Hi there! How are you doing these days?
Hey there! I’m great, thanks! The big promotion cycle for the album is over, so there’s more time to focus on actually making music again. I’m really looking forward to that!
How would you classify Scythed’s music? Do you agree with the reviewers who are trying to describe your musical genre?
I’d say it’s somewhere between classic heavy metal, with a touch of hard rock and some power metal elements. I wasn’t focusing on sticking to a certain genre when writing the album, and I think mainly due to Mauro’s vocals, “power metal” is the genre mentioned most often by reviewers (and by myself as well). But as you put it so well: “Not the flashy kind”!
Who are your top five musical influences?
Honestly, that’s a difficult one, since I listen to a wide variety of metal and rock in general. Playing bass for years in a classic heavy metal band definitely influenced the way I think about songs and arrangements. I’ve also always loved historical themes in metal, like those used by Grave Digger, Sabaton or Iron Maiden. And the older In Flames albums really made me rethink the melodic side of things and inspired me to add more harmonies to the lead guitars. So if I had to name a few influences, those bands would definitely be among them.
What do you want fans to take away from your music? Is it just a mood, or do you hope to communicate specific ideas?
Standing up to oppression is kind of the central theme of the album. Fighting for your rights and freedom has always been (and unfortunately still is) an important part of human history. But at the same time, I don’t think music always needs to carry a specific message. If someone enjoys listening to my music for whatever reason – whether it’s the themes, the melodies or just the overall vibe – that already makes me happy.
Can you tell us about Resistance?
Initially, I was just tracking my progress after shifting my focus from bass to guitar. At that point, I didn’t even have the idea of writing a full song. The decision to turn it into a full album only came later, after Mau recorded the vocals for the very first track, Boudica. Talking with him about the lyrics (which I didn’t have at all at that point) made me dive deeper and deeper into historical topics. It turned into a really awesome journey.
What do you love and hate about the music business?
That question can almost be answered in one sentence: how easy it has become to record music at home. It’s a great thing because we all get to hear a lot more polished music, but at the same time it has become much harder to be heard without spending thousands on promotion and ads. That means there are probably a lot of great bands out there that simply never get the attention they deserve.
How have you evolved as an artist or band over the past year?
I learned a lot during the writing and recording process, and I also took a lot from the feedback and criticism I received. I’m happy with how Resistance turned out, but there are definitely things I would approach differently if I were to rewrite or re-record it; both musically and technically.
If you could meet, play a gig, co-write a song, have dinner, or get drunk with any band or artist (dead or alive), who would it be?
There’s only one possible answer to that: Mr. Lemmy Kilmister!
What's next for you?
I’ll focus more on making music and start putting new ideas together. There are already a few ideas and riffs waiting to be developed, so I’m excited to see where that leads.
