I got in touch to DESIRE in a totally common way. They sent an email to our magazine to promote their brand new album. I checked their bandpage out (which is still under construction) but found the fan pages with downloadable mpg's. I liked what I was listen to, so I ordered a promo CD, which touched me deeply. This band needs to drag to light, their music has to flood your soul!

Dajana: With Locus Horrendus you have released an exceptional masterpiece of sombreness, mournfulness and melancholy. How it comes that no one became aware of DESIRE (except in Portugal)?
Flame: First of all, let me thank you for your compliments and for the great honour to be the band of the month in your website. Answering directly to your question, let's say that now we are paying the price for the bad work of our previous label, which led us to rescind the deal we had with them. Their work in terms of promotion and distribution didn't satisfied us at all, since we always looked to the international market as our main target and working with Skyfall, turned into a big disappointment, concerning this particular matter. That's why, with this new release, we opted by a self-release, because above all, we proved that we believe in ourselves and in the music we make, and with it, we're now trying to reach world-wide musical scene, trying to achieve the main points of promotion and distribution.

Dajana: Is this world not mature enough for this kind of music?
Flame: Fortunately, this kind of music we play, never really became a trend, through the years, so, obviously is nothing comparing with other musical metal styles. Probably, that's the main reason for a so restricted number of fans, which consumes this kind of sound, which in my opinion, isn't so bad, because we're a part of the elite...

Dajana: Locus Horrendus starts out with chapter VIII what seems to be the continuation of your first full-length Infinity - A Timeless Journey Through An Emotional Dream. Is that correct?
Flame: That's correct. Back in '93, with the release of our debut promo-track Death Blessed By A God, we introduced a concept story, dealing mainly with the eternal dwelling of "life after death" subject. In '96 with Infinity... we developed that concept and later on, in Pentacrow, mainly with When Sorrow Embraces My Heart track, we introduced some new elements to the concept. Now with Locus Horrendus, we created something like a flash back to the whole story. We can say that we started the concept from the end, and the new album relates the beginning of this creation...

Dajana: What role in this concept plays the MCD Pentacrow?
Flame: Pentacrow cannot be seen as a concept release, since it mainly celebrated the 5th year of the band's existence (recently, we completed our 10th anniversary), and we decided to include on it the several steps of the bands history, from the Death Blessed By A God promo, A Ride In A Dream Crow, which is one of the most emblematic songs on Infinity... and we also paid tribute to one of our greatest musical influences, with mighty Candlemass cover Solitude. The only track connected with the concept is When Sorrow Embraces My Heart, which, as I told you, was the only new original song on Pentacrow and was something like a motto, for the sequence of the concept, more explored in this new release...

Dajana: What is the concept concretely?
Flame: Basically, there's a main character who dies, on Death Blessed By A God, seeking life after death. On Infinity…, this soul seeks immortality and travels across the paths of death, guided by a Crow, which is also the symbol of the band, who shows him how can be life after death... With When Sorrow Embraces My Heart track, we reveal new matters on the concept, lifting up the veil, for the reasons of his death. Finally, with Locus Horrendus, we explore in a romantic and tragic way, the death reasons of the main character… Love Is Suicide...

Dajana: Will you continue this concept in the future any longer? (maybe as a trilogy)
Flame: Honestly, we still don't know yet. There are some ideas already, but I guess it's quite early to decide if we'll continue this concept, if we'll start another, or if we'll go into another direction, lyric wise...

Dajana: I have drawn cross-references to My Dying Bride, Morgion, Unholy and Moonspell. Do you agree? Are there more and other influences ?
Flame: Sometimes it's obvious to get comparisons with other bands in the same vein as us, but as far I'm concerned, I just can tell you that our main influence is life in general...

Dajana: How is it possible to internalise such a sadness and melancholy in a sunny country like Portugal?
Flame: That's a peculiar question, that we are confronted many times... Besides our sunny weather, we feel the need to express our true hidden personalities, that only through music we feel able to do. You also listen to "more happy" music coming from cold and icy countries, right?

Dajana: I was sounding out two different voices. Is that only singer Tear? If not, who is the second one?
Flame: Sometimes, even three different voices... Yes! All the vocals, apart from the female one, are performed by Tear...

Dajana: How to perform this singing live? Especially, when the singing is layered? Does Tear use technical equipment or is he just able to range in thsi spectrum?
Flame: It depends sometimes... Mainly he's able to range in this spectrum...

Dajana: What about live activities? Will you come to Germany next time? Any bigger tours planed?
Flame: It's hard to talk about tours, when we're talking about a self-release. We don't have many support behind us, except with the distribution of the album. Anyway, we're trying to move ourselves, as much as we can, and maybe before the end of the year, we can perform outside Portugal, since we have some contacts which may led us to play in Spain and England, for example... That's why all the gig organisers and entities evolved with live promotion, are invited to contact the band, for possible dates...

Dajana: How to transform this kind of music on stage? Do you have a special stage concept? How to present a concept album in general, that the audience doesn't lose the thread of the main theme?
Flame: Fore the live presentations of this new album, we came out with the idea to associate the musical aspect with the video component, trying that the audience reaches in a better way, all the atmosphere and ambiences featured in the album. We played the presentation gig here in Lisboa, adopting this new formula and the responses was excellent. We want that the people who goes to our concerts, goes not only for the musical aspect but also for the scenic component...

Dajana: I don't know if you know, but there is also a Swedish Goth/Rock band called Desire ( which was founded back in 1991). Will you get problems with the band's name in the future? Did you already think about an alternative name? Any idea yet?
Flame: Yes, we know about the existence of that band, which we think already broke up. We never had any problems, but to avoid them, we are thinking in a registration of the band's name...

Dajana: I suppose you are in the shadow of Moonspell, Portugal's No.1 in matter of dark music. How to hold your own ground? I think, most people will first draw comparisons to Moonspell when they hear that DESIRE comes from Portugal.
Flame: That's a fact, but I personally think it is a bit out of propose... We were the pioneers of this musical genre in our country... We don't make commercial songs, so I think that comparing us to the above mentioned band is a big mistake...

Dajana: Your new album has a very good sound and production and you have mixed it at Finnvox Studios. How to do that (and to pay) without a label in the background?
Flame: It was a very hard task, as you may imagine... We're betting everything in this new release, and we wanted to give a very professional image of the band also. Choosing Finnvox to make the entire mastering process was the best choice we did and we aren't regretted at all...

Dajana: Is there any deal in sight yet? Are labels interested?
Flame: At the moment, we're promoting the album near the specialised press, and we're gathering the reviews to elaborate a professional newsletter featuring all the critics we had, and with this, we'll try to awake the labels interest. In the past, there were several international labels interested in signing the band, but, for one reason or another, the conditions we think fair, were never offered... That's why we opted by this self release.

Dajana: How it will go on with DESIRE in this year and near future?
Flame: There's too much work to do... That's for sure... We intent to promote and spread DESIRE's name and sound as far as we can, and only after that, we'll concentrate more in label promotions and deal proposals. First, we must stabilise our own ground...

Dajana: When your website will be re-launched?
Flame: As you may understand, releasing an album by our own, is a serious risk, and concerns a very hard work. So, the time isn't enough for everything. Our site is under construction, but it includes links to previous sites, made by fans, where all essential information is included... Soon, we'll try to update it...

Dajana: Now, please tell us everything our readers should know and I forget to ask ;-)
Flame: Well, I guess all has been said... Everyone which feel identified with our philosophy and ideals, are more than invited to write directly to us. Gig promoters are also welcome. All our CD's are available for 13 € each at our own personal contact:

DESIRE
c/o Flame
P.O.Box 21.380
1132-001 Lisboa
Portugal

Dajana: Any last words, statements?
Flame: Once again, our eternal gratitude for this opportunity to express our thoughts and feelings... Let's help DESIRE's world to become stronger...

Dajana: Thank you very much for spending time answering these questions.