interview with simon girard of beyond creation

Technical Death Metal is about as good as it gets, especially bands from Canada, particularly from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where some of the greats have graced us with their immaculate presence. From Gorguts, Augury, Unexpect, Crytopspy, and right now Beyond Creation, their wave of astonishing Extreme Death Metal can only be described as stellar beyond comprehension. After starting the band 13 years ago, Beyond Creation’s visionary Simon Girard will release their third album as of October 12th, 2018, in the form of Algorythm. I was able to talk with him on the last day of the incredible tour package they would be a part of, with Obscura headlining and Archspire also as support. We discussed the band’s positive trips to North America, some details of Algorythm, how playing the accordion made him a better musician, and much more!

(The audio portion of the interview can be found at the bottom of the page)

Metalchondria: It's been about two years I believe, since the band played here in Southern California. Quite a following here in the states, and I've followed Beyond Creation since The Aura, and others have, people are just excited hearing you for the first time. But there's something that connects with the fans. I'm not the only one who sees this, I'm sure you see this as well.

Simon Girard: Yeah, of course! I mean, it's been two years since we been there last time, we were really excited to get back here and play for fans. And for new people that discovered us, since the last time, we have the new album coming up--

In about a week.

Yeah, in a week! So these couple days, we're really excited to get this out, really confident with it. As much as we play some new songs live, people really connecting to those songs, and the two previous albums, so yeah, it's good to be back here.

And talking moments ago, last day of this tour, and this incredible tour package! It's exhausting (in a most excellent way, of course) watching the bands live, I get tired from watching Archspire (laughs), Beyond Creation and Obscura as well. How is this incredible package been going for this tour, responses for the band, and how is this last day reflect on how this tour has been, so far?

All of the shows have been really, really good. Good response, and of course, it's a real Tech Death package, I would say. But pretty much every band has their own style, own sounds, so it kind of gets you into a different mood, every band. So that's cool to see, how people react to every single band. Every band has been really great, and really good tour package.

But for Beyond Creation, how have the fans themselves react to the band particularly?

The fact that we were there two years ago, and we have new material that we play, people really seem to dig our music, and really connect with...I don't know. The overall ambiance when we play, we have a lot of fun, it's really like, we do this for as passion, and by art. I think people see this and can feel it, really gives a good vibe of the shows and tours.

The songwriting itself, this very constructive, abstract style of Death Metal that can be dense, not in a bad way, but dense as in low key, lot of minor guitar wise, as well. Especially with The Aura, where I felt the production was very, out in the open. The bass was very prominent and distorted, you can feel everything. With Earthborn Evolution I feel, that the production didn't take a step back, it took a step forward but in a very, you have to really have to hear those moments in further. Tell me the difference between that album and the second album, in terms of the songwriting, and the production aspects?

We wanted a sound different, always progress of course as musicians, I mean as a composer, I compose all the songs, and I really listen to a lot of different kind of style, like Blues, Jazz, and like Rock music, old Rock like Pink Floyd, one of my greatest bands ever.

Shouts to David Gilmore.

Yeah, yeah! So good! So I mean, I like the fact that you have a natural sound, and a lot of variety in music itself, both albums were different. You can definitely hear Beyond Creation in start, but it's like as the new one also coming up, we evolve as the production side, and of course songwriting, which you have more influences and more variety. You have orchestra that I compose, and as being a fan of Pink Floyd, you can hear in the "Algorythm" song, like this Proggy middle parts. Yeah, old Rocky solo sound. So production wise, we wanted something really powerful, but more natural than The Aura was. I think that's the way we wanted to evolve, and get at.

For Algorythm, coming out in about a week, was this album made right after the second record? Was it made during the same time period, or was this a completely new music, in terms of music material? Was it anything left over from the second record, or is this completely new?

No, it's completely new. We've been working for a long time, I started a song as soon as finished recording Earthborn Evolution. I already start composing some new stuff, because pretty much every time I take my guitar, it's to compose and create things, try a different atmospheres. But the fact is, we tour a lot, we've been touring a lot in Europe, and Asia, places like this. It's really time consuming, so I cannot on tour really compose much, as anytime and space, quiets moments and stuff like this. So, I start completely the new album as we've finished Earthborn Evolution. We wanted to get ready for this year, to have the album out, because I know it's been four years, quite a long time. With the label, we have a period, a certain amount of months that we need to get everything done and send, so it's not like, we finished recording, it's out the next day, right? So a few months before getting in studio, I just add another mindset and really try new things, with "Binomial Structures", it's the instrumental song. Like, there's really different atmospheres, it was really to get out of the path, try new things, have fun. It's been an intense part of the year, but we're really excited and happy with the result, really good.

And about the album as well, it comes out in a week, and the tour ends today. Was it the band's decision to want the album to be out before this tour, because it would be such a good tour package? Or is it okay that, you have the exposure now, and everyone is going to look forward to the album? Was that the plan?

Yeah, the plan actually was to play new songs on the North America tour, just to let people know that we have a new album coming up. And we'll come back during our Algorythm cycle, as a headliner and play the full album from first to last. That's exactly what we're doing, so when we are getting back from this current tour, we have two weeks home, which the release comes out. We have a release party, it's in Montreal, and right after we're going for Europe, a headlining tour with visual effects, like a new experience for everyone that will see Beyond Creation. We're playing the new album first to last, so it's kind of a conceptual album that really transcends one song to the other. I feel like it's the perfect moment to do that kind of show, that kind of setup. People will enjoy as much as, maybe they don't know all the songs because it's like two weeks after the release. Still, it's more melodic and breathes more, the music is maybe a little bit easier to catch. So people who don't know the new songs will really enjoy the show, I'm pretty sure as they get. And there's some more calm moments, so you can kind of "rest", a little bit.

You talked about "Algorythm", that middle part, and there's a lot of low key melodies that's kind of woven together. Is that kind of the theme in the album, where there's a lot of room to breathe, to let the music expand the imagination?

Yeah, exactly. As I said, as we listen to a lot of different music, I wanted really to have something, I don't know, it came naturally. I was just playing guitar, you try new things and I was feeling better to compose things that breathe a little more. Just a bit more pure, I would say, it's still really Beyond Creation sound. We have some songs that are really fast, short, a lot of vocals. And we have long songs, really Proggy, instrumental, we have the orchestral going through it. So it's very varied as previous albums, but I would say it's more melodic and easy to listen to.

And also, this question is for the band, and for Canada, because it's something I'm curious about. The bass. Is it because of Rush, that a lot of bands like Unexpect, back in the day, Augury, Beyond Creation, and Cryptopsy. A lot of bands from Canada emphasize bass, not just to put it in there, but the bass playing is unique, the sound, the riffs itself are really unique. Is that something that Rush started? I really don't know, or is that something that has always been prevalent in Canada, or even a previous band before them, maybe?

I mean, Dominic ("Forest" Lapointe) which recorded our first two albums, was playing in Augury, and in my young period, I was listening, still today, listen to Augury. And you really have the different sound, and that's pretty much how I seen the bass itself, being an instrument apart of it. Rush is awesome, really good band, but I cannot say from my perspective, that it's been an influence to me. The fact that the bass really stands out, and every instrument has it's own place, and own intricacies, it gets you more elements and details, that you can relate to. As you re-listen to the album again and again, you can find some new details. To me, that's the fun part of it, you can listen to the album and still find something new every time.

And speaking about that as well, I remember when he ("Forest") left to go back to Augury, I remember back then. And I don't how much you read into fan comments, social media, and there's good and bad social media, but people were saying, "Oh, "Forest" is gone. What's going to happen with the band?" I remember you saying, "I write the music." I don't know how much he wrote, I know you write the large majority, if not all of it. Was that something conscious about people having their favorites, in music, movies, and sports, and everything like that. Was that something that kind of took you back? And getting Hugo (Doyon-Karout) as well, his own style, was that something you were maybe worried about, or had to think different about losing a bass player moving on like that?

We know that there's a lot of musicians, like Beyond Creation and would love to take part of the band, so I know we would find the right musician to get in the band. And Hugo actually, we've known him since he was really young, in the neighborhood of Kevin (Chartre, guitarist), actually. So they grew up together, and we just contacted him, doing auditions for many basses, and he really has his own style. He also had been studying with "Forest", for a few years, and long as he had been playing, also in the Earthborn Evolution songs, and The Aura. He really gets into his style also, and it added something to his own style. I was not worried, of course when this happened, I compose all the songs, yeah. "Forest" did a lot with his bass parts and stuff, it really stands out for Beyond Creation with his own style, one part because of the bass itself, but I mean, music is music. I know we have a lot of elements to explore, and we have a lot of imagination, it was not a problem itself.

Talking about how you write basically everything in the band, and you are the band. About the song and music structures of Beyond Creation, guitars, bass and drums, certainly do their part and everything. It's suppose to be one cohesive unit, but I believe with this band, the segways into solos, the way that the guitar riffs and bass flows, there's just so much movement between each little part, as well. Is that something that as a guitar player, is it hard to get into that mind, vision for the drumming, bass playing as well. As a guitar player, talk to me about the song writing structures, and experiences that you work and use, to make such a woven, unique sound?

I start learning music at the age of 6. I was playing the accordion, because my grandfather was actually a professional accordion player, doing this for his whole life. So, accordion is a real challenge as a musician, because from one end you have the melody, the chords. The other one, you have the bass, I would say the rhythmical atmospheres, and then you need to think about the air, coming in, coming out. The fact that I'm telling you right now about this, probably because it helps me. And as a composer, it tells me getting different instruments at the same time, like thinking about the phrases. I play drums, I play bass, so to me, when I compose, I really see more like colors and like movies, you create things and you already can hear it in your head. So I know already like what kind of drums I need on these parts, and then once the song is finished, I write both guitars, I send to every musician and we work separately. I'll jam with Philippe (Boucher, drummer), and tell him more in detail what I'm looking for. Of course, he has his own unique style, so he will do his own fills and stuff, but he has the idea behind the riffs itself, how the flow is supposed to go.

And in terms of the songwriting, does it happen to be that you happen to just write everything before the band ever gets input? How much input do you have the rest of the band with the music? Is it more of little things here, certain riffs, certain moments, what is the songwriting experience with the band?

I write all of it, all of the songs, both guitars too. It takes a long time, it can take a few months for a song, but once I feel it's really complete, and the way I want it to be, I send it to them. I never had any bad comments. Of course there's maybe like a, "We do this riff 4 bars, we can do it for 6 bars." Something that can happen, but that's pretty much how we work. And when I send them the files, they work on their parts, and try different things. And so as we jam separately, I can really align them in more details.

After this incredible tour that will be ending tonight, with the release party coming up, the album out in a week, what would the band like to do for 2019? Touring as much as possible, particularly in North America, Europe, what's the idea for Beyond Creation in 2019?

Yeah, we have of course, it's the beginning of the "new baby", we're putting out. Touring is a big part of next year, of course. I cannot really tell about details, but we have a few tours coming up, pretty much around the globe. We also have a few, as musicians itself like every member, has projects also. So in between tours for me, for example, I'm a photographer, I do exhibitions and contracts. Most part of it will be the touring and beside our own things separately.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is your only band, I believe? You've never been in another band before previous, this is your first band, correct?

Yes, exactly.

And that's very unusual in general, certainly not a bad thing, just something you don't hear about. So this is your first band you ever started, and with that kind of vision, I see like Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, (Jon) Schaffer of Iced Earth, Chuck (Schuldiner, RIP) of Death, that one person with their whole vision, quality and unique. What has this journey been like for you? With the third album coming out, something you're very proud about and all looking forward to, what has it been like for all these years, and what can you reflect on what you've learned, thus far?

Just crazy, how things go the last few years. I remember back, seems like yesterday, jamming down in a basement, we just had fun. That's the way and goal of music, just to have fun and express feelings, do it with your heart's passion. It's crazy to see how things go, how people react to the compositions, the shows we play. First tour we did was with Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death, and Immolation, and I was like...

That's a great first tour.

Yeah, that's a really great first tour! We always had the chance to grow up and do more shows, get better as musicians, the studio, improve ourselves. I'm totally happy with where we are right now, of course you never know how things are going to be in five years, or 10 years, but we're looking forward to whatever is coming, and we have fun, that's it.

In about a few weeks or so, Suffocation will be touring and it'll be Frank Mullen's (vocalist) last tour with the band. Something that's sad for me and for a lot of people. I've seen the band literally 20 times, and two more when they come down. They're just that much of an influence for me, and for everyone on this tour. Tell me your thoughts about the band, was there any influence they had on you? And, if you had any particular memory as a fan, or being in Beyond Creation?

Honestly, I remember Suffocation, I could not really tell, because I don't really listen to Suffocation. I've seen them twice, they were really good. I've heard songs on the internet, but I cannot say that they've been huge influence on me. I know Phil, our drummer, really digs the band, and Kevin also, they really love them.

Last day of this tour, album coming out in a week, any last words for the fans buying Algorythm, who went on this tour, tonight, and for the rest of 2019 coming up?

Thank you so much for coming out to all the shows, it's been a crazy journey with awesome bands. The new album, we cannot wait to share with you. There's so much good surprises on it, musical surprises. We continue to evolve and get better, as live musicians also, we hope to see you guys in the next few tours and shows that we do, for the next years.