Hello everyone, we’re here today with Charly and Alex from the band Queen(Ares)!
First of all, can you tell us about the origin of the band, and of its name?
Alex - The origin of the band is basically the meeting between me, Alex, guitarist, and Nico, our drummer. We started rehearsing. We had two rehearsals, then we invited Max, then Charly, and then it started to become something quite… it was very natural. One of the only guidelines was to make heavy music, to enjoy ourselves. Then, by kind of pushing each other forward, we started recording more seriously. It was a genre that made a lot of things easier at the time. We started with an album that we kind of threw out there like a message in a bottle the first time, right in the middle of Covid ; amazing from a communication point of view. (laughs) And then we just took things as they came, because again, we didn’t really have perspective; we got a few shows without really knowing where it was going. And now today, we’re in Paris, answering lots of questions about the release of the second album.

So we’re here to talk about Choices, which will be released in a week, on March 27. How are you feeling?
Charly - I think there’s definitely a sense of satisfaction in reaching the end of the process. Because it starts with the first ideas we share, that we work on individually, then together, then we record, we mix, we send it for mastering… Then there’s all the visual creation around it, etc. And after three years, now… it’s real. We have it physically today, and I feel like it really materializes something that took so much work over the past three years. And there’s also the excitement of being able to play the new songs live, with bands we’re friends with. So yeah, it’s going to be great.

And where does the album title Choices come from?
Charly - Actually, Max came up with the name. What I like to say is that it’s a very simple word, but it carries a lot of meaning. Because it reflects many things that matter to us, from personal and social relationships to more political and societal questions… Basically, the power of change we have in all of that. It can be small everyday decisions as well as bigger societal choices. So it’s a simple word, but it covers a lot.

This is an album that revolves around quite human and societal reflections… why those themes?
Charly - I think those are themes that impose themselves in the current context. And actually, the music really drives the writing process. Max and I write together, and for me, music often brings up mental images. And that’s where the themes come from. To give a concrete example, there’s Exiles, which is about what a post-collapse society might look like: small groups of people wandering, with both a sense of deprivation, something very raw and natural… and at the same time all the fear that comes with it. I’m not even sure where I’m going with this explanation anymore… but basically, the concept comes first, and then the lyrics. And even when we talk about civilizational collapse, it echoes current issues: the AI bubble, economic and ecological stakes… you can feel that we’re approaching some kind of climax. And then there’s also Black Corridors, which talks about the lives of miners in the north of France. It’s an environment we were around while working on the album, and it inspired us quite a lot.

I saw that three different places were used for the recording. How did that influence the album?
Charly - Well, those are a bit technical questions… (laughs) There were first very basic availability constraints. We wanted an album that sounded quite live, but without necessarily recording it live. On the first album, we had started recording drums in a studio, but we weren’t happy with the sound. Compared to the references we had, the image we had of what the drums should sound like… it just wasn’t there. So we went to record at Boss Hog Studio with Clément Decroix, who has an incredible drum room. And there, when you listen to the album with headphones, you can really feel that live vibe - and that’s exactly what we were looking for. For the rest, it was mostly about timing and availability. The bass and part of the guitars were recorded at Le Métaphone in Oignies, which supported us a lot for two years - with residencies, general support, even financially on some projects. And we also recorded at La Malterie in Lille, where we rehearse. We tracked guitars directly in the concert hall, in our rehearsal space. So in the end, three different places… but I feel like the album still sounds coherent overall. And above all, it’s a pretty faithful reproduction of what we wanted live.

Were there any obstacles, aside from technical ones, during the creation?
Charly - Uh… honestly, in terms of inspiration, I don’t feel like there were major blocks. The hardest part was really availability. We all have lives outside the band, so finding time to work together isn’t easy. We don’t have super structured weeks where everything is planned ahead. So that’s something we had to learn: how to organize ourselves to move forward. But apart from that… no, I don’t really remember any major artistic obstacles.

Going back to La Malterie, you’re having your release party there on the day the album comes out. Was it important for you to do it there?
Alex - Yeah, clearly. First of all, that’s where we rehearse. And La Malterie isn’t just a venue - it’s a whole artistic place. There are luthiers, painters, lots of people… it’s a real ecosystem. And it’s a venue that’s hosted quite a few bands, so of course that matters. But above all, it’s a place where we feel good. It’s quite intimate, with a good sound system, and we kind of feel at home there. So it made perfect sense to do it there.
Charly - Yeah, it’s kind of like family. I’ve been connected to that place for a long time, even outside the band. I work as a sound engineer, and I’ve worked there quite a bit. I think the first band I hosted there was Big Business. So I have a lot of strong memories in that place. And the team there is amazing. And for the release, we’re playing with Sycomore, Yarostan and Kalyug Citizen ; all bands we love. So it’s going to be really cool.

This is your second album. We’re still discovering different sides of you and what you can do. How do you see your evolution since the first one?
Alex - First of all, on a human level, you get to know the people in the band even better… to love them even more, or hate them a bit more too (laughs). But creatively, we set fewer limits for ourselves. If we wanted a folk section, we just did it. We didn’t really think about “what people might say.” We really followed what we felt. The first album was maybe more structured. This time, we allowed ourselves more freedom. And there’s also the sound: Nico, our drummer, recorded this second album, so that changes things too. But when you listen to both, there isn’t a huge gap either.
Charly - Yeah, the first album was kind of a foundation. We built on it, keeping what we liked. But I think today we’re more at ease. As a band, but also on stage. We’ve played more shows, we have more experience. And that also affects how we compose, how much we dare to try things.

Is there a lesson from the first album that you applied to the second?
Alex - If we want to put an acoustic guitar… we just do it.
Charly - (laughs) I think… yeah, maybe taking more time.
Alex - Yeah, exactly, it depends whether we’re talking musically or organizationally.
Charly - What really changed is the level of commitment. There are five years between the two albums. At the time, we all had other projects. I did too. I was in another band that took up a lot of my time. And now, there’s a much stronger involvement in Queen(Ares). We want to do things more seriously. The first album was maybe more instinctive. This time, there’s a real intention to build something.

What do you want people to feel when they listen to the album?
Alex - I’m going to say something a bit paradoxical… a joyful sadness. Because there are the lyrics, the atmospheres… but at the same time, I feel like the album remains quite open. It’s not completely oppressive. What I love is when we play a melodic part live… and you see one person - just one - really feeling it. At that moment, I feel like I’ve won everything. Because it’s a moment where you can’t mosh, you’re just… in it. And there’s something very human about that.
Charly - Yeah, I see what he means. For me, the albums that really stick with me are often the ones that make me feel better, even when things aren’t going well. You listen to a record, you go to a show… and you come out with something different. So if our album can have that effect, even on just a few people, that’s already huge. Maybe that’s it - that “positive sadness”… something that carries you.

We’re getting to the last question: do you have a message for the people listening to you?
Alex - Max often says something between songs on stage… he talks about the current situation - political, social… and he says that in the end, despite all of that, we have to love one another. It might sound a bit cheesy when you say it like that… but it makes me smile, and above all it moves me. Because it’s a form of hope.
Charly - Yeah, and in metal, there can sometimes be quite dark imagery… but we shouldn’t forget that it’s a cathartic kind of music. And at shows, you’re surrounded by lots of different people, and you share something together. There’s a real sense of humanity in those moments. So yeah… what was the line again? “Let’s love one another - that’s all we have left.”

Thank you for your time today!
Charly & Alex - Thank you!