Interview with Damian of US DSBM solo project, Sadness.

⚠️ZOOM INTERVIEW⚠️
Sadness is a US DSBM solo project hailing from Illinois. Damian is the artist behind this project and has offered us an exceptionally whopping discography since his start in 2014.
His music translates desolation, inner struggle, want for solitude and is convicting in every sense.
Vini Tremblay caught up with Damian to discuss his latest album releases, his influences and all things DSBM.

[@loutiscrive]

Sadness is not black metal, is pure art

[@elkyubi4281]

It’s post black metal

[@vairrin]

This dude is extremely talented. He's innovative asf with the stuff he creates and he's not afraid to make something new whenever and every album he makes is exactly that. Te Ame, I want to be with you and Useless are my favorites by him. Keep going, Damien. I really enjoy your music.

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

He certainly is

[@clucknbell4613]

He is fucking Genius

[@Frobbl]

If you like his stuff someone I'd suggest you to check out is Violet Cold. Very similar level of creativity and innovation, also coming from black metal origins.

[@sennawillems901]

​@@Frobbli love them a lot, but aren't they AI ?

[@Frobbl]

@@sennawillems901 The Bandcamp page used to say something along the lines "AI project". But it's not clear what parts of the songs might have been created by AI or whether he actually used AI at all. I even read some people saying that it's just that Violet Cold "identifies as AI" lol. I think some of his old songs are made with AI. Listen to some of his stuff from like 2015. It does sound like something that might have been AI generated. But his newer stuff from 2020+ just doesn't sound like fully AI generated songs to me. Especially if you take into consideration that Noir Kid was made in 2020. AI music generation was still very very bad in 2020 and I doubt a music AI could've spit out full songs like on Noir Kid in 2020. Unless Violet Cold coded something revolutionary himself and kept it a secret only for himself lol

[@NorthernAscendancy]

Sadness is good but Trha feels ike the shiniest gem I've uncovered in the last 10 years. This guy is a once in a lifetime musician for me, absolute artistic purity and perfection across the board.

[@neilmacdonald6637]

This guy's project is unbelievable. Somehow it feels so ambitious, perhaps even arrogant, to call it "sadness". But when I'm feeling depressed, nothing else hits quite like it. It's very raw and cathartic music

[@sethywethy2183]

and hes a cutie omg

[@Frobbl]

I also was surprised by the fact that he just called it "sadness". My interpretation is that he probably doesn't care too much about being discovered by as many people as possible. Obviously a name like "sadness" for a band will make it pretty difficult to find your band. Way too generic name for that. And I'm 100% sure this guy is aware of that so the only explanation is that he doesn't care. Which is something great because that means he just cares about making music he loves to make and doesn't care about getting "famous".

[@frozentrip9175]

@@Frobbl Ironically he's stated that he genuinely hates the name. He came up with the name years ago because he couldnt think of anything better but now genuinely doesnt like it.

[@nathangreen5097]

This kid, man.....I swear to God, fucking genius. I found Sadness on OMB channel a month or two ago, the “Motionless, Watching You” EP and I’ve been hooked since. I haven’t heard a bad Sadness album yet, every single one of them are significant in their own way. Right now, I’m really digging what I call the Orange Rabbit album. The melodies on See You In The Orange Light are so addictive. Awesome interview and now I can put a face to the man behind the music. Unironically, Sadness makes me happy. 😬

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

He truly is brilliant

[@barbarianblood2316]

Damn dude looks so young to be creating music like this. Incredible artist. Mad respect🤘

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

Such a talent! So humble

[@Etonnantnonn]

YT suggested me this interview only in 2024 whereas I listen to Damian for years on a near daily basis :(

[@Frobbl]

This guys music and Violet Cold is the type of music I didn't know I needed in my life. These two guys make the music I unconsciously craved for for so many years now. Incredibly creative and actually talented enough to make the ideas they have work out well.

[@the_terrorizer]

I'm absolutely one of those Spotify listeners. I listen to Sadness all day, I can just rotate through the albums. Massive fan, glad to see a review and hear from the dude himself.

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

Glad you enjoyed this

[@starklife1]

What I really like is his odd children choir style singing, as weird as that probably sounds it's like a dystopian version of the vacation Bible school my parents forced me to go to as a kid. I'm not religious now but I was always singing as a kid in church and at vacation Bible school so maybe I'm the only one who gets that kind of vibe from some of the parts of sadness music but I absolutely love how it sounds mixed into dsbm....it adds a whole new level of nostalgia and depressiveness that resonates with me in a way no other music in the genre has.

[@suciniviraierrfe96]

idem

[@alexcollins1630]

Great solo project. The rain that fell within is my fav album

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

It’s a great album and he really was the nicest man. Very humble

[@Fairysad2002]

My love Damián Sadness ✨💕💕💕

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

❤️🖤❤️🖤

[@martynika59]

i wanna meet him so badly. Damian please come to Berlin! ur music healed me when I found it this year, i gagged to so many tracks, i cried to them, they touch me so deeply. they all so special. obssessed

[@MagnusMFX]

I love Sadness

[@xboxfreaks7618]

I wish i could be friends with this dude and give him an actual thank you for his music and have a 1 on 1 conversation about life with him.

[@floristheavens]

Straight genius. Dude’s been steadily cookin up masterpieces for years. Unbelievable productivity. Mad respect to Damian. I hope one day to have the honor of collabing with Trhä

[@oldshity]

Hands down my favorite DSBM project. Fucking amazing 🔥

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

Agree!

[@Monumentum616]

Damian is one of the great artists of our times. I've never seen any interview footage of them before, thank you for this

[@exhumed666]

Seeing sadness in Chicago soon I can’t wait been a huge fan of him for a few years now :3

[@nainorotodox]

He's great, definitely one of my inspirations if I ever start a black metal project

[@zpproductionpkfr2642]

Left alone - empty moment - is a greateast dsbm album ever

[@CannibalWHORE22]

I have become obsessed with this man’s music. I just can’t get over how he can put so much music with thought to it in short spans of time. He may sound a little like Burzum or Paysage D’Hiver. Yet he has been making stuff that is his own also dare I say it more addicting music. It’s on a whole other level

[@do_yohomework]

I don’t really hear those influences in the music other than the atmospheric sounding black metal style riffs

[@CannibalWHORE22]

@@do_yohomework Hence why I said “A little”

[@Frobbl]

He added a level of pop-elements to it. Of course only very rough devirations of it. But with the clean catchy lyrics and the uplifting melodies he definitely added some kind of pop to it. Somewhat like lifelover used to do but lifelover did it in a more depressive way rather than an uplifting way you often hear in this guys music. Honestly I am not surprised it was eventually going to be an American who would make add pop characteristics to dsbm lol.

[@CannibalWHORE22]

@@Frobbl It works. It’s interesting music

[@do_yohomework]

This is one of my new favorite bands I was snoozing on him

[@mezrenas9696]

Lmao at first I thought the interviewer was him 😂

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

Lol

[@clearfudge]

cant believe you fucking met this guy!!! he's such a great musician

[@Spectrax99]

"Sadness" is my favorite band of all. They are the only band that I would like to physically buy the entire discography. I could define it as art in its purest version, nothing has made me feel the same.

[@friendoftrip]

I love Sadness music!!!!!!! thankyou for this interview. cheers from Japan.

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

Tha me so much for watching

[@giulio4115]

I also love kanashimi music Lol

[@scoroop]

such a talented guy! I was always into all kinds of melodic/melancholic/emotional post- (and not post-) metal/punk/core stuff quite a variety of genres and Sadness has a very special place among my fav music since I got to know him :)

[@hollowbastion1662]

First song I heard from him was Useless, checked out his Bandcamp and the untitled album caught my eye. Saw most reviews were praising Orange Love, played it, and immediately was blown away by those little tones that begin phasing in at the start of the song. On a Green is my jam tho

[@beersvault]

I've discover Sadness through spotify random suggestions in 2019, never left my daily play ever since

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

So damn good

[@micheleroberi9680]

Thank you for this wonderful interview,I follow Sadness since the very beginning and Damian's music walked with me in the darkest moment of my life. I really respect him from the bottom of my heart,hope to meet him ...maybe one day...greetings from Italy. Sincerely,Mick.

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

His creations are powerful I’m so glad it’s helped you

[@Spooki_Gh0st]

hold up... this guy does everything?! fuck..

[@projectinfernisrecords]

Damián is one of my favorite friends to talk to and i always enjoy conversations with him. His music has definitely been helping shape mine over the years

[@100-w6e]

What kind of person is he in private? He seems like an introvert person with not that much friends

[@tlotr25]

@@100-w6e yeeah an introvert, and then you see this photo :D www.spirit-of-metal.com/membre_groupe/photo/ThAct_A-544084_8eca.jpg

[@COLMUSIC603]

I love Damian's Facebook posts. He has such a cool brain.

[@neutralfog]

I've always wondered who was behind SADNESS.

[@АлександрКузнецов-с6ю2б]

Оч круто , интересно. Спасибо

[@T_Alone667]

thankyou for this interview. I listen to damiens music toooooo much

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

No such thing as too much Sadness :) 🖤🖤

[@tentandoumcover]

I love his songs, I used to have him on my Facebook

[@wanderingcrow7379]

Great interview. The album "wounded solitude" hits hardest with my life experiences. Still need to listen to rest all in a row! 🤘

[@Kiewicz92]

This guy is a fucking legend

[@do_yohomework]

So glad I found this interview his Spotify description I would’ve never known this is a solo project im an even bigger fan now

[@叶言-j4h]

Can there be a live tour someday please！Love from China.

[@SuperHell666666]

Thank you for this interview

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

So glad you liked it

[@SuperHell666666]

@@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews sometimes you can get so lost in how enigmatic you an imagine an artist to be but then in reality they're just so down to earth :)

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

Very true! For the most part, they are very down to earth

[@youthofyesterdayrecords]

Sadness is wonderful.

[@efkun091]

İ love his music

[@odxn5368]

thank you so much for doing this interview!! sadness is one of the best artists ive ever heard so im really glad i got to see this!

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

So glad you found it and enjoyed it

[@suciniviraierrfe96]

Saudações do Brasil, Sadness, Left Alone, Fantástico!

[@alexcollins1630]

Left Alone is really good

[@lest7522]

omg so glad i found thid interview

[@claimhsolais3466]

Neat interview, kudos friend. I love Sadness, along Austere they're among my most favorite artists. I hope we could also witness a collaboration between them soon.

[@nvrlrn]

i found this interview so late, i fucking love how he tells him the hard stats of his music in spotify and damian just says "Really?" he is such a humble person that clearly doesnt care about the numbers and only cares about his art

[@x6skallex682]

So Damian has a face? Haha😳 Beautiful man and band

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

He does :) i agree

[@svartkonst666]

I love this man. I've known Sadness for a long time but recently I have been looking into his other projects, especially Comforting. I have had "Everywhere To Be Found And Nowhere At All" on max volume in my earphones for the past few days. It's just incredible the extend of Damián's talent. There is so many emotions put in everything he does. I'm very admirative.

[@iqbaldeadly1]

Found sadness by YT suggestion. Recently i listen to atmospheric black metal likr Vvilderness. Here it is, one ov my favorite dsbm

[@wmccinema]

Congratulations! this may be late but i have to come back to this video after listening to Sadness - Alluring The Distant Eye! Sky you feel is my favorite though everything in the album is equally important!

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

Never too late! :)

[@4.32am]

whoa, I love Woods of desolation as well

[@alexcollins1630]

Also I love Left Alone project he is in. Left Alone-Empty Moment demo really hits.

[@iguanavitamins7377]

I had no idea that when I was listening to Born an Abomination that it was him lol

[@josepharagon9168]

At the beginning of the band, there was a female vocal. It sounds clearly in Close (2014) or songs like hurting colors

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

I’ll have to take a listen :)

[@lucysoffering]

i always thought damian just pitch shifted his vocals to sound more feminine tbh

[@hamishwallace73]

Yeah those vocals appear in most of his recent stuff too, I think it is a tone shifter

[@Sergio-nb4hj]

I don't think so I've messed around with my screams in a DAW and made them sound female too

[@onemirra]

thank you so much

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

❤️

[@Omrentonth999]

Trha is an amazing band

[@El_Lobo_Solitario]

🖤🖤🖤

[@spikestoyou]

I really want to know everything about the way this dude records

[@frankx210]

Genius

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

Yes

[@bazookallamaproductions5280]

damians really cute omg

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

Very ha

[@lipusd90]

🖤🖤🖤🖤

[@widepeepoflo]

a real genius..

[@B3tsi33]

What happened to him now?? His instagram or social media ?? I can’t seem to find it:(

[@erwin91357]

genius

[@Khazanarak]

What band is his shirt?

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

I’m not sure I can’t see it properly lol

[@SeatLeonMK2]

WOW youre the best

[@alperenozelci3615]

what he is saying at 3:35

[@lost360p]

AFI, the band who made Black Sails

[@EnvisioningDeath]

idk if that's a hot take but Trhä > Sadness

[@GothGamerJY]

im the 666th like for the video omfg

[@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews]

Oooof! Ha

[@noice.1]

@@KellyTeeBlackMetalReviews shut it down!

[@气球-q3i]

老天，长得好帅

[@tomaszpuchalski5167]

He's music is brilliant, but he struggled so much in this interview. Damian 'Like' Ojeda :D

[@bazookallamaproductions5280]

love dsbm, but i HATE how its inundated with neo nazis. 🙄

[@kfcandwaterm3lon]

it isnt though

[@100-w6e]

Wtf?

[@neilmacdonald6637]

Yes, we're all aware how people affiliated with ethno-centrist ideologies sometimes listen to black metal music. But Damian pretty obviously isn't so why mention it here?

[@do_yohomework]

Welcome to black metal. DSBM in particular isn’t as filled with nazis as other subgenres tho

[@Frobbl]

Black Metal is probably the most "rebellious" music genre out there. Its community is a big pool of people who reject modern life, society, civilization, and christian values or religions in general. Honestly it is not a surprise at all that it ended up having extreme sub cultures within it such as dsbm or nsbm.