Brisbane-based progressive metal outfit Dimensionist‘s latest single, Syntagma, pulls from the desolate world of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, blending raw intensity with haunting melodies. Fresh off a packed headline show at Black Bear Lodge, the band is gearing up for an even bigger year ahead. We caught up with them to talk about their roots, the making of Syntagma, and what’s next for Dimensionist.
How did Dimensionist come together, and what sparked the urgency to create your unique blend of melodic soundscapes and heavy grooves?
Cam: Some of us had been casually jamming together for a few years already. But a desire to have a really solid crack at this project burned inside of us all. That meant completing the line up. We took to local Facebook pages and talked to different musicians until we felt we all found ourselves a really special melting pot of talents and influences. And also just generally awesome humans!
Your new single Syntagma, which is featured on Progotronics 49, draws inspiration from Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. How did the themes of the novel shape the music and lyrics?
JP: The novel didn’t really shape the music as Ben had written the song separately. I guess the music painted a picture in my mind when I first heard it. The feeling of a long journey through a barren landscape leading to a final destruction reminded me of the novel and so vocally and lyrically I tried to paint that picture of futility, desolation and ultimate demise.
What does the title Syntagma signify, and how does it connect to the message of the track?
JP: Syntagma was almost a working title that stuck. It’s not really closely related to the lyric itself but more just signifying the arrangement being in two parts ‘Signs’ and then ‘Syntagma’.
How would you describe the band’s sound to someone discovering Dimensionist for the first time?
Cam: I feel it’s hard to pin down exactly, but we sit somewhere between metalcore and progressive rock/metal. I think a recurring theme within our entire catalogue (released and otherwise) is a juxtaposition between light and shade. We love the pretty stuff as much as we love the face-melting stuff. And a splash of electronica!
What was the creative and recording process like for Syntagma, and how does it differ from your previous releases, Artefacts Remain and Avenues?
Cam: As the producer for the band, Signs & Syntagma were a total blast to work on. The sonic spectrum of the track made it become kind of like my sandbox, where I got to explore all sorts of production experiments I wouldn’t normally get to use. Unlike our previous releases, Syntagma leans much more into the ambient side of the band. I really enjoyed working in the nuance of the softer sections, with every little sound or effect intentional and delicately balanced. Also getting my dad to deliver the spoken word passage the Lincoln wrote for Signs was an absolute treat.
Some of the challenges in the process this time were our own fault, but basically 3 weeks out from release we decided to re-track 90% of the guitars and redo the drum mix from scratch! A word I would use to describe this time period is “stressful” haha, but ultimately it was worth it and we couldn’t be prouder of the end product: A true representation of our diversity as songwriters, and a self-produced band.
Dimensionist cites influences like Karnivool, Tesseract, and Thornhill. How have these bands shaped your approach to songwriting and performance?
Ben: Another big one for me is Misha Mansoor from Periphery. Before I started writing music I used to learn Periphery songs and try to nail them as tightly as I could. My own style of playing was massively developed by doing that I’d say. Bands like Karnivool made me want to start using different effects and delay, and you can definitely hear that influence throughout most of our songs.
What do you think sets the Australian east coast’s heavy music scene apart, and how has it influenced Dimensionist’s development?
Cam: I remember listening to an interview with Dead Letter Circus years ago. The American presenter asked “Seriously, WTF are they putting in the water over there?!”. And I think he had a point. Considering we are a little out of the way on our own side of the planet, the level of music that comes out of our country, imo, is consistently both genre-pushing and world class. It doesn’t matter if it’s Australia’s biggest names and our local smaller bands, they all push us to be better and try new things with every song we make and every show we play.
You celebrated the release of Syntagma with a show at Brisbane’s Black Bear Lodge. What was that experience like, and how did the audience respond to the new music?
Cam: Being both our first headline show and event that we put on ourselves, it was a little nerve wracking at times. But overall it was an awesome experience. We could not have been more stoked with the bands we chose to support (Rouse, Gladiolus, and Ocean Shores) and the sets they played. And by the time we got on and looked out at the busy floor, there was just a sense of “Fuck yeah, this was all worth it”. We didn’t hear a bad song all night and from all accounts, everyone had an awesome time!
We’ve played iterations of Syntagma in our sets since the beginning, but at the release show we got a chance to play it in its final form and it felt fantastic. We had another fresh track in the set as well and had a lot of great feedback about that too.
How does Dimensionist balance melodic elements with the heavier, crushing grooves in your songs?
Jase: Just a feeling. We have five minds toiling away and luckily we’re quite democratic, so things get voted on. But most of the time we just agree on a balance of what works.
The band has already supported acts like Kodiak Empire and The Omnific. What did you learn from those experiences, and how have they impacted your live performances?
Lincoln: We consider ourselves lucky being surrounded by professionals, and we’re incredibly grateful for the opportunities to support bands we’re genuine fans of. Yes, playing live is a rush, but just as important is having less glamorous things in order like logistics, timeliness, planning, self organisation, communication, finance, etc. The reassurance that between us those things are looked after just means we can just go out and share our energy with people that relate to us. Sharing stages with respected names gave us insight into what worked and what needs work, how bands with more feathers in their hat run their operations and how that carries over to a felt experience for audiences. Those shows made us appreciate our skills outside of music and reinforced our desire to do more of this.
With plenty more music in the works, what can fans expect from Dimensionist in 2025?
Cam: Hmmm how much can we say? Haha. Nah… At the moment we’re busy writing what we think will be an EP to release mid-year. Expect the sounds you know and love already, but at times we will be exploring some heavier territory. Much, much heavier. [laughs]
Between now and then, we will be supporting Binary Pulse on the Brisbane leg of their LP launch tour, March 15th.
How does the dynamic between the five members influence the band’s creative process?
Cam: So Benny and I are the main songwriters of the bunch (mostly Ben!). But after we have got a mature idea laid down, JP will get to work on the vocals and the whole band will put their own take on their individual parts. We’re really lucky that our process is relatively chill. We have a rule in group writing sessions that every idea is explored fully rather than shutting it down straight away. And that way we know for sure that our songs are headed in the direction that they’re supposed to be. We’re all very passionate about the project and like any five people in a group we have had our disagreements, but things are extremely easy and fun the other 99% of the time!
Are there any specific themes or concepts you’re excited to explore in your upcoming music?
Ben: I want to go super low haha! I love a really low, really well shaped guitar tone. Bands like Loathe or Invent Animate have nailed their sound and obviously mostly it’s the song writing but that sort of brutal low well mixed sound is something we’d love to be able to do.
What’s the most rewarding part of being a part of the progressive metal scene in Brisbane?
Cam: I think the Brisbane scene as a whole is really healthy at the moment. There are some incredible established bands that we are proud to call our own, but also the emerging talent in this city is insane (seriously, watch out for Brace!). Everyone we’ve met so far on our short journey have been legends and super supportive and I think being a part of a scene like that is a blessing.
What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from Syntagma and your music in general?
Jase: Just that they feel something. It’s open to interpretation. Even if they hate it then we’ll take that over indifference and a void of any sort of emotion. Obviously we want people to enjoy it and really submit to the journey of the song but we can only write music we enjoy and hope others feel it too.
