- How did Stealth originally form back in 1997, and what was your main vision as a band at the time?
IVAN: It started in front of a pint of good beer more than 25 years ago. I was sitting in a pub with my actual bass player Daniele. We were in the same group of friends and we were talking about the idea of forming a Metallica cover band. In some week we recruited a guitarist who was a good friend of mine and Daniele’s cousin at the drums. So the 3rd of August 1997 we played our first gig ever. We didn’t have any band purpose other than the will to enjoy and play wherever it was possible. So there was not a main vision for the band at the time; this is a step that would have happened later.
- If you could describe your journey from then until now in three words, what would they be?
IVAN: Unexpected, Exciting and Funny
- What inspired you to write a concept EP about sleep paralysis and hypnagogia?
IVAN: I sometimes suffer from sleep paralysis so I tried to describe that experience in the main song of the EP and what kind of feelings and emotions you might experience during those moments on which you have no control at all. During sleep paralysis I try to awake myself by pushing my body to move even if I really can’t. It’s also a particular state as you are not awake neither asleep. Your mind is on a sort of in between when you start hearing voices and rumors that in reality aren’t there but at the same time you realize that you are vigil. I liked the idea of knowing more about the hypnagogic state and part of the symptoms so I started reading a lot about it across the years and while I was researching sleep disturbances, I came across Hypnagogia and Parasomnia, which inspired the other two songs.
- How do you approach composing a track that is based on such internal experiences and fears?
IVAN: It’s not easy at all. First of all I try to compose a musical arrangement suitable for the concept and then I start adding the lyrics on it. Once completed, I send this raw demo to the other members and they add their parts too. In general we try to blend music and lyrics as much as possible as part of our composition effort and from a decade now all the songs we release are linked to a common theme, in this case it’s the hypnagogic state.
- Do you see your lyrics more as a mirror of yourself, or as stories to evoke imagery and emotions in the listener?
IVAN. Both of them. I think that lyrics which evoke emotions to the listener have their story behind. Whether they concern personal experiences or daily news stories, the important thing is to arouse curiosity in those who read the lyrics and listen to the song.
- Your music combines groove metal, thrash, and industrial elements. Who are your main influences shaping this sound today?
IVAN: I would say Metallica, Iron Maiden and Fear Factory as bands that influenced me a lot during the last decade. But I have obviously been inspired by all the metal and hard rock bands of the 90s and the first decade of 2000s. All Stealth members have lots of inspirations that we all like to put in our songs, such as Machine Head and a little bit of Tool here and there for the drums. Also I’d say that we constantly take inspiration from all the underground bands we play with in festivals and venues. Since the release of our 3rd album Fight For Your Faith in 2014 we’ve been adding some electronic sounds to our songs, giving them a more modern twist.
- Are you currently working on a full-length album or any upcoming projects that you can share with us?
IVAN: A split concept album called ‘Wilderness of Mirrors’ will be released next November. We will share this release with London based bands like Die Kur and Maxdmyz and we can’t wait to listen to reactions of our fans and music industry in general. We have been working on this project for more than 2 years now and we recorded 3 new brand songs full of power and sound improvements; so expect to listen to new and hot material soon.
- Finally, what message do you want Sleep Paralysis to leave with the listeners after they experience it?
IVAN: Hopefully you liked all the 3 songs included in that release. If so you can follow us on our socials and stay updated on all the band’s future activities. The best is yet to co
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