Trail Of Dead have reason to celebrate. Exactly twenty years ago, the US formation, once known for its destructive stage shows, was founded. Of the original line-up only Conrad Keely (voc, g) and Jason Reece (dr, g, voc) are left, but the current album "IX" shows that the band doesn't want to rest on the laurels of "Tao Of The Dead" and "Lost Songs". Instead she offers with "IX" a very coherent, melodic work, which at the same time undertakes beguiling New Artrock excursions. In an interview Jason Reece reveals more about the songwriting process, the recordings and the therapeutic effect of the songs.
eclipsed: Your new CD "IX" is released just in time for the band's twentieth anniversary. Is that why it sounds so optimistic?
Jason Reece: We actually wanted to make an instrumental album with music that could be used for film and television. But in the end a song album came out and it took a while until we made friends with it.
eclipsed: Despite their positive basic tone, the record is about loss experiences you made as a band. Have you become more aware of your own mortality as you record?
Reece: Well, the songs are not only about mortality, but also about the loss of relationships that are doomed to failure. These topics appeal to the average person because everyone has made their own experiences with them. Many of the songs are personal reflections on our own lives, while the previous album focused more on world politics.
