{"id":38243,"date":"2026-04-10T06:00:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T09:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/groundcast.com.br\/?p=38243"},"modified":"2026-04-05T19:00:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T22:00:01","slug":"parallel-minds-across-every-continent-and-in-nearly-every-country-racism-extremism-and-selfishness-keep-growing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/groundcast.com.br\/en\/parallel-minds-across-every-continent-and-in-nearly-every-country-racism-extremism-and-selfishness-keep-growing\/","title":{"rendered":"PARALLEL MINDS: \u201cAcross every continent and in nearly every country, racism, extremism, and selfishness keep growing\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

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PARALLEL MINDS is a super interesting project combining metal, classical melodies, and different cultural influences. We had a chat with St\u00e9phane, who told us about the album\u2019s self-production, the importance of working with references from different cultures, the special collaborations on the record, the band\u2019s perspective on the current global scene, and a bit about why it\u2019s still worth going against the grain in the music industry.<\/p>\n

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Firstly, I would like to thank you for accepting our invitation for an interview. As your first interview, could you tell our readers a little about the band and how you got into the music industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks for having us! To answer your question\u2026 we\u2019re NOT in the music industry. I mean, we take the Parallel Minds project very seriously, but we\u2019re a small indie band and all of us have day jobs.<\/em><\/p>\n

How did the idea of combining heavy sounds, \u201cclassical\u201d melodies, and influences from different cultures come about in Parallel Minds?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It all came together naturally. Greg and I share many influences, ranging from Mr. Big to Death, which gives us a broad palette for shaping our sound. He represents the progressive side, while I bring the more aggressive, thrashy energy. Composing as a duo allows us to merge these approaches into a cohesive final sound. The ethnic aspect is the consequence of the concept this time, but even for the other albums, we always try to make the music and the theme match. We don’ t write random lyrics for a song, the topic and the music have to work together.<\/em><\/p>\n

You define Cairn as a kind of sonic and visual journey around the world; what was the starting point for this concept and why did you choose the metaphor of a \u201ccairn\u201d (pile of stones)?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had the idea for this whole concept in mind for over 20 years. Being a passionate traveler, the idea of the cairn naturally came to me as a way to combine both concepts: the idea of an inner journey and exploring different cultures.<\/em><\/p>\n

What are the main references that shape the sound of Parallel Minds today: Iced Earth, Dream Theater, Myrath, etc., or are there more obscure influences that the audience may not be familiar with? I feel a very modern and very different vibe, which often reminds me of something close to extreme metal and also power metal, without sounding like that affected sound (and I’m a big fan of power metal), and there’s even room for a folk song at the end of the album.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As I said, we have a very wide range of influences, even beyond the metal scene. We love all the bands you mentioned, and yes, Iced Earth and Dream Theater are definitely major influences.<\/em><\/p>\n

You could also add Symphony X, Nevermore, or Blind Guardian \u2014 bands that don\u2019t stick to a single, precise genre, just like us.<\/em><\/p>\n

Cairn is a self-produced album; what are the advantages and risks of maintaining total control over the sound, art, and narrative of the album?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The main risk for us is that no one hears the huge amount of work we put into the music ^_^ We\u2019re quite control freaks, so we love managing every creative aspect, and since we have all the skills within the band, we just keep doing it album after album.<\/em><\/p>\n

Another risk would be never stopping and constantly changing things. But we\u2019re fairly wise about it \u2014 we know when to stop working on a song and accept being \u201conly\u201d 99% satisfied. ^_^<\/em><\/p>\n

In Cairn, you cite influences from African, Asian, Celtic, and other cultures; how do you choose which peoples and musical traditions to incorporate into each song without slipping into superficial appropriation?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have a never-ending document full of themes and stories for future songs. At one point, I had around twenty potential ideas, and with Greg we decided which countries and cultures would be the most interesting to explore musically. It had to be something easily recognizable for the listener.<\/em><\/p>\n

After that, he did a great job researching harmonies and choosing which instruments would work best.<\/em><\/p>\n

I also tried to involve as many guest musicians as possible to keep an authentic touch. Unfortunately, it was more difficult than I expected, but we still managed to do it well \u2014 especially on Orishas, with the incredible female singer who performs the central part of the song.<\/em><\/p>\n

Talking about non-Western and non-white cultures, I’m fascinated by this work, especially because it completely breaks away from logic of the market, as well as bringing other elements to the world of metal. How did this idea of giving more exposure to these people come about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s because we don\u2019t follow any logic and we don\u2019t care about the market. ^_^We just write what we love and what we don\u2019t hear in other bands. After letting this idea grow for 20 years, it finally felt like the right moment to do it.<\/em><\/p>\n

What is it like to divide creativity between St\u00e9phane and Gr\u00e9gory, given that you yourselves say that \u201ctwo minds work together as one\u201d? Who usually takes the lead in terms of lyrics, riffs, or song structure?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Steph : Greg usually comes with riff driven and more complete songs. On my side, I provide him with a solid skeleton, with overall dynamics Greg generally writes more riff-oriented and fully structured songs. As for me, I provide a solid framework with the overall dynamics and vocal melodies. What\u2019s interesting is that we each bring ideas that sometimes feel \u201cunnatural\u201d to the other, which creates a very healthy and productive creative process.<\/em><\/p>\n