Down Among The Dead Men
Ever Forwards

02.03.2015

Undoubtedly, Dave Ingram is one of the most recognizable and respected vocalists in death metal. Over the course of his long career he fronted two of the oldest and most distinguished English bands, Benediction and Bolt Thrower, recording four LPs with the former and unfortunately just one with the latter. After that he sang for the short-lived Download, and is now the vocalist of Down Among The Dead Men and member of the world team on death metal, an international project called Just Before Dawn. And on each album where Dave is involved his inimitable voice sounds a separate musical instrument. The singer, radio show presenter, a fan of English science fiction series "Doctor Who", this is all about Dave Ingram, who shares with us his past and present in this interview.

Hi Dave! How are you and how is life in general?

I’m good thanks. Last year was very hard for me and my family as my wife had been diagnosed with stage 4 Lymph cancer, but after a long and hard chemotherapy treatment she is 100% free of the disease and healthy again.

Do you have a permanent job? If yes – isn’t it complicated for you to do creative work?

I work for the Danish Cancer Research Society (I am at work now writing these answers) and I have a lot of freedom so it really isn’t a problem.

In what year and for what reasons did you move to Copenhagen?

I moved as I met my future wife in 1995 and spent a lot of time traveling to Denmark, so in 1998 I moved here permanently. I love this country. I’ll never leave.

Let’s speak a little bit about your introduction to metal music. How did you get into it?

I was 7 years old when I first heard Black Sabbath’s “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” and I knew that was what I wanted to listen to for the rest of my life.  

Let's talk about your involvement in Benediction. How did you get in the band?

They needed a singer and I auditioned. Simple as that. I met them in a bar and they said they needed someone so I asked, made the audition a week later and got given the job. Hard work pays off.

A similar question about Bolt Thrower…

My tenure in Benediction came to an end for multiple reasons. I was not happy at being kept out of the information loop and told them that if it didn’t change then I would leave. It did not change so I left. THREE months later I got a call from Bolt Thrower asking if I would be interested in joining them. I was a huge fan of the band already so it was an obvious choice. There were some that were unhappy with my going there, but they had their chance at treating me correctly… but they screwed it up. Their own fault. I moved on.

Are you now in touch with the musicians in these two bands? Do you know why both have taken so long to release albums?

I don’t know why it takes Benediction so long. It’s been 2 albums from them in 17 years. Bolt Thrower have already said why they will not record. Visit www.BoltThrower.com for clarification.

In the first half of the 90s you did quite a lot of touring with Benediction. What do you remember most from that?

There was a lot of beer, a lot of good times, and a lot of good gigs. It’s impossible to nail down one particular event as every day had something crazy and funny going on.

Can you tell us why drummer Ian Tracey left Benediction in 1993?

He wanted to leave so we waved bye bye.

Can you briefly describe each of the albums which you participated in?

“The Grand Leveller” (Benediction): Exciting debut with the band. Loved writing the lyrics as they seemed to flow out of me so damn quickly.
“Transcend the Rubicon” (Benediction): Many people love this one, and so do I.
“The Dreams You Dread” (Benediction): The artwork was a sculpture with our faces in it. We were drunk while it was being made.
“Grind Bastard” (Benediction): An epically long album that shows a wide range of the entire band’s talent.
“Honour - Valour - Pride” (Bolt Thrower): My only recording with Bolt Thrower, but one of my proudest moments in life. I will never forget my time in the band, the achievements we made, and the immense fun we had. Still good friends. Always loyal.
“Random Dictionary of the Damned” (Downlord): A short yet positive period through some dark times in my life. Old school Death Metal!
“Down Among the Dead Men” (Down Among The Dead Men): More old school with a mix of punk. The band are writing a new album right now, and have a 7” out in a couple of months.

Which one(s) of them do you think is special?

The latest is always the most important to me, but I am also incredibly proud of the “Honour - Valour - Pride” album, and “Transcend The Rubicon” too.

With Benediction you did a cover of "Riders of the Storm". As far as I understand, if was intended for a failed metal tribute to The Doors, which was planned by Nuclear Blast. Do you know why they never did it? Did you settle on this song from the start, or did you choose from several options?

I think The Doors’ record label said that Relapse Records (not Nuclear Blast) could not make the album. We just chose that one as it was the first we could think of.

More about cover versions. In 1996 Benediction was featured on the Slayer tribute "Slatanic Slaughter 2” with the song "Necrophiliac". Why did you choose this, was there somebody specific who wanted to do it, and were there any alternatives?

No, we wanted something from “Hell Awaits” as we knew every band would choose the “Reign in Blood” album.

On "Grind Bastard" as many as three producers (Paul Johnsson, Al King, Andy Sneap) are credited. What is the reason?

Al King was the LIVE sound man, Andy Sneap did the mastering. Only Paul Johnson was producer/engineer.

Can you explain the reasons for your departure from Benediction and Bolt Thrower?

Well I explained why I left Benediction in an earlier question. I left Bolt Thrower for medical reasons. In 2000 my sister committed suicide, and in 2003 I had a massive breakdown. I needed a long time to recover and it did not feel right to make Bolt Thrower wait, so I moved on. They went on to make “Those Once Loyal” which is a phenomenal album! Getting Karl Willets back was the perfect move for them, and I was incredibly happy!

Why weren’t there ever a follow-up to Downlord’s debut album?

We did what we set out to do. We achieved our goals (and more!) It was time for us to move on again. Ever forwards.

Is Down Among The Dead Men a band or just a studio project?

It will eventually be a live band, but due to my wife’s illness we had to put gigs on hold. After the new album there will be shows.

Can you tell us about your radio show “Metal Breakfast”? How often does it go on the air, how long does it run, and what do you play?

Metal Breakfast Radio has been on air for 7 years, and we are still going strong. It’s a fun show where we listen to new music for the first time and give our opinions of it in real time. It’s funny and stupid and worth a listen. I will add some links at the end for people to check it out. It’s on the Internet and IT IS FREE!

Can you say a few words about the following English bands:

Tank: Classic.
Extreme Noise Terror: Noisy.
Anti-Nowhere League: They ARE the League!
Paradise Lost: Northerners. And very good!
Skyclad: Thrashy.

Thank you Dave for answering these questions! Traditionally, your TOP-5, and your final words to  Russian metalheads…

Thanks so much for the interview! Here's my current top 5 albums and a few links of possible interest:

1. Fever Ray - Fever Ray
2. Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal
3. Paganizer - On A Gurney To Hell
4. Bonesaw - The Illicit Revue
5. Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris

Links of interest: DOWNLOAD back-catalogue, free download: http://www.metalbreakfastradio.com/Downlord.zip

Down Among The Dead Men on the Internet: http://www.darksentinel.dk/DATDM.html

Magomed Gadzhiev
February 19, 2015
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