Edge Reviews recently caught up with Severin of Alkemyst. Read on to find out what he had to say about their new album and what's next for the Prog Metallers!

Follow up:

Edge: Hi guys. First off we'd like to say thanks for taking the time to do this interview for Edge and congratulations on finishing the album and having it released on Nightmare Records.

Alkemyst: Thank your for your attention and your interest. Yes, we're proud to know that our fans and anyone who feels interested in Alkemyst can listen to our new album thanks to Nightmare Records.

Edge: For those not familiar with you, could you please give us a short bio?

Alkemyst: Sure, it all started in 1998, the line up hasn’t changed (except for our singer). We used to play a lot of covers in those days. Our first songs were very much inspired by bands such as Metallica, Iron Maiden, Helloween or Gamma Ray. We played a few gigs in our area, we formed a young but appreciated speed melodic band. However, as time went by, our musical tastes sharpened as we grew old and we soon felt the need to compose much more complex structures with more and more progressive atmospheres. Therefore, we started to add small hints of prog’metal music in Alkemyst music.Our first album ‘A Meeting in the Mist’ was released in 2003 under Nuclear Blast. It was a great opportunity for us, we thought we were very lucky. But, it soon turned out that Alkemyst couldn’t be a priority for them. We were young and we wanted to finish studying so we could get a job. You know, we're don't make music for our living, it's not a career to us, it's a passion we share. Anyway, after this experience, we took time to think it over and decide what our conception of music was for the future of the band. Then, we started writing "Through Painful Lanes" with brand new material and the strong will to create 10 great catchy but complex songs you can still hear within 10 years.

Edge: Can you describe the recording process for "Through Painful Lanes"?

Alkemyst: We produced the majority of "Through Painful Lanes", except for the drums. It's difficult as it's very demanding. We had to take time to get all the sophisticated material you need to record an album (as microphones for instance) but Arnaud Menard (guitars) wanted to create his own studio, so this recording session was an opportunity for us. We recorded each instrument one by one at different places. The mix of the album was done in a studio in Geneva (Taurus studio) and the mastering in Finnland (Finn Vox). The decision of the self produced album allowed us to spend less money and we could take the time for the recording sessions without being stressed out by deadlines or financial matters. The thing is that someday you have to be satisfied with your work and as we're not great musicians though we 're perfectionist, it took us lots of takes before we could say 'we're done, great job guys'.

Edge: Do you have a favorite track from that album?

Alkemyst: Yeah many !! More seriously, I love When the morning comes and the eponymous song (Through Painful Lanes). To me, these two songs perfeclty represent what we try to do in Alkemyst : writing atmospheric and powerful songs that convey a wide range of emotions.

Edge: Over the years France has begun to develop it's own unique sound in the progressive metal scene. What do you say to that?

Alkemyst: Well I say carry on guys ! We need to show people that Heavy Metal is a wonderful music with many varieties. Few people know that. I'm sick and tired of having to explain that Heavy Metal isn't just noise you know. So, the more popular Heavy Metal bands are, the happier I am. However, it's hard to exist among so many talented musicians. I mean internet is powerful tool but it's the mirror of a certain globalization of exchanges and relations and I feel like htere are more talented musicians than 10 years ago, which makes it more difficult. I know a couple of bands in France, some of them are friends especially in our area (the French Alps). You may have heard of Inner Vision (we'll soon play with them in Annecy on the 7th of May), Eternal Flight (our drummer plays in this band as well) or bands like Heavenly, or Dyslesia which have been working very hard as well to get an international reputation. I have to say that we try not to listen to what they say as we want to focus our attention on our own style. You know, concerning the fact that there are many bands, I think that what makes a band really stand out is the quality of the music (the songwriting), not the virtuosity of the musicians.

Edge: What's next for Alkemyst?

Alkemyst: Well a couple of gigs are ahead in the next weeks in France and of course, maybe some songs will be recorded live during those gigs. Perhaps, live performances abroad in the following months, I mean who knows? We would love to do it. We're working on new material of our third album as well, but as we can't disappoint our fans (and ourselves), we'll take enough time to make sure we come back with original songs.

Edge: Thanks again for your time and we're looking forward to more great things from Alkemyst!

Alkemyst: Thanks a lot for your support and for this interview; it's been a pleasure. See you around guys !
Severin Bonneville (guitars)