Kingcrown's new album Nova Atlantis dives into myth and mysticism, blending heavy riffs with melodic depth. We spoke to Ced about their creative process, influences, and what's next for the band.
1.
"Nova Atlantis" is such an intriguing title! Can you tell us how you
developed the concept for this album and what Atlantis represents in your
storytelling?
Ced :
Intriguing? to that point? lol no seriously, the intrigue of Atlantis has
always fascinated us, to the point where, at the time in Nightmare, in the 90s,
the Amore brothers had the idea of this title for the 3rd album of the band, I
think it's a fair continuity!
2. Your
new single, "Real Or Fantasy," was described as a manifesto of
Kingcrown’s sound. What key elements or messages do you hope fans pick up from
this track?
Ced : It is
true that this title refers to the ingredients that we liked to use in
KingCrown, namely powerful and heavy riffs, vocal melodies in the choruses that
stay in your head like hymns, while adding a mystical and atmospheric
touch.
3. The
myth and mysticism in "Nova Atlantis" are evident, especially in the
title track's music video. How did you approach the visuals, and what do you
want them to convey?
Ced : The
theme of water was obvious, in the sense that it was really necessary to get
close to the source (no pun intended) to embody the myth, let's say... The
images were made in this sense, the legendary city is there, somewhere, in the
middle of the water, of a sea, of an ocean... We are on its edge, we are
looking for it, we believe in it, we pay homage to it in a prayer at the
water's edge so that it appears to us in the distance...
4. Power
metal is known for its epic storytelling and grand sound. What are some
specific influences from Iron Maiden, Gamma Ray, Symphony X, and Helloween that
shaped the album?
Ced : We
are all influenced by these giants of the genre, we have shaped our respective
musical and instrumental culture to the sounds of these mentors, it was quite
obvious that our songs would take up what they left us
5.
Simone Mularoni produced the album. How was the experience working with him,
and what did he bring to the sound of "Nova Atlantis"?
Ced :
Simone immediately understood our essence and what we wanted for “Nova
Atlantis”, this guy is a genius and he gave a sound that we were looking
for. he did the work very quickly, very available and open, accommodating,
patient…. we expected nothing less from him when we discovered the
extraordinary work he had done on Galderia’s “Endless Horizons”, it was
obvious to us that Simone was the instigator of this album
6.
You've mentioned that this album marks a new chapter since "A Perfect
World" and "Wake Up Call." What are some key changes or
evolutions in your music that fans can expect?
Ced : “Nova
Atlantis” is a fair and obvious continuation of “Wake Up Call”, in
the sense that the experience of playing together since its release on tours,
festivals has allowed us to know each other better, to appreciate each other,
to found this new family. “Nova Atlantis” is the result, of this
essence, of these energies. It is obvious that we are ready to take up the
challenge of setting the bar even higher for the next one!
7. Can
you walk us through the inspiration behind a few of the tracks, such as
"The Magic Stone," "Judgement Day," and "Endless
Journey"?
Ced : Not
an easy question lol! let's say that these 3 pieces in particular have been in
the heads of some members of the band for quite a long time lol! but the final
result is the work of everyone and is directly in line with our writing
process, that is to say ideas laid out flat and everyone comes to add their
stone to the building
8. How
does the creative dynamic work in Kingcrown, especially between Joe and David
Amore as bandmates? How do you approach songwriting and recording as a team?
ced : Let's
say that as I explained previously, the writing process is done together and we
work a lot each on our own to highlight each other's ideas. we are lucky to
each have a home studio that allows us to work on the titles accordingly, to
record them, do tests, various modifications, arrange them, include this or
that instrument, sound etc etc... We then meet for a weekend and we listen to
this work, we refine it, improve it and finalize it. then come the final
recordings that we make at home, as perfectly as possible and then the magic of
Mr. Mularoni constitutes the rest
9. In
"Nova Atlantis," you explore mythological and historical themes. Were
there any other stories, myths, or ideas you considered incorporating but
ultimately didn’t?
Ced :
honestly no... the themes addressed were obvious and we realized that we were
mostly taking the same path for the themes addressed, we had a few other ideas
but which were temporarily abandoned otherwise we were off to make a double
album of 23 tracks lol!! There were in these ideas themes touching on
psychological disorders which didn’t really fit into the theme of “Nova
Atlantis”... maybe the next one? who knows?
10.
Given the strong emotional and thematic elements in your music, how do you
balance heavy riffs with the melodic depth that fans love in your sound?
Ced : since
we compose with our emotions, our feelings, the theme to be stated resonated in
us in such a way as to match the song with it… and sometimes the opposite, the
music proposed helped the theme, like on “The Magic Stone” for example where
for me, the music went hand in hand with the search for the great alchemical
work, don't ask me why lol
11.
Kingcrown has transitioned from Öblivïon, and you’ve continued to build a
following under the new name. How do you feel this evolution has strengthened
the band?
Jo:
Changing the name of the band was a dangerous thing, but we didn’t have the
choice. This name was taken by another US band.We first chose the name ÖBLIVÏON
in 2015, after our (David & I) departure from Nightmare in 2015, but, due
to a problem of rights for this name with another US band, and they were ready
to prosecute, after the release of our first album “Resilience” in 2018, we had
to change it. So, we wanted to have a name which illustrates more a
phantasmagoric world and at the same time an allusion to our
history. After all, I wonder if it had a real impact on our history.
12. With
the album releasing on November 22, 2024, do you have any plans for a tour or
special performances to support "Nova Atlantis"? What can fans
expect from a live Kingcrown show?
Ced : we
actually have several dates for 2025 that remain to be confirmed and announced,
including a very very big surprise that I cannot disclose at the moment but it
will be huge!!! The news will be made as and when but the fans can expect quite
a few things for 2025 indeed!! Our fans can hope on stage for a real communion,
an exchange of good energies and a sharing for what we do, our love of music
and the joy of playing together. if we manage to transcribe and make our fans
feel happiness, the mission is accomplished!
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