Following the inclusion on Progotronics XLI compilation, Etienne, guitarist for the French post metal act The Great Procession, sat down for an interview with Prog Sphere, discussing their self-titled debut album.
The Great Procession was formed in 2021, and the lineup underwent changes in 2023 after the release of your debut album. Can you share the journey of how the band came together, and what led to the changes in the lineup?
The project began with a strong desire to create music. I was part of a band ten years ago, after it all stopped I felt like something was missing in my life. Loic and Pascal (former members) joined the project quickly, then Julien (first singer from Tesseract) arrived few months later after listening to a demo. Then we composed eight songs in 2022 to record them at the end of the same year. Loic and Pascal decided to move on to other projects. We continued the band with Julien by recruiting friends and here we are in 2023.
The current lineup includes Julien on vocals, Rémi on bass, Paul on drums, Maxence on guitar, and Etienne on guitar. How does each member contribute to the band’s sound, and what dynamics or chemistry do you feel make The Great Procession unique?
Most of the work is done between Julien and myself. I propose ideas for riffs and structures to Julien like a kind of dough which he then reworks and brings more ideas that I really love, then we move forward. Then, guys add personal touches to the songs. The most interesting thing for the project is that everyone brings their ideas on techniques, on how to work on songs for live shows or even on visual aspects. I like to think that it is important to work with several minds, that all ideas are good to explore without being scattered.
Coming from France, near Nantes, how has the local environment or culture influenced the band’s music, and are there specific elements of your surroundings that find expression in your post-metal sound?
The local music scene is very varied in our area, especially with metal, hardcore or punk bands… Personally I find my inspiration mainly through what I listen to, lots of post metal, post rock influences like bands from Pelagic Record label, to give an idea. My external environment inspires me enormously, as well to people who belong to it. I get ideas mainly from my long walks outside, places I can visit, their stories, the relationship with what makes them our culture. We have materials to be inspire to, by coming from a place marked by the religion.
The self-titled debut album was released in 2022. Can you delve into the conceptual themes explored in the album, particularly the relationship between human beings and their environment, space, religion, and death, spanning different eras and societies?
We believe in the relationship that human beings have with their environment. In my opinion, everything people do within our modern world does not mean anything. We should be able to follow the logical chaotic structure that our universe has built, what each elements brings to another and that everything fits together to make sense. We live, carry out our actions then we die to make way for what follows in a logical way to always recreate. We belong to an universal structure where the sun regulates our life process. This is The Great Procession in fact. In this album, we can find poems dedicated to the Sun, to plants, to the fact that we hide behind our religious beliefs to give meaning to our existence, a journey to space between our planets, the destruction of our environment and finally the acceptance of our end, our death. All lyrics have a real importance for this project.
The band defines itself as “post metal.” How do you interpret this label, and what elements within the post-metal genre do you find particularly inspiring or influential to your music?
It was difficult to really give a genre name. Post metal is what best defines the band because the sounds are varied and we don’t really fit into a very precise definition of the metal genre. However, we really wanted to have that telluric, overwhelming sound to convey the ideas of the songs, which is the essence of post metal.
The first album was self-produced, including recording and mixing by your singer, Julien. How did this DIY approach impact the creative process, and what challenges and advantages did you encounter during the production of the album?
This DIY process was very natural for us, we didn’t really ask ourselves the question in fact. The recording of the drums was done in our rehearsal studio with good equipment and the means at hand. Loic (ex drum) gave all his energy during the two days of recording in July 2022. Some drum parts were improvised the same day, which was very inspiring for the rest of the recording process with the bass and guitars parts. We then did the other arrangements with Julien who then took the time to process everything (and he loves it). Julien did a very hard and good job to release what this album is now and we are very proud of it.
You’ve mentioned influences ranging from Rammstein to Tesseract, Deftones to Cult of Luna. How do these diverse influences come together in The Great Procession’s music, and how do you navigate the balance between different styles within the post-metal framework?
All these musical influences have commons atmospheres that play with emotions. Personally, I greatly appreciate a song when we can get lost in its soundscape, its environment and when our mind travels with it. Everything is even better when there are crushing riffs that come into play and the simplicity of these makes it a very good combination. That’s what I wanted to feel when composing these songs, simplicity, overwhelming and travelling. We are not looking to do complex things, just the expression of what comes to us in the moment.
The band has received reviews from various platforms like Alternative News, Score AV, and Coreandco. How does feedback from critics and listeners influence your approach to future music, and what has been the most rewarding aspect of the reception to your debut album?
We are always very enthusiast to receive good feedback, it allows us to go ahead and to say to ourselves that we are not doing this for nothing. We are happy that the project speaks to other people and they can like it. This feedback makes us want to give even more, to produce ever heavier pieces and to be able to show it in live session. We are very excited to play ! It’s nice to see the contacts we’ve made through this album and the good feedback we’ve had, it’s a great reward.
The vinyl version of the first album is marbled and mastered at WoodBox studio/B-side factory pressing. How important is the physical format, especially vinyl, to The Great Procession, and what details went into creating this special edition?
It was important for us to be able to present the album on a physical edition, vinyl being fashionable and a beautiful object, it was the opportunity to have it pressed. Having the album on vinyl was also an opportunity to mark the occasion by saying “yes we did it !”. The fact that it is marbled in the colours of the cover makes it very special.
As you prepare for live shows, what can fans expect from The Great Procession’s performances, and are there any memorable or unique moments you’re looking forward to sharing with your audience?
We are preparing step by step for the live shows. We really hope to be able to bring out the spirit presented on this album, the heaviness of the sound. To meet people during shows, to talk about the project could be a unique moment of sharing for us.
Are there specific tracks from your debut album that hold special significance for the band or have unique stories behind their creation?
Celestial Star is the starting point of the project in the beginning. I was about to stop playing music definitively in 2021, then Celestial Star was composed as a last hope of making a band again. I was in a new geographical area where I didn’t know anyone, I decided to place an ad and this is where Loic and Pascal arrived and everything was launched. It is also the song that best represents the concept, very straight and imperial in its sound.
Looking ahead, what are the future plans for The Great Procession? Are there new albums in the works, and what direction do you envision the band heading in terms of musical exploration?
We are working on the technique and the stage set/set list for live shows. We will soon announce few dates until the end of the year. We hope to open for good bands and be able to present the project to the best of what we want. At the same time we are working on the second album, but we cannot announce anything at the moment. We wish to be able to produce something ever heavier, more overwhelming and much darker, following the footsteps of its predecessor.
How do you see The Great Procession’s role within the broader post-metal scene, and are there specific goals or milestones the band hopes to achieve in the coming years?
We don’t think we’re going revolutionise the post metal scene, just doing what we like and if it can speak to people or inspire other projects around us, why not. We set goals, sometimes while laughing and telling ourselves that it remains utopian. But the more we go ahead and the more the project goes beyond what we thought we would do with it, we hope, why not, to achieve some of these objectives, to play with bands we like, to be part of a label, to release others albums…
Finally, if you could collaborate with any artist or band, living or dead, who would it be, and why?
Collaborating with bands like LLNN, The Ocean and many others from the current post metal scene would be a real pleasure, but we can always keep a part of the dream with us. A huge thanks to you for taking the time to do this interview, and for the work you do within ProgSphere. It is a pleasure for us to be published. Thank you so much.
The Great Procession online:
https://www.facebook.com/thegreatprocessionband
