In Trilateral Progression, Canada's Neuraxis have managed to create the prefect combination of highly technical death metal with brutal and aggressive elements, though not as well-known as fellow countrymen Cryptopsy, their latest release should prove the catalyst into turning the band into a household name in the death metal circuit.
The band's vocalist and lyrical mastermind, Ian Campbell, was kind enough to lead us through the band's cerebral maze:
Hi there! I'd like to start with the new album, Trilateral Progression, first, what does the title mean?
The progression of the evolutive through man’s material life can be made in many ways. The results of the incarnation will be more significant if the evolution is made on three parts in parallels. By the body, by the mental, by the spirit. The intellectual capacity for consciousness and knowledge. The spiritual urge to seek for significant and logical responses. The personality craving the wholehearted desire to do the Universal's will. Scientifically, philosophically and spiritually.
What does the cover of the album represent?
The mind in evolution. A mind free of all the modern and material institutions. A mind who can progress without any disturbance. His progression his made on the trilateral plan. He observes life under the schemes of science, philosophy and spiritual point of views.
The album is extremely complex and yet precise, how do you manage to combine these two elements in your music?
I don’t know I think it’s really natural to Robin and Steven to combine these kinds of mixtures. Also the Québec way of composing music is really progressive and technical but catchy feelings and direct emotional impacts are important too.
4. How does the album stand in comparison with your former release?
It’s more in your face, more direct, less progressive and as technical as the others without being a repetition. It’s the same spirit of Neuraxis but not in the same artistic body.
The album's sound is fantastic, it manages to grasp the band's complexity and brutality, how did you achieve it?
This is the magic of Yannick St-Amand, Jason Suecof and Scott Hull combined behind the boards.
Why did you decide on Neuraxis ("The axial, unpaired part of the central nervous system") as the band's name, in what way is it connected to your music or lyrics?
The Neuraxis is the central nervous system. This is the organ where all your sensations are passing by. When you feel something, any emotional aspects of your life are passing by the Neuraxis.
Your music reminds me of such forefathers of technical death metal, such as Atheist, and more contemporary bands, such as Cryptopsy, where do you think you stand in relation with these two bands?
I don’t see why people are comparing us to Atheist these days. I listen to Atheist since 1991 and I am the only one in the band who really likes this Florida elite band and I don’t compose the music. And Atheist are way more jazzy and technical than us. For Cryptopsy I can see why there is a comparison. We are from the same scene and have about the same age. But again they are way more technical and extreme than we are. It’s nice to see Atheist and Cryptopsy related to our band name but also it’s an over-evaluated point of view.
Lyrically you differ from most death bands, what are the subjects you speak of in your songs?
On the evolutionary worlds, will souls traverse three general developmental stages of being: From the arrival of the Adjuster to comparative full growth, the Monitors are sometimes designated Thought Changers. From this time to the attainment of the age of discretion, about forty years, the Mystery Monitors are called Thought Adjusters. From the attainment of discretion to deliverance from the flesh, they are often referred to as Thought Controllers. These three phases of mortal life have no connection with the three stages of Adjuster progress in mind duplication and soul evolution. The existence of the Universal can never be proved by scientific experiment or by the pure reason of logical deduction. He can be realized only in the realms of human experience; nevertheless, the true concept of the reality of the Universal is reasonable to logic, plausible to philosophy, essential to beliefs, and indispensable to any hope of personality survival.
How difficult (or easy) is it to perform live with material such as yours? Do you keep an ambulance outside, in case a band member passes out?
We are performing this as any passion somebody can have. It’s a little bit sportive because of the fastness and the technical aspects of modern extreme-metal, but outside of this we are making more fun on stage than efforts. We are putting the efforts we have to present a good show to the audience but we don’t feel it as a difficult task.
You've re-released your previous albums, why is that? Are they hard to find in their original edition?
Yes they we’re hard and expensive to get. This re-release is a better quality pricing. Easy to get and at a cheaper price and also included bonus and extra tracks.
What kind of live shows did you do to promote the new album as of now?
We did a full USA and Western Canada tour on September and October of 2005. In last December we toured Ontario and Québec provinces with Decapitated from Poland. From February 9th to march 3rd we will tour USA with a band named Strong intention. From march 9th to march 13th we will go play two shows in Tokyo, Japan with our good tour mates Misery index.
Where do you see the band going with its music in the future? Are there any other musical directions you would like to explore?
I am not good in prediction and I prefer not to anticipate anything concerning the band future. For now Steven Henry just left the band recently and we know we have to welcome a new member soon on guitar and it will be a big change for us because Steven went in the band for 13 years. Believe me, Intifada or not, Ariel Sharon alive or not, I personally really wanna play gigs in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem if life wants it. I am really interested in Israel and Palestine history. I am studying the Jewish history. Semitic and Khazar. Really epic history you people have.
Alon Miasnikov
