Tesseract Band Image: Andy Ford
Written By Douglas Kindt & Christy Lee
James Monteith Interview: TesseracT guitarist James Monteith takes Metal Lair inside the creative machinery behind one of progressive metal’s most distinctive bands, exploring the ideas, experimentation and sonic alchemy that have shaped TesseracT’s evolution.
Fifteen years in the making, the saga of TesseracT unfolds like a finely orchestrated symphony, with each member—guitarists Acle Kahney and James Monteith, drummer Jay Postones, vocalist Daniel Tompkins, and bassist Amos Williams—contributing their unique prowess to the atmospheric djent realm. From celestial harmonies to roaring rhythms, their discography reads like a divine manifesto, seamlessly blending aggression with introspection in a way that defies convention. Now, with the unveiling of their 2023 effort, “War of Being,” the quintet proves once again why they reign supreme in prog-metal’s upper echelons. ‘War of Being,’ from virtual realms, to literary escapades.
TesseracT released War of Being September 15th 2023. This isn’t just an album—it’s a whole interactive experience. Dive into the sci-fi odyssey with their accompanying game, available on Steam. Lead singer Daniel Tompkins not only lends his voice to the music but also leads the charge as director and designer of the game, showcasing his passion for both music and gaming. And if that’s not impressive enough, bassist Amos Williams is crafting a novel inspired by the same captivating universe. Talk about turning passions into masterpieces!
As our James Monteith Interview unfolds
we delve into the depths of their creative process and what lies ahead for the ground breaking collective.
One of the most revealing aspects of this James Monteith Interview is the glimpse it offers behind TesseracT’s meticulously constructed sound.
James Monteith Interview: Inside TesseracT’s Sonic Alchemy
Hey there! Doug and Christy from Metal Lair, thrilled to be here chatting with James Monteith from TesseracT. Thanks a ton for carving out some time from your packed schedule to hang out with us.
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, TWO YEARS LATER: We asked the most generic interview question known to mankind and received exactly what we deserved. Still, Duran Duran just wandered into the djent enclosure, so we’re listening.
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, TWO YEARS LATER: Holy shit, an actual answer. Everybody remain calm. Nobody make any sudden movements.
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, TWO YEARS LATER: Fascinating. We had assumed the tones arrived pre-crafted from a small artisanal tone workshop in Surrey.
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, TWO YEARS LATER: WINE-FUELLED JAM SESSIONS? James, you buried the interesting part at the end. What wine? How much wine? At what point does a Cabernet become progressive metal? We had follow-up questions and tragically lacked the sense to ask them.
ML: Do you write drums or riffs first?
JM: It varies but usually riffs.
ML, TWO YEARS LATER: We asked a yes-or-no-adjacent question and somehow expected Inside the Actors Studio. This one’s on us.
ML: How have you come up with such a percussive style?
JM: Listening to lots of Meshuggah.
ML, TWO YEARS LATER: Case closed. Cancel the forensic analysis. Apparently the secret ingredient was 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, TWO YEARS LATER: Excellent. Could you perhaps leave a forwarding address? Freud? Jung? The screaming abyss behind the Tesco? James?
ML: How do you get such a crazy stuccato pause in your playing?
JM: Valuing tightness in the same way shredders value speed.
ML, TWO YEARS LATER: Wait. That’s actually a fucking good answer. EXPAND UPON IT, YOU MAGNIFICENTLY TERSE BASTARD.
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, TWO YEARS LATER: Excuse us, SADE? We have finally found the rabbit hole and the interview immediately refuses to enter it. Somewhere in an alternate timeline we spent the next twenty minutes discussing James Monteith’s secret Sade repertoire and won a Pulitzer.
ML: Whats the most difficult song to Perform?
JM: Eden, Singularity or Eclipse.
ML, TWO YEARS LATER: Why?
…
James?
WHY, JAMES?
Fine. Keep your secrets.
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, TWO YEARS LATER: A four-dimensional hypercube, one of geometry’s most mind-bending objects, reduced elegantly to “we think it’s cool.” Mathematicians everywhere have been relieved of duty.
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, TWO YEARS LATER: Sensible advice, actually. We have temporarily suspended hostilities.
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, TWO YEARS LATER: We constructed that question from approximately fourteen pounds of adjectives.
James responded with the verbal equivalent of:
¯\(ツ)/¯
We respect the efficiency.
ML: Where do you see yourselves ten years from now?
JM: Realising our stage production dreams
ML, TWO YEARS LATER: Splendid. And those dreams are…?
No?
Okay. We’ll check back in 2034.
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, TWO YEARS LATER: THERE HE FUCKING IS.
Fourteen questions into the expedition, James suddenly emerges from the undergrowth carrying an actual joke.
Apparently the correct interview technique was not asking about production, composition or TesseracT.
We should have asked about Jesus.
ML: Any last words to your fans?
JM: Thanks for your support, we can’t wait to see you in Australia!!
ML, TWO YEARS LATER: And with that, James fled toward Australia before we could ask him to elaborate on anything.
Godspeed, sir.
Thank you so much! Its been a real pleasure! As our conversation with TesseracT comes to an end, we’d like to extend our heart felt gratitude for James Monteith for sharing his insights, experiences and passion with us. We’re left inspired by the bands dedication to pushing the musical boundaries. Keep rocking! We cant wait to see what incredible music you guys bring to the world next.
EDITOR’S NOTE, 2026: In retrospect, Metal Lair would like to acknowledge that James Monteith may not actually have been the problem. We submitted several questions capable of being answered in six words and then reacted with surprise when this highly efficient British man answered them in six words.
We have since learned about follow-up questions.
Unfortunately, we learned about them two years too late.
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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