Interview by Kris Peters
It's been six long years since TesseracT last toured Australia, but ask diehard fans of the band, and it would seem like much longer. But the good news for those fans and the music loving public in general, is the UK progressive rock outfit are locked and loaded and ready to return, with the tour kicking off in Brisbane on May 2.
The technical metal maestros are pulling a double knockout blow, touring on the back of the band's fifth studio album, War Of Being, which was released in September last year.
Guitarist James Monteith sat down for an enlightening chat with HEAVY to bring us up to date.
"A long time had passed," he agreed. "We have been able to work on and release our album that everyone is more happy with than any record we have had before. We've also tried to up our live game and not only focus on playing our instruments but making it a bit more of a show and more of a performance. We've added some theatrical elements and have basically - for the last six years - been trying to up our game to be an exciting rock band rather than a just a bunch of guys nerding out."
In the full interview, James discussed the band's preparations for their World of Being tour, including their focus on improving their live performance and creating a seamless set list. He also shared details about their new album, War of Being, highlighting the band's approach to incorporating new elements while maintaining a nod to older progressive styles. The album's concept, a sci-fi story about internal conflict, was explained, as well as the strategic decision to release the title track as the lead single. The use of AI for creating the cover art was also discussed, with James justifying it as a tool to convey the artist's vision.