Bad Wolves‘ new album Dear Monsters marks their first with new lead singer Daniel “DL” Laskiewicz. On his debut record with the band, DL hopes you’ll join him in “penning a letter to your personal demons.”
“Whether it’s waking up in the morning and dreading going to work because you hate your boss, or you are going to a doctor’s appointment for a follow-up and finding out if you have some kind of illness or not, everybody has some kind of demon, personal monster,” DL tells ABC Audio of the album’s message.
It’s a universal theme, to be sure, but DL, who joined Bad Wolves earlier this year in place of former frontman Tommy Vext, found himself relating to Dear Monsters on a individual level.
“It’s a big change for me,” DL says of his new gig. “Not touring for 10-plus years, having loved ones, wife, kids, it’s just very different. I’m not an 18 year old dude in a metal band anymore.”
“I had to even confront my own personal monsters coming into this role,” he adds.
Much of what would become Dear Monsters was written before DL’s arrival, but his voice allowed him to put his own personal stamp on the record. He also contributed to the writing process with songs such as “Springfield Summer,” which refers to the name of his Massachusetts hometown.
“That song in particular touches loosely on my role coming into this band,” DL says. “It just ties into everything going on in my head walking into this role.”
“With all the things going on, it’s just been a crazy ride so far, for sure,” he says.
Dear Monsters, which features the lead single “Lifeline,” is out this Friday.
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