Crafting The Cosmos: James Monteith on TesseracT’s Sonic Alchemy, Revealing The Secrets Behind The Band– Exclusively On Metal Lair!

Tesseract Band Image: Andy Ford

Written By Douglas Kindt & Christy Lee

James Monteith Interview: Guitarist James Monteith discusses the influences, writing process and distinctive rhythmic approach behind TesseracT’s progressive metal sound. In this 2024 conversation, the band were exploring the expansive world of their 2023 album War of Being, alongside its companion game and other creative projects.

Released September 15, 2023, War of Being extended TesseracT’s sonic world beyond the music itself. The project included an interactive game with Daniel Tompkins involved in its design, while bassist Amos Williams was developing a novel connected to the same universe.

James Monteith Interview: Inside TesseracT’s Sonic Alchemy

Metal Lair’s Douglas Kindt and Christy Lee spoke with guitarist James Monteith about the band’s influences, arrangements and future plans. Thank you to James for taking the time to answer our questions.

ML: Which bands are your main influences?

JM: Across the band there are a wide range of influences, but for simplicity we’ll go with meshuggah, Pink Floyd and Duran Duran.  

ML: What made you guys decide to be the one djent band where the bass was as prominent and audible as the guitars?

JM: Bass is as important an instrument as guitars and should be given it’s space in heavy music as it is in other genres. Justice for metal bass!

ML: You can hear every note of the bass. How do you get your tones to mesh so well?

JM: Many hours of crafting tones.

ML: What is the bands writing process? Do you write your stuff on midi?

JM: For the most part the writing is done by Acle in his home studio, but all members contribute ideas and get involved with song development. On WOB a few ideas came from wine fuelled jam sessions.

ML: Do you write drums or riffs first?

JM: It varies but usually riffs.

ML: How have you come up with such a percussive style?

JM: Listening to lots of Meshuggah. 

ML: What is your creative process for figuring out the “aesthetic”of a release, both visually and sonically?

JM: Exploring far extremes of the human psyche.  

ML: How do you get such a crazy stuccato pause in your playing?

JM: Valuing tightness in the same way shredders value speed.  

ML: What are your favorite songs to play?

JM: Smooth operator by Sade and Carry On Wayward Sons by Kansas. But out of TesseracT songs all of them are fun to play.  

ML: Whats the most difficult song to Perform?

JM: Eden, Singularity or Eclipse.  

ML: What led the band to choose a tesseract as your logo, and what was the significance behind the connection?

JM: It’s an artistic interpretation of a Tesseract designed by Amos. We think it’s cool!

ML: What advice would you give bands that are starting out and trying to more traction for shows, tours and general audience?

JM: Be yourselves, don’t buck to trends, get your hussle on, and make sure to enjoy all the good moments as much as possible 

ML: As your latest album, “War of Being,” continues to captivate audiences with its passion and ambition, fans are eager to know what lies ahead for TesseracT

JM: So are we… Let’s see what happens.

ML: Where do you see yourselves ten years from now?

JM: Realising our stage production dreams 

ML: Fan Question –  What is the story behind Legion? There’s a lot of religious tones behind it so l’m wondering if it has any relation to the meaning behind the lyrics

JM: The story is however the listener interprets it. However as some people often confused for Jesus, I can confirm that the song is not about me.

ML: Any last words to your fans?

JM: Thanks for your support, we can’t wait to see you in Australia!!

Metal Lair thanks James Monteith for sharing his perspective on TesseracT’s music, creative process and future ambitions. Explore our earlier War of Being coverage for more background on the record.

Buy War of Being Here:

WAR OF BEING TRACKLISTING:
“Natural Disaster”
“Echoes”
“The Grey”
“Legion”
“Tender”
“War Of Being”
“Sirens”
“Burden”
“Sacrifice”

TesseracT Tour Dates:
4 MAY 2024 SAT
The Croxton Bandroom
Thornbury, Australia
5 MAY 2024 SUN
The Croxton Bandroom
Thornbury, Australia
7 MAY 2024 TUE
Lion Arts Factory
Adelaide, Australia
9 MAY 2024 THU
Magnet House Night Club
Perth, Australia
11 MAY 2024 SAT
Aliwal Arts Centre
Singapore, Singapore
13 MAY 2024 MON
LIDO CONNEC
Bangkok, Thailand
15 MAY 2024 WED
MoM Livehouse
North Point, Hong Kong
16 MAY 2024 THU
The Wall Live House
Taipei, Taiwan
18 MAY 2024 SAT
SHIBUYA CYCLONE
Shibuya City, Tokyo, Japan
19 MAY 2024 SUN
SHIBUYA CYCLONE
Shibuya City, Tokyo, Japan
27 JUN 2024 THU
Jera On Air 2024
Ysselsteyn, Netherlands
27 JUL 2024 SAT
RADAR Festival 2024
Stretford, United Kingdom

Tesseract Online:

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