Fÿre released a real humdinger of a debut back in August titled “III Ghosts”, which has a very distinctive, catchy sound imbued with appealing, occult-ish undertones. With us today is Matt Stoyanoff, Fÿre’s lead vocalist, who’s agreed to answer a few enlightening questions regarding the band and its music in general...
Hi Matt, which are your greatest band influences?
M: Truthfully, we’re into quite a wide variety of music. As far as the influences that all members of the band share it would have to be Iron Maiden, Ghost and Dio. At its core, our band mostly uses general NWOBHM or traditional heavy metal structure/sound as our template or blueprint. That tends to get hidden behind the dressings or cosmetic alterations we place on each song. Though other times we lay the groundwork with a more progressive structure influenced by bands such as King Crimson or Pink Floyd.
When and how was Fÿre formed?
M: The official story is we formed in 2014 when one of our guitarists, Sean, asked me to try out for a musical project he was working on at the time and it evolved from there. The real story is, Sean contacted me via astral projection one crisp fall night while I dreamed lucidly. With him there were four others, but I could only discern one of the other spirits in my presence and that was Zach. They explained to me the prophecy and the apodictic will of the fates. I saw the writing on the wall and agreed. The geas took hold and here we are today.
Who designed the band logo/cover art to “III Ghosts”?
M: They call him, Craig. Craig Lewis.
How would you describe your main lyrical themes?
M: The lyrical themes are secondary to the story. But the themes are an amalgam of science fiction, cosmic horror, numerology, neurosis, the human condition, mysticism and the occult. So far, all the songs we compose are chapters of concept albums.
Can you tell us a little bit about each track and what they represent or allude to?
M: For the first album, “III Ghosts”, Sean proposed a very general story to me and let me take direction from there. The concept is a teenage boy makes a pact with what he believes to be the devil to save his mother from her inevitable demise due to cancer. The story gives nods to Faust and the tropes of most cautionary tales through the ages. As far as the story of each song, I would rather you listen to it and decide for yourself what it’s truly about. I will say that this story is what you would see if you observed some members of the band through a silver mirror. If you want the story in true chronological order, play the tracks in the following sequence: 2, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
How is the heavy music scene in your neck of the woods? What other bands have you/or plan to share the stage with?
M: The heavy music scene in Central PA is beginning to make a comeback after about a decade long slump. It’s still nowhere near where it was in the 70s and 80s, according to the veteran musicians we run across. However, we’ve noticed the crowds are getting bigger, the fans are getting more involved and the venues are making more money. We share the stage with other area acts like Iron Wolf, One Adam Twelve, Dave Hates Everything, Dysfigure and Awaken From Ruin.
“III Ghosts” has a very distinctly clean and crisp tone, from the vocals to the snappish drums by way of the guitars and bass… what kind of amps and equipment was used in the recording/mixing?
M: Well now, I won’t give everything away so easy. You need to take me to dinner first and treat me like a real lady! Equipment used: Les Paul guitars, Mesa Boogie amps, Peavy bass guitar, Ableton Live software.
How are vocal duties split? Are there any vocal influences worth mentioning?
M: I sing lead vocals and that can consist of hard rock, heavy metal, death metal, black metal, blues, etc. Whatever suites the song. My wife, Denice, also provides backup vocals to add a feminine dimension to our music. Our lead player, Zach, adds backups to some choruses and the like. Vocal influences for me would be Ian Gillan, Michael Kiske, Geoff Tate and Ralf Scheepers. Vocal influences for my wife would be Pat Benetar, Doro and Lita Ford.
Is the band currently working on (a much anticipated!) full-length at the moment?
M: Yeah we are! For all intents and purposes, the second album is finished. The title is “Two Keys”. We just need to wrap up the final song and get our asses into the studio. This second album is much more progressive though not to the point of being pretentious or too self-indulgent. Story wise it’s still very deep in occult territory and very much inspired by the writers of pulp horror/science fiction like HP Lovecraft. Themes of the album include astral projection, mental illness, cosmic entities and a pervading sense of bleakness.
I noticed that you (Matt) are also playing in another local act called Pensive Fear. Does it play a similar genre or are is there any other particular relation to Fÿre?
M: Pensive Fear is a project I have with my friend, Tom Brown. He has done quite a lot of work with this project for many years and I am the newcomer in this scenario. Tom is quite the accomplished guitarist. His compositions fall in line with bands like Fate’s Warning and Yngwie Malmsteen. He needed a vocalist for the album (“The Awakening”) he had been sitting on. Well, I heard the material, loved it and agreed to sing on it. Until recently, Pensive Fear had been pretty much a studio endeavour, but we decided it was time to bring the music to a live setting. Since then we’ve gone through the tryout process and began writing new material. One of the musicians to try out was our very own Zach! The dude got the part.
Time for our “Weird Questions”!!! What is your favorite album, metal or otherwise, of 2017?
M: Ayreon – “The Source”.
Name 3 desert island/stranded on the moon albums – (albums you couldn’t live without!)…
M: Deep Purple – “Perfect Strangers”, Pink Floyd – “Animals”. And for the sake of variety, Death – “Symbolic”, or maybe Blue Oyster Cult – “Fire of Unknown Origin”.
If you were offered a chance to participate in the colonization of Mars, knowing full well it’s a one-way journey, and that you’d never see your Earthbound friends and family ever again, would you jump at the opportunity?
M: Hell no! I’ve got music to write down here on Earth. I’ll leave the Mars colonization to Arjen Anthony Lucassen.
What is your opinion/view on reincarnation/past lives?
M: I feel we live in a universe where we are merely spectators sent here to gather knowledge and experience emotions. Anything you can conceive in your mind is possible and has happened, is happening or will happen. We aren’t nearly advanced enough to understand everything that occurs in our universe. Most people only perceive 5 (maybe a sixth being intuition) senses at our disposal though to completely experience this existence we would need many times that. The problem is we don’t initially recognize that something exists unless we can immediately comprehend it. So, to answer your question, I absolutely do believe in reincarnation or past lives. I just don’t think it’s as simple as some make it out to be.
What is your favourite color?
M: Black. Yeah, I know true black is the absence of color.
Do you believe in ghosts, the paranormal, that kind of thing, and if so, would you care to share such an experience?
M: Yes, I do. About ten years ago I was making some ceramics in the basement of my old house. I had just lost a woman I’d been dating to gun violence who we’ll call Molly. Molly was a banker and was shot dead by her business partner after a shady deal involving crack cocaine. I was throwing your ordinary everyday vase when I felt a presence behind me. The presence came in close. I could feel the frigid air run down my spine. I felt arms around me as if something or someone was trying to embrace me. Then the spectral arms moved to where my hands were with the clay. It was almost as if they were trying to help me sculpt the vase. A smell it my nostrils. It was Chanel #5, no doubt about it. Just like Molly… Then it hit me, Molly used to sit behind me like this to help me sculpt! She guided me like a master to an impetuous student, eager to learn! She was the one who got me into it in the first place! I was overjoyed! I turned around, but I was alone. An eerie silence fell over the room and voice rang out, clear as day. The voice said, “You still suck at pottery…”. I never touched clay again.
Are there any so-called “haunted” houses/places in your hometown of Bellwood, PA? Oh, are you familiar with the supposed super haunted house in Hanover (in York County)? Would you chill out there for a full night on a bet?
M: Yeah, there are “haunted” houses in our area and no I’m not familiar with the house in Hanover. The houses around us are usually just old and empty. I’ve rarely experienced anything I would call paranormal, in them. Indeed, I would chill out there for free to see if there’s anything to the rumours. But yeah, I’ll take some money too.
Is playing with an Ouija board harmless fun or an ill-advised, even dangerous endeavour? (whether or not “3 Ghosts” is playing in the background!)
M: We were afraid this would come up. Now we’ll need waivers signed before we sell copies which indemnify us of all culpability. In all seriousness though, Ouija boards are interesting but most likely harmless. I think it has more to do with the amount of belief people put into it rather than the board itself. True belief is a powerful thing. It can empower you and it can also destroy you. Often, we create our own demons.
If you could invite any famous person, living or dead, over for supper, who would it be and why?
M: There’s a list of about 1,000 people I’d like to have that opportunity with. But if I had to pick just one, it would probably be Warren Zevon. He seemed like he had a lot of interesting anecdotes. Or maybe Ritchie Blackmore to see if he’s as huge an asshole as people say.
Thank you for enlightening us with these insightful, at times whimsical questions and I wish you a most augural (!) Holiday Season!
M: Prost!
M: Truthfully, we’re into quite a wide variety of music. As far as the influences that all members of the band share it would have to be Iron Maiden, Ghost and Dio. At its core, our band mostly uses general NWOBHM or traditional heavy metal structure/sound as our template or blueprint. That tends to get hidden behind the dressings or cosmetic alterations we place on each song. Though other times we lay the groundwork with a more progressive structure influenced by bands such as King Crimson or Pink Floyd.
When and how was Fÿre formed?
M: The official story is we formed in 2014 when one of our guitarists, Sean, asked me to try out for a musical project he was working on at the time and it evolved from there. The real story is, Sean contacted me via astral projection one crisp fall night while I dreamed lucidly. With him there were four others, but I could only discern one of the other spirits in my presence and that was Zach. They explained to me the prophecy and the apodictic will of the fates. I saw the writing on the wall and agreed. The geas took hold and here we are today.
Who designed the band logo/cover art to “III Ghosts”?
M: They call him, Craig. Craig Lewis.
How would you describe your main lyrical themes?
M: The lyrical themes are secondary to the story. But the themes are an amalgam of science fiction, cosmic horror, numerology, neurosis, the human condition, mysticism and the occult. So far, all the songs we compose are chapters of concept albums.
Can you tell us a little bit about each track and what they represent or allude to?
M: For the first album, “III Ghosts”, Sean proposed a very general story to me and let me take direction from there. The concept is a teenage boy makes a pact with what he believes to be the devil to save his mother from her inevitable demise due to cancer. The story gives nods to Faust and the tropes of most cautionary tales through the ages. As far as the story of each song, I would rather you listen to it and decide for yourself what it’s truly about. I will say that this story is what you would see if you observed some members of the band through a silver mirror. If you want the story in true chronological order, play the tracks in the following sequence: 2, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
How is the heavy music scene in your neck of the woods? What other bands have you/or plan to share the stage with?
M: The heavy music scene in Central PA is beginning to make a comeback after about a decade long slump. It’s still nowhere near where it was in the 70s and 80s, according to the veteran musicians we run across. However, we’ve noticed the crowds are getting bigger, the fans are getting more involved and the venues are making more money. We share the stage with other area acts like Iron Wolf, One Adam Twelve, Dave Hates Everything, Dysfigure and Awaken From Ruin.
“III Ghosts” has a very distinctly clean and crisp tone, from the vocals to the snappish drums by way of the guitars and bass… what kind of amps and equipment was used in the recording/mixing?
M: Well now, I won’t give everything away so easy. You need to take me to dinner first and treat me like a real lady! Equipment used: Les Paul guitars, Mesa Boogie amps, Peavy bass guitar, Ableton Live software.
How are vocal duties split? Are there any vocal influences worth mentioning?
M: I sing lead vocals and that can consist of hard rock, heavy metal, death metal, black metal, blues, etc. Whatever suites the song. My wife, Denice, also provides backup vocals to add a feminine dimension to our music. Our lead player, Zach, adds backups to some choruses and the like. Vocal influences for me would be Ian Gillan, Michael Kiske, Geoff Tate and Ralf Scheepers. Vocal influences for my wife would be Pat Benetar, Doro and Lita Ford.
Is the band currently working on (a much anticipated!) full-length at the moment?
M: Yeah we are! For all intents and purposes, the second album is finished. The title is “Two Keys”. We just need to wrap up the final song and get our asses into the studio. This second album is much more progressive though not to the point of being pretentious or too self-indulgent. Story wise it’s still very deep in occult territory and very much inspired by the writers of pulp horror/science fiction like HP Lovecraft. Themes of the album include astral projection, mental illness, cosmic entities and a pervading sense of bleakness.
I noticed that you (Matt) are also playing in another local act called Pensive Fear. Does it play a similar genre or are is there any other particular relation to Fÿre?
M: Pensive Fear is a project I have with my friend, Tom Brown. He has done quite a lot of work with this project for many years and I am the newcomer in this scenario. Tom is quite the accomplished guitarist. His compositions fall in line with bands like Fate’s Warning and Yngwie Malmsteen. He needed a vocalist for the album (“The Awakening”) he had been sitting on. Well, I heard the material, loved it and agreed to sing on it. Until recently, Pensive Fear had been pretty much a studio endeavour, but we decided it was time to bring the music to a live setting. Since then we’ve gone through the tryout process and began writing new material. One of the musicians to try out was our very own Zach! The dude got the part.
Time for our “Weird Questions”!!! What is your favorite album, metal or otherwise, of 2017?
M: Ayreon – “The Source”.
Name 3 desert island/stranded on the moon albums – (albums you couldn’t live without!)…
M: Deep Purple – “Perfect Strangers”, Pink Floyd – “Animals”. And for the sake of variety, Death – “Symbolic”, or maybe Blue Oyster Cult – “Fire of Unknown Origin”.
If you were offered a chance to participate in the colonization of Mars, knowing full well it’s a one-way journey, and that you’d never see your Earthbound friends and family ever again, would you jump at the opportunity?
M: Hell no! I’ve got music to write down here on Earth. I’ll leave the Mars colonization to Arjen Anthony Lucassen.
What is your opinion/view on reincarnation/past lives?
M: I feel we live in a universe where we are merely spectators sent here to gather knowledge and experience emotions. Anything you can conceive in your mind is possible and has happened, is happening or will happen. We aren’t nearly advanced enough to understand everything that occurs in our universe. Most people only perceive 5 (maybe a sixth being intuition) senses at our disposal though to completely experience this existence we would need many times that. The problem is we don’t initially recognize that something exists unless we can immediately comprehend it. So, to answer your question, I absolutely do believe in reincarnation or past lives. I just don’t think it’s as simple as some make it out to be.
What is your favourite color?
M: Black. Yeah, I know true black is the absence of color.
Do you believe in ghosts, the paranormal, that kind of thing, and if so, would you care to share such an experience?
M: Yes, I do. About ten years ago I was making some ceramics in the basement of my old house. I had just lost a woman I’d been dating to gun violence who we’ll call Molly. Molly was a banker and was shot dead by her business partner after a shady deal involving crack cocaine. I was throwing your ordinary everyday vase when I felt a presence behind me. The presence came in close. I could feel the frigid air run down my spine. I felt arms around me as if something or someone was trying to embrace me. Then the spectral arms moved to where my hands were with the clay. It was almost as if they were trying to help me sculpt the vase. A smell it my nostrils. It was Chanel #5, no doubt about it. Just like Molly… Then it hit me, Molly used to sit behind me like this to help me sculpt! She guided me like a master to an impetuous student, eager to learn! She was the one who got me into it in the first place! I was overjoyed! I turned around, but I was alone. An eerie silence fell over the room and voice rang out, clear as day. The voice said, “You still suck at pottery…”. I never touched clay again.
Are there any so-called “haunted” houses/places in your hometown of Bellwood, PA? Oh, are you familiar with the supposed super haunted house in Hanover (in York County)? Would you chill out there for a full night on a bet?
M: Yeah, there are “haunted” houses in our area and no I’m not familiar with the house in Hanover. The houses around us are usually just old and empty. I’ve rarely experienced anything I would call paranormal, in them. Indeed, I would chill out there for free to see if there’s anything to the rumours. But yeah, I’ll take some money too.
Is playing with an Ouija board harmless fun or an ill-advised, even dangerous endeavour? (whether or not “3 Ghosts” is playing in the background!)
M: We were afraid this would come up. Now we’ll need waivers signed before we sell copies which indemnify us of all culpability. In all seriousness though, Ouija boards are interesting but most likely harmless. I think it has more to do with the amount of belief people put into it rather than the board itself. True belief is a powerful thing. It can empower you and it can also destroy you. Often, we create our own demons.
If you could invite any famous person, living or dead, over for supper, who would it be and why?
M: There’s a list of about 1,000 people I’d like to have that opportunity with. But if I had to pick just one, it would probably be Warren Zevon. He seemed like he had a lot of interesting anecdotes. Or maybe Ritchie Blackmore to see if he’s as huge an asshole as people say.
Thank you for enlightening us with these insightful, at times whimsical questions and I wish you a most augural (!) Holiday Season!
M: Prost!