With the release of their new album The Mastery today, I am pleased to announce that I was fortunate enough to speak with Accuser’s guitarist Dennis.
With the release of their new album The Mastery today, I am pleased to announce that I was fortunate enough to speak with Accuser’s guitarist Dennis.
SOCIAL ISSUES
Could you tell us a bit about the name of the band, and your influences?
When the guys were sitting down to decide band names back in the 1980s, they wanted to incorporate addressing social issues into the band’s ethos, and so they started with the letter A, and soon landed at Accuser. As for my influences, I’m quite into the big four of Thrash-Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth- but also grew up listening to Accuser. As well as some other bands such as Animals as Leaders, Dream Theater and Guthrie Govan.
You mentioned you were a fan of Accuser growing up, what is it like being able to play in the band, and how did that come to be?
Before I joined the band, I had met Frank, our main man, a few years before, and took a guitar lesson from him. He said that if they were ever in need of a guitar player, he’d ring me up. I didn’t believe him at that the time of course, but then a few years later, the call came. So far, it’s been really good. When I started out with the guys, they were very much rooted in the old fashioned way to playing live and in the studio, whereas I’d grown up in the digital age, and was a big fan of amp simulation. Mainly because it’s easier to carry around and there is less hassle. However, the other guys weren’t too sure about it, but eventually they got accustomed and even liked it.
GUITAR LESSON
GUITAR LESSON
You mentioned you were a fan of Accuser growing up, what is it like being able to play in the band, and how did that come to be?
Before I joined the band, I had met Frank, our main man, a few years before, and took a guitar lesson from him. He said that if they were ever in need of a guitar player, he’d ring me up. I didn’t believe him at that the time of course, but then a few years later, the call came. So far, it’s been really good. When I started out with the guys, they were very much rooted in the old fashioned way to playing live and in the studio, whereas I’d grown up in the digital age, and was a big fan of amp simulation. Mainly because it’s easier to carry around and there is less hassle. However, the other guys weren’t too sure about it, but eventually they got accustomed and even liked it.
TWO WEEKS TO RECORD
Accuser’s new album is perhaps one of the best they’ve ever released, could you talk us through the process of making it?
Our previous record the Forlorn Divide took one and a half years to record and produce, we were quite meticulous with that record and continually changed things. We wrote the lyrics outside the studio and changed things. Whereas with The Mastery, everything came about quite quickly, it took about two to three weeks to record everything, lyrics were written in the studio, and so on and so forth. I’d say my favourite song on the record is Mission: Missile, the opening track on the record, as I think it has everything that an opening track should have.
What does the future hold for Accuser?
We’re going to be doing a little tour in the future, and playing select shows elsewhere also, and festivals as we’ve always done.
TOUR
TOUR
What does the future hold for Accuser?
We’re going to be doing a little tour in the future, and playing select shows elsewhere also, and festivals as we’ve always done.