Interview with COMMOTION

Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.

Let’s start from the beginning.For those who are discovering COMMOTION for the first time, could you introduce the band to our readers? Who are the members, when and how did the band come together, and what was the initial idea behind COMMOTION?
Yes of course! We are a Thrash & Death metal band from Montréal, Québec, Canada. We're a three-piece. Me (Julien) on bass and vocals, Vince on guitars and Jimmy on drums. We started jamming together and writing songs in May 2025. Vince and I have been friends and bandmates for a while : we had 2 bands before, Canceric in which we both played guitars and Necrosphere in which he played guitars and I played bass. Jimmy is a friend of ours who offered to try and fill in on drums when we were looking from a drummer and he ended up being one hell of a revelation, haha! He rips behind the kit! So yeah, Vince and I felt ready to start a new project and teamed up with Jimmy to end up writing a full length record in only 1 year!

You have recently released your debut album, ''The Eldritch Tales''. How has the response been so far from both your audience and the international Metal press? Has the reception surprised you in any way?
So far, it's been amazing! As of today, our Youtube video of the full album has surpassed 15.000 views and almost 500 likes and it's only been out for 3 weeks. Pretty crazy. Also, many excellent comments and reviews from all around the world. So we're pretty pleased.

The cover artwork of ''The Eldritch Tales'' has a really dark and captivating atmosphere. What can you tell us about its concept, and how closely is the artwork connected to the music and themes of the album?
The artwork is 100% connected to the lyrical themes of the album. If you read the lyrics and take a close look at all the details on the album cover, you'll definitely start making connections. We wanted the artwork to reflect the stories on the album.

Lyrics are another important part of the album.What are the main themes and stories explored throughout ''The Eldritch Tales''? Do you approach songwriting from a personal, fictional, or perhaps more horror-oriented perspective?
The album, on a lyrical point of view, is actually conceptual. The first song (The Eldritch Tales — Prologue) is like reading the intro -- the prologue -- to a book of short stories. Then, the 8 following songs (excluding Veteres Horrores, which is an instrumental interlude), are like 8 short stories. The themes are all dark / weird / fantastical. All of them happen in olden times. So, this is the lyrical concept of the album. I get inspired by some already existing fantastical lore and I also invented some of those stories.

Are you currently looking for a record label to work with? More generally, how do you feel about the Label vs. DIY approach? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each from your perspective?
Well, we did this whole record DIY. We hired professionals for the artwork and for producing the album, but no label was involved. We'd love to be able to work with a label that'd help us releasing more physical material (such as vinyl records), while broadening our listener base, but we wouldn't accept any deal blindly. Hopefully an underground-focused label that works with its artists would approach us at some point. In the meantime, we will remain DIY and we're fine with it.

Every band eventually collects a few unforgettable moments along the way. Do you have any funny, bizarre, chaotic, or unexpected stories from the recording sessions or your live shows that you would like to share with us?
There have been a lot of funny and absurd moments, joking around and talking shit. Mostly at the jamspace or while we were recording the album. We also rented a small countryside house for 3 days last year, where we brought all of our gear and jammed and actually wrote a full song there. That was a super fun experience and helped us bond even more.

Physical formats still have a special place in Metal culture. Vinyl, cassette, CD, or digital, which format do you personally prefer, and what makes it special to you? Do you think physical releases are still important for an underground band today?
To me, vinyl records and cassette tapes are awesome. Vinyls because of the quality -- both the physical product being bigger and having more details in the artwork and so on, as well as the audio quality of course -- and cassette tapes because of the vintage feel they give. I personally collect vinyls and cassettes and I love listening to them once in a while. So for me, physical products are super important and in a larger perspective, for the metal community it is actually vital. Without physical products for sale, most bands wouldn't be able to afford being in a band. Obviously, on the other end, digital format helps reaching much more people and broadening your fan base.

COMMOTION's sound combines elements of Death and Thrash Metal. Which bands and artists have had the biggest influence on your musical identity? And are there any less obvious influences that people might not expect to hear in your music?
I think the most obvious in our sound would be bands like Power Trip, Demolition Hammer, Voïvod. Maybe Death, too. But we're influenced by a lot of bands and we also try to have our own sound. So yeah, there might be a few parts here and there that go out of the "Thrash & Death metal" box, but we mostly remain in that soundscape. We're super open to including different elements to our music though.

Being in a Metal band requires time, money, energy, and sometimes personal sacrifices. What do you think a band has to sacrifice in order to move forward and achieve its goals? Have you personally had to give up or change anything in your lives for COMMOTION?
Well, the first thing that comes to mind is your job. If you want to achieve your goals as an underground metal artist, you'll most probably have to take a lot of time off work and that might end up being a bad thing for keeping said job. Might be complicated for some people. Also, you'll have to sacrifice time with your family, and that could become an obstacle to moving forward with the musical project. Otherwise, the obvious answer is the money it costs to release music. If you do it all DIY, you have to pay for everything (recording, artwork, physical copies, merch, banner for live shows, etc etc) out of your pocket and it costs a lot.

Imagine you could design your ''perfect live show'' with no limitations. What would it look and feel like from the venue and atmosphere to the audience and the band's performance? Have you already experienced a concert that came close to that ideal?
To me, a perfect show would be on a smaller stage at an outdoor festival in Europe. Probably Brutal Assault, which I personally attended 4 times and will go to for a 5th time in 2027. This fest is the best!! If we could have the chance to play there in front of a packed smaller stage, I think that'd be awesome and, in a way, the most realistic scenario for a band like ours. But we're far from there at the moment. Unfortunately, we're yet to experience this kind of show, even with our older bands. But we've had some really cool shows in small venues where the people went mad and loved our performance.

Artificial Intelligence is becoming increasingly involved in music production, songwriting, artwork, and promotion. What is your opinion on the rise of AI in music? Do you see it as a useful tool, a threat to creativity, or perhaps a bit of both?
In music, the rise of AI is definitely a nuisance and, at some point, even a threat. For example, I imagine the artists that create art for metal bands, that start to see more and more bands use AI for their artworks and concert posters. Some of the good artists might, at some point, stop doing this if they can't get enough work... Also, AI art looks horrible, haha. I have to say, though, that I'm not completely anti-AI in every way. I see the use of it as a tool, to be perfectly fine, as long as creativity remains your main focus.

There are countless Metal bands around today, making it increasingly difficult for a new band to stand out. What do you believe a band needs in order to develop a strong identity and avoid sounding like just another band in the scene?
Being genuine and true to yourself. Try not to write music for others, but for yourself. Also, stay open to criticism, both within the band and outside the band. I think with enough time and hard work, your band will eventually stand out.

Digital platforms such as streaming services and social media have completely changed the way underground bands reach listeners. Do you think these platforms genuinely help new Metal bands, or do they also create new problems? In your opinion, what is the most effective way for an underground band to promote its music today?
It can most definitely help newer bands. For example, if a song from your new band ends up on a big Spotify playlist that has a lot of listeners, you'll get a huge boost of visibility and that certainly can be useful. I think that, in 2026, streaming platforms are important for most artists. But they're not absolutely essential and a some underground bands don't use them and end up doing well too.

Looking back at your own experience so far, what advice would you give to a young Metal band that is just starting out? Is there anything you wish someone had told you before COMMOTION began?
As I answered before, stay genuine and true to yourself. Also, be proud of what you do and spread the word about your music. Don't be shy! Otherwise, of course, you'll have to put in the effort, time and money if you want to put out a product that people want to acquire.

Montreal has a long and interesting history within the extreme Metal scene. How would you describe today's underground Metal scene in Montreal and Quebec? Are there any bands, promoters, fanzines, webzines, venues, or clubs that you would like to recommend to our readers?
The scene in Montréal is more alive than ever, I'd say! We have a few underground metal festivals here and there (Messe des Morts for black metal adepts, To the Death for death metal fans) and most of our weeks in a full year are filled with heavy music shows. I just came back from a 4 shows in 4 days stretch, and most of them were in front of packed venues. So yeah, the scene is great and we're very fortunate to have the chance to be here. There's so many bands, promoters, venues, but I'd give a shootout to those:

Bands : Powered by Death (Montreal), Meurtrier (Québec city), Outre-Tombe (Québec city), Saccage (Québec city), Serpent Corpse (Montréal).

Promoters : Veteres Horrores Productions (myself, hehe), Extensive Enterprises, Dungeon Works Productions.

Venues : Foufounes Électriques, Club Soda.

What does Metal mean to you personally? And to make things even more difficult, give us 10 Metal albums that run through your veins, the records you could never live without.
Metal is my life, man! With time and getting older, I've come to the conclusion that my main passion in life is metal music and the community around it. That's why I play in a band and I organise small shows in Montréal. I have bigger dreams that I want to achieve, but we gotta start somewhere. For the 10 albums, I'll give it a shot! (No particular order)

1. Master of Puppets - Metallica
2. Scenes from a Memory - Dream Theater
3. Epidemic of Violence - Demolition Hammer
4. Nightmare Logic - Power Trip
5. Repurgation - Outre-Tombe
6. Toxicity - System of a Down
7. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son - Iron Maiden
8. Reign in Blood - Slayer
9. Consuming Impulse - Pestilence
10. Sabotage - Black Sabbath

All these albums shapped me as I am today. But these are my answers, obviously Vince and Jimmy would have different ones (but maybe a few would repeat on their lists, hehe). Also, I most definitely haven't thought about a few albums that could or should have made the list, this was out of the top of my head, but yeah, it gives you an idea!

What do you know about the Hellenic Metal scene? Are there any Greek bands or albums that you particularly enjoy or that have influenced you?
To be franck, not much! I love Suicidal Angels and, on the Stoner-rock side, 1000Mods. But other than those bands, out of the top of my head, I can't really think of any other. I have seen some videos of Greek crowds and they looked sick! I'd love to have the chance to play there sometime.

Finally, what does the future hold for COMMOTION? Any upcoming shows, new releases, tours, or other plans that you can reveal to our readers?
For the moment, the only official thing we have planned is our upcoming album launch show on October 16th at Piranha Bar in Montréal. We'll play with our brothers in Powered by Death and Meurtrier and play our whole album at that show. We should have other shows to announce soon as well, but nothing big. I'm thinking about organising a small tour at some point but that's not yet confirmed or official. As soon as our October 16th show is done, we'll start writing new material for an upcoming 2nd album. At some point, if we can travel and tour other countries, we'd be 100% up for it too.

Thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us. It has been a pleasure having COMMOTION here. Any final words or messages you would like to share with our readers and the underground Metal community? The closing words are yours!
Thanks to you for this opportunity and thanks to all the readers who took the time to go through my extensive and long answers, haha. But more seriously, I hope all of you will go check out our music and don't hesitate to write to us and let us know what you think about it! Cheers!

By Steve the Filthy Dog.

COMMOTION CONTACT:

https://www.facebook.com/commotionmetal

https://www.instagram.com/commotion.metal/

https://commotionmetal.bandcamp.com/album/the-eldritch-tales