Daniel Steiner, a Vancouver-based progressive metal guitarist and composer, has been honing his sound for years, drawing influences from bands like Dream Theater and Opeth. His latest release, Born of Stardust (review here), is a bold leap forward in his musical journey. Having started his musical career inspired by Guitar Hero III, Steiner’s evolution from playing iconic riffs to creating complex progressive metal speaks about his dedication and passion. In this interview, we explore his influences, creative process, and the journey that led him to his newest EP, diving into themes inspired by science fiction and fantasy, alongside his technical guitar feats and growth as a musician.
Can you take us back to the moment Guitar Hero III inspired you to pick up the guitar?
I was about 10 years old and Guitar Hero III was the most popular game at the time. All my friends would gather at someone’s house that owned the game to play while the rest of us patiently waited for restocks to buy it. When I finally ordered a copy of the game, I told my friend and he bragged to me that he was about to receive his first real guitar. Being the jealous kid that I was, I immediately asked my dad to start teaching me to play guitar with the acoustic that we had at home. It may sound ridiculous, but I was inspired more by a desire to fit in than anything that Guitar Hero III specifically offered to me.
What was it about the game that sparked your passion for music?
While Guitar Hero III may not have been the direct reason I picked up guitar, it was filled with legendary riffs and melodies that gave me focus early on with music. I still remember sitting down to learn Sunshine of Your Love, Rock You Like a Hurricane, The Metal, Paint it Black, and many more of the iconic songs from the game’s track listing.
How did those early influences like Metallica, Iron Maiden, and AC/DC shape your approach to songwriting and guitar playing?
The thing I have always appreciated about those early influences is how they could make a song sound amazing with simple ideas. As I have gotten deeper into more progressive and technical music I still try to hold true to the foundations of early metal and rock. Catchy riffs are super important to hold a listener’s ear and repetition binds your ideas in a song. Nothing Else Matters has one of the simplest guitar parts in any song I’ve heard and it is also one of the most iconic, simply picking through an Em chord. Knowing that sometimes simplicity is all you need can go a long way.
What were some of the challenges you faced when you first started writing and recording your own music?
When I first started writing and recording my own music I really didn’t know anything about music production or audio engineering. I had a Line 6 Spider Amp, Shure SM7B, M-Audio Fast Track USB interface, and absolutely no clue what I was doing. I used to watch Ola Englund’s YouTube tutorials on double tracking guitars and using EZ Drummer to program drums, which got me far enough to start getting some tracks recorded.
Cube of Infinity was a pivotal part of your musical journey. How did discovering bands like Dream Theater and Opeth change your creative approach?
Dream Theater was the first band I had listened to that really utilized odd time signatures. I really quickly learned that you could write sick prog riffs by taking a simple idea and just changing the rhythms or notes slightly bar-to-bar to get progressive time signature changes. I could never shred like John Petrucci, but his riffs and Portnoy’s drum parts were heavily prevalent in my writing at the time. I heavily used rhythmic groupings that fit nicely into 5/8 or 7/8 sections with Portnoy inspired drums and layered melodies to form my first progressive songs.
On the other hand, Opeth presented this darker, evil side of metal that I was just beginning to discover. I still remember being very reluctant to listen to music with death metal growls, but the balance of Mikael Akerfeldt’s cleans to his screams slowly influenced me to enjoy heavier vocals. I was also fortunate enough to see Opeth perform with Mastodon and Ghost, after which I spent hours learning songs like The Grand Conjuration and Demon of the Fall.
Progressive metal often features complex time signatures and intricate rhythms. How did playing upright bass in your school’s jazz band help you develop these skills?
Playing in a jazz band taught me a lot about syncopation and space. The bass lines were often straddling the bar line and didn’t always land on one. Learning this kind of syncopation is so important in prog if you’re trying to create variation in your ideas. You can repeat the same idea three or four times, but keep it interesting by introducing rhythmic changes around the bar line. I also learned about space and how important it is to listen to other players in your band. Sometimes it’s better to do less, regardless of what instrument you’re playing, to let other instruments take precedent. And sometimes you can hear something really cool that another player is doing and double it, harmonize it, or complement it in really interesting ways. Making a compelling song isn’t just about a single instrument, it’s about the ways all the sounds build upon and complement one another.
Tell us about the process of creating your first full-length album, Tendons of the Gods. What were the most valuable lessons you learned from that experience?
One of the most valuable lessons I learned from recording Tendons of the Gods was that recording an entire album takes a lot of time and effort. Even with all of the accessibility that modern recording techniques have brought us it’s still very hard to make a completed piece of work.
Were there any specific tracks from that album that you feel defined your musical identity at the time?
The Cube of Infinity Suite was really defining for me. It was a combination of unreleased tracks from my time with my band, Cube of Infinity, and songs I had written that felt like they fit the vibe of those pieces. I think those songs had the best structure and melodies in them and brought back lots of feelings of the difficult emotions that we all go through in high school.
Astrophysics is a fascinating field. How did your studies at the University of British Columbia influence your music, if at all? Did the analytical thinking required for astrophysics impact how you approach music composition or problem-solving on the guitar?
Studying Astrophysics certainly has ties to how I approach music. Given that the field requires a strong understanding of math and physics this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Music has a lot of math imbued in it, including acoustics and geometry. I’ve found that my brain is really good at finding patterns within structure, which meant I was very capable of performing well on homework and exams in University without fully understanding the theory behind why something works. Similarly, I find that patterns and structure help me to compose and find interesting ways to write on the guitar, despite only knowing the core foundations of music theory. When I write, I will use some theory as a basis to sanity check myself, but I mostly look for interesting shapes and rhythmic patterns to write songs. For example, there’s a riff in Divine Knight from my EP that has lots of stretching chords and unusual dissonance, but it’s the shape of those chords and the symmetry in some of the patterns that makes it such a satisfying riff to play and listen to. I’ve also previously written rhythmic patterns just choosing groupings of notes that I think would be interesting, such groups of 16th notes and grouping them like 4-3-2-3-1 with rests in between each group and repeating. You can get some really interesting ideas by playing with numbers and geometric patterns on your instrument.
How did forming Tetra push you creatively as a musician?
Tetra was this incredible little bubble of a project that I wish had been able to succeed. We went through two vocalists, and which eventually led towards myself on guitar and vocals alongside the other guitarist and drummer. So there was this new challenge of learning to play heavy technical riffs while doing death growls and staying in time with the rest of the band. I still remember frightening my downstairs neighbour while trying to practice vocals.
I also had to practice as much as I could just to keep up with the other members of the band. Andres Tarazona, who was shredding on lead guitar, is an absolute beast of a musician. He was ripping John Petrucci solos and Archspire riffs long before I had even attempted to try such things. Now he’s representing Felix Martin Guitars and continuing to push the boundaries of modern music. On drums we had Ethan Shapiro, who was not only a very talented drummer, but also wrote some really interesting songs. He had this mind for melody and rhythm that really inspired me to try new ideas when composing. I still remember this one really progressive section that took hours for me to memorize and hours more to get it tight with the band. I still try to find ways to incorporate writing like that into my music today.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted countless projects. How did it affect your creative output, and how did you stay motivated during that time?
Oddly enough, the pandemic was a period of time in which I was able to have a lot of creative and personal growth. I had just finished school, begun a new relationship, was working on an indie game called Party Parkade with some friends, and started a new job at Next Level Games. So I was really motivated to create an awesome soundtrack for Party Parkade, learn a lot about software engineering for games, and be a good partner in my new relationship.
It wasn’t until about a year and half after the pandemic started that I took to dedicating myself to music again. Once I was really settled into my full time job, I realized that I had time and energy for music, so I got myself a Solar Guitars A1.6 Vinter and started writing songs for The Hunt. I think that giving myself a goal to work towards was the most important thing to keep myself motivated during that time. Without The Hunt as my musical endeavour, I may have let music fall by the wayside again, especially without the ability to jam with other musicians.
The Hunt marked your first foray into writing and recording vocals. What was that transition like for you?
There are so many challenges when it comes to writing and recording vocals that I’m still trying to figure out to this day. Like, why does my voice always sound better when I’m singing or screaming in the car than it does when I go to record it? Or how come there’s this weird low overtone that comes through my screams that I can only hear when I track vocals? These questions made recording vocals quite a challenge at the time. I was also living in a 250 square foot suite inside a house with two families living in it, so I was constantly worried that my demonic noises were going to scare the baby on the other side of the wall. Needless to say that no one complained and my partner even remarked that she thought it was cute when I was making hellish noises in the other room.
Writing vocals was also a very new challenge for me, but I just tried to keep things extremely simple. The vocals were a means to end, the end being that I just wanted vocals to add texture and musical substance to my songs. The lyrics didn’t have to be deep, so I wrote them about my favourite media. I pulled from Lord of the Rings and Bloodborne to write songs about immortal dwarves and sacrificing yourself to an outer god. I also pulled inspiration from the Fallout games to write about being a ghoulish mutant that eats flesh to revitalize themselves. These are all cool themes for metal songs and enjoyable for me to write about, even if the lyrics were not particularly poetic.
Can you talk about your lyrical inspirations for that EP, especially your references to Bloodborne and Lord of the Rings?
I used Bloodborne as the inspiration for the song Cosmic Retribution. It was also kind of the inspiration for the name of the EP, The Hunt, as in Bloodborne they say that a “hunter must hunt.” The song is in reference to the end of the game which, spoilers, is about becoming reborn as an eldritch horror. The lyrics “from beyond a pale moon, emerges an unspeakable beast” are literally just talking about the final boss, Moon Presence. It’s really not that deep but the themes of that game are so cool that I couldn’t help but write about them.
Lord of the Rings inspired the song Immortals. I think I read somewhere that there are some fantasy dwarves that live forever, or at least that they live for a very long time. This song is about the dwarves being great craftsmen that aid heroes, live in the midst of a balrog, and try to defend themselves against higher beings that may try to kill them.
What was your creative vision for Born of Stardust, and how does it differ from your previous work?
Born of Stardust was this massive effort to push my compositional efforts and guitar technique to produce something more akin to the bands I listen to today. Bands such as The Zenith Passage, Lorna Shore, Brand of Sacrifice, Archspire, and Haken are all pushing these barriers every day and I felt like I should try my hand at writing like them. The main riff of Abomination was actually an exercise I wrote to practice fast picking arpeggios for Haken’s Nil By Mouth. The choppy technical sections in Divine Knight were inspired by The Zenith Passage’s Deus Deceptor. If you look hard enough I’m sure you can find lots of inspiration from these bands and more in this EP.
After writing the EP I really struggled for a bit to find what the theme would be. Eventually I landed on the idea that there should be a story to go along with it. I developed this idea that each song represented a different character in a scifi-fantasy world where three planets are at war for the last remaining resources in their solar system. Each planet agrees to name a hero that will fight in a glorious battle to determine the planet that will take ownership of the remnants of their solar system. In doing so, they would discover a secret about a fourth planet where lies a great evil born of corruption and greed. These characters and the evil one can be seen on the cover art for Born of Stardust.
Working with Jacob Gold and Oswin Wong to overcome speed barriers sounds intense. What were some specific technical challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest thing I struggled with in my playing was alternate picking, and I could not find a consistent method online to fix it. Most people would just say that I needed to keep practicing, but that doesn’t help if the practice never feels consistent. With Jacob I learned that my picking angle was far off from where it should be, and my right arm was too stagnant on the guitar. I started to work on playing with my pick more parallel to the body of the guitar, and moving my arm up and down as I traversed the strings. This enabled me to have a better pick attack and move more comfortably across strings.
With Oswin we explored some technical riffs and solos. He’s one of the most talented shredders I know, so I knew I could learn a lot just from watching him play. We talked about when to pick light or hard, hand positioning and use of wrist and elbow in playing, and looking at Obscura, The Zenith Passage, and his band Plaguebringer for inspiration. He was nice enough to pass on the tabs for Plaguebringer’s live setlist so I could practice some of their intense playing, which really helped me push ahead on playing faster lines. Another great piece of advice he gave me was to make sure that I could sing a part before I play it. Sometimes you have to make sure your brain can keep up with your hands in order to play at high tempos.
The EP features complex riffs and intricate compositions. How did you balance technicality with making the music engaging and memorable for listeners?
Melody, space, groove, and repetition are some fundamental concepts that I always think about when writing music. With melody, it’s more likely that the song would get stuck in the listener’s head. This is also really important for memorizing your own work as you want to be able to hear the melody in your own head while you’re playing.
Space is necessary to let the listener breathe. In Divine Knight, I do this by breaking up the heavy riffs with symphonic sections. In Abomination, there is an ambient section in the middle that allows the listener to take a break and enjoy some ethereal sounds. Lastly, in Born of Stardust, the solo section lets the listener enjoy a wide soundscape before jumping into the technical proggy ending. Providing space like this not only lets the listener relax for a moment, but it also makes it easier to fill out the duration of your song.
Groove is what is going to get your listener moving their body to your music. Whether it’s the consistent hit on a china during a breakdown, or the kick timing with a djenty riff in a chorus, you have to find a way to get the percussion and instruments to complement each other and push through a satisfying beat. I think this keeps metal music fun and gives the listener something to look forward to in a technical song.
Lastly we have repetition. I cannot stress this enough – writing music is so much easier if you let yourself repeat your ideas. It also solidifies the ideas for the listener so that an extremely technical element doesn’t feel out of place. I think every song on the EP starts with an idea and ends with that same idea. This isn’t a necessary method, but it is one of the things that helps pop songs feel so appealing and satisfying. Take your best parts of your songs and let the listener enjoy them as much as possible. The best way to do this is to add slight variations on repetition as well. Change the drums, add or remove layers, or play the same melody on a different instrument. All of these things work to make songwriting easier and create a better song.
What was it like collaborating with Evan Morgan for mixing and mastering and Sydney Schaade for the cover art?
Both of them were an absolute pleasure to work with. I’ve known Sydney for over 5 years now as she has done many of my tattoos. She has a real talent for taking my abstract ideas and turning them into something that’s even cooler than the image I had floating around in my head. She’s also a huge nerd so I know she’s always down to take on my weird nerdy art challenges.
On the other hand, this is my first time working with Evan. He was recommended to me through a friend at work as someone who just knows how to make music sound good, and he couldn’t have been more correct. Evan has made my music sound more professional than I ever thought it could sound. The drums were massive, he nailed the guitar tone, made everything really well balanced, and even added a couple ideas of his own to the final production. I would highly recommend him regardless of the genre you are producing for.
What does Born of Stardust represent in your musical journey, and how do you see yourself evolving as an artist in the future?
Born of Stardust is the first collection of music I’ve put out that I think really solidifies myself as a professional musician. While I have no current plans to make music my full-time job, I think this proves that I can make good, high quality music in my free time that I can be proud of and share with the world. It has also increased my confidence in my playing and has encouraged me to seek out other musicians to work with. As I continue to grow as an artist, I want to find more ways to collaborate with others and let our ideas influence each other. While I know what I’m good at, I know that there are also others out there that can do some things much better than me.
Are there any dream collaborations or future projects you’re particularly excited about?
I’ve currently got a handful of cover songs mostly recorded that I’m very excited to release. I’m hoping to do more metal arrangements of non-metal songs, like one of the covers I’ve done of Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso that I’ve yet to release. I have also been jamming with some people when I have time, and writing with some people for an unannounced project. You’ll definitely be able to expect more of my technical writing coming through with that new music.
I’m also always on the lookout for more collaborations. I did a cover of Ancient Covenant by The Faceless last year with Paul Ouzounov, Calvin Reid, and Lief Olsen. That was such a fun little project and I’m hoping I can do more stuff like that.
What advice would you give to young guitarists and songwriters who are just starting their musical journey?
Write down, record, or film every idea that you have. If you have a little bit of money, you can grab Guitar Pro fairly cheap and use that to help you write out your music. This has been an essential tool for me to create and practice difficult riffs and solos. Use your phone to film yourself playing so you can catch cool ideas that you have or see where your technique may be lacking. You can also get audacity for free and start recording your ideas fairly easily with a USB microphone or cheap audio interface. If you get an audio interface, you can also grab a cheap Neural DSP plugin and start recording ideas with high quality tones really easily.
Lastly, find people to play music with. Whether you’re jamming your favourite songs, improvising over chord changes, or writing crushing riffs together, you’ll find yourself growing more as a musician if you’re working with other people. If you’re having trouble finding people to play with, see if there’s a music school in your neighbourhood and get involved there. Oftentimes they will host events where people can get together to play or give opportunities for you to perform at a recital. If that’s not available, then at least learning from a teacher will continue to give you new goals to work towards.
Born of Stardust is available on Bandcamp. Follow Daniel Steiner on Instagram and YouTube.
