Inner Light achieved its first EP.
Recently created in France by Marine (vocals), Tristan (guitar), Nicolas (guitar), Mathieu (bass) and Maxime (drums), the band announces the release of Inner Light for 2023.
We begin with Inside My Veins, a rather simple and catchy track which lets the vocalist pour her rage out while the instrumental slowly takes us towards more airy melodies. The jerky parts will show all their efficiency live, just like on Scars on Earth which will be without any doubt the track the band will use to urge their audience to move. A few choirs join lead vocals and motivating riffs, then Monsters comes to offer an extra fix of energy while dipping into lively and Old School influences to create a driving sound. Much more aggressive than the two previous ones, the track will also host some short clean vocals and melancholic leads before Messiah takes over with a heavier sound. Dissonance and heady patterns take turns to lock us in dark sounds while leading us to Inner Light, the last track, which gathers softer leads as well as diversified vocal parts to feed an interesting contrast between all the influences the band skillfully develops.
With their first EP, Inner Light intends to give us a glimpse of their universe. But although mainly focused on Metalcore, the band knows how to give Inner Light catchy and intriguing melodic touches. To be continued!
75/100
A few questions to Marine and Tristan, respectively singer and guitarist of the Rouen-based Metalcore band Inner Light.
Hello and first of all, thank you for your time ! How could you present the band Inner Light without using the usual « Metalcore » label?
Marine (vocals): When we decided to found the band, the question of style obviously came up. We wanted Inner Light to have Metal riffs, mosh parts and a melodic background.
Inner Light, your first EP, is about to be released, how do you feel ? Do you already have some feedback on the EP?
Marine: I am very excited about this release. It’s the result of a year of work. We don’t have any feedback yet, we worked very secretly not to leak the recording. So it will be a surprise to know how the EP is received!
How would you summarize Inner Light in three words?
Marine: Energetic, powerful and melodic.
What were your influences for this first EP? Whether it’s the riffs, vocals, the artwork…
Tristan (guitar): It really depends on the songs. As far as the composition is concerned, I was inspired by Parkway Drive, Darkest Hour or Deftones. This EP was a moment of experimentation for us.
Marine: Concerning the singing, it’s by feeling, I let myself be carried by the song. I want the voice to be correctly placed in the music, to be able to give the song an extra energy, and I try to bring a maximum of variation to my voice.
What is the concept of the Inner Light EP, and how did you compose it?
Tristan: We are not set on a concept for this first EP. It all started with me alone with my guitar making some demos in my corner to canvass musicians. The compositions were refined through meetings and hours of rehearsals. For us it especially represents a search for identity.
I know it’s a difficult question, but what is your favorite song? Or the one you enjoy playing the most?
Marine: Indeed the question is tough! I really like the song Inside my Veins. I think it sounds like us. We feel our different influences, both Metal, Hardcore with this touch of melody.
With hindsight, do you see points to review or improve for the next releases?
Marine: Honestly, these are the first songs composed by the band, I think that the final identity of the band was not yet found. (We were looking for ourselves like teenagers…)
Tristan: That’s it!! The band came out with a great maturity from the development of this first opus. We found our universe and that will be felt on the next releases.
The band made its first steps on stage at the end of last year, how did your first shows go?
Marine: It was incredibly stressful to get back on stage after several years off, but IT WAS SO GOOD! Once you hit the first notes, you’re immediately into it. It was also stressful to present a new project, but we had such encouraging feedback, from the audience and the organizers, so it encouraged us even more!
The band is very young, how did you meet? How did you get the idea to create a band?
Marine: Mathieu (bass), Tristan and I had a common project (Thorn in Flesh), the lockdown killed it, we wished to continue the music together. We recruited our second guitarist Nico, who brought us Max, the drummer, from a previous common project.
What are your short and long term goals with Inner Light?
Tristan: We haven’t looked at the long term yet but in the short term we are planning another EP release for the end of the year and the ambition to play live is there.
How did you discover the Metal universe, and mainly Metalcore? What is your flagship Metalcore album?
Tristan: Arf! Horizons from Parkway Drive?
Marine: A bit like everyone else, when I was a teenager, through friends. Then, curiosity led to widen its listening. I don’t really listen to much Metalcore, but the album that I bled is Deep Blue by Parkway Drive… Deliver Me!
Are there any musicians or artists you would like to collaborate with in the future?
Tristan: Not for the moment, I think that if we do a collaboration it will be spontaneous. We are open to the idea but it’s not on the planning.
Do you think that having a female singer (something quite rare in Metalcore, even if the scene tends to positively evolve in this direction) has changed something for the band?
Marine: I don’t know if it brings something positive or negative to the band, maybe a little more curiosity. To me, the important thing is not to be compared to other singers. Often, there is the need to give a label. For example, she sings in the style of Angela Gossow (ex-Arch Enemy) or Candace (Walls of Jericho). NO, we all have our own identity, our voice, our style!
In a more personal way, how do you see the evolution of the parity within the Metal scene (in a broad sense) ?
Marine: Being in the Metal scene as a spectator and musician for some time now… I see that women are more and more present on both sides of the fence, and that’s a great thing! It’s time for women to make their mark on the Metal scene, and for it to no longer be a surprise to see them on stage.
If you had to organize a release party for Inner Light, which bands would you like to play with? I’ll let you create a bill with Inner Light as an opener, and three other bands.
Marine: ONLY THREE ???? Machine Head, Trivium, The Black Dahlia Murder.
That was my last question, thank you again for your availability, last words are yours!
Marine: Thank you for allowing us to express ourselves! Our EP will be released on all the platforms on April 29th, go and listen to it.