Explore the dark inspiration behind Backstabber's upcoming EP, 'Patterns of Domination,' rooted in James Redfield's 'The Celestine Prophecy.' The band shares insights on their evolving sound, track themes, and collaboration with Christian Donaldson.
1. The
upcoming EP, "Patterns of Domination," draws inspiration from James
Redfield's “The Celestine Prophecy” and focuses on four patterns. How did you
decide on this concept, and how does it tie into the overall theme of the
EP?
We
have always been interested in all kinds of topics, we believe inspiration can
come from anywhere and that's what happened when Christian read that book more
than a decade ago. While the book itself was a good read, there's a passage
that was inspiring where the author describes a set of behaviors that allows a
person to draw attention from the people they are interacting with. There are 4
of these patterns which, together, form a rotation where one pattern comes as a
reaction to the other, and then you can drain until there's nothing left. How
metal is that! It's like a handy guide on how to become a narcissist and
literally consume the people around you.
2. Your
latest single, "Harvesting The Weak," explores the theme of
intimidation. Can you share more about the creative process behind this track
and how it reflects the intensity of the EP as a whole?
Since
Intimidation is, to us, the most direct form of attention drain, we immediately
thought this was going to be the heaviest and should totally open the EP. We
wanted the EP to be like a slap in the face in some way so promoting Harvesting
as the opener and music video was an obvious choice
3. The band
has described the EP's sound as ranging from old-school riffs to slamming
brutal death. How do you approach blending different elements within the
extreme metal genre to create a cohesive and powerful listening experience?
It's
the first material we've composed since the new line-up (2019), so it's really
a mix of genres that each of the members contributed in their own way to make
the EP unique. Initially, the goal wasn't to have 4 completely different songs,
but we didn't want to make an EP that when you finish one song and you start
the other one you feel like you're still listening to the same song. We present
4 songs with completely different universes, touching several sub-genres of
metal, but which fit well with each other. We even dared to go there with a
little "Symphonic" touch with the help of our friend, Françis
Courtois, who is a pianist, author, and orchestral composer.
4. Each
song on "Patterns of Domination" represents a specific pattern, such
as "The Intimidator" and "The Interrogator." How did you
match the musical composition to convey the essence of each pattern
effectively?
We had a
clear idea of a theme for the lyrics and the overall concept of the EP. We
composed without really knowing what lyrics would be associated with which
song. It was at the end of the songwriting process that we figured out which
lyrics would be better on which song.
5. Backstabber
originated as a solo project in 2012 and evolved into a full-fledged band in
2015. How has the dynamic changed over the years, and how does the
collaborative process contribute to the band's unique sound?
Certainly,
the dynamic has evolved a lot over the years since there have been a few
changes of members along the way. Backstabber has long been a trio. We have
been the same 4 members since 2019 and we intend to continue like this for a
long time. We quickly developed a good group chemistry and found a working
formula that we like and that goes relatively well and that chemistry, energy,
comes out a lot live.
6. The EP was produced by Backstabber's vocalist/guitarist Christian M. Thériault and mixed/mastered by Christian Donaldson. Can you elaborate on the decision to handle production in-house and the significance of working with Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy) for the mixing and mastering process?
Chris had
already done the recording work on the previous albums so far, so it was an
easy decision to continue like this. Of course, there is also the monetary side
that comes into play since we are not signed on any label. As for the choice of
Christian Donaldson, it's a name we all had in mind when we started working on
this album. Every artist who works with Donaldson takes their game up a notch.
His sound is unique and we wanted to have his touch of magic on our EP.
7. The EP's
tracklist includes "Langues Sales," "Crawling Through Your
Bones," and "Snitches Get Stitches," each representing a
distinct pattern. Can you delve into the lyrical content and how it complements
the musical aggression and intensity?
The
tracklist goes along the lyrical concept of the EP. Since each pattern serves
as a response to the previous one, we decided to stick to the order they
already have. We've gone through intimidation a bit, the response to it is to
complain, to be a "poor me"... In that way, you break the pattern of
intimidation and bring the attention of anyone listening to your complaints
towards yourself. Then the other person can resort to interrogation for a
subtle switch of positions. Now you are giving away attention to the person
asking questions. That's where silence sets in, you become passive and display
no emotions. That is until someone punches you back, and the cycle begins
again. All in all it's a really dark take on human interactions and that's what
we thought was inspiring
8. Backstabber's
creative process is said to start with a single guitar riff. How do you
transform a riff into a full-fledged song, and how does the mood or atmosphere
during the creation process influence the final outcome?
We mostly
work remotely in each of our own elements and we really work on the music
before the lyrics. Christian or Phil start with a guitar riff to which they add
drum patterns to help them with the composition and often they have a complete
"basic" song just like that. Then, Kev works on the drum parts
according to his way of playing and we take turns sending it back to each
other. We discuss it and improve it according to each person's ideas until we
have a skeleton that everyone likes. Then we do the bass line and we start from
there to add more effective transitions, solos, higher melodies at times, or
breakdowns if they have their place.
9. For fans
unfamiliar with Backstabber, how would you describe the band's evolution and
musical journey from the 2019 debut album "Conspiracy Theorist" to
the upcoming EP "Patterns of Domination"?
We dare a
little more. We don't stick to just 1 style of metal; we explore as much as we
can. We all have different musical preferences and we work to incorporate
everyone's style as much as possible into the songs. We decided on a 4 songs EP
since we had major member changes with a new drummer and an extra guitarist and
we wanted to learn how to work together without putting pressure on each other
to release a full album. Now that the ice is broken, we're already working on
the next album.
10. "Patterns
of Domination" is available for pre-order, with a release date set for
March 15, 2024. What can fans expect from the EP, and are there any specific
messages or emotions you hope listeners take away from this brutal and
unrelenting musical journey?
We hope its
variety will appeal to both older and younger metalheads. We feel like there is
a little something for everyone in the EP. Music is always a work in progress
and we hope the people will like the way we are going with this one.
Harvesting the Weak (single) | BackStabber (bandcamp.com)
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