Interview: Daniel Dekay (Exciter)

Daniel Dekay is a guitarist who has achieved notoriety mainly in social networks, thanks to his great technique on the guitar. This led him to become guitarist of the speed metal legends, Exciter.

We talked with Daniel to learn a little more about his musical career.

TDIM: I would like to start by congratulating you for your extraordinary work both as a musician and as Exciter's guitarist, I think the band couldn't have chosen someone better, but I would like to go a little bit more towards your origins, how did you start in music?

Daniel: I stole my dad’s copy of KISS Destroyer from his record cabinet and it was game over. Air guitaring with the broom turned into jamming on a friend’s old acoustic and around 13 years old I was able to convince my family to get me
my first electric guitar.

TDIM: What was your strongest influence to decide that what you wanted to do was to dedicate yourself to music?

Daniel: Everything goes back to KISS. I saw the photos of these larger than life
characters on Destroyer and eventually the live photos on the ALIVE records
and I thought “I want to do THIS”.

TDIM: Today you are one of the most important ambassadors of guitar and music in the scene but was it a complicated path? At some point did you have any situations that made you think about leaving music?

Daniel: I don’t really see it that way but that’s very kind of you. I just try to put myself in situations where I can be genuinely excited about something when it comes to the work I do - sincerity and honesty over everything. There was certainly a dark time around 2015 where I thought music as a career path was not an option for me any longer – my band had just gotten back from a grueling Euro tour that we all knew had broken us down and it was really sad to watch it all crumble. But I still maintained activity within the scene with my other
endeavors and when one door closes, another oftentimes opens.

TDIM: Social networks are a very effective tool nowadays, which serves for practically everything, and certainly benefits a lot in this case to emerging or independent musicians. How do you think it would have been your rise if you had lived for example in the 80s?

Daniel: Yes, social networks are definitely the way now, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t other ways to promote yourself in an earlier era. Gone are the days of MTV (& other music video programming), articles in mainstream magazines, bands on billboards, radio play breaking a band, etc. As society changes, so do
the tools we use.

TDIM: Any genre, band or artist that isn't necessarily metal or rock that you like?

Daniel: Generally speaking I mostly regularly listen to rock or guitar based music but to me that also includes things like Al Di Meola & Tommy Emmanuel which could be perceived to be outside the world of "metal". But good tunes is good tunes, I don't discredit anything til I've given it a listen.

TDIM: I think your first band you recorded with was Diemonds, are you still a
recurring member of the band?

Daniel: Diemonds is inactive with our last show being in 2021. Who knows what the future holds though...Ozzy said it best: never say die.

TDIM: How was the contact with Exciter?

Daniel: Really simple, I messaged Allan on Facebook when I heard John was retiring. We are from the same hometown and it’s not a very big place.

TDIM: Exciter is a cult band and a living legend, precursor of both speed metal and thrash metal, how was your relationship with them? I ask this mainly because of the age difference?

Daniel: As mentioned, we’re from the same hometown. Specifically Dan & I are
longtime family friends.

TDIM: Which is your favorite Exciter album?

Daniel: Very difficult choice...I have a weird connection to Unveiling The Wicked
because of it being “the new guitar player” record but from the classic lineup
era I gotta go with MANIAC!

TDIM: I can imagine everything you learn along the way with musicians like Dan
Beehler and Allan Johnson, what has been your favorite moment with them, or your favorite show with Exciter up to this point?

Daniel: We’ve had some crazy experiences together in travel and played some massive shows together but a moment that will always be very special to me was
visitng the Cliff Burton bus crash memorial in Sweden with them for the first
time. To be there with people who actually knew Cliff was incredibly moving.

TDIM: As you know, Exciter will be part of the Mexico Metal Fest that will take place in almost a month, have you already played in Mexico? what are your
expectations of the Mexican audience? in Mexico we love Exciter.

Daniel: Mexico shows are always crazy. Wild audiences. I need to remember to keep my pedalboard at the back of the stage.

TDIM: What's next in the future for Daniel? do you already have plans?

Daniel: Stay tuned to find out...I’m very active on social media with all the projects I’m involved in. Find me @daniel_dekay on EVERYTHING.