In Shadows And Dust is a French one-man band, founded by Stephane in 2014. Not being active live, but released already 3 albums and continues to be more, the latest album came out last December under the name of A Fleur De Peau. Below you can read an interview I had with Stephane himself who he have answered some questions regarding ISAD.
Salut Stephane, thank you accepting my request, how’s all going?
Hey Carla, I’m fine and things are going fast and well at all levels, many things going on.
In Shadows And Dust is a one-man band, founded by you around 2014, we understand from this that this is a studio band only. Any reasons you did not want the band to be a full members one, doing live shows too?
ISAD is a studio band only for now, some friends are gravitating around me to record solos and sing a bit from time to time, and it’s fine for now. I like to play music during the night when house is quiet and dark, I like to be free to do what I want when I want and it allows me to be productive and learn a lot on all the instruments and all the mixing / mastering process. About live shows, it crossed my mind of course but it’s no for now, I think it might happen in the future.
You debuted in 2015 with Soul Crusher, tell me a bit about this album.
This first album was kind a „experimental” for me because I was learning everything at the same time and I wasn’t equiped like I am today. ISAD sound wasn’t set 100% and recording process wasn’t very organised. This album remain the first one and will always have a special place for me.
Every year, a new album since 2015, the latest one came out last December under the name of A Fleur De Peau, what is the theme behind it?
Yes every year, every 21st of December exactly a new album comes out and the last album to date is A Fleur de Peau . There is not realy a specific theme behind this album, this is life and personal experience related. Mostly humanity and cataclsym that might happen.
Let’s say, what is the generla lyrical theme then?
For every album there a lot of personal feeling, loneliness, humanity that taste as bitter as a lemon and other dark feelings. Mind is a complex machine with a lot of mysteries and many fight everyone is running from. I fought some, I still do have some to go through.
Your style is both black and death metal, name me a few bands as your influences.
A lot of the band I’m listenting too are influencing a lot ISAD music but not in the way as it soulds the same ! Kataklysm, Night in Gales, The Duskfall, In thy Dreams, Ablaze my Sorrow, Gates of Ishtar and Withering Surface are among my personnal favorite bands. Then I’m really listenting a lot of different band everyday and coming back at some early metal music when I began to listening to music back in 90’ (Entombed, Dismember, Grave, Edges of Sanity etc..).
The latest album sounds great and I’d say as a one man band, your music sounds pretty well, comparing with other bands I’ve heard which recorded themselves!
I know and despite it’s a Black metal trademark to sound like shit, I like to listen to good produced Black metal, with all the modern tools that are available today, I’s very difficult to record something very shitty. Some will say the crappy sound is here to sustain the atmosphere of the record blablabla, I just prefer to listen to a good atmospheric Black metal album with a very good sound. And thanks for the compliment, because this is a lot of work !
I noticed something, each album came out in December, hehe!
Yes, 21st of December indeed, the darkest day and the shortest day of the year. This is also the winter day! This keeps me busy on the music creation side.
What is the response from fans and webzines regarding In Shadows And Dust music?
With every album it’s been greater every year, since A Fleur de Peau came out I got a lot of nice review, some less nice but it’s like 80% of very good feeback from the magazines and webzines. From the fans, it’s growing, I know it takes time and I know with the 4th album it will get bigger again, but metalheads reaction is very good with the last album.
All the albums were released independent, is it ok for you to go this way and not go with a label?
I don’t need a label, and I think today a band don’t need it either. As a band, what I need is PR with many contacts to spread the news about ISAD, and ultimately I would need a tour organizer but that’s it. Everything else can be done by the band very easily and in a very smart way.
Are you already preparing the next album?
Yes ! I already have few songs recorded, what I’m doing these last days, I’m tweaking the future sound of ISAD all the way from the guitars to the drum kit.
Thank you again for the interview Stephane, it was my pleasure. Rock on!
Hell yeah \m/!
https://www.facebook.com/InShadowsandDust/
https://inshadowsanddust.bandcamp.com/
If you really would like to support Antichrist, you can just Share our article.
You can also support Antichrist by sending a couple bucks to cover some webhosting expenses. =>> PayPal
