Italian power metallers Altair pushed the envelope recently with the progressively-tinged, but most importantly, excellent new album Descending: A Devilish Comedy. Riding the shockwave of success from that release, The Metal Observer thought this was a good time to catch up with bassist and main-man Luca Scalabrin to see how elated the atmosphere is in the Altair camp…
TMO: Greetings Altair! The Metal Observer here. Firstly, thank you for unleashing such a great album upon the power metal world. We’re really happy with Descending: A Devilish Comedy, but how do you feel about it?
Luca (bass): Thank you so much for giving us this interview! Your words make us blush! Haha! We feel so happy because we’re getting so much positive feedback from reviewers and also from listeners.
Do you feel your opinion will change after the album’s release? As you start to see more reviews flooding in and the inevitably confusing public opinion. Or are you unmoved by outside views?
We never haven’t thought to begin with our personal opinion. Or maybe, we like our work, and we just hoped it was the same for other people!
Could you briefly explain the meaning behind Descending… ? What are its themes/storylines?
Descending, in short, is like a journey through the circles of hell, which exists only in our minds, where all the fears, vices, virtues and the dark side of human kind are shown in the form of a theatre comedy. It’s not properly a concept album, but it’s an easy way to call it!
The artwork is also incredibly interesting. Who is responsible? Would you like to use them again? Are you happy with how the artwork reflects the music?
Thanks again! The responsibility of the artwork was Simone Anomalia Furia, an artist from Ferrera. We LOVE it, and yes, it’s not too far or too close to the concept of the album, and it’s an incredible thing!
Who are your main musical influences? I can hear hints of acts like Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica, but Altair have garnered a more progressive attitude since the last album.
Yes, they were for sure an important part for the first full-length Lost Eden. We also had many influences, acquired during our band’s experience. I can name bands such as Helloween, Gamma Ray, Edguy and Avantasia, but I can say in this album we’re more confident to confirm that Symphony X and Masterplan helped us a lot to create a more proggy sound.
I find Descending… to be a slightly heavier sound when compared to Lost Eden. Was this a deliberate choice, or just a natural evolution?
Both things, I guess. Natural evolution of our personal tastes have shaped the album to sound heavier. But hey, Descending does not lack in melodic parts!
There are moments when Simone pushes to full-on blast-beats. Would you be interested in pushing this further? Maybe including some harsh vocals or becoming more extreme?
Do you mean our drummer or singer? Because they’re both Simone! Haha! Apart from jokes, yeah, this will be interesting if we can push more in different directions, because that is the plan: keeping the power metal as a main river, and every kind of genre as a tributary that will flow into it.
Are there any songs on the album that you think will be a hit live? What are your personal favourites from the record?
That’s a hard question, because the album is still new to most people, so I don’t know which one will be a hit! But I can assume that the last track is one of my favourites of the album. But also “Seeds Of Violence” and “Path of Worms”! And also other tracks… Well, maybe the whole album? Haha!
Who is the prime songwriter in the band? Or do you all pitch in your ideas? Give us an insight into the songwriting process.
I’m the mind behind the instrumental composition of every Altair song (without any modesty, because every band mate could say the same! Haha!). I usually start to write every instrument, as guitars, keyboards, drums, bass, and a bit of vocals. After that, me and my guitarist Gianmarco will try to find out lyrics for the song, while Simone builds a killer line for the vocals!
Describe each member of the band in a few words…
Well, I can make nicknames for everyone: starting from the singer, Simone The Rough, Gianmarco The Proud, Enrico The Beautiful, Albert The Clumsy and Simone The Sweaty. For me? No nickname, because I’m absolutely good! Haha!
Do you have a tour or any live shows planned soon?
We’re planning something, but we’ll not tell you anything, because it’s a surprise!
If you were to choose one band to support Altair on tour, who would it be? (And it could be anyone – alive or dead!)
Symphony X. Wasn’t that hard, no? But probably we can also afford to support them, we’re not so picky… ROTFL
Would you be interested in having a guest vocalist for a future release? Fabio Lione seems to be the flavour of the month at the moment! But is there any other singer you feel would fit in great for a guest spot?
Well… We’d love to have Russell Allen more than anyone else! But also Jorn Lande!
Thank you so much for answering our questions, Altair, and thank you once more for Descending: A Devilish Comedy. We look forward to spinning the CD a few more times and maybe catching you on the road soon. Anything else you’d like to say to the readers?
Business and pleasure should just naturally mix. Thanks to The Metal Observer for the interview it gave us! We’re hoping that our album will satisfy every metal lover, and it will be spread all around the world! Keep in touch guys \m/
Many thanks – stay metal! \m/
Larry – The Metal Observer
Descending: A Devilish Comedy is available now
through Sleaszy Rider Records
