Queen(Ares) returns with questions.
For this new album, called Choices, Maxime Mouquet (bass/vocals, Sylvaine), Charly Millioz (bass VI/vocals, Big Bernie), Nicolas Tarridec (drums, The Lumberjack Feedback), and Alex Renaux (guitar, General Lee, Junon) have signed with Source Atone Records.
We start with Choices, the eponymous track that serves as an introduction and presents us with very bright keyboards that suddenly burst into flames when For Rice & Flowers kicks in, offering a virulent and abrasive but quite changeable sound, shifting from a torrent with Post-Hardcore roots to more ethereal passages. The vocals also shift from visceral screams to much softer sung words or even more vulnerable moments before moving on to What If The Souls Remains’ haunting melodies, which naturally takes over and offers intoxicating and exotic touches, but also an interesting progression to the saturation we were all waiting for. The track is much shorter, but still takes the time to build its harmonics before joining An Upward Trail and its more haunting tones, whether in the violent parts or the much softer, albeit slightly threatening, ones. The mix remains coherent and volatile while anchoring itself in a Post-Rock base that the band knows how to ignite at will to emphasize its violence, then the bellicose tones return with Black Corridors, which hits us without warning. Everything in this track is more oppressive, more aggressive, darker, but the vocals are still very expressive within these heavy riffs, and the contrast with Exiles is all the more surprising, even though the introduction gives way to heavier saturation. The track remains fairly gentle at first despite the openly raw elements, then the heaviness and virulence take over at the end, then the band ventures into more desolate lands on Darker Than Before, the last very long track that shifts from DSBM to soaring Prog with impressive naturalness, leading us with disconcerting ease through all its dark waves, before abandoning us on the last one where keyboards reign supreme.
Queen(Ares) is part of a wave of bands with multiple but very coherent influences that exude a powerful personality. If Choices has a message to convey, we mustn’t forget its soaring riffs that carry our minds light years away from our bodies.
90/100
A few questions to Alexis Renaux (guitar) and Charly Millioz (guitar/vocals) from the band Queen(Ares) about their second album, Choices which has just been released.
Hello, and first of all, thank you for taking the time to speak with me! Without using any specific genre labels, such as “Doom Metal,” “Post-Metal,” or other subgenres, how would you describe the band Queen(Ares)?
Queen(Ares): I think we’re a metal band in the broadest sense of the term, as we’re not necessarily fans of labels. We blend our very diverse influences, ranging from Black Metal to Cold Wave and Hardcore. We really enjoy working with contrasts between extremely intense passages and moments of melancholic drifting.
Why did you choose this name, and how do you personally relate it to the music you play? Why did you choose to put “(Ares)” in parentheses?
Queen(Ares): The name comes from the combination of Ares, the Greek god of war and violence, and “queen,” the English word for “queen.” We wanted to create an avatar of a warrior queen, which our graphic designer Morganne Borowczyk illustrated several times for the release of our first album.
Your second album, Choices, is coming out in a few days, how do you feel within the band? Have you received any feedback on it yet?
Queen(Ares): We’re really looking forward to this release; it’s the culmination of three years of work, from writing the first tracks to the album’s release! We’re both relieved and very happy to finally be able to share this new repertoire. We’ve had excellent feedback so far, and what makes us extremely happy is that we feel our new artistic direction has been well understood and well received.
How would you sum up Choices in three words?
Queen(Ares): Choices aims to be more abrupt, varied, and organic than its predecessor.
How did the songwriting process for Choices go? Did you notice any changes compared to the first album, released five years ago?
Queen(Ares): The songwriting process was a bit different from the first album. On Choices, the foundation of the songs was mainly provided by Alex; we built demos on that foundation and then reworked them as a quartet in our rehearsal studio. We use the same dynamic shifts, but we wanted to push the extremes a bit further, leaning toward Black Metal on the most intense passages, while also including relatively Pop-oriented tracks like What if the soul remains.
The band’s sound blends Post-Metal, Doom, ethereal touches, and soaring melodies… how do you manage to blend all your roots to create your own unique sound? Which bands would you cite as your main influences?
Queen(Ares): We don’t hold back when we write. Our musical background is extremely diverse, and these varied influences come through naturally. It ranges from Will Haven to The Cure, including Emma Ruth Rundle and Willie Nelson.
I just heard about the “six-string bass” with Queen(Ares), why did you choose to use such a unique instrument?
Queen(Ares): It was me (Charly) who discovered this instrument around 2009; I saw it as a sort of hybrid between a bass and a rhythm guitar. I became interested in it and discovered that several bands, such as Aerosmith and The Cure, had used it, so I got my hands on a reissue in 2013. It’s an instrument I’ve been fond of for a long time, and it allows me to explore different sounds and compositional ideas than a more traditional guitar.
Choices’ recurring theme is the questioning of humanity’s place in relation to nature—what inspired your reflection on this? Do you feel you’ve made progress on the subject with the creation of the album?
Queen(Ares): It’s a subject that kind of imposes itself on us, given the current events we’re living through, but also our various readings and our own questions. I don’t know if we’ve made progress on the subject; unfortunately, I think it’s moving on its own in a rather dramatic direction.
The album Choices explores the most extreme elements of your universe further, but it’s also more contrasting than the first one, what motivated this direction?
Queen(Ares): I think we were discovering ourselves on the first album, and we didn’t necessarily dare to push the boundaries as much as we did on Choices.
Choices is being released on Source Atone Records. How is the collaboration with this label going? How did you get in touch with them?
Queen(Ares): Source Atone is the leading label in France for the Post-Hardcore aesthetic that we embody, so this collaboration seemed ideal.
The artwork is pretty minimalist, but I can’t really figure out what it represents—can you tell me a little more about it? Whether it’s about its creation or its meaning.
Queen(Ares): We like to give listeners the freedom to interpret this visual. To answer partially, the scepter visible on the front is a creation by Max, our singer/bassist, who forged it.
The band has already played a few shows since its formation. How do you approach a concert with Queen(Ares)? Do you have any little pre- or post-concert rituals?
Queen(Ares): Yes, we’ve been able to tour and play some great shows after the release of From this Ground, From this Sea, notably at Tyrant Fest, BetizFest, and Rock In Bourlon. We like to get together before going on stage; in those moments, we forget everything else and have only one desire: to experience our music together and share it with the audience. After the shows, though, we often don’t have much time to hang out! Between taking the gear off stage and meeting people at the merch table, we don’t have time for rituals!
What are Queen(Ares)’s next projects following the album’s release?
Queen(Ares): We’re planning a tour for the fall, but we already have a few songs in the works for an EP.
Do you think you’ve improved as musicians and songwriters with this album?
Queen(Ares): The songwriting’s evolution is measured over the long term, and since we’ve been working nonstop for the past three years, it’s not yet easy to step back and assess it. We’ll answer that when the next one comes out!
Which bands do you dream of playing with? I’ll let you imagine your dream show with Queen(Ares) as the opening act, and three other bands.
Queen(Ares): I asked the other band members which artists they had in mind. Nico would like to open for Calisto, Alex would go with Cult Of Luna, Max for Willie Nelson, and for me, it’s the Melvins—no surprise to those who know me.
Last question: what dish would you compare Queen(Ares)’s music to?
Queen(Ares): Definitely Dan Dan noodles! The sweet, deep flavor of sesame contrasts with the heat of the chili oil!
So that was my last question. Thank you for your time, and I’ll leave you with the final words!
Queen(Ares): Thank you, see you soon! 🙂