Interview: Diamonds to Dust

Diamonds to Dust are a 4 piece core band from Poughkeepsie, New York. Earlier this year, they put out “Faith & Desires EP” and newly single, Dissonant Truth. Let’s have a chat with the band.

Introduce yourself and tell me your role in Diamonds to Dust.

So Diamonds to Dust consist of Barry Hogue Guitar/Cleans/Backing Screams, Melvin Hogue Drums/Samples, Christian Roche Screams and Brandon Whitaker Bass/Backing Cleans

How are you guys doing, considering the pandemic?

Barry: I am actually doing pretty okay. I still have my full-time job so I’m not hurting for cash. It does suck that we can’t play shows but this is just giving us more time to record new music and practice that material.

Christian: Good, I’ve been working like there isn’t even a pandemic.

Melvin: I am doing mighty fine. I am just staying healthy and still working. Though, on my days off, I am typically bored and try to find anything productive to do with my free time.

Brandon: I am doing well. I am preparing for college, hockey, and working.

Describe your family situation

Barry: I myself am married.

Christian: I have a beautiful 4-year-old daughter and another one on the way!

Melvin: I am engaged, getting married next year! Kids have been discussed for the future.

Brandon: I live with my mother, father, brother, sister, and girlfriend.

Are you guy’s full-time musicians? If not, what kind of job or school do you do besides the band?

Barry: We are definitely not full-time musicians in the sense of touring. We all have families and careers that we like doing so being a full-time touring band is not really in the cards for us at the moment. That could change in the future. We are definitely going to do some weekenders once the pandemic is over.

Christian: No, we are not full-timers. I would love to be though! I work as a mover full-time.

Melvin: All of us are not full-time musicians. We all have careers which definitely come first. Being in law enforcement, I work long hours, but it does not hinder my practicing.

Brandon: I would love to be a full-time musician but unfortunately I have work and school.

What is your musical background and how long have you been a musician?

Barry: I have been playing for a number of years and I am self-taught. I have had a lesson here or there but for the most part, I have been learning on my own by studying different styles of music.

Christian: My musical background started when I was three years old. My mom is a piano teacher so I learned piano and some music theory from her as a kid. When I got older I started to play the flute in the school band. I’ve also participated in NYSSMA (New York State Music Association) and did okay. I started doing harsh vocals around thirteen and sort of dropped instruments for good.

Melvin: My musical background began with beatboxing all the way to making beats with pens on a table. My parents bought me my first drum kit when I was approximately 10 years old. I didn’t know much of what I was doing, but I knew that I was in my own world while playing the drums. I wanted to become a better drummer, so I researched drummers in signed or popular bands for experience and skill. Shortly after, my brother and I created a 2-man band back in 2010 and my passion grew from there.

Brandon: I grew up learning drums and I have been learning bass for a little over 6 months now.

What bands got you into heavier music?

Barry: For me, it started with the nu-metal bands. You know Linkin Park, System of a Down, Slipknot, etc and it progressively got heavier. I have to say when I found Killswitch Engage and August Burns Red that’s when I really got into heavy music.

Christian: Iron Maiden, Number of the Beast. I used to hear it on Tony Hawks Pro Skater 4 when I was a young kid. I would play that song in the game on repeat. My brother also loved all kinds of metal. I used to hear bands like Hatebreed before I even knew them by name.

Melvin: I never use to like Metal. I would only listen to rap and hip hop. Friends would tell me to check out Linkin Park’s, so I finally decided to open my ears to a new genre of music. I also knew that if I wanted to become a better drummer, I have to lean towards heavier bands due to their drummer’s talent. I then began to listen to Escape the Fate, As I Lay Dying and Miss May I, nonstop. That is when my taste for metal grew and I officially became a metalhead.

Brandon: The music that got me into heavier music was The Amity Affliction, Chelsea Grin, Miss May I, We Came As Romans, Parkway Drive, and August Burns Red.

Why the name ‘Diamonds to Dust’? Is there a story behind it?

Barry: So the name actually doesn’t have a story behind it. Our original name was supposed to be No Regrets but that name was used by a multitude of other bands. So when we (the original members as we have had several line-up changes) were looking for a new name I came up with the name Diamonds to Dust. The other members didn’t like it but they couldn’t think of another name and we were about to record and release our first single so everyone reluctantly agreed to Diamonds to Dust.

Tell us the history of ‘Diamonds to Dust’.

Barry: So this is a very long and drawn out story so I will just keep it short. So Melvin and I started the band. For every release that we have, we had a line-up change. That is the reason you start to hear drastic changes in our sound. By the time we got to our 4th album Conservation of the Spirit, it would just be Melvin and I left in the band. So we decide to go in a heavier direction. After the success of that album, we recruited Christian Roche which you first hear him on our single Diamond Pierced Eyes and later on we recruit Brandon Whitaker on bass.

Over the years, you guys have experimented with several genres. What genre do you consider your music? Who are your major influences?

Barry: So that is a question we get asked a lot. So, in my opinion, we are a “core” band. What I mean by that is we play anything in the core genres (deathcore, metalcore, hardcore, post-hardcore, etc). The reason being is because I just write the music and whatever comes out comes out. I don’t always have a particular style in mind when writing the music.

Christian: I would say I think Diamonds to Dust is a group of musicians who don’t feel bound to a specific genre. One day we could release a powerful heavy song and the next a serene bright one. I love deathcore though; it is probably my favorite genre, personally.

What led to you guys going the deathcore route with your newer stuff?

Christian: Me lol. I love me some deathcore. I was able to coerce Barry into writing a deathcore riff and it turned out he and Melvin really liked it!

Barry: Lol I have to agree with Christian and I do like trying new things musically. I had never written a deathcore song before so why not give it a shot. Also Christian is a beast when comes to deathcore type vocals. So I gave it a go and it came out better than I expected.

Melvin: I like the touch of deathcore in our music more. The heavier tuning definitely makes our breakdowns slam harder which gives me the chills. Also, Christian being a part of Diamonds to Dust gives our music a unique feel with his vocal style. His range is not like any other vocalist we had in Diamonds to Dust and he makes the newer material even nastier!

What is Diamonds to Dust’s discography for those who aren’t familiar with your music?

Barry: So are albums are as follows: Faith Through Trials, Sense of Freedom, Aging of the Weary, and Conservation of the Spirit. We have 3 singles which are Diamond Pierced Eyes, Dissonant Truth, and The Devil’s Forge. We also have an Ep called Faith or Desires.

Who writes the music/lyrics? How do you get in the mood for writing?

Barry: So on all previous albums I wrote everything except for 3 songs. Christian started writing when he joined the band. He wrote the lyrics for The Devil’s Forge as well as the lyrics for Demon Slayer on the Faith or Desires Ep. Usually, when it comes to actually writing the lyrics I will listen to the instrumental over and over again or I will just write and fit it to the instrumental later.

Where do you draw your lyrical inspiration from, and what are the central themes in your lyrics?

Barry: As a Christian band our lyrics are mostly about Jesus Christ or our faith in general. We also write about real-world problems. There [are] many songs that we have that also talks about a one or the other or a combination of the two.

As a Christian band our lyrics are mostly about Jesus Christ or our faith in general.

Christian: I actually come from a Catholic upbringing. The similarities and the contrast in Christianity and Catholicism make us a really great match as a team. Especially when it comes to writing.

What can you tell us about your latest releases “Dissonant Truth” & “Faith of Desire EP” (such as the recording process, the songs; who did the artwork?)

Barry: So we record with Randy Pasquarella at Pasquarella Recordings. The guy is amazing and we have recorded every release we have with him. Whenever we go into the studio to record we are normally cracking jokes while tracking. It just keeps the mood lively and fun. Normally we will have the song at least 75 percent done before recording and then sometimes we will write the rest in the studio. When it came to Dissonant Truth and Fate of a Sinner, those songs were already complete. They just had to be tracked. As for Demon Slayer, we had that song around 90 percent done and wrote the rest in the studio. As for who designed our artwork, the Faith or Desires artwork was designed by Hoagland Designs and the Dissonant Truth artwork was designed by Karissa Pasquarella at K Pasquarella Graphic Design. If you want great artwork definitely hit them up!

What are the stories behind those releases?

Barry: The Faith or Desires ep is more so a question. The Ep is asking will you choose faith (choose God) or choose desire (a life of sin). This concept is brought forth by the 2 songs on the Ep. Fate of a Sinner is the results of choosing a life of sin while Demon Slayer shows the killing of what causes the sinful desires. Dissonant Truth is literally a song explaining how we worship God because he has blessed us in not only our band but our everyday lives.

What is your favorite ‘Diamonds to Dust’ song?

Barry: I would have to say my favorite songs of ours would have to be False Identity from our first album, The Last Action Hero Never Died from our third album and Diamond Pierced Eyes which is a single we released.

Christian: The Devil’s Forge!

Melvin: Diamond Pierced Eyes is my favorite to listen too but The Devil’s Forge is my favorite to perform. With the new material coming out soon, I feel that I will have a new favorite!

Brandon: I would have to say my favorite Diamonds to Dust song is probably our newest single Dissonant Truth.

Your past couple of releases has just been singles and short EPs, what’s the reasoning behind this? And do you plan to stick to this formula moving forward?

Barry: The biggest reason is finances and time. It is much cheaper to release a single or small Ep then it is to record a full-length album. Also, the small releases allow us to get more music to the fans faster. Now, will we stay with this format forever? No. We will release another full length in the future but we want to hone our skills a bit more first. It is difficult to make an album with as many styles that we have. Once we are able to create something that is cohesive and that we are happy with then we will release a full length.

Is there a highlight you will always remember, since the beginning of the band?

Barry: The biggest highlight I will remember is when we released our first album and it was put in stores in Japan. We had a poster and everything. It was awesome! I actually went to Japan for vacation and ended up taking a picture with it and everything lol.

Christian: The first show I ever played. Diamonds to Dust gave me the opportunity of a lifetime!

Melvin: A highlight that I will always remember will probably be the first time I’ve seen people throwing down (moshing) to our music. It was a great feeling! Besides that, our bass drops causing a fuse to blow while performing at a festival… that was awesome!

Could you briefly share how you came to faith in Jesus Christ?

Barry: I was raised as a Christian. For the most part, I have always believed. There was one time where I almost walked away. But then there was a situation that happened that I can’t really go into detail about but I know if it wasn’t for Christ it wouldn’t have been resolved. So it reaffirmed my faith and I continued to serve him.

Christian: I was born and raised Catholic. I’m far from perfect but my faith will never falter. The feeling of the fire of the Holy Spirit has to offer is like no other.

Melvin: I was born and raised by my parents to be a Christian. I’ve been through things in life where I know it was not just “miracles” that were taking place; it was God working in my life. I’ve seen proof after prayers and belief. Therefore, my faith will NEVER change.

I’ve been through things in life where I know it was not just “miracles” that were taking place; it was God working in my life. I’ve seen proof after prayers and belief. Therefore, my faith will NEVER change.

Do you consider Diamonds to Dust to be a ministry or just a band made up of Christians?

Barry: For me Diamonds to Dust a band that wants to spread the word of God. We are not perfect and we don’t pretend to be. We don’t preach during concerts because we believe that the message is strong enough that everyone knows what we are about. I am pretty sure when we scream Jesus Christ in a song everyone knows the message we are portraying lol.

Christian: I consider us to be a band who wants to share the same love and freedom our faith has to offer. We love everyone regardless of [their] beliefs. It does not matter who you are. Our band isn’t about preaching but we definitely have a strong faith in each of our songs.

Melvin: Like Barry stated, we are a band trying to share the same message. Not all of our music is gospel or about God, but it is with a purpose to send positive vibes and messages to everyone who needs it. We try to inspire and help people through our music!

How can followers of Beyond the Grave support your band?

Barry: Follow us on social media especially YouTube and Spotify and just keep us in your prayers.

What’s next for Diamonds to Dust?

Barry: Our next goal is to become a regional level band within the next year our 2 and a national level band in the next 5.

We’ve come to the end of the interview. Thanks for your time. Any final thoughts you’d like to share?

Barry: Just that we pray everyone to stay blessed and safe in Jesus’ name!