an open audition process to recruit Pete, or a case of “how do you fancy giving it a go?”
Initially Pete was the first name that came to mind when replacing Phil, but he said that he had too many projects on at the time. We held a few auditions, but they didn’t quite work out. So, we ended up getting back in touch with Pete to see if he wanted to come down for a jam. The first night he came down, there was no awkwardness. He blasted out a couple of the songs and he we asked him to join that night. He was exactly what we were looking for.
The sound of the new single is a fair bit heavier than the more NWoBHM-focussed sound we have heard from the band before, but at the same time retaining that melodic edge. Is the heavier approach a direct result of Pete’s more hardcore-infused background? Or is it a direction you were already looking at pursuing?
We’d say we’re always quite focused on melody and writing songs with a bit of a hook, something that people will remember. We started writing a bit heavier during lockdown, just to experiment and expand our sound. With Pete joining the band we were able to go a step further and tune the guitars down but keep the melodies. We are in the process of writing new music that does tend to lean on the heavier side, but we will always be influenced by NWoBHM bands.
Similarly, Pete, your performance sees you going down a much “cleaner” vocal route than in your previous projects: is this change in direction something you’ve looked forward to, wanted to do, or is it something that is so far outside your comfort zone you’d never envisaged heading in that direction?
I’ve always wanted to do something like this but had always gravitated towards hardcore and death metal because that’s the music all my mates did and what I got known for. Then I got picked for Ketos based on that. Now I’ve the opportunity to finally get round to it and I’m really enjoying singing metal rather than mostly screaming.
So, tell us a bit more about the new single? Who are the saints and who are the sinners?
No one in particular. It’s pretty much a middle finger to all the cancel culture that’s all around us now and the toxicity of social media. Fair enough, there’s people out there that need found out. But people’s lives are now being destroyed over social media before the all the facts are laid out and you can be made out to be this person you really aren’t. In other words, don’t always believe what you read or hear about someone on social media, the news etc.
Any plans for a video to accompany it?
Most definitely! Watch this space…
Is this a one-off declaration of intent, or do you already have more material in the pipeline ready to go? More singles, or an EP – or even an album?
We’ve several new tunes already written, some in the works and we’re planning to get them all out as soon as possible. An album had been talked about, but we’ll see what happens. Perhaps an EP or a load of singles over the next few months to declare us sooner rather than later.
You’re very quickly following the single release with a series of live shows. How important is it for you to get out there with the new line-up and the new sound as soon as possible?
It’s really important for us to get out there and hit the stage as soon as we can, as playing live is what we love doing the most. Nothing beats a live crowd at a good show and seeing the reaction to new tunes. We’ve two dates at Fibber Magee’s in Dublin, which we love playing as the crowd are always up for it. The dates are this coming Thursday (10 November, with Ritual Effect, Immaculate Deception and Arcadian Shadows) and 10 December.
Then we’ve three big ones next year which we’re absolutely buzzing for, at Hammerfest, HRH Spring Break and we have just recently been announced for HRH XVI.
- ‘Saints And Sinners’ is released on Wednesday (9 November) via all the usual streaming channels.
- PHOTO CREDIT: Photos © TWKOM Media.
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