Harvested's 'Dysthymia': From Gore to the Mind's Abyss

Canadian death metal outfit Harvested are known for their crushing riffs and old-school ferocity—but with their latest release, Dysthymia, they take a sharp left turn, diving headfirst into the psychological depths of mental illness. We caught up with guitarist Mitchi Dimitriadis to explore the motivations behind the band’s thematic evolution, the creative process behind the album, and how brutal honesty shaped both their sound and lyrics.

 

 

 

"Dysthymia" marks a pivot from gore toward the psychological toll of mental illness—what motivated that thematic shift, and how did it shape the songwriting process?

Life on its own can be pretty brutal, and even more so when our mind works against us. Musically, we gravitate towards whatever gets us out of our seats, which is then later accompanied by lyrics once it's all flushed out. - Mitchi

How do you strike a balance between technical precision and raw brutality without compromising the emotional intensity of your music?

I actually really like this question! There's always going to be a better player than you, someone who's more technically proficient who'll run circles around you. However, when you push yourself to play outside of your limitations, you might just be surprised. You probably won't be reinventing the wheel, but there will be that fine balance of self-improvement while still focusing on aspects of music you hold dear and not just technical prowess. And that's the kind of work ethic I apply to myself and to the band. - Mitchi

The album took nearly three years to complete—what changed about the band during that time, creatively or personally, and how is that reflected in the final product?

Life sometimes gets in the way and it made completing the album more difficult than we'd like to admit. Everything from line-up changes, not being in the right head space and juggling the responsibilities of the other bands we're already in can be quite the obstacle. This album was actually being written in the fall of 2022 and we've already added a track or two from this release to our live set list since. I'd say the end result showcases how we grew as a band thematically and musically and I'm curious to see how we'll follow this one up. - Mitchi

Mental illness is a heavy theme. Were there moments during the making of Dysthymia that felt personally cathartic, or too close for comfort?

I believe all of us at some point have experienced the darker side of mental illness. In others and ourselves. - Mitchi

With “Harvested” being the first track you wrote and played live, what made you realize it was the cornerstone for the entire album?

I personally make that judgment by how fun it is to play, and the energy from that excitement translates to our audience. We experienced really good reactions from the crowd as well as praise for that track from a Wacken Battle of the bands judge when we competed in 2023. Musically, it had all the flavors of the sound we're trying to portray, a modern aggressive take on death metal that's still rooted in the classic or old-school style. - Mitchi

Your sound is rooted in classic death metal, but pushes into new technical territory—how conscious are you of genre boundaries, and do you see yourselves trying to break them?

If the band left me to my own devices, I would definitely be merging various sub-genres of metal into our music. I personally am not big on the tribalism that takes place in music scenes, especially metal. We're all extreme musicians and at the end of the day I'd like to see us all unite not segregate. To answer the question, no, we're not trying to break the genre boundary, but it wouldn't be out of place if you hear the amalgamation of different influences in our playing. - Mitchi

If the band were each a psychological disorder, which one would each of you be—and why?

Adam: "OCD" for always making us critical of our performance. Like the ominous character in a show who supports the protagonist, who's rarely ever impressed.

Mitchi: "Bipolar" I have moments where I can be manic, happy or the exact opposite moments later for no valid external reason. I can also be persuaded with food

Jacob: "Amnesia" often forgetful of little and/or significant details. He's got the memory of a goldfish but makes up for it with his drumming.

Eric: "Schizophrenia". If there's anyone who knows how to have a good time. Eric can show you the ways of the space cadet. Often lives in his own world, but he lands back on earth for a visit sometimes.

Album Line-up: (L-R) - Jacob Collins – Drums, Vitto Oh – Guitars, Mitchi Dimitriadis – Guitars, Adam Semler – Vocals, Eric Forget – Bass Photographer Credit: Kristen Semler

Spotify pre-save - https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/harvested1/dysthymia​

Album pre-order (out August 1st) - https://harvested.bandcamp.com​

Dysthymia isn't just a metal record—it's a raw, unflinching look at the human mind through the lens of blast beats and breakdowns. For Harvested, it's the sound of growth, struggle, and survival. And if this is the new foundation they’re building on, the future's looking dark—in the best way possible.