Localized: DiseNgaged

This scalding summer is getting even hotter with brutal riffs and growls delivered by DiseNgaged and Debrider. Admitted Bastard will kick off this headbanger’s heaven at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 11 at Kilby Court. Sponsored by Riso-Geist, the show costs just $5 for entry. Get tickets here!

It all started with a high school drummer’s love for music, a guitarist’s garage and a vocalist’s KSL advertisement. Thus, Dylan Dawes, Chase Williams and Dez Troy came together one fateful day in 2009 when DiseNgaged became whole.

Ultimately, the music-writing process is an enigma to most: How does the work of a few people throwing tunes together actually make them sound good? The band tells me they “work separately and come together” with what they’ve written. “Sometimes they’ll look at me and tell me if it’s dumb,” answers Troy, as Williams and Dawes nod their heads in agreement.

When I ask which bands inspired their musical tastes, the members of DiseNgaged have very different answers: “Periphery,” Williams answers promptly. “Lamb of God and Devil Driver,” cheers Troy. “Slipknot!” Dawes replies. All are undeniably inspiring classics that would influence many aspiring metal musicians.

Despite epic metal bands serving as a guiding light for DiseNgaged, playing the first show as a new band is still no easy feat. DiseNgaged first played at Mojos in Ogden in 2012, back when the night club was still open. “The venue was so small it felt like a full house with just ten people in the room, but the energy was always great. We were nervous but it turned out way chill,” Troy says.

As they progressed in the metal field, they delved into deeper waters and even crossed state lines to explore opportunities. The farthest they’ve traversed so far is Milwaukee, where their audience consisted of one angry old man silently judging them in the corner. Disapproving though he may have been, present he was. “One of the best audiences we had, though,” interjects Williams, “was in Des Moines, Iowa,” due to the manner in which they were received and welcomed into the metal scene with open arms, or in this case, mosh pits.

“It was some of the best and worst times, but experiences we’ll never forget or regret.”

When I ask about their best (worst) tour stories, they give each other sidelong glances before answering in unison, “Bailing out our former bass player.”

“We got pulled over and he was arrested for having his license suspended,” Troy elaborates. “And we used most of our budget money on his bail.”

“Another time, we had to sleep in a cooler in Vegas,” says Dawes, but he quickly reassures me that it felt nice in the Las Vegas heat.

“We also slept at this scary bar owner’s house that was haunted,” adds Williams. “The TVs turned on by themselves and the bar owner took a picture of our bassist while he was sleeping to ‘make sure he didn’t steal any shit.’”

So what’s the magic in touring? Besides driving in a van with a bad alternator or being crammed together without a shower for days, “it was some of the best and worst times,” says Williams. “[They’re] experiences we’ll never forget or regret, alongside the many people we got to meet and perform with.”

But how does touring work? When I ask if they booked shows in advance, Troy says, “At first, we would cold call venues—show up to a city and see which places were looking for metal bands to perform.” It’s a gamble that was worth the risk and the reward.

“Well, at first we would cold call venues–show up to a city and see which places were looking for metal bands to perform.”

With every networking opportunity, there are bound to be great experiences. “Our favorite local bands we’ve played with are Balance of Power and Become the Void. Our favorite bands we’ve opened for are Soulfly and Kataklysm,” says Troy.

Their ultimate goal is to “sustain the band with the band” and tour the world. They are not currently touring, but rather focusing on releasing new music for future tours.

Uncertainty is unavoidable when performing in the metal scene. But with more than a decade of experience, DiseNgaged wants aspiring metalheads everywhere to know that the musician must play for the love of the music without expectations. “It’s going to be tough, and you’re going to need a lot of patience,” says Troy. “But it’s worth it.” Follow DiseNgaged on Instagram @disengagedofficial and catch them live in action at July’s Localized on Thursday, July 11 at Kilby Court.

Read more Localized interviews here:
Localized: The Medicine Company
Localized: Sharing