My HeadBangers please welcome back to the blog, from Tours, France the Metallic Hardcore Band:
BEYOND THE STYX
“OVERLOAD”
“New World Disorder – Feat. Teething”
Do I hear some Thrash and a little Speed mixed in there??? Their new album “SENTENCE” is out today. Check it out at: https://t.co/Bq7q1knrVq
My HeadBangers I was lucky enough to get Emile (lead vocals) to do a Q&A. As usual I’m blue and Emile’s responses are in black.
I always ask this question, how are all of you doing with Covid? I know other bands here and in the EU are going crazy not being able to do hardly any gigs yet. Has this affected you much?
Like a lot of bands…Bad. We were on tour and in the process of composing our 3rd album at the time. Hardno (lead guitar) had just arrived in the band. We had to stay the course somehow; rehearse all together as much as possible, compose new songs together as much as possible and hold on: “strength as chain”. In fact, our new album was written in this period in substance as well as in form.
What made you want to start a band? What year did you all get together?
The desire to share an extraordinary artistic and human experience above all else. BTSTYX exists since June 2011. An anniversary that we unfortunately could not celebrate with our fans.
Beyond the Styx, how did you come up with this name, and what is the meaning behind it? This questions is one I ask all the bands. It amazes me what the meaning behind the name is.
Originally, I was a great fan of Greco-Roman mythology. Water has always particularly fascinated me, this force of life and death at the same time…. It’s thus quite naturally that the STYX and all that it can represent through the different cultures of the world came to my mind. A dual force of life and death.
I love it, mixing the past and the present, the beginning and the end. The French are romantic Metalheads, I should know, I’m French.
Where did the inspiration for your new album come from?
At the origin of the writing of “Sentence” I did not particularly wish to be influenced by the media dimension linked to the pandemic situation. It is clear that the duration of this international crisis (in many aspects) finally influenced me in spite of myself.
I personally have a reservoir of subjects that draw their sources from the heart of the malaise of our modern society. Unfortunately inexhaustible theme to which I associate messages based mainly on the militant, humanist and progressive values defended by BTSTYX.
In this case on this new album, I think I have given free rein to the feelings that isolation may have provoked in me over the past 2 years, notably through: the feeling of an eternal present, the correlations of our words on our actions, the question of migratory flows, the feeling of confinement, self-hatred and humankind, the strength of the collective, professional exhaustion, the self-destructive tendency of our capitalist system, transhumanism, the mass control society…And so on!
A lot of bands will have their songs geared towards the planet, society, war, etc. Is there a certain area that you hear your music towards? Is there a message or is it up to the listener to decide what it means to them?
A bit of both in fact. The 20 songs from our last 2 albums are clearly more militant and less metaphorical than anything I’ve written in the past. However, I think the story of a song ultimately belongs to each listener and not its own author. This is the fate of each work ultimately.
“Danse Macabre”
Let’s meet the band:
Emile Styx – Vocals
Adrien – Drums
Viideath – Rhythm Guitar
Yoann – Bass Guitar
Hardno – Lead Guitar/Vocals
My Thoughts:
Well my HeadBangers there you have it. Don’t forget their new album “Sentence” debuts today, so get to the above link and check it out. Now I have a few things to say, lol don’t I always. I have been asked by a few friends why don’t you do a Podcast? Why don’t I, well let me tell you. Podcast are fun aren’t they, you get a band and the podcaster but, to me you will never get the same emotion that you get when you have a band actually take the time to sit, think and answer questions on paper. As Emile answered the questions I sent him, I can feel the gut feeling he has for his music, the state of the world, everything involved with being a serious musician. I can guarantee you will not get that in a podcast. I love doing interviews this way. When I read a bands answers, it helps me understand their music but also it gives me insight into them as person. I’m not saying podcasts are not good, people love them, I’ve watched a few. For me I swear I could not sit with a band and get the same response, my personality is a type A, and as a fan there’s no way it would be a serious interview. I do this blog to bring great music to people all over the world, and hopefully to let my HeadBangers see the other side of the bands. The human side that we don’t see all the time. These bands are not just a bunch of guys or girls in a band. They take it seriously, they’re smart and some have that deep feeling that only writing about is revealed. I absolutely love all these guys that take time to sit and think and answer. I have learned a lot from them. It also helps me understand what their music means to them, and at times it will change my mind at how I look at them, only in a good way. We all have to take the time to hear each other. Mine just happens to be the written word. I am so grateful to the bands that take the time to do this. They are my metal family always. Read and think about it my HeadBangers you will discover something meaningful that maybe you didn’t before. Trust me would I lie to you…..
Well that’s it for this week. Join me next week for another band and another song. Don’t forget Hump Day on Wednesday. In the meantime don’t stand to close to the fire if you can’t handle the burn…..
Please feel free to leave me a comment or question, I appreciate it HeadBangers: