Scardust, the foremost progressive metal band in Israel, features some
of the finest musicians in the Israeli metal scene. Their music, rooted
deeply in the classical world, though
thematic and at times complex, manages to generate an anthemic
familiarity in which band and audience sing in glorious unison.
The band’s EP, “Shadow” (2015) positioned them as a promising new
comer, while their follow up efort, “Sands of Time” (2017) cemented them
as the leading progressive metal band in the country.
The band
is particularly known for their often sold out live shows and have
opened for the likes of Symphony X, Therion and Epica.1.What is the name of your band and how did you come up with it?
What is your name and what do you do for the band?
The name of the band is Scardust. It's a word play on the beautiful image of a "stardust" in the sky (a mass of distant stars appearing as tiny particles of dust)
While an image of a "Scardust" is much less pleasant π It's a representation of the different edges that we have in our music. It also connects with nostalgia, trauma, the past, things we talk about quite often in our lyrics.
Here are Yoav, the drummer, and Noa, the singer, answering your questionsπ
2.Tell us where you are based and describe the scene. How do you think where you are located influences your sound.
We are based in Israel.
You won't see a lot of Metal on TV and on mainstream radio, but there are few internet radio shows and lot's of underground local shows. There are some clubs that work regularly with metal bands and there is even a metal bar in Tel Aviv and a few more that play both Metal and Hard Rock.
We get influenced by everything around us, so it affects our sound, sometimes in ways that we are not even fully aware of. That's the nature of cultural influence.
3.Who influences your sound that would surprise people?
Beethoven, Queen, Walt Disney.
4.Are you endorsed by musical companies , if so who , and if not who would you like to be endorsed by?
Our guitarist, Yadin Moyal, endorses the awesome O.D. Guitars.
5.When you started what was your ultimate goal? And how close to the goal are you now?
Our ultimate goal is to put our mark on music history, and we will probably not know if we've achieved it in our lifetime π
We are not the kind of people to rely on luck or fate, we know very well that in order to move forward and get things done, it takes a lot of work, patience, and dedication.
Things definitely go on the right path with more and more. shows outside of Israel (we are answering this interview on our flight back from CHINA!), the new management, Silver Lion, and the album deal with M-Theory Audio.
6.In today's digital environment it takes creative strategy to keep things moving. What creative ideas do you have to keep your band relevant over time?
We don't believe in creating forced provocations or stuff like that, we mainly let the music speak for itself.
We try to make our own dreams come true, and it affects the audience, playing most of our shows - both in Israel and abroad with a choir, playing the unplayable, and just get out there DIY if there's no other option.
Although it is not in the top of our priority list, we do make an effort to make our shows look epic. Our choir is dressed in black hoods, Noa creates her own stage outfits, we usually work with a light technician who knows our music.
7.We've all seen a terrible live band that is awesome on CD. Is that cool with you or do you lose respect for bands that cannot pull it off live?
Generally speaking, it is a turn off to get a lesser musical experience in a live show.
We would prefer our favorite musicians to pull it off perfectly on stage, but if that doesn't happen – it doesn't make the recorded music less awesome.
8.Tell us your “core” are you Metal, Rock, Punk, Pop etc because people just have to categorize these days you know?
Our influences mainly come from Metal, Prog Rock, and Classical music.
9.This is a tough question but a very real reality, Is your band actually talented or just popular?
Many bands make it with a cliche or publicity stunts etc. Would you accept fame even if it was just because of being the “ in” thing or is it actually important to you that you gain favor with talent?
We were never the kind of people to chase fame and popularity. We believe that an honest message will get to the listeners in a deeper way, the one that lasts for decades and doesn't fade away after a year or two. Our audience is dedicated and loyal, some of them never missed a show for the 5 years we exist, and we are sure they will come to our shows also in 20 years.
We rather have 5 people like them, than 5 millions who will worship us for a year and then forget about us. It has a bigger impact in our opinion.
10.Tell us what to expect from you live.
Nothing is more boring than watching bands stare at the floor and bob their heads to music nobody but the band knows. What can your band offer in a live setting that people will remember?
Good songs that will stick with you for days after the show, a virtuoso performance from every single person on stage, communication with the crowd, high energies, and sometimes a choir, guest musicians or a string quartet π
11. What releases have you put out , When will we see something new?
2015 – "Shadow" (EP)
2017 – "Sands of Time" (Album, first issue)
2019 – "Sands of Time" (Album, second issue + bonus track via M-Theory Audio)
2019 – "Sands of Time" + "Shadow" (double LP, via M-Theory Audio)
We are currently working on a new album, release TBA later this year.
12. If you have videos where can we see them?
We have a YouTube channel, where you can find music videos for our singles "Tantibus", "Arrowhead" and "Queen of Insanity", lyric videos for "Shards" and "Sands of Time", some high quality live performances, and other surprises π
Subscribe!
http://youtube.com/scardust
13.Everybody has Bandcamp , ReverbNation , Soundcloud , etc
Why do you think this is so important? Doesn't it seem like everyone is giving everything out for free?
It is important to be able to reach to your crowd, because what really counts today is the live shows. You will be surprised with how supportive people can be when they love your music. They will buy your music just to support the music and art they like and people they believe in, even when it's offered for free.
We do have a Spotify, Apple Music accounts and so on, and yet we find ourselves in the post office every week with a pile of merchandise to send to our fans and supporters worldwide.
14.Best moment of your career so far?
Our album launch concert for "Sands of Time" was a big milestone. We also had some amazing moments opening for artists that we grew up on: Symphony X, Epica and Therion.
Last year was our first European tour, and we just came back from a huge show in China.
15.Your message to the fans?
Thank you for your support! You are the best :)
Bonus Question who do you bring back
Dime , Cliff , Dio , Lemmy , Randy
DIO.
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