Interview with Mikael Dagobert of Dark Legacy – Symphonic Death Metal from Sweden
“Ad Extremum Epilogue†is the debut album of Swedish symphonic death metal band Dark Legacy. The band originally formed in the small Swedish village Örsundsbro under the name Rest In Peace. In late 2012 they recorded their best songs from sixteen years of activity which resulted in their debut full-length released in 2014. Here’s Mikael Dagobert, keyboardist, and guitarist of Dark Legacy!
Can we start with the evolution from Rest in Peace which was a power metal band to Dark Legacy which is a symphonic death metal band?
Yes, it´s a long story that begins in the middle of the nineties, obviously with some strange rumors! I don´t know why some people believe REST IN PEACE was a power metal act?! RIP played heavy metal and rock´n´roll. Sometimes covers of bands like KISS, Europe, Megadeth etc. but also a lot of own material. The band was first of all an live act with a lot of gigs and the recording was just demos. We didn’t take the recording so seriously as we do with DARK LEGACY. One day the band had changed line up and we found out that we also had change direction musically. DARK LEGACY was born!
What can you tell us about last year’s full-length “Ad Extremum Epilogue� Are you pleased with the result? How has the reception been?
AD EXTREMUM EPILOGUE is the result of many years hard work. Some of the songs were actually written twenty years ago. This is our statement of what we have done through all the years; It´s the end of an era and the beginning of something new. Now you maybe wonder what we will do in the future, but we leave that as a surprise. Maybe it will be a surprise for us too! The most exciting about the future is that you don´t know what it brings.
Nothing is so good that it can´t be better. Of course there are things that could have been different but after all we are satisfied with the album because we know that we did the best we could at that point of time. If you record for a long, long time you finally get tired of the music and that´s not good for the production so you have to end it and realize that you at the moment have reached the top. On the next album the guitars will sound much heavier. That´s what we have learned! “It´s getting better all the time…â€
There´s a lot of opinions about the album and everybody has their own version of what they think of the music. Most of them are positive, some are not but that´s okay. DARK LEGACY is not a new revolution on the metal scene but I think and hope we´re making musical stuff that can help some metal-heads go on in life with the knowledge that there are some guys out there ready to bang our heads and rock hard for them.
Besides being symphonic I’d also say the music of Dark Legacy is fairly melodic, yet not the typical kind of melodic death metal Sweden is known for. How would you describe the sound of Dark Legacy?
It´s a mix of musical experience. The record company wants to call it death metal but basically it´s just symphonic metal. Listen to the old Birmingham band Electric Light Orchestra and then listen to Edvard Grieg. You will find similar elements in the music of Dark Legacy. That´s not what you expected but to be honest DARK LEGACY is not a band that wants to go only one way. Life is full of different and amazing things to discover! If I shall relate our music to music of other bands I think it may sound a bit like the symphonic bands from the seventies with a bit of the eighties mixed with influences from composers of classical music and acts like My Dying Bride and King Diamond, but similarities between other bands music is not so interesting in my opinion.
To what music/bands or other inspirations do you look for when constructing the music of Dark Legacy?
Well, we´re not looking for any special music or bands when we write music, but of course there´s a lot of artists that have inspired us. Some of us listen to In Flames, Opeth, Metallica, Amon Amarth, My Dying Bride and Iron Maiden for instance. I grew up with bands like Alice Cooper and KISS but also a lot of ordinary pop and rock music in combination of so called classical music… you know Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi. Today it´s a pleasure for me listen to Dream Theater, Yngwie Malmsteen, King Diamond, Nightwish, Deathstars etc. I have not time and patience enough for bands that just are copies of the same theme if you know what I mean?!? It doesn’t mean that I don´t appreciate new bands, but the music must have an individual touch that I find interesting in combination with artistic talent, a good live act.
Is there a specific meaning behind the name Dark Legacy? Why did you choose this name for the band?
A band name is a trademark and you want people to remember your trademark. If you have a cat and you name the cat Cinzano, cause you think it´s a cool name, it doesn’t mean that you or your cat is an alcoholic. It´s just a name that ( in my opinion ) sounds good. But if you name the cat Pluto it wouldn’t be rather cool cause everybody would associate with a dog and I don´t think you want people to believe your cat is a dog. DARK LEGACY is a name that every metal rocker already know, it sounds metal and you have the chance to be remembered forever!
Is Dark Legacy still signed to Black Vulture Records, or was this only for the one album? Are you currently looking for a new label?
Yes, we are still signed to BVR and our second album will also be released by BVR. At the moment we have no other plans.
While listening to the song “At the Graveyard†I’m reminded of King Diamond, not necessarily the vocals, but the song and lyrical structure and especially the chorus. Would you agree with this?
I’m glad you mentioned it! You are definitely right! King Diamond is an inspiration in many ways. The lyrics of â€At the Graveyard†are a bit like the way King Diamond writes. You can also find those influences in “A Dark and Horrible Nightâ€.
Does Dark Legacy perform live?
Yes, we perform live when we have the opportunity! One of the most important things with a band is to play live and give the audience a great show! We are very thankful for those who want to see us and listen to us. I remember a boss of some record company who ones said; â€This band knows what they want and they give their public what they wantâ€. I´m proud to say that he was right! That´s what performance on stage is all about for us!
Where can one get the albums of Dark Legacy?
The Downfall Records/Black Vulture Records shop www.downfallrecords.com, Cdbaby and digital services like Itunes, Amazon etc for instants.
What are the future goals and aspirations for Dark Legacy?
We are working on the next album “THE REJECTS†and I guess it will be something for the fans to look forward at. Anyway we are looking forward to it and the plan is that it will be released in the spring 2016. We will also have a release party again. Last time we had a real nice time together with our families and friends. In the fall there will be a tour to England for gigs in London and Manchester and we want to play in Stockholm, Gothenburg and some other towns here in Sweden, but that is not confirmed yet. Now the summer is here and that´s a nice season here in Sweden that most of the swedes longing for so we will have some vacation now and we wish all of you a great time and thanks for your attention!