Doomed Confessionary: D X & C X (Azell)
Husband and wife creative duo, D X and C X, are perhaps best known for their work in comedy metal group Timōrātus, but their latest musical venture is anything but light hearted. Beneath the war torn banner of Azell, the pair have carved out some of the most towering, monolithic metal ever unleashed. A soul-crushing blend of impossibly heavy doom and caustic, spirit scouring sludge, Azell’s debut album »Death Control« is a truly monstrous leviathan of sound. »Death Control« was released on March 1st, 2024 via Rottweiler Records.
From the forests and floodplains of Louisville, Kentucky, comes a sound of ancient, earthshaking power, of portentous doom and monolithic sludge. »Death Control« is the formidable debut album from Azell and from its depths a legion of giants marches forth, moving at the pace of planets. Each note is a sombre, back breaking burden laid reverently upon the shoulders of the listener and these songs cannot be rushed, these implacable titans cannot be induced to lift their pace. Days can pass between chords as these gargantuan sonic edifices mark their stately progress.
Can you say a few words about your band?
We are a two-piece sludge/doom outfit whose goal is to create simple, fun, and crushing songs about existential dread and self-reflection.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
The biggest challenge is one that almost every other band faces, lack of time. C X is an elementary school teacher and D X is a freelance graphic designer. Also, something that most other bands face is that they want to be inspired by their favorites but not become derivative. Other than that, we are married so there is always a need to keep the peace when writing material haha.
What can you be most proud of so far?
We are both so proud of the fact that we released our debut album (»Death Control«) on March 1st, 2024 and it seems to have been well-loved or at least liked by everyone who’s heard it! So, we are so proud of that record, but also so very humbled.
What was your biggest regret?
Our biggest regret is the fact that we can’t play live more. With C X having such a busy schedule being a teacher our availability is usually very restricted.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
If you are talking about shows that WE put on, it would have to be the show we opened for in Evansville Indiana where we almost had the fire department called because our fog machine kept setting off the fire alarm haha. If you are talking about shows that we have seen of some of our inspirations it would have to be either seeing Boris play the entirety of »Pink« or witnessing the amazing show Cattle Decapitation put on.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
For C X, how well she has been welcomed as she’s still relatively new to the metal scene. Before we met she only ever really listened to the Top 40s and Disney Soundtracks. For D X, it’s been that the metal scene enjoys more focused and simple riffs versus intricate noodling.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Right now it’s safe to say (like most of the stoner/sludge/doom scene) that we have been listening to the new Bongripper and High On Fire records, but we always enjoy spinning some ’68 and Entheos.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Don’t overcomplicate things. It’s easy to become too enamored with making it so interesting that it makes it meaningless.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Haha, for C X, it’s randomly spinning *NSYC or those Disney Soundtracks. For D X, it’s falling down the rabbit hole of hours-long YouTube videos about video game franchises that he’s never played.
Can you say something more about the music scene in Louisville?
Louisville, KY is a strange place. The metal scene never really goes away, but it grows and dies pretty quickly it seems.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We are playing some shows pretty sporadically this summer so if you want to know just follow our social media. That’s the best place to keep up to date.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
We are currently working on a follow-up to our debut album right now and hope to have it done by the end of this year for release next year.
How can people best support your band?
The best support you can give is to share share share! If you wanna help financially then get a killer shirt design or a CD at our Bandcamp.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
We love you, and we can not thank you enough for giving of your extremely valuable time. We know that there are so many other amazing bands out there and it means the world to both of us that you care. So, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well