Written about our post-apocalyptic, quarantined state, STARLESS set the scene with a fantastical story of a small cult of modern bandits looking to burn down the system. The universe they paint with their new video matches the vibes their sound projects onto their quickly growing fan base. STARLESS keeps most of modern metalcore formulas for crushingly heavy riffs and spices it up with their own sci-fi, synth driven progressive metal topping.
“Regicide” was an uphill battle in creation, but worth every second of it. While the track has been written since 2019, the recording process was halted due to the pandemic.
“After making sure all conditions were safe for us to proceed, we immediately hit the studio and spent 4 days filming the video.” – comments the band. “In this video, we aimed to demonstrate the events being described in the song which revolves around a corrupt king meeting his end.”
“๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐” ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐ก๐, ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐, ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐, ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, Starless was born in early 2019 from the ashes of a previous project. Formed with the desire to blend influences from a diverse range of genres, Starless aims to create heavy music that is both palatable and thematic with unique subject matter. Brothers and guitarists Kenny and Joe Barth frame either end of the sound with intricate guitar work and instantly recognizable riffs alongside the vocals of Walter Stefanides dancing between guttural growls and powerful clean vocals.
Filling out the sound, Dylan Roberts lays out symphonic soundscapes, ear-catching interludes, and science fiction-esque synthesizers while Ethan Clifton holds the band together, himself a rhythmic machine of precision that perfectly accents the pieces he supports.
Starless released their self-titled debut EP on October 28th of 2019, solidifying the many directions they’d each come from and the many more they plan on going.
Each song contains the same elements of lofty melodic passages interchanged with brutal, more driven breakdowns and riffs, however they each explore a different tone and style of song, a principle further explored in their newest release, โRegicideโ.
โRegicideโ is a fast-paced track combining the best attributes of their debut EP with a different approach to electronic elements. Debuted alongside an ambitious music video, Starless aims to not only create a memorable listening experience but a unique viewing experience as well.
Starless began playing shows shortly after their formation, and in the short time since their inception have played many stages with numerous talented bands from around the US, including Hollow Front, Wolves At the Gate, Settle Your Scores, and Convictions. Following the release of โRegicideโ, Starless plans to continually record and release new material that revisits their established sound while rotating in additional musical elements not previously introduced.
The current local music scene in Cincinnati was forced to adapt due to the pandemic, and many bands pivoted in the right direction.
“At first, it was a scary thing, we had venues threatening to close and many bands had to cancel their tours.”- offers the band.
“With the low attendance happening prior to the pandemic, we were terrified there wouldn’t be a community to bring it back up. But even though it seemed like numbers were down, the love was still there. Through donations and fundraisers, the local scene saved its venues, and now we are all patiently waiting for shows to come back safely.”
To conclude, ever hungry for new music tips, we asked STARLESS to give us their top bands recommendations, and here;s what they shared:
“We would love to recommend our friends in Hollow Front, Colony Collapse, Settle Your Scores, The World I Knew, and Third Person Omega. We have played with 4 of these groups but our show with TPO was, unfortunately, one of the first victims of COVID-19.”
