American post-metalcore band Stillnight has surely created something beautiful, more like a post-apocalyptic, heavy and hardcore sensation with their debut album, “Dream State” that any metalhead will love to listen to.
Stillnight’s debut record, which was released on March 25th, 2022 showcases the band’s capability to bring diversity through a wide-spanning tracklist with something for every metalhead to relish in.
Stillnight does more than just metal, the band is taking a step forward in ushering in a new era of modern metal music which is an honest definition of what their album Dream State has to offer. It’s a captivating and emotionally driven feeling coupled with its ethereal ambient background cascades, heavy riffs and crushing vocals.
For those who have been long-time fans of bands like Bullet for My Valentine, you will definitely fall in love with what Stillnight has managed to pull off in this dream-like state album that sends deep emotional energy down your spine bringing forth deep introspective thoughts.
Even though the tracks on the album somehow take a similar shift, one will notice a different change in pace and drift in particular songs like Atonement, Solstice, Into the – Brushfire to mention but a few that start off with a calm soothing intro before throwing you off the cliff with orgasmic guitar sound rips and drums.
The Dream State album is a fun experience, and Stillnight does a great job distinguishing its musical and lyrical style as something that integrates an ethereal ambience while adding a heavy metalcore framework to each song.
The debut album has a total of 14 beautifully crafted tracks with each invoking a different emotion as you keep listening. The band itself is innovating the post-hardcore genre while trying to build imagery at the same time. Prepare yourself as you will experience an array of heavy emotions and feelings as the band tackles melancholy, love, loss, depression, and sorrow.
Dream State tracklist
| 1. Elysian Forest | 8. Solstice |
| 2. Lustral | 9. Everbloom |
| 3. Into the | 10. Atonement |
| 4. Brushfire | 11. Chrysalismm |
| 5. Eidolon | 12. Paroxysm |
| 6. Grey | 13. Kenopsia |
| 7. Torchbearer | 14. Sleepless |
Stillnight is forging a new way in modern metal music and Dream State is their testament that it’s possible
Stillnight is an American Post-Metalcore band consisting of vocalist Danny Sullivan, bassist Tony Rogers, and guitarist Kody Thompson. The group is bringing new light to the era of modern metal music as the ethereal ambient background cascades against crushing vocals. Their deep, emotional energy and introspective thoughts bring a darker, unheard side to the genre.
The band uses a genre label to describe their music, but not to define it. They trample the outdated expectations of metalcore by ranging from brutal breakdowns to sombre verses to unlock an experience of deep emotional connection. Whether it’s a deep personal tie or a response from the music itself, Stillnight aims to connect with the intense feelings of sorrow and melancholy.
We reached out to the trio to find out more about what they are up to and what makes them tick. Find out what they had to say about their debut album and much more in the interview below;
1. Do you see your Dream State project as a powerful statement for your band that has dared to change the post-metalcore scene?
A) We do! We think between the brooding ambience, the intense instrumentation, the thought-provoking lyricism, and the diverse vocals that we’re really putting out something special. No song is quite like the last, and we were able to come up with a theme for the album without all of the songs being about the same thing.
We think the way our minds come together (while being incredibly individualistic) to create, is something that truly separates us from the rest.
2. Based on what your band has produced so far and how your music aims to connect with intense feelings, how has this influenced your creative process and in what way have your personal experiences contributed to this debut album?
A) It’s really made us think about how to carry on and how to continue to kind of hone in on the subject we’ve been loving to write about but in a different way. These songs coming to light really challenges us to find different ways to say things, but also to say something completely different as well. And we’re always evaluating ourselves and our own creative process based on what we’ve created, of course.
We’ve poured our hearts into these songs. With it being our first record and some of the first content some of us have ever created, we wanted to turn those experiences into stories. And we want the world to know they can do the same.
3. Judging from the tracklisting, songs like Atonement, Everbloom, Solstice, and Brushfire seem to communicate that there’s something bigger, a struggle within us all that we need to acknowledge so as to move forward while dealing with life’s daily hurdles. Is this something the band itself experienced while creating Dream State? And what else does the band want its fans to know?
A) We’ve all been going through things during the process of creating the album, individually and collectively. We’re trying to grow, while also holding ourselves accountable. There’s a toxicity that sometimes comes out when you’re trying to be the best version of yourself because sometimes you feel like it doesn’t exist.
You have to challenge the really bad thoughts, the demons, telling you you’re nothing. The messages in these songs are an extension of us and want our fans to know; if any of them can relate to anything they’ve heard from us, we’ve been right where they are. We’re still there.
These things get better but they don’t always if ever, go away. We want our fans to know they can connect with us and they can express themselves in a healthy way, in a creative way.
4. Why the name Stillnight? What is the idea behind it and also, did this have an influence on the debut album’s title too?
A) The name “Stillnight” was inspired by Invent Animate’s album “Stillworld.” The idea behind the name is how it feels to be out in the world/city at night when everything is still and seems inexplicably vacant.
Dream State was partly inspired by the name and the idea behind the band’s name but more driven by internal emotions and how they make one feel like they’re dreaming but still conscious during those emotions.
5. What are the band’s thoughts on the metal music scene, do you think the genre still stands strong or has it evolved over the years into something else entirely?
A) The scene gets a really bad rep sometimes and some of those times, it’s completely deserved. We recognize the faults in our scene like we hope others in different scenes do, as well. However, we see the beauty in it, sometimes when others can’t.
We see it constantly changing, we see other artists well known in the scene change, for better and for worse. A lot of the change is good; it keeps a relatively simple (at times, at least) style of music fresh and inviting. We do see that as evolution and we embrace it.
Whenever a new sub-genre emerges and an artist from that class starts getting some steam, we recognize the core that made them who they are; and that’s a big part of why we love metal.
6. How did the members of the group meet and what’s the history?
A) Kody formed the band way back in 2018 and got to work and didn’t find Danny until July of 2021 in a Facebook metalcore group. Danny had been working on his own solo project but had always been looking to get on with someone and he and Kody both thought having each other onboard was an opportunity too good to pass up.
Kody sent over the demo for the first single to Dream State, Lustral, and asked Danny to record a verse and chorus to the song and was so pleased by what he received, it was an easy decision.
The two of them got to work on the album and came across Tony in another Facebook metal group, and after some time getting to know him, Kody and Danny asked him to join. They went on to meet up in person, do a photoshoot and record two music videos in the span of several days and it lead to a blossoming friendship.
7. Is there something either of you has ever done that they think the other doesn’t know about?
A) Just the smaller things that won’t impact your daily life enough to be something that constantly gets brought up. We learn a lot about each other the more time we spend together and the longer we continue our relationships. Yet, we feel so close that it feels there isn’t much of importance that we don’t know about each other.
8. Do you have any bands or musicians in mind you would like to collaborate with?
A) We have a big list but some of our top collabs would be Jake and Patty from Reflections, Chris from Like Moths to Flames, Marcus from Northlane, and Garrett from Silent Planet.
9. Which artist/band had an impact on your decision to do music?
A) Reflections and Invent Animate are a huge reason why this band started and where we are at now. Between The Color Clear and Stillworld, those albums were a huge driving force for everything that started Stillnight.
For Danny, the vocalists of the bands that forced his love for Metalcore are the ones to thank. That being Andy and Dave from Crown the Empire, Aaron Pauley of Jamie’s Elsewhere, Austin Carlisle of Of Mice & Men, and more. These were just a few of the most influential names for him. Also, Brian from Currents was a big inspiration for Danny, telling him to do music when he expressed the desire to Brian.
10. When the band isn’t creating music, what is it that the members usually do for fun in their free time?
A) We’re all generally busy working out 9-5’s outside of anything Stillnight. We like to play video games from time to time but don’t necessarily have the time since the band and 9-5s take up a majority of our time.
Danny also likes to write and read during his free time and we all enjoy going to live concerts on occasion and spending time with certain family members or loved ones.
11. How do the members of the group manage to separate personal time from work? And has it affected your relationships both on a personal and family level?
A) First off, we try to be mindful of the free time we’ll have at the start of every week and understand that the time we spend on music will be unpredictable at times. We try not to be too strict about scheduling time for music because of this, we’d rather not be disappointed or stressed when music priorities interrupt plans we’ve made.
We also try not to work so much of our 9-5s that we end up feeling too tired or burnt out to participate in family time or music. Obviously easier said than done, but we’re managing. It has affected our personal relationships, we’ve got
into fights with significant others, we’ve been doubted, mocked, but we still push on because we know we’ll be consumed by regret in our later years if we don’t.
12. Has your group faced failure? What was the biggest one of them all and how did you overcome it?
A) Failure comes in stages, and it is a range. We were disappointed when the first single we put out together, Lustral, didn’t receive as well as we’d hoped. It was discouraging. We had to really dig deep and pull out all the inner motivation we could and try to push those doubts aside and really understand what went wrong and what needs to be done better. It took a lot of understanding.
13. How did each of you get into music? Is there an interesting story behind it?
A) For me, (Kody), I started when my uncle was going to trash his Yamaha Strat. After that, I started teaching myself as much as I could and it quickly progressed from there. I never took lessons because I had no money but I felt I picked things up quickly and took it from there.
I also learned fairly unconventionally since I bought a 7 string shortly after I started and didn’t use any standard tunings to go off. I’d say about 95% of my guitar learning has been on a 7 string and I’m 100% ok with the way I learned. It makes for interesting stories and different processes when writing, which I thoroughly enjoy.
For I (Danny), I always had a passion for music, but as a career was only something I mildly entertained as a child. It wasn’t until I got into metalcore/hardcore music that I truly realized my passion and where I wanted to go. I had developed a love for poetry in high school and liked to write just for fun and that never went away.
I started really analyzing the ‘screamo’ music I had thought was weird upon initial discovery and realized the beauty of it. I started going to these shows and fell in love with the energy, the family aspect of the whole thing. It was fun, exciting, emotional. The lyrics I read from vocalists that were so different from what I heard growing up really spoke to me. There was nothing really like it, and there still isn’t.
14. If you hadn’t become music artists, what would you be doing now?
A) For me, (Kody), I would probably have my degree in Astronomy/Astrophysics by now. I love the vastness of space and everything we do and don’t know about it. It’s very intriguing and I’d love to study more.
For I (Danny), I’d probably be channelling my energy into trying to be an author, or I’d expand into the fitness world as it is my recent newfound love.
15. Who are your favourite artists or bands?
A) We all have a huge long list but some of our top favourites are Currents, Like Moths to Flames, Northlane, Invent Animate, and Reflections.
16. What’s next for your band? Do you have any surprise projects lying in wait for your fans?
A)
17. What message would you love to give to your fans?
A) We don’t have anything too surprising in the works at the moment. We’re booking a couple of Summer/Fall tours and working on some new music but that’s about it. We’ll be sure to announce more as we figure more things out!
Check out Stillnight’s latest album right HERE and stay up to date with the band’s upcoming announcements by visiting their website.
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