Besides his primary employment as the vocalist in PRIMORDIAL Alan "Nemtheanga" Averill has several additional occupations like DREAD SOVEREIGN in which he celebrates Epic Doom Metal along with his PRIMORDIAL-mate Dubh Sol. So we wanted to know more about the background of their outstanding debut album called "All Hell´s Martyrs" that was finalized in just a few hours...Interview

Hi Alan! How are you?

I´m doing fine, thanks for asking!

How did the idea for this band come up? Another member of DREAD SOVEREIGN is Simon (Dubh Sol) who is also your bandmate in PRIMORDIAL. So whose idea was it to found the band?

I´ve been playing the guitar writing my own riffs for a long time but it never fell into place. It just worked out this time and the pieces fell into place. Some of the ideas have been around for a decade or more, some a week before the studio.

How did you come to your guitarist Bones? Did you also ask Ciáran MacUiliam and Michael O'Floinn of PRIMORDIAL to play the guitars in DREAD SOVEREIGN?

No no, there would be no point in that. Simon and I started jamming as we had some downtime from PRIMORDIAL but the whole point was to have some different input and keep distance from PRIMORDIAL. Would´nt make sense otherwise.

You are full-time active in PRIMORDIAL, also the constant vocalist in TWILIGHT OF THE GODS and BLOOD REVOLT, and you do guest-vocals on records of MARDUK (“Accuser/Opposer” from “Rom 5:12”) or DESASTER (“Tyrannizer” from “Satan´s Soldiers Syndicate”). So what do DREAD SOVEREIGN give to you that PRIMORDIAL and the other bands don´t? And doesn´t get it a little bit too much for you?

No, not really. We are here for a short time spinning on this ball of dirt. While you have the energy, commitment, willpower and passion then at least from my point of view I want to be as creative as possible. I also did the vocals in BLOOD REVOLT and VOID OF SILENCE. Sleep when you are dead.

The advance information to “All Hell´s Martyrs” says that the music for DREAD SOVEREIGN had haunted your mind for years. Why didn´t you want to use the riffs and songs for PRIMORDIAL?

Not really, why fix something that isn't broken?! Perhaps there is the odd riff I could have brought to PRIMORDIAL but it's just a different way of working and makes more sense to me this way. The lyrical and aesthetic approach is also completely different.

When you released your first EP “Pray To The Devil In Man” last year, had it already been certain that “All Hell´s Martyrs” is going to follow? The EP was first released by Roadburn Records, so why did you choose Ván Records to release the album?

We had the songs and I knew we had to make one large body of work for people to digest. Now I think we will concentrate on splits and singles. Ván was on my mind when the first EP was made, they just have the right attitude.

The recordings of the EP took less than twelve hours. Is it such an intensive interaction within the band? And how long did it take to record the whole album then?

Yeah, more or less 6 hours to record and perhaps 6-8 to mix. We did it live and I don't like fucking around. 2 hours of very concentrated work in the studio is better than spending a whole day unproductive, it's a skill to know when to drop something that isn't working and move on. I also like the pressure.

How strong is the occult component of DREAD SOVEREIGN? Can one say that it is a very spiritual band?

Well, I´ve written a lot of lyrics so this is a new angle, can we say I've always had a very strong sympathy for the metaphorical devil! DREAD SOVEREIGN surely does dwell on the more occult or arcane side of life but often is based in historical fact, the Cathar rebellion for example on several songs of the album. It's also written with some debt to the tradition of metal.

Are there some further live-performances planned after your debut-gig at the “Roadburn”-Festival in Tilburg last year? And if so, will you come to Germany?

We have played already at the "Hell Over Hammaburg" festival together with STALLION and DEATH ALLEY. Also in Denmark at heavy days and Belgium! We plan to tour later in the year with PROCESSION and we will do what we can!!!

Do you have some special final statement for your fans in Germany?

Pray to the devil in man!