The Gentle Art Of Killing With LEENO DEE From DEPARTMENT OF GLOOM

Interview by Kris Peters
They’ve been called Deathrock, Gothcore, and, from one creative soul, “kinda goth punk glam Manson-y metal?” They’ve also been called “a best kept secret”. Although that really began to change since the debut LP was released… Which begs the question: Who the fuck are these guys, then?
Well. Department of Gloom is made up of four, Sydney, Australia based musicians, including ex-members of Florida-based industrial fetish freaks Genitorturers, Sydney heavy industrialists Jerk, and ‘90s glam metal punks Candy Harlots.
And the sound is a potent mix of all these things.
On the live front, Department of Gloom have opened for everybody from Skid Row to Wednesday 13, while also sharing stages with local heavyweights Witchgrinder and Our Last Enemy, and doing their own shows around Australia, picking up quite a following of devotees in the process.
They recently released their eponymously titled 10 track debut on vinyl, LTD edition CD and across streaming services. The CD run sold out quickly, while the LP is in its second pressing. The album was accompanied by two videos, I Dare You and Psycho.
January 24 saw the band's most ambitious and exciting video being released for the track Kill Someone, which also points to the direction Department of Gloom’s sound and style is developing.
The video will be launched with a show at Sydney’s The Duke Hotel, Friday February 7. Of course with everyone being brought up on a diet of early KISS and Alice Cooper, 70’s British glam rock, the gothic punk sounds of The Damned, Cure, and Christian Death, along with a background of industrial metal and so much more, Department Of Gloom are what you end up with when that beautiful mess comes at you in stereo. They may not sound exactly like any of those influences…but there’s a little bit of all of that in there.
And…most importantly. Department Of Gloom are having a whole lot of hellish fun doing what they do. So, Indulge. Enjoy. Never repent…
HEAVY caught up with Leeno Dee to find out more.


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