Doomed Confessionary: Antoine, Jordan, Thomas, David & Mathieu (Alta Rossa)
Photo by Mathilde Dupanloup
Alta Rossa is an atmospheric sludge/post-metal band from Besançon, France. They are about to release their second album »A Defiant Cure« this Friday, November 22nd, 2024 via Source Atone Records.
»A Defiant Cure« symbolizes that all despair can be tamed, saturated, and sublimated, that all obscurantism can be defeated through a common, amorphous, and unpredictable rebellion. The title itself combines two opposing notions: defiance and cure, a challenge and a solution. This album is more optimistic than debut »Void Of An Era«, marking an evolution in the mindset and the desire to overcome. »A Defiant Cure« tackles what we all accept as normal, a banality of evil that triumphs over complex thought and an elusive, rich world.
Alta Rossa are Antoine Lauzel (vocals), Jordan Daverio (guitar), Thomas Dubois (guitar), David Demesmay (bass) and Mathieu Martinazzo (drums).
Can you say a few words about your band?
We weave a sludge that is both brutal, dark, and deeply felt, infused with a poignant darkness and a melancholy familiar to wounded souls. Dark riffs and haunting atmospheres unfold, inviting an oppressive journey that leaves no one unscathed. This journey, where hope and rage stand as the only keys to a nobler future, resonates with rare intensity.
While we already distill moments of distress and fury in the studio, it’s on stage that this rage erupts, unleashing itself in cathartic, almost apocalyptic moments. There, self-abandonment becomes total, and raw emotion fills the space.
From our debut album, »Void Of An Era« (Source Atone Records, 2022), we shaped ethereal textures in a whirlwind of rage and bitterness. Today, with our second opus, »A Defiant Cure«, we show that despair can be tamed, saturated, and transcended, fueling a collective effervescence that is formless and unpredictable. In doing so, we open a path that is at once spiritual, philosophical, and material, exploring the dualities and paradoxes of a scorned society yet driven by a powerful will for a wild, iconoclastic, and utopian future.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
I think we’re at a step where we need a booking agent, as we’d like to play as much as possible wherever we’re welcome, but it remains challenging at the moment. Being able to synchronize our schedules to tour even more is also quite a big challenge for us.
What can you be most proud of so far?
At this moment, we can be very proud of our new album, »A Defiant Cure«, released through Source Atone Records. We managed to bring together almost perfectly what the five of us had envisioned in terms of composition, textures, and the final result.
What was your biggest regret?
Our biggest regret is having lost a bit of time getting it released; we had scheduling issues, availability conflicts, and moments of dissatisfaction with what we were creating that slowed us down. Maybe our real regret is not having the power to clone ourselves, haha. We’re all involved in many things within the band and in our other projects, so sometimes it’s hard to deal with days that are only 24 hours long and weeks that only have seven days.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
It’s hard to pick the best one; there were so many that were completely wild! If we had to choose, it would probably be the show for the physical release of our first album at La Rodia. It was organized by friends, with a lineup of four bands made up of friends. We’d just come out of lockdown, and the venue was packed, with so many people who hadn’t seen each other in ages because of the lockdown. It was an amazing moment of reunion. Plus, we smashed a guitar on stage, haha.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
I think we’ve met some incredible people on tour, but I think we’d all agree in the band on mentioning God Mother, a Swedish band that blew us away. The energy they put out on stage was insane. We kept saying that people we’d tell about it later wouldn’t believe us.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Right now, we’re listening to some really cool stuff; here’s our top 10:
• Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere
• Chat Pile – Cool World
• Heriot – Devoured By The Mouth Of Hell
• Predatory Void – Seven Keys To The Discomfort Of Being
• Thou – Umbilical
• Knocked Loose – You Won’t Go Before You Supposed To
• Amenra – De Doorn
• Inter Arma – New Heaven
• High On Fire – Cometh The Storm
• Full Of Hell x Primitive Man – Suffocating Hallucination
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
If you want to make money with your music, sell your guitar… Luckily, we have passion on our side, haha!
What are your guilty pleasures?
There’s no pleasure, only guilty peoples 😉
Can you say something more about current music scene in Besançon?
The scene is very diverse and vibrant in our city. In all musical styles, there’s a cool grind and crust scene with bands like Proudhon, Whoresnation, or Barrage, for example. There are more rock-oriented groups like Jack And The Bearded Fishermen or Shoot The Singers, as well as more electronic acts like Horskh or Vyryl. Lauve, who sings on our first single from »A Defiant Cure«, is also releasing her debut album in a more Neo Soul style. Ultimately, there’s quite a developed diversity in Besançon.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
As we write to you, we’ve just returned from a small tour with Ancst and Inter Arma. We have a few dates scheduled in France for the end of 2024 following the release of our new album (set for November 22, 2024). We’re lined up for a tour in some venues across France, supported by our local venue for a tour called Besac City Metal with our friends from Proudhon. We’re also starting to book a small tour in Europe for the first half of 2025. We’ll see; maybe we’ll cross paths with a booking agent on the road, haha!
What are your plans for the future as a band?
We’re going to start working on new compositions. But above all, we’d like to book even more concert dates and explore opportunities to expand a bit further. Having distribution abroad would be really great. We’re working on it!
How can people best support your band?
You can obviously come see us live and buy our records through our label’s shop or on Bandcamp. You can also reach out to your local promoters to invite us to play at your venues. If the message isn’t clear: WE WANT TO TOUR MORE!
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Thank you very much. We really live in a tough time, in a corrupt world where selfishness and individualism gain ground every day. That’s the message of our album: we leave no one behind, and we keep hope alive even if it requires us to be angry.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well