Who is in the band Stealth?
Michele - We are four guys: I play the drums, then there’s Daniele who plays the
bass, Marco behind the guitars and Ivan who is the singer.
Can you share the story behind the formation of Stealth? How did the members
come together, and what was the vision you had for the band from the beginning?
Michele - Stealth originally formed in 1997 as Metal Militia when Ivan and Daniele
first met. They started as a Metallica cover band, but they also began writing their own stuff
quite early after the band was formed. A year later they met Lorenzo who immediately
entered the band as lead guitarist, he was also the one who came up with the name Stealth,
which the others liked and decided to use right away. Then, after the change of name,
Stealth spent the following years writing and recording lots of tracks and playing as many
gigs as possible. Since those years it was clear to the members that that was the life they
wanted.
Your music features a blend of various subgenres within heavy metal. How would you
describe your sound, and how has it evolved since your inception?
Michele - Since the beginning as a Metallica cover band Stealth has evolved a lot by
absorbing influences from all around the metal scene (and even other genres like techno or
pop). Today Stealth has its own signature style and grounded sound, which you can
recognize in any of the latest albums, but we always like to add new nuances to keep it
fresh.
What are some of the main topics you address in your songs, and what inspires your
lyrics?
Michele - Stealth’s songwriting takes inspiration from historical facts, everyday’s
struggles or any other topic we want to explore. For example, Fight For Your Faith, is a
concept album about war and its horrors, while the songs in Sleep Paralysis explore the
whole world between awake and asleep statuses.
Can you walk us through your typical recording process? Do you prefer to collaborate
in the studio, or do you have a different approach when crafting your music?
Michele - Before 2020 we used to write all the songs in our rehearsal room, playing
them over and over and changing parts until we liked them. Then the covid pandemic struck
and we were forced to adapt to the situation and begin writing and recording each part on
our own. Since we found out it was actually a better way to manage our time between work
and music, we stuck with it and still compose like that these days. We begin with Ivan or
Marco recording a guitar line, then they send me the track and I add the drums, if they like
it, we go on adding the bass line and then the voice. Then we add more sounds if
needed, and send the whole package to a mixing studio. And that’s pretty much
it!
What do you enjoy the most about performing on stage, and how do you connect
with your audience during shows?
Michele - As anyone would tell you, the best part of a gig would be to see the people
standing in front of you enjoying themselves while you play... but to me it’s actually when the
show is finished to really get to know these people, and listen to what they liked most about
the show or even their suggestions to improve it (because there’s always room for
improvement, period). During the show Ivan is the one who interacts with the audience, and
he does it pretty well. But there are times when we also like to step in (just go and watch the
live video of Risiko to see Daniele intruding like a bulldozer at the end).
Are there any upcoming albums, tours, or special projects that fans of Stealth can
look forward to in the near future?
Michele - I can’t say much but something’s on the way, both studio and live. Follow
us on our socials or keep an eye on our website to stay tuned and receive news on the latest
releases and tour dates.
The music industry can be tough to navigate, especially
for metal bands. What challenges have you faced as a band, and how have you
managed to overcome them?
Michele - Metal is a niche genre, we know that, but nowadays it has become really
difficult to find venues to play, especially near where we live, and on top of that, in the
age of home recording it’s getting harder and harder to emerge from the whole pot of bands
that produce their own records every year. Speaking about challenges, one of the worst
thing a band has to face in my opinion is the changing of a member, because it sets you
back a lot since firstly you need to find a good replacement (which is already hard since
there are fewer and fewer people playing instruments nowadays), then the new member
needs time to learn the songs, so it might even require a whole year to get back on track.
But hey, Stealth’s been rocking for almost 30 years now and changing a lot of members.
After all that time you learn how to overcome challenges and to land on your feet after a
blow, but most importantly, you always have to believe in yourself and in what you do.
Italy has a vibrant metal scene. How do you feel Stealth fits into that landscape, and
what relationships do you have with other local bands?
Michele - Stealth has surely made an impact in the underground metal scene during
almost three decades of activity, our fans like what we do and that’s what matters most to us.
We actually have few interactions with bands in our area since we mostly play abroad, but
we do know most of them and always like to keep good relationships, based on respect, with
everyone.
Looking ahead, what legacy do you hope Stealth will leave in the heavy metal
community? What are your long-term goals as a band?
Michele - Our goal is to be given, at least once, the chance to play in front of a huge
audience with the big bands we love. But if that desire will never become real, we’d still be
happy to leave behind some good tunes for people to listen and enjoy, maybe even being
the sound score of some beautiful memories. Peace to all.
