Georgina talks with Alberta, Canada’s RED CAIN. This prog power band released their new album NAE’BLIS on June 2nd. Born out of the vast prairies and snowy peaks of Alberta, Canada, RED CAIN is a modern progressive metal project with Eastern European roots. With intricate songwriting, powerful vocals, eerie soundscapes and strong electronic-backed groove.

---

THE METAL PIT: (Georgina) How did you choose your band name and what is the story behind it if any?

RED CAIN: It was a name chosen to evoke strong visual imagery with the colour red, and connect to our interest in storytelling – with one of the most well-known stories told, that of Cain and Abel. With time, the name embodied our brand and became more pragmatic as something easy to remember and capturing the high-level essence of the band. Makes for a great logo as well.

How long has your current band lineup been together?

In totality, just for this release. Sam Ridout and Kalie Yan joined for just under a year ago, and have been integral parts of the band since. 

What’s the story behind your latest album and new release NAE BLISS?

It’s a play on the term “Nae’blis”, which in the Wheel of Time lore, is the title of the Champion of the Great Lord of the Dark, the antagonist of the series. The umlauts are a nod to Swedish metal, which inspired some of the work on this album, including most recently bands such as Vildhjarta and Humanity’s Last Breath, as well as mainstay influences Opeth and Meshuggah.

In terms of the concept, it follows four of the Forsaken, the antagonists of the Wheel of Time series, and their motivations and struggle against the Light and its champion, the Dragon Reborn – framed as a struggle against stagnation and the status quo that the cyclical nature of the Wheel of Time universe represents. They are agents of Chaos, revolutionaries fighting for freedom from the shackles of the Wheel. 

Are there any plans for touring in support of your latest release?

We are working on this, and would love to do a European tour and meet our most vocal and involved fans there – as well as make some new ones. 

What genre of music would you say your band falls under?

Many – we’ve made it our mission to have multiple influences that reflect our own interests as musicians in each release. We’re firmly rooted in power metal, of course, but we’ve always had strong gothrock, prog, and now even death metal influences in our albums, especially the latest release. Frankly, we prefer it this way, and it is interesting both for us as musicians and our fans. 

Where is your hometown and can you tell us a little about the place?

Calgary, Alberta! We’re famous for the yearly Calgary Stampede celebration, beautiful mountain scenery, and an underachieving hockey team.

Who are some of the band’s influences?

We frankly have a massive list, but the core ones are Kamelot, Symphony X, Tesseract, and more recently, Meshuggah and Opeth. We’ve also aimed for a modern electronic-backed sound similar to bands like Periphery, Amaranthe, etc. And we always love to include some gothrock influence from bands such as Charon, 69 Eyes, Lacrimas Profundere. 

I absolutely love the band’s diversity. Can you introduce us to each band member and where they are from and what they do in the band?

Thank you! Evgeniy is originally from Russia, where he went through music school and received a classical education with a focus on piano. He came to Canada when he was a teenager and switched focus to rock and metal after embracing the local music scene and falling in love with the genres. Red Cain is a product of his musical vision.

Sam is a talented and extremely technical guitarist who made his name through playing jazz in various local open mic nights and perfecting his technique at the grassroots level. Red Cain is his first step into professional musicianship, and he has already had a massive influence on the band’s sound, sharing songwriting duties with Evgeniy on “NAE’BLISS”.

Taylor is a long-time Red Cain member and a stable, consistent, rock-solid presence on the back end. His true love is thrash metal, with bands like Artillery, Megadeth, and the more aggressive releases of Devin Townsend.

Kalie is a talented multi-disciplinary musician who has a presence in the Chinese market in the hip-hop genre, and is an extremely versatile vocalist, contributing growls to the latest Red Cain album, as well as playing live bass. She is a great asset to the band. 

Andrei is a virtuoso guitarist who perfected his skills and pursues a career as a guitar teacher as well as his musical work. His neoclassical style is an homage to his idols Yngwie Malmsteen, Buckethead, and Steve Vai, and he brings another facet of Eastern European musical tradition to the band, hailing from Romania. 

Do you have any other albums out? If so, what are they called and where can they be found?

We have three other albums: a self-titled EP, and two concept albums, Kindred: Act I, and Kindred: Act II. All are available anywhere music is sold or streamed, or directly from us at redcain.bandcamp.com

Do you have any upcoming shows or tours?

We have recently played some local shows and are in the process of planning a larger touring presence. 

Do you have any funny or interesting stories from being on the road that you can share with us?

Not yet – but we plan to soon!

What are some of your favorite songs to play live?

Our Eastern European anthem “Hiraeth” from our debut EP won us the YYC Best Metal Recording of the Year music award, and is still a fan favourite that we love to play live. 

What do you hope people take away from your music?

Part of the vision of the band was to capture pagan Slavic musical tradition where songs and stories were used as a unifying force that paid homage to Slavic gods who stood shoulder to shoulder with the common people, and passed on timeless stories listeners. Likewise, we love to tell stories and transport listeners to a different setting. Listening to a Red Cain track is meant to be an encompassing, full experience, and there is always something new to be discovered through multiple listens. We hope that every fan can shape their own interpretation, visual and aural, from the music that we release, and that we can take them with us on the wild ride to whatever world is vividly portrayed in our songs. 

Who are some of your favorite tour partners or collaborators that you’ve worked with so far?

We really enjoyed working with Kobra Paige of Kobra and The Lotus on our track “Wing of the Crow” where she featured as a guest vocalist. She put up a brilliant performance that completed our vision, and was an absolute professional and lovely to work with. 

What are some of the band’s upcoming projects?

We are already thinking about upgrading our live show for our fans, and working on the vision for our next release!

What is the best way to contact the band?

You can reach us at redcainarmy@gmail.com,
Instagram @RedCainArmy
Facebook at Red Cain Official.

How can fans stay up-to-date with the band’s activities?

Our Instagram and Facebook are the best ways to do so. 

What merchandise does the band sell, and where can it be purchased?

We primarily sell our music as digital tracks, but we do release shirts and physical CDs based on certain releases.

Is there anything you would like to tell your current fans and new ones while they read this interview?

We’d love to hear from you about our latest release, or anything at all! Fans are a huge reason for why we make music, and we love to keep a dialogue with you wonderful people. Check out the album, and listen to more Canadian music – we have plenty of massively talented artists in the great white North. Thank you for listening!

Thank you for this interview. 

Thank you for sharing and taking the time for this interview…

RED CAIN ARE:

Evgeniy Zayarny: Vocals
Samuel Ridout: Guitars
Andrei Buldan: Guitars
Kalie Yan: Bass/Vocals
Taylor Gibson: Drums

***Interview by Georgina Strilakos