RockOverdose had the chance to speak with Dave. D.R. on his personal music project Immortalizer, from Ontario Canada.
With influences from heavy metal and rock pioneers Immortalizer tries its best to create new and exciting music, preparing stuff for the upcoming full-length album. Recently Immortalizer released the single “Lemmy” and now he presents another one new single titled “I’m Gone”.
RockOverdose: Hails, Dave! How are things in Canada these days? Are you having a nice time?
Dave D.R. (IMMORTALIZER): Greetings!! Well, things have been rough because of Covid of course, but thankfully the vaccines have arrived and most of the population is getting vaccinated. As for me, things have been going really well thanks!
RockOverdose: Can we start with a little bit of the history of Immortalizer? What made you do it?
Dave D.R. (IMMORTALIZER): Immortalizer got started in 2015 while I was working on my solo work. I really wanted to create a metal band that had a real vintage feel to it. So much of my favourite music comes from the classic Metal era and there’s not much of that feel in contemporary Metal music so I wanted to revitalize that time period of metal and also bring some new elements into the mix.
RockOverdose: Is there any special meaning behind the band name Immortalizer, or the name of the new single, I'm Gone?
Dave D.R. (IMMORTALIZER): Well, I was working on my Debut EP “Unleashed” while still searching for a band name. During this time I was writing a song called “The Immortalizer” which is about a sword that gives its owner immortality at the expense of their soul and their sanity. The name immediately leapt off the page and I knew it was the right fit for the band name.As for “I’m Gone”, it was mostly just a straight forward expression of frustration and of having had enough. It is based on real people. Two women in particular from my past that were extremely challenging (to put it nicely). So I knew I had to walk away for my own sanity haha.
RockOverdose: What are your influences to create the Immortalizer sound?
Dave D.R. (IMMORTALIZER): I’ve been influenced by so many bands over the years, but I think the ones that had the biggest influence on shaping my own sound would have to be Judas Priest, Motörhead, Saxon, Primal Fear, Michael Schenker, Iron Maiden and Helloween. I adore the classic Metal era, so a lot of my style is a reflection of that adoration. But I also enjoy a lot of contemporary Metal like Primal Fear which have been hugely influential on me. That being said, I’ve tried very hard to never copy my favourite bands. I’ve worked on my own distinctive style for many years, and I feel Immortalizer represents the pinnacle of my musical ability. But I keep pushing myself further to keep growing as an artist.
RockOverdose: All the songs until now featuring different style of vocals. Please let us know about this thing!
Dave D.R. (IMMORTALIZER): Ironically, the main reason for that is the gear I was using and originally doing everything myself. For example, on my debut EP the two tracks “Unleashed” and “Lost” were recorded using a very intermediate condenser microphone in a poorly insulated room. The vocals are far more flat than they should be. (Luckily all the older tracks will be reworked for the album versions). For the “Lemmy” release I still had the same mic, but upgraded the overall sound via more experience and plug in’s in my music software. Mostly better compression & EQ. For “I’m Gone” I finally purchased a professional AKG condenser mic which sounds incredible. The real game changer this time though was having Ralf Scheepers craft me a killer new vocal sound. Ralf is a wizard with vocals!! I was blown away by the sound he created for me and I’m extremely grateful to him for all his help and support. For the upcoming release “Gone To Hell” I went even further and purchased a tube pre-amp / tube compressor unit which Ralf recommended to me. I was blown away by how well it captures my true voice, It’s absolutely amazing! Ralf is also helping me once again with the vocal sound to push it even further. So I’m extremely satisfied with my new vocal sound! From now on things should stay relatively the same, but it’s always good to leave room to grow.
RockOverdose: What are some of the challenges you faced when combining Heavy Metal with various elements?
Dave D.R. (IMMORTALIZER): That’s a good question. It certainly was a challenge when I was searching for my own sound over the years. I experimented a lot which I feel is important but mostly I think that not limiting myself to any formula was how the Immortalizer sound came to be what it is. There’s nothing wrong with sticking to what you dig, of course. If you want to sound exactly like Slayer for example you can tweak everything until you sound like Slayer. But I think it’s more interesting to follow your own path and try to craft something new and unique.
RockOverdose: With the new single released, what is next for Immortalizer? Your new single sounds really awesome!
Dave D.R. (IMMORTALIZER): Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it! As previously mentioned I’ve got another single in the works now “Gone To Hell” which I’m very excited about. In the meantime I’m continuing to write songs for the full length album!
RockOverdose: Do you have a family or a job that must be balanced with the band's activities? What are the challenges you face about your personal life?
Dave D.R. (IMMORTALIZER): I do, so far it’s just my lady and I. But it is challenging at times to balance work and home life. Thankfully my lady is very supportive of my music and understands all that goes with it. Which is amazing. As for work, I’m now mainly focusing on my music.
RockOverdose: How has the Internet helped and hurt Immortalizer? I'm sure social media has made it easier to get the word out about the band but illegal downloads probably make it quite difficult to make money recording albums, right?
Dave D.R. (IMMORTALIZER): The internet has definitely helped spread the word about Immortalizer all over the world and has grown the fan base exponentially, which is wicked! But it also creates other challenges. Illegal downloading is definitely one of the most damaging for artists. What the people who steal music from the Internet need to understand is that buying records and singles helps keep their favourite bands alive and making more music! So the more illegal downloads the less likely bands can continue.
RockOverdose: What is the most important thing, in your opinion, in order to have a long, successful career with Immortalizer?
Dave D.R. (IMMORTALIZER): I think the most important thing to have a long career is staying true to your vision. By doing so you cement your fan base and deliver what they want to hear. Also, you’ve got to work very hard to succeed. You have to push yourself to keep getting better and better and always get back up when you get knocked down.
RockOverdose: Well, congratulations on the new single, Dave I hope this is the new step down a long and successful path for you and the band.
Dave D.R. (IMMORTALIZER): Thank you so much for all the kind words and wishes! It’s very much appreciated! Things are off to a great start, so I’m going to keep working hard to make the best music I can and get to the next level! Cheers!
IMMORTALIZER links:
Band/Artist location – Toronto Canada
Website – Facebook – You Tube – Soundcloud –
Merch – Twitter – Amazon – Apple – Deezer
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