Formed in 2018, Stellar Tomb is a Serbian progressive extreme metal band that has quickly carved out a unique space in the metal scene with their complex compositions and atmospheric intensity. Recently featured on Progotronics XLV compilation, the band blends elements of black metal, progressive influences, and melodic death metal, creating a distinct sound. With a lineup of talented musicians and a relentless creative drive, Stellar Tomb has continued to evolve, crafting their debut album Souls at the Event Horizon, a record that showcases the band’s vision and technical prowess.
In this interview, we dive deep into the band’s beginnings, their creative journey, and what’s next on their horizon.
Can you start by telling us about the origins of Stellar Tomb? What inspired you to form the band back in 2018?
Dejan: Our original guitarist, Mladen Stojanović, gathered the four initial members in February/March 2018, in order to jam on some different music to the stuff we were doing in our other bands at the time. It was him, Mihajlo Janković on guitar, Miloš Đorić on bass, and myself on drums. We had known each other from before, but we had never played together prior to that. Since that first meeting, up to the spring of 2019, we’d only had rehearsals from time to time, jamming on a handful of covers, although the first original material started to surface in those rehearsals as well; songs like “The Living Fortress”, “In My Land” and “Hypnos”. At that point we had three composers in the band, while I took on the lyrics. The story became much more serious when we added Marko Tričković on vocals and keyboards, which would be some time in May 2019. That’s also the point we left the covers behind, and focused exclusively on original material.
The name “Stellar Tomb” is quite evocative. How did you come up with it, and what does it represent for the band?
Miloš: When the aforementioned collective was assembled, we had first come up with a temporary name ”Preterite”, since our main goal was writing the music and all the secondary elements weren’t in focus that much. However, when it became clear that we had something serious going on, we reckoned it would be a good time to name ourselves in a more serious manner, so we kept brainstorming for a while until one day Marko and myself started throwing links of our favorite bands and songs into the group chat and one name popped up – ‘’Stellar Tombs’’ by Draconian. As Dejan’s lyrics at the time had strong cosmological analogies, we agreed that the music and lyrics should be a cohesive and complementary unit intertwined with one another, and thus the name Stellar Tomb was set in stone.
You initially focused on creating original material after forming in 2018. What was your vision for your music at that time, and how has it evolved since then?
Dejan: Our vision wasn’t singular at the time; we simply wanted to introduce all the different influences from the music we were (and are still) listening to. Therefore, you can hear a lot of different elements in those songs, from black metal and melodic death metal, to a lot of progressive influences and even some thrash metal. You could hear though that the music was going to be fairly complex even that early on.
Miloš: The consensus was more-or-less set in the land of progressive metal, whether it was in the style of Nevermore, Dream Theater, Symphony X, or going peripheral with other subgenres we kept spinning. As time went by and the riffs and ideas kept pouring, it became clear that our sound was naturally shaping to be driven by more extreme variants of the genre.
Andrea: Since then, the overall aim hasn’t changed much, i.e. communicating deeper, multi-layered topics through the music, or the songs being a sort of contemplation in themselves. The sound may have gotten some additional Oriental overtones when Petar and I joined as well. I think we have learned to work with the pieces the other members provide and puzzle them all together into a meaningful whole.
The pandemic interrupted your live activities early on. How did you and the band adapt during this period, and how did it affect your creative process?
Dejan: We had managed to have four gigs from September 2019 to March 2020; the last one occurred days before the whole COVID thing started in Serbia. It was not a good feeling, since we were going full throttle with creating new material, and were looking into organizing more gigs or recording some of that material. For a while, the creative process was completely halted; we couldn’t even have rehearsals for several months. Because of all this, we decided to switch gears and record demos for two songs to see what our music would sound like in the studio. Those became the initial versions of “The Shadowtheater” and “Hypnos” which we released in early 2021.
Can you tell us more about the early demos, particularly “The Shadowtheater” and “Hypnos”? What were the main ideas behind these tracks?
Dejan: “The Shadowtheater” is a two-part composition that evolved from two separate pieces of music created by our bass player Miloš Đorić, and probably best embodies the melodic death/black metal part of our sound. The lyrics are probably the oldest I had written for this band, dating back to 2014, about a person who, in a nutshell, does not find pleasure in life, and ruminates on all of their misfortunes as well as on their own death. “Hypnos” showcased the progressive side of the band, and was written by Mladen Stojanović; we decided to record these two particular tracks, as they represented two different aspects of the band’s sound. Lyrically, this song deals with an insomniac, someone who has trouble sleeping, which we can all sympathize with, I believe. The demos themselves were recorded at Heretik Studio, where we also rehearse, by Marko Marčić. Both songs were, of course, slightly rearranged and fully re-recorded for the debut album.
In late 2021, you had a lineup change with the departure of Stojanović and Janković. How did this transition affect the band, and what were the challenges of adapting to the new lineup?
Dejan: After releasing the two demos, the band seemed to have some issues moving forward. For a while we didn’t rehearse, and we were stuck trying to find some semblance of direction. There were some disagreements on how to present our material moving forward, and some creative and logistical differences; due to all this, Stojanović and Janković decided to exit the band in December 2021. The rest of us saw no reason to stop, as we enjoyed the band’s music and thought it would be a waste for it to fall through. On the other hand, it was not easy finding new musicians; where we come from, there aren’t a lot of people willing to tackle such complex music head on. Therefore, it was decided that Tričković would move to rhythm guitar; we had already found Petar Jovanović to fill the other vacant guitarist spot. Quickly after that, we enlisted our friend Andrea Tomić to take over the keyboards.
Andrea: I feel like getting new energy with us joining made the whole band regain momentum as well, and a kick of adrenaline with preparing a performance in less than a month. It’s a great honor playing with these guys, I think they are fantastic musicians and us being friends is just a cherry on top, which further contributes to the great atmosphere in rehearsals and performances.
Marko, you shifted to rhythm guitar while continuing as the lead vocalist. What prompted this change, and how did it impact your songwriting and performance?
Marko: As Dejan mentioned, with the lineup change, there were some gaps to fill, and throughout my musicianship well before Stellar Tomb I’ve always played either bass or guitar while performing vocals, so it didn’t have a major impact on the main performance of the band, but rather put me back in a familiar role as a performer.
How did Petar Jovanović and Andrea Tomić contribute to the band’s new sound and direction after joining?
Dejan: Petar and Andrea were quite welcome additions to the band at the time. On the one hand, Petar is a fantastic soloist and a stable rhythm guitarist, while Andrea brought the keyboard performances to the next level. It speaks to their skills and focus that, even though neither of them had any experience playing in bands or live prior to Stellar Tomb, they stepped up, worked on their playing, and fully realized what was needed for this band.
With the absence of a second guitarist, how did the band approach recording the album? Can you describe the process and any unique challenges you faced?
Miloš: Considering that we wanted to preserve the momentum we had at that moment, we opted for a solution that would not force us to hastily introduce a new guitarist to the material (which is fairly complex and layered) and subsequently throw him into the ordeal of recording the album. Even though my primary instrument is the bass, I had been playing the guitar for years beforehand, so I offered to record the material as I had perceived it to be when I wrote the parts, with minor tweaks in vivo at the studio. The recording itself went smoothly, given that the material had been practiced over and over, so we took our time to focus on every minor detail, frequency, waveform and grid, ensuring that the final result was a recording on the level worthy of the compositions.
The album “Souls at the Event Horizon” was recorded over the span of a year. What was the recording process like, and how did you divide the work between the studios?
Miloš: The first thing on the schedule was for Dejan to record the drum parts, which was done at Buzzbox studio of Stefan Milojković. Both did their job masterfully and in the timespan of just a few days, given that Dejan is very thorough when it comes to using his skills and that few takes had to be redone, and that Stefan is a well-renowned musician with a great ear, who completed his role effortlessly. Afterwards, I started recording the bass parts at Arethusa studio of Pavle Samardžić, who is also a guitarist in the bands Lavina and Monah, and I must confess that the experience was nothing but prolific, professional and pleasant. As I have been cursed with perfect pitch, combined with Pavle’s skilled workflow, the process went really fast since we both kept noticing even the slightest of mistakes (going even to the Hz deviation levels) and then correcting them. The very same happened with the rhythm guitars afterward, although it took twice as much time because of the normative double tracking. In between my bass and rhythm recordings, however, Andrea hopped in to record the keys and synths, which I believe have turned out cinematographic and grandiose, thanks to her immersive playing. As expected, the next on the menu was for Petar to do his lead guitar parts, even though his parts are far more than just that; that took a bit more time than the previous endeavors due to his work obligations but it turned out astonishing. I will never stop praising his fingers (both hands!) and skills; it always keeps me in awe whenever I remember that some solos, which I had merely typed into Guitar Pro 5 as placeholders, he had first learned by heart, and then added his unique flavor to them, making us drop our jaws every time we listen to the album. Finally, the vocal recordings took place in the winter of ‘23 back at Stefan’s Buzzbox, and here I ought to praise our own Maria Callas, Marko, for doing his parts while being both sick and healthy, in a studio secluded behind the city with only one external heater in the recording room. Against all odds, his already mighty growls and screams turned out even more menacing and deep. The final result was sent into the hands of Vladimir Uzelac, renowned both for his work in the studio Wormhole Sound Production and his guitar duties in many Serbian black metal bands. He understood our desires for a specific sound right away and gave us the album we were dreaming of.
How did working with Stefan Milojković and Pavle Samardžić impact the final sound of the album? Can you share any memorable moments from the recording sessions?
Miloš: It would only suffice to say that their expertise has definitely shaped the sound of the album in the form of suggestions, additional handiwork and good spirit. Even though they are polar opposites when it comes to the amounts of tomfoolery, both have been very thorough, very patient and exceptionally perceptive, so the workflow was cohesive and efficient. Stefan was helpful with some dilemmas about the vocal waveforms and drum part positions, whereas Pavle had some useful suggestions when it came to tones, the styles used in playing a certain part, and was even an extra set of hands on some riffs. It was truly a pleasure to work with them both.
Andrea: Given that it was my “first”, not only recording the album, but even setting foot into a studio, I can only say that it remains a core memory for sure. Personally, the whole process has made me aware of some minutiae that I hadn’t paid attention to previously, and having the other guys’ guidance and support, with them already having experience, has helped a lot as well.
The lyric video for “An Acolyte of Her Temple” was released in May. What is the significance of this song, and how does it fit into the overall concept of the album?
Miloš: It was one of the first songs I had written during the time in the band and one of the songs for which I kept changing the form many times over, subsequently creating parts which fit better into the whole scheme, until I was pleased with the flow and the storytelling aspect of it. It was also the song for which I wrote the lyrics, so a slight change in words would result in a change of syncopation or a note, bringing about a certain shift in a beat which resulted in me being dissatisfied with the chosen word. The process spanned a few years and at one point it became painstaking since I was updating the band members with every single correction, resulting in both parties being frustrated and borderline hateful toward the piece. After it had finally clicked, however, I felt like I’d released myself of a burden because it became one of the songs the other members adopted, respected and relished, which is reflected in the way we play it now – there is always a part where someone is smiling, zoning out or headbanging at rehearsals. We chose that one to be the single off the upcoming album because we felt like it presented all the aspects of our music embodied in a single piece – a progressive, meandering and circular flow; heavy and dark ambience over syncopated riffs and polyrhythms; a technical but adequately and tastefully cooked dish of notes; all flavored with deep, symbolic and metaphorical lyrics. The other reason it feels special is because our vocalist Marko made the lyric video for the song, along with my girlfriend Ana Pavlović; with them both being graphic designers, they gave their eclectic creative outputs in yet another form, which can now be seen on YouTube.
“Souls at the Event Horizon” is described as a blend of progressive and extreme metal. What influences and themes can listeners expect from the album?
Dejan: In terms of lyrics, the album turned out to be somewhat conceptual. The first four songs on the album represent four different “souls” in different states of turmoil, whether self-inflicted or due to their surroundings. These are followed by the instrumental, which represents a journey to their final destination, the event horizon, embodied in the Lovecraftian “living fortress” of the final track; this fortress is, in turn, a repository for all the tortured souls in the universe. So not quite a full-blown concept record, but a collection of separate stories orbiting a central theme, somewhat like Cradle of Filth’s “Midian”. Musically speaking, all of the aforementioned influences still shine through: from the progressive aspects of our sound, via the extremity of black and death metal, all the way to highly melodic and even cinematic moments.
How has the reception been for “Souls at the Event Horizon” since its release? Are there any particular reactions or feedback that stood out to you?
Miloš: The reception has exceeded all of our expectations and we feel humbled and honored to be positively commented on and praised. We have to be realistic about our level, considering where we come from and how online platforms work, but, wherever our album was heard, people have been astonished, amazed or surprised by what they hear. It still feels surreal that someone around the world is connecting with and enjoying our music at such unprecedented levels, at least in our area. Truth be told, the reception has been stronger in the neighboring countries and some other big countries across Europe and the globe, but nevertheless, there are some names in our country’s metal community that are aware of us and that are spreading the good word. We are grateful for every like, share, or comment, verbal or written; we are astounded by the reception and we are honored to be even able to appear on this portal, which is a huge thing for us and, dare I say, even for our country and our metal scene. We will surely be putting our utmost effort to present our work to the widest audiences possible, both live and online.
With the album now out and a session guitarist being rehearsed for live performances, what are your plans for promoting the record? Will there be any tours or live shows?
Dejan: The main goal is to promote the album live, in Serbia and hopefully abroad as well. Tours are probably not an option, at least for the time being, since all of us have day jobs which require a lot of time and effort, but live shows are definitely planned, especially since the band hasn’t had any live activity since April 2022.
What’s next for Stellar Tomb after the release of this album? Are there any new projects or directions you’re exploring as a band?
Dejan: As previously stated, the main goal is to promote the album live; other than that, we are working on merchandise, namely T-shirts and CDs. We have also started working on new material; a lot of songs have been compiled in the last few years, so we are eager to finish some of them and perform them alongside the album tracks. The new songs so far explore different directions; some of the songs have a strong dissonant black metal foundation, while there is another one which is almost full-on doom metal. These are all different facets of the Stellar Tomb sound, of course, and they will not be a drastic departure from the debut album.
Looking back, how do you feel the band has grown since its inception, and what are you most proud of with this debut album?
Marko: We recorded it.
Dejan: I must concur with Marko, the fact that we have managed to record the album and to do it with such fervor and quality is nothing short of a miracle. All the hard work ultimately paid off.
Andrea: Recently, I told my mother we’d reached 10k views on our album on YouTube. To her inquiring what we got from that, my response was – just happiness. And I think for me, that interaction pretty much sums it up. I’m most proud of us for persevering and completing one chapter in this story of ours, for making something that we can pass down to future generations.
Can you share any anecdotes or behind-the-scenes stories from the recording of “Souls at the Event Horizon” that you think fans would find interesting?
Miloš: I recall the winter of December ‘23 when Marko had a severe case of laryngitis and was unable to record properly, so we reckoned that it would be a good moment for the rest of us to step in and record our gang vocals that we had been planning to add afterward. We started with those shouts in the chorus of ,,In My Land’’ – I did some harsh vocals, layered with Andrea’s shrieks and Petar’s shouts, and when the time came for Dejan to record his vocals, the rest of us went out for a smoke and refreshment. We were chatting and then, out of nowhere and at a volume completely unexpected and overboard due to him being a very calm and collected person, Dejan started belting out his words so loudly and aggressively that the doors and windows shook – it was hilarious, scary and impressive at the same time! Naturally, we started laughing our butts off behind the door of the recording chamber to the point our stomachs hurt, but unfortunately, the microphone picked up our laughter. Later you could hear us cackling and howling behind every instrument on the mixing board, so we had to redo Dejan’s takes one or two times so you couldn’t hear the rest of us…
Andrea: We also had more guts than brains when shooting photos for the promo and the social media. It seemed like we had picked the windiest, coldest day of winter, and had decided to stand in the middle of an open field to take the photos. Needless to say, by the end of the shoot we were all half-frozen, but it was worth it, and it shows how stubborn we can be collectively.
How do you see the progressive extreme metal scene evolving, and where do you think Stellar Tomb fits into this landscape?
Marko: Right where it should – at the center of the progressive music accretion disc, creating quasars and blazars when we are active and performing live, and emitting Hawking radiation when we are working behind the curtains.
Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring bands and musicians who are looking to break into the progressive metal genre?
Dejan: Don’t do it! Jokes aside, play what you enjoy first and foremost. If it is something along the progressive axis, work on your skills, listen to as much different music as you can, and try to create something of your own. Expect nothing and you’ll be rewarded manifoldly.
Miloš: Of course, the belief in oneself must be supported with objectively creative, properly played, quality music, so always give your songs a few spins, put them away for a while and when you return to listening and analyzing them, question what could be done better so as to suit the piece better. Don’t just glue together ideas, make them flow. When multiple members find a mutual and unanimous bond for the separate ideas, the result is a cohesive storytelling product that listeners will hear, and then surely come to respect and enjoy.
Souls at the Event Horizon is out now; check it out on Bandcamp. Follow Stellar Tomb on Instagram and Facebook.
