Formed
in 2024, Cult of Alcaeus merges thrash, death, and groove metal. Founders share
their musical journey, influences, and the making of their debut single,
"Forged By Rage."
1. Cult of Alcaeus was formed in 2024, but your
members have a lot of experience in the underground metal scene. Can you tell
us about your musical backgrounds and how you came together to form this band?
PH - Cult
Of Alcaeus was born from jamming sessions. We were jamming thrash and death
metal from our favorite 80's and 90's bands for the past years. It all started
when BP and PH who initially were rehearsing with D-VOID former member of
Reaktor from Nuclear Blast ( Reaktor - Zero Order ) for DVoid's project ( Once
Upon a Grind ), but due to the pandemic and other professional issues UOG got
into pause state. BP and PH continued jamming on their favorite San Francisco
Thrash, Florida Death and NWOBHM tunes, joining later VC on bass and next AB to
put on some voice. With all this in shape Cult Of Alcaeus was born, when
recently someone gave a suggestion, lets "work on some original and see
what happens' ', we did it, record it, and where we are, still unsigned and
seeking a label partner to join the iron rebellion!.
VC - Most
of the elements started listening to metal around 87/88, except AB ( Still a
little Kid , laughs ), we catched the metal global boom: Iron Maiden,
Metallica, Slayer, Sepultura to name only a few. In the 90s PH and I started
some projects all in different styles that helped cement the band's current
sound, BP and AB started a little later but also with some notorious releases.
BP - I
started at a very young age, with bands like deep purple, scorpions and black
sabbath, then moving on to Iron Maiden, Accept, Judas Priest, Manowar and heavy
metal in general and then discovering thrash metal, death metal and black
metal, including some of them being at the moment my favorite band: Metallica.
Testament,. Carcass, Death, Grave, Immortal, Satyricon among many others are
also in the preferences.
Having 2
projects other than Cult Of Alcaeus (OUG, DARKKEN ) where activity is not at
its peak, I took this opening, taking use of some ideas that were not
compatible with the other projects, and with PH, VC and BP , and we decided
this year to release some originals. Creating Cult Of Alcaeus.
2. Your debut single, "Forged By Rage,"
is set to release in August 2024. What can listeners expect from this track,
and how does it represent the sound and vision of Cult of Alcaeus?
AB -
"Forged By Rage" is a high-energy debut single from Cult of Alcaeus
that embodies the raw power and intensity of our sound. Listeners can expect a
blend of aggressive riffs, fast drumming, and powerful vocals that channel the
essence of classic death metal and modern metal influences. The track features
intricate guitar solos and dynamic shifts that keep the listener engaged from
start to finish.
Thematically,
"Forged By Rage" delves into themes of inner turmoil and the struggle
for personal liberation. The lyrics are designed to resonate with anyone who
has faced adversity and emerged stronger. This single sets the tone for Cult of
Alcaeus by highlighting our dedication to combining technical power with
melody.
BP -
Overall, "Forged By Rage" represents our vision of creating music
that is both thought-provoking and viscerally exciting, and it serves as a
powerful introduction to what listeners can expect from Cult of Alcaeus in the
future.
3. You
blend death metal, thrash metal, and groove metal in your music. How do you
balance these different styles, and what influences do you draw from each
genre?
PH - By
carefully blending the aggressive speed of thrash, the technical brutality of
death metal, and the rhythmic catchiness of groove metal, we create a sound
that is both unique and powerful. Drawing from the strengths of each genre
allows us to craft music that is dynamic, engaging, and true to the diverse
influences that inspire us.
Thrash metal influences our fast tempos,
aggressive riffing.
We draw from death metal’s technical
complexity, dark and brutal themes, and intricate riffing. The guttural vocals
and blast beats are also key elements we incorporate.
Groove metal contributes to our rhythmic,
groove-oriented riffs and powerful, anthemic choruses. The emphasis on
syncopation and groove ensures that our music is both heavy, aggressive and
accessible.
Strategic arrangement choices, such as
alternating sections dominated by different styles or blending them within the
same section, help maintain a seamless and cohesive sound.
VC - We
like to mix several types of sounds and we don't limit ourselves to playing
just one style. It's clear that these styles are the most predominant for us
today.
BP -
Simple, we enter the rehearsal room and start jamming, exchanging ideas.
Because we have several influences from bands and styles, the brainstormed
heavy riffs work well together and thus form the songs in such a way that we
all like. And expect the listener does also experience the same way we do.
In You Face Riffs!
4. The name Alcaeus means "strong" in
Greek. How does this concept of strength influence your music and lyrical
themes?
AB -both
the band name and the lyrical themes were more influenced by our music than by
each other. We have a natural tendency, through our diverse influences, to
create strong, aggressive, and powerful music. This later reflected in the
band's name, and consequently in the themes addressed in our lyrics.
We try to
convey that there is strength within each of us, and that we must accept our
individual responsibility to fight against the injustices of current day
societies. We are the rebellion!
5. Your
music is described as having a variety of atmospheric depths and boundless
energy. Can you explain how you achieve this in your compositions and
performances?
PH -
Creating music with a variety of depths and energy involves a combination of
compositional.
techniques,
sound design, and performance practices. I think there is no need to get into
theoretical philosophy, like diminished scales, dissonant chords, melodic and
harmonic complexity, the important thing is to deliver the best experience to
tape , streaming or live. And the best way to catch the experience is to hear
it loud or go to our live performances.
6. What
are some of the challenges you've faced in the heavy metal underground
movement, and how have these experiences shaped Cult of Alcaeus?
PH - As
everybody knows the underground movement, reality is not easy and that's the
beauty of it.
Cult Of
Alcaeus is just starting but experience we had in other projects gave us a
real-world situation. If we compile Cult Of Alcaeus members journey we have
around 10 demos and 6 Albums recorded, Hundreds of concerts, including opening
acts with Testament, Vader, Dark Tranquility, Nevermore, Moonspell, Tarantula,
RAMP among others adding Miles of Road.
This does
not mean it is easy.
Exposure
and Promotion, Social, Legal, Technological, Global, Internal and the most
important Financial issues still here, the underground movement is done by
artists that are true to their cause.
We are aware that due to some restrictions it
is difficult to give our fans the experience they deserve but we will continue
to work for the best results, as all actors (including you ) in the underground scene.
These
challenges require a combination of community support, innovative marketing
strategies, and resilience on the part of the artists and their fans, and that
is what we rely on at the moment.
7. With
your debut single coming soon, what are your plans for future releases? Are you
working on an album or more singles to follow "Forged By Rage"?
PH - At the
moment we are engaging with your audience, building on momentum for your debut
single and establishing a presence in the metal scene. And this year for shore,
two more singles will be out. We already have several songs ready to go live
and on tape, so with positive feedback, next year more noise will come from
Cult Of Alcaeus.
VC - For
now we will work on launching and promoting new singles. Not discarding the
work of producing an LP. Labels send us some words.
8. How
do you see the evolution of heavy metal, and what role do you hope Cult of
Alcaeus will play in pushing the genre forward?
PH - The
evolution of heavy metal has been marked by constant innovation and
diversification, with the genre continually branching out into new subgenres
and styles.
Though we
are more focused into classic 90’s metal, we are influenced by Extreme Grind
Core bands to Jazz, with lots of layers to add.
By embracing this, Cult of Alcaeus can help
push the boundaries of heavy metal, bringing fresh perspectives and new sounds
to the genre. This approach not only respects the roots of heavy metal but also
propels it into the future, ensuring its continued evolution and relevance.
BP - Heavy
music is in good health and recommended!
We hope
that our music contributes even more to this continuing!
There is
increasingly a wide range of styles in heavy music with innovation and an old
school spirit as well, as well as incorporating various styles outside the
metal universe, which is healthy.
VC - We
hope that our music will help bring new listeners to this more extreme style,
as new people will always be interested.
9. For
newcomers to your music, what message or feeling do you hope they take away
from their first experience with Cult of Alcaeus?
AB - Cult of Alcaeus aims to offer a multi-dimensional powered aggressive experience that leaves a lasting impact on newcomers, making them eager to explore more and become part of our journey.
LINEUP :
AB - Ares
Baal (Vocals )
BP - Brutus
Pazuzu (Drums )
PH -
Pophíis Homega ( Guitar )
VC - Vlad
Cyanide ( Bass )
Hordes Of
Death And Thrash Metal
Join the IRON REBELLION.
LINKS:
Forged By Rage | Cult Of Alcaeus (bandcamp.com)
(20) Cult Of Alcaeus - YouTube
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