Interview to SCARSET REBELLION (France)

1. Hello dear friends, pleasure to have you on Rotten Pages ´zine. How are you doing today? Let us set the scene first. Where do we find you right now? Please describe your surroundings.

Evil Scar: Hi, this is Evil Scar, guitarist of Scarset Rebellion.

I’m doing very well. At the beginning of this year, I’m at home in Bayonne. It’s winter in France, and it’s quite cold this year. That doesn’t contradict global warming, but it’s clearly colder than previous years. It’s a good environment to spend more time making music at home.

Bayonne is located in the southwest of France. One particularity of our duo is that we don’t live in the same place. Kaos and I are about 200 km apart. This interview is actually asynchronous, each of us answering separately, one after the other. That’s very close to the way we compose our music.

Kaos: Thanks, everything is fine on my side as well. I’m in my apartment in Bordeaux, but the large windows overlook greenery—a protected and classified forest—so sometimes I feel like I’m in the countryside. It’s a real luxury when you live in a large metropolitan area like Bordeaux.

2. As an emerging band in the extreme metal scene, what are some challenges you've faced, and how have you overcome them to pave the way for your future?

ES: The main challenge is first a personal one: finding time. Finding time to make music and to carry out a musical project from A to Z—composing, playing, setting things up, recording, mixing, releasing something, and performing live.

All of that requires time and commitment. I wish I could say we’ve perfectly overcome all of it, but that’s not the case. However, we’re moving forward, we have a direction. We managed to release an album in 2025, another one is planned for 2026, and we would like to set up live shows and go on tour.

There’s also the particularity of being a duo, which means not all instruments can be played live. Some of them will inevitably be, so to speak, “played back.” But that might not be a constraint—it could also be an opportunity.

The other challenge is more global, related to the musical environment. A huge number of new bands and new music are released today, including very good ones, so it’s hard to stand out. But we have a direction. We know what we want to do, we do things we enjoy, and that allows us to stay resilient.

Kaos: Indeed, the time constraint is very real. In addition to my job and a busy family life, I’m also involved in two other music projects as a vocalist. That requires a lot of time and energy: rehearsals, concerts, composition, and writing. I guess I’m a bit hyperactive!

When we started Scarset Rebellion, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep up the pace, but in the end, with Evil Scar, we found our cruising speed—especially since the release of our first album Flesh Against The Void. For this album, Evil Scar also handled the lyrics, except for the hidden track at the end of the album, which you can only find on the CD version. Now, I’m starting to take part more actively in writing lyrics for some tracks (like “Break All The Blocks,” for example).

3. As a band from Bayonne-France, how has your local music scene influenced your development and growth as musicians?

ES: The French metal scene influenced me mainly during my teenage years, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with French metal bands like Loudblast, Massacra, Supuration, and Treponem Pal, which contributed to my musical education.

The southwest of France is also the homeland of our national flagship band, Gojira, whose popularity exploded after their appearance at the Paris Olympics, even though they had already been the biggest French metal band for several years. They come from a village about fifteen kilometers from where I live. I don’t know them personally (I wish I did), but you can feel their aura in the scene. It’s a local and national pride, especially since they make very elaborate, brutal, technical music, carrying values that I personally appreciate a lot.

Kaos: As far as I’m concerned, during my youth, I never really felt close to the French scene, except for Kill The Thrill, which I still listen to. Their latest album, Autophagie, is fantastic.

In the late 90s and early 2000s, I mainly followed the chaotic hardcore, noise, and grindcore scenes, and I rarely paid attention to the pure metal scene. In recent years, I’ve discovered or rediscovered truly amazing bands… 20 or 30 years later! Better late than never. And among them, there are French bands like Massacra, Crusher, or Dirge, which is actually a band from Bordeaux.

The French scene is currently becoming extremely rich and interesting. In Bordeaux as well, being an active part of the local scene, I’ve crossed paths with many bands from Bordeaux and the surrounding area. New bands are emerging, and some of them have huge potential. Recently, a French band, Hangman’s Chair, really blew me away. Their music is fascinating both on record and live. Unfortunately, they split up very recently.

4. You have a debut album “Flesh Against The Void” came out in May, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

ES: As I mentioned earlier, we’re a duo. That comes with disadvantages, but also advantages, and it creates opportunities. We’re quite comfortable working remotely and working on computers, which opens up a lot of possibilities.

Of course, we love metal: guitars, punchy drums, extreme vocals. But we thought we could maybe add an extra layer, keeping the organic and brutal side while adding elements of electronic music.

Before Scarset Rebellion, we had various musical experiences. Personally, I released several electronic music albums. That experience clearly made our approach easier and provided a solid technical foundation. Our influences are very diverse: many forms of metal, of course, but also punk, hardcore, rock, pop, many styles of electronic music, and jazz.

We didn’t look for a specific musical style for this record. We wanted to create things we enjoy. The result is quite eclectic: brutal metal, longer or softer parts, hardcore and grind passages, and very pronounced electronic sections.

Kaos: First of all, I’ve always made music within various bands, in studios or rehearsal rooms. Collaborating with Evil Scar was a challenge for me because I had never been involved in a remote project before. In the end, it wasn’t as difficult as I had imagined. I think our 30-year friendship quickly allowed an artistic connection to emerge.

We both share a common foundation: trying to offer something a bit new while staying within a fairly metal sphere. As Evil Scar said, our influences are very diverse, and for me, that’s what makes this project interesting and therefore very motivating.

5. How has your sound evolved during the songwriting process, and what inspired to creating these 7 tracks?

ES: It’s true that the sound evolved, since not everything was composed at the same time. Nevertheless, there’s a structure that ensures overall coherence across the album, because everything was done using the same software—Bitwig Studio—which I’m personally comfortable with, using deliberately recurring guitar and drum sounds across the different tracks.

The first track on the album, “Second to None,” was really the very first one composed, so it may sound a bit different, but the rest is globally very coherent.

As for the creation of the tracks, two things happen in parallel. There’s the musical composition, often built from guitar riffs, of course. And then there are ideas that inspire us—or rather, things that disgust us or depress us a bit in the current global environment. All of this allows us to talk about them, express ourselves, and encourage thinking. Once we have the lyrics and the music, the vocals need to be added, and that’s Kaos’s job, with back-and-forth exchanges in between to validate changes in the compositions.

6. Your music has been described as industrial death metal with progressive and deathcore elements. How do you balance these different influences to create a cohesive sound?

ES: Those are all labels. Labels are important and interesting, especially when you want to get known. Personally, when someone recommends a band to me, I like to have an idea of what it sounds like—whether it’s closer to death metal, thrash, or something else.

We asked friends how they would describe what we had done. But we didn’t start from labels and move toward music. We created the music first, and then labels were applied afterward. It wasn’t about balancing influences, but simply about drawing from our influences to create compositions that reflect who we are and that we enjoy.

Kaos: Before the birth of Scarset Rebellion, Evil Scar and I talked a lot about our shared desire to make music together despite the distance between us. We’ve known each other for so many years. Initially, we mostly thought about doing death metal, but gradually we realized we could integrate electronic and industrial elements.

Thanks to Evil Scar’s expertise in electronic music, this became possible. And without getting ahead of myself, the upcoming tracks will have a different color, mood, and atmosphere compared to our first album.

7. Talking about studio work, were there any elements of the recording that proved particularly troublesome?

ES: The advantage of working on a computer is that you can do as many takes as you want. There’s no need to go to a studio. And since the drums are programmed, capturing a perfect performance is less complicated.

It’s somewhat electronic in spirit, because when I compose electronic music, everything is programmed in software, and the software plays perfectly. The guitars, however, are recorded for real, but at home, with headphones on, without bothering the neighbors.

Studio work for recording the instruments wasn’t very complex. I’ll let Kaos explain how he works on his side.

Kaos: Haha, my neighbors definitely suffer!!! When Evil Scar sends me a new track, I work on it for hours to find the right vocal line. My favorite place to work and rehearse is my car, because I can scream into the void and no one will hear me!!!

Once I’ve found the right vocal approach, I usually take about a day to record at home. I generally send several vocal tracks to Evil Scar, who then handles the mix and mastering. Nothing is set in stone—we exchange feedback afterward to see if it works or if changes are needed. That’s how we operate, and it suits me perfectly.

8. What were the main challenges you faced in learning to mix music and how did you overcome them?

ES: Learning to mix didn’t start with this album. Personally, I had already mixed and recorded my electronic music albums. I’ve also recorded and mixed other bands, with real drums and microphones.

Studio work is a passion, so it wasn’t really a difficulty—it was more a pleasure. If I had to point out one challenge, it would be finding the time to dedicate to it. Once I’m in it, I’m in the flow, and I don’t see time passing. I find it extremely fascinating.

Ultimately, the goal is to have a good sound. You have to constantly train yourself, test things, listen to what’s being done, and identify what you like.

9. As a band, what do you hope listeners take away from your music? What emotions or connections do you aim to evoke through your songs?

ES: I’d say there are two things. First, the music itself. Listening to metal is a multifaceted and deeply personal experience. It’s not background music. Because it’s often very technical, you appreciate the nuances. Many people who listen to classical music find metal cacophonous, but metalheads know it’s a demanding music in terms of listening, and also very rewarding, because it’s emotionally rich.

Metal isn’t just brutal. There are tensions, releases, epic moments. When we create music, the idea is to move the listener, starting by moving ourselves. We listen to what we do, we like it, and we try to push it further to make it even better.

The second thing is the transmission of values. Our values are diverse, but the idea is to encourage autonomy, thinking, education, and knowledge in order to overcome the challenges of today’s world, which is brutal, infantilizing, even enslaving. People are treated like idiots, fed like cattle, given false ideas, and brutalized. How can an individual, how can a society react to this? Our goal is to encourage that critical reflection.

Kaos: For me, Scarset Rebellion is about honesty. We don’t cheat. We put what we feel on the table, even when it’s dark or brutal. It’s music that doesn’t try to please at all costs, but to be true.

What people don’t always see is how multifaceted metal really is, and Scarset Rebellion offers something a bit different once again. There are as many styles as sensitivities in our music. You can find violence, but also melancholy, beauty, and reflection. It’s a much broader universe than people imagine.

10. What is the spiritual ideology or philosophy that drives you both as individuals and as a band? Do you think it can become a limit to your creativity?

ES: I don’t think it’s a limitation—on the contrary. As you’ve seen, we still separate music and lyrics, even though we try to meet on brutality, beauty, discovery, and exploration.

I don’t see how it could be a limitation. On the contrary, it’s a strength. Basing yourself on values provides a reference point, something motivating. Values cost nothing to express; they just need to be expressed. Energy is born from the expression of our values.

Kaos: On the contrary, our philosophy gives us a clear direction without boxing us in. Our influences are very diverse, and it’s this mixture that fuels our creativity. I have no desire to release the same album ten times.

With Evil Scar, each track is an opportunity to explore a new universe, to surprise, to experiment. Diversity isn’t a problem for us—it’s what keeps our music alive, constantly moving, and makes us want to go further.

11. Scarset Rebellion is basically a duo project, are there any plans for collaboration with other artists or musicians in the future, and if so, what excites you about the potential of those collaborations?

ES: Being a duo has advantages and drawbacks. One drawback is that some people may think it’s not a “real” band. But today, many artists perform solo and manage to create exceptional live performances without just using playback. I think mentalities have evolved on that point.

We haven’t played live yet, but it’s a goal. We’re in contact with a drummer, without knowing yet if he could integrate the project. That would require a lot of additional work, especially rehearsals, given the distances between us. But nothing is impossible. Rehearsing separately is perfectly feasible today.

However, creating a live show as a duo seems more realistic for us at the moment. As a duo, we’re more mobile and can move faster.

As for collaborations, why not. It’s always a matter of opportunity. If it’s interesting and compatible with our values, we’ll go all in. Otherwise, it’s not a priority.

Kaos: Indeed, Evil Scar and I are thinking about the possibility of performing live. Metal is something you really experience in concert. There can be a real communion between a band and its audience, a very strong energy, but also a lot of respect. It’s a space where people can be themselves, without masks. And we want to live that experience and share our universe on stage. It will take time, for sure, but I agree with Evil Scar that together, everything is possible!

As for collaborations, to be honest, we never discussed the topic during the creation of our first album, nor for the upcoming tracks. However, the door isn’t closed—if it primarily serves the song.

12. Evil Scar, you handle most of the instruments. What challenges and advantages do you experience as the main performer in the band?

ES: I love learning. I’ve learned to play drums, bass, and guitar, mostly self-taught, in different bands. I’m not a genius on every instrument, but knowing how to play them all makes composition easier.

The goal for the album was to move fairly quickly. There was no question of recording myself playing drums—it’s too complex and too time-consuming, especially since we now have tools capable of reproducing the sound of a real drummer.

So bass and drums are composed on a computer. Guitar is partly composed on a computer as well, and then everything more technical or organic is recorded by me. As for synthesizers, I used hardware gear for a long time, but today, composing directly on a computer is faster, and the sound quality is equivalent. It’s all a matter of inspiration.

13. Live performances are an integral part of the metal experience. Does Scarset Rebellion have any plans for live shows or touring in the future?

ES: We’ve already touched on that. The answer is yes, but nothing is clearly defined yet. We’re in the process of building our repertoire. The first album has seven tracks, which isn’t necessarily enough to create a full live performance.

We both have fairly busy schedules, but it’s a project. Will it be in 2026 or later? I can’t say. We’d like to share the stage with other bands, introduce our music, and share it with the audience. It’s definitely a goal.

14. You're still at the beginning of your career, how do you see the term "underground" in times of pay-to-play festivals and the like and what significance does it have for you?

ES: The band is young, but we’re not anymore. We’re between 40 and 50 years old, with a certain amount of experience, even if it’s not professional.

We’re well aware that making a living from music is difficult today, and even more so in extreme metal. The number one mission is therefore to enjoy ourselves and to be able to share.

The underground is something that has always attracted us in metal. We’ve always been interested in more local, lesser-known bands.

The music world is an industry, and it’s hard to live off your music unless your name is Metallica, Billie Eilish, or Lady Gaga.

You can’t really live off recordings anymore, and Spotify is clearly not a gold mine for an underground metal band. Having to pay to play festivals seems quite absurd. I don’t know if it’s viable in the long term, or if audiences really want to see the same bands year after year.

Pay-to-play exists in France, but it’s not the dominant model. It mainly appears in disguised forms: venue rentals, showcase competitions with ticket quotas, systems where the financial risk rests solely on the bands.

In the underground, the most common model remains the door deal. It’s not ideal, but at least the rules of the game are clear. For us, paying to play only makes sense if it’s a fully assumed choice, like a one-time investment. Otherwise, it raises real ethical and sustainability issues for the scene.

We’re going to do our best to exist and find our audience. How exactly—we don’t know yet, but we have ideas, and we’ll do what we can.

Kaos: It’s true that for a young band like ours, making a place for ourselves isn’t easy. There are so many bands, especially in the underground, where talent is everywhere. We keep our feet on the ground: we’ll never play in giant stadiums, and our music is less mainstream than, say, Coldplay.

In Bordeaux, there are venues where you can play, and sometimes you do have to pull out the checkbook to get on stage. Personally, I really struggle with that practice. From an ethical standpoint, it’s not compatible with my vision of art. For us, creating and playing must remain a matter of passion and sharing—not a transaction.

15. I want to thank you, sincerely, for your time. Before we end our conversation, is there anything else in particular you’d like to share?

ES: First of all, thank you very much for the opportunity to do this interview, and thank you for the work you do to keep the underground alive on a global scale.

The fact that a French band is interviewed by a Peruvian fanzine shows that globalization can also have positive aspects.

Within this globalization, I believe that every individual has potential. But that potential doesn’t express itself on its own. I invite everyone to reflect on how to develop it, express it, and make it real. Thanks again.

Kaos: Stay curious, dare to explore, and above all, always keep your freedom. That’s what music is all about. Don’t be afraid to step off the beaten path. Don’t let anyone dictate your choices. Scarset Rebellion is, in a way, about stepping out of a certain comfort zone.

For us, what matters most is the authenticity we want to convey. I hope we’ll reach more and more people, and it’s thanks to passionate individuals like your readers—and to you, who created this fanzine on the other side of the world—that amateur bands like ours can achieve wider exposure. So a big thank you to you!

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