STAIN THE CANVAS – AN INTERVIEW WITH LORENZO ACCATTOLI
By Ralph Beauchamp
Lorenzo Accattoli is the guitarist for the Italian metalcore giant, Stain The Canvas. The band has just released their aggressive and poignant new single entitled “Seal My Soul”. The new track serves as both a cathartic release and a heartfelt tribute, delving into the often-hidden battles of mental health and self-isolation. Stain The Canvas‘ last album was the 2022 All Fine / cniF LLA which produced their monster hit “Puppet”. “Seal My Soul” is a vibrant mix of tension-filled cinematic vocals and propulsive guitar riffs. Coupled with an explosively crushing backbeat, Stain The Canvas have released the Kraken. The universe better be ready for their savage assault.
Besides Accattoli, Stain The Canvas is comprised of Bryan Marte (Vocals) Riccardo Cerolini (Guitar), Luca Giorgi (Bass) and Alessandro Bonetti (Drums). They formed in 2019, honing in on their ability to be self-produced and instantly taking the world by storm with their ferocious sound. The band immediately caught the attention of thousands of fans all over the globe since stepping on to the scene. In 2020 the Milan-based ensemble dropped their first album God Made Hell and landed on their first European Tour in 2021. In addition, Stain The Canvas have shared the stage with a bevy of illustrious bands including Attila.
Lorenzo Accattoli was kind to sit with AMP to discuss all things Stain The Canvas.
AMP: Stain The Canvas is a fairly new group. How did the band get together?
LORENZO: Me (Lorenzo), Riccardo and Luca had our own pop punk/easycore band since 2013 but in late 2017 we wanted to make something different. So, we formed Stain The Canvas and I started writing new music. I no longer wanted to be the lead vocalist. That began the search for a new singer all over Italy through social networks and found Bryan Marte as the best option for the band.
The band was originally from the region Marche but Bryan was living in Lombardia. So we left our hometown and started our new life in Milan. In 2019 I was lucky enough to meet Alessandro because we were attending the same sound academy. He joined as our drummer and finally the lineup was complete. We debuted that same year with our first single, “Like a God”.
AMP: Your new single, “Seal My Soul”, is quite powerful and has an important message. Can you give us some insights into the track?
LORENZO: Some months ago I was told a friend of ours suddenly took his life. We used to hang out together in a small group of friends and he was our favorite. I know it sounds cliché but he was the humorist of that little group. He was always chill and funny. He was the last person I thought would do what he did. I was pretty shocked when I found out he passed away.
Unfortunately, we’ve been out of touch because we didn’t hang out together like we used to. I had no idea of what was going on but, apparently nobody did. He was pretty good at hiding how he felt. The least thing I could do was write a song dedicated to him and his memory.
AMP: What is the band’s creative process like?
LORENZO: I basically lock myself in my room, lose some sanity. Then I send my prod/lyrics to the rest of the guys for approval.
AMP: For any band, dynamics plays an important key to be able to grab an audience’s attention. What do you feel are the main ingredients of your band’s dynamics?
LORENZO: We think dynamics is basically the fulcrum of our musical style. We hate to do the same things over and over again, even on the same album. When we make music we want the listener to be surprised about what’s coming after (but not in an extreme way). The vibe is important.
AMP: In today’s music scene, there seems to be a sink or swim mentality. Does this type of realism have any effect on the band’s drive?
LORENZO: Yes it does, absolutely. Some days ago I ran into a meme where there was this graphic showing the life quality of an average producer. Basically, it showed the quality of life was inversely proportional to the time since he started to produce and I found it sadly true! Then I read some comments. It was then, that I read the biggest bullshit I’ve read in a while: “if you don’t enjoy what you do it’s not your passion and you shouldn’t do it”.
I deeply think nobody would keep doing something they don’t like if they were not forced to by external circumstances, especially in an artistic field. I love what I do (producing) but, of course, I don’t see it as a mere hobby but as someone who sees this as a real job. You have to deal with deadlines, writer-block, and with the fact that, currently, after all that struggle, I’m still not where I want to be. So while the passion still remains, you also gotta face, in one word, pressure, which affects me and the rest of the band.
AMP: Do you feel how the fans and critics describe the band’s music accurately depicts vour sound?
LORENZO: Yes and no. For example, there was this comment under the “Seal My Soul” music video that said something like how they appreciated this song because it added depth to our sound. It showed that we weren’t just another pure screamo band. I honestly don’t think we’ve ever been just a pure screamo band.
AMP: What is the Italian rock scene like? Is it supportive?
LORENZO: The scene in Italy is not huge but is consistent and way less toxic than it was a decade ago. I’d say the biggest scene is here in Milan.
AMP: Is there an artist the band would love to collaborate with in the future?
LORENZO: Yeah there are plenty, but we won’t spoil it with any names this time. I’m sorry haha! We do this kind of spoilers sometimes in our Discord group (so be sure to join hehe:).
AMP: What is the proudest moment of the band’s career up to date?
LORENZO: We have had several proud moments since we started. First of all, is to have gained a fast international interest among the fans around the world which is something rare for Italian bands. Then of course we’re proud we got the chance to have toured with Attila and Call Me Karizma around Europe, to play at the Sziget fest and, most recently, we were asked to play at the Resurrection Fest (see you there on June 26th!).
AMP: What’s next for Stain The Canvas?
LORENZO: Well of course we’re still working on our third album and we’re very excited to show what we’ve been on during these (almost) 3 years. And then, hopefully, tours, shows, getting to know newer and older fans. That’s hands down the best part of our job.
To learn more about Stain The Canvas, check out their Website
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