STONECAST – Interview with the band

Based out of France, Stonecast play a compelling approach of the Traditional Heavy Metal and have been hidden under the limelight for a while. With the release of their latest album through Pitch Black Records, the French Heavy Metal Titans have risen to the mainstream stardom and are continuing to spread their wings all across the globe. We were fortunate enough to arrange an interview with the band. Amidst their busy schedule, they were kind enough to arrange an interview!

“I Earther” has amassed some serious amount of attention since its release. Are you satisfied with how the album sounds or is there anything at all that you would’ve changed, going back in time?

The story behind I Earther is a postapocalyptic anticipation, so we thought the album needed the most massive sound possible for a Heavy Metal album. There I think we pushed the limit as far as we could and we’re absolutely blown away by its impact. It goes hand in hand with the low tuning we chose during the writing process. The challenge was to bring traditional Heavy Metal into modernity without denying our codes, which are epic, musicality, intensity.

This is our first shot with these weapons, it is a bias and we totally assume it. The result is an album that you can’t compare to another in Heavy Metal history.

Are you self taught musicians or have you had formal training?

I think Beev went to the music conservatory and played saxophone when he was young, while Franck and I took some lessons here and there in our early years, but nothing serious. I would say we’re self-taught musicians at 90%. We have some theory basis that help us with our arrangements and that’s enough or us. If I had plenty of time, I would love to learn more about theory, but I haven’t…and I’m sure if I had some I’d be doing something else anyway…like writing more music, or sleeping ah ah!

How often do you read Album reviews of your releases? Is it something that you start your day with!

No, I start my days with making breakfast for my kids, dressing and bringing them to school! Then I rush to my workplace and where have long and busy days. Nothing rock n’ roll here, but that’s my life and I like the way it is. That said, I enjoy reading reviews and see how the album is perceived. But that doesn’t change my mind because I’m very confident about our music. We know beforehand what are the strengths and weaknesses of our works, I know we can improve ourselves on many levels. But it’s rewarding to hear that people get touched by our music. We play music for ourselves of course, but I wouldn’t be satisfied if we were the only ones that like it ahah!

Is there anything you want to experiment with musically that you haven’t attempted yet? Something like “Chaotic Heavy Metal”?!

That sounds good, for sure! But we’ll keep the single label “Heavy Metal” yet for a moment. Heavy Metal is a big cooking-pot where you can put many ingredients and make your own recipe. That’s what we need, and that’s what we are: Heavy Metal Cookers! Also it’s true that we found a personal sound with I Earther and we may be tempted, for the first time in our short history, to start it up again for the next album, and try to do it even better…but the other truth is that we don’t like to repeat ourselves. So, we’ll see. We have started to write some new stuff for the next album and even if you would acknowledge STONECAST, that doesn’t sound like I Earther neither. We’ll see, all doors open!

Is it necessary for the music to be “complex”. Why do you think complex time signatures and complicated song structures please Metalheads, as A METALHEAD yourself?!

I think you can find a kind of satisfaction with complex music that you don’t find in cheap music.

I also think sometimes there’s a kind of defiance from the metalhead community with complex music. When we hear so some pop and RnB while we’re waiting in our car at the traffic light, we probably enjoy to put the sound louder and say: hey! your guy can’t play this kind of music, right? Mine is better than yours ah ah !

But I will tell you something I have learned a few years ago: It’s not simple to keep music good and simple. You must find the right arrangements to make it effective. And this is one of the major problems of our time. Anybody can write a song, but it’s another challenge to give it the right beat, the right arrangement, the right words. All these things around are the most complicated to carry out, and that’s why we get a lot of shit in music today. Many artists still haven’t got the point!

It is the same with complex music. If you have advanced technical basis, you can write complex music. But it’s not good because it’s complex. It’s good because you have put the correct arrangements, because you made the right choices.

What’s your take on Genre distinction? Is music subjective or objective, to your ears!

I rather like speaking of state of mind. I like epic music, and I can enjoy it as much in Classical music, in Synthwave, in World music, of course in Metal…you have to be open minded and not afraid to be surprised. Of course music is subjective. It’s not science, it’s not a fact, it’s emotions, and…what is more subjective than emotions? Now there are producers that produce art, music or cinema, with algorithms and facts: this note plus this note equals this or that feeling. Or this take after this one will cause this or that emotion…and for most people, it works! But when you’re experienced enough you can feel one most important thing is missing: a soul! We’re living among both way of creating art, and it’s pretty interesting to witness.

Its been more than 10 years since you released your very first album, “Inherited hell”. Throughout the scope of this 10 years, what all have changed, in terms of songwriting?

I think we’re better, aren’t we? We are more accurate, as musician, but as writers too. Inherited Hell is burning with intensity and passion, we were young and wanted to play harder and faster. While Heroïkos is an homage to old Epic Metal, Manowar, Manilla Road, or the old period of Iced Earth. It gets Mediterranean vibes, there are more acoustic songs and as I always say, it was a catharsis for us because that was the album we wanted to record since the day we started the band Franck and I.

But after that, could we make a Heroïkos 2 ? Hell no, we grew adult, more mature and we felt it was time to cast our own stone in the ocean of Heavy Metal. I know it’s not perfect, but it’s us, and we are not perfect. And I know we’re doing it right when I hear some old classics that are not perfectly produced or performed. We don’t give a shit as long as the magic happens.

Who would you personally like to sit down and interview yourself?

In music? Bruce Dickinson, Period. He’s got and still having one of the most interesting life ever: frontman of the best band in the world, pilot, fencer, writer, brewer, actor, businessman…what else?? I think he would be the most awesome grandpa in the world ! On the other hand, out of the musical sphere I would love to interview Thomas Pesquet, who went to the ISS two years ago, and who’s applying for the upcoming Mars Exploration Program. Every astronauts that went into space have a moving speech about the beauty of our planet, about its fragility, and how important it is to take care of her…otherwise we’ll end up like the Earther ahah ! Our politicians must realize we’re going to disaster with this modern liberal and capitalistic economical model. We need something new, definitely.

What do you want to achieve as a band?

When I was 13 I would have said I want us to be the new Iron Maiden! Then I met the musical business in the 21th century and I have slightly lowered my sights. Being recognized for a qualitative and uncompromised band would be the most satisfying thing happening to us..