Sandro Giampietro

Starchild

As a band's founder, it is never easy to have beside you the right people that will go with you to the ends of the Earth in order for your baby to succeed. Nevertheless, and other than trusting only yourself, things can happen, and the die-harders can be found and become one with the vision. The German Metallers, Starchild, led by Sandro Giampietro, have a challenge over the years, yet the dream never stopped. Coming up with the new album, "Battle Of Eternity", things started to heat up, with a lot of a to put out for the public to digest. Steinmetal had a good talk with Sandro about the experience.

By Lior "Steinmetal" Stein

• December 31, 2022

Starchild's Sandro Giampietro: "Everyone were at home watching movies and listening to music made by artists

Hello Sandro, it is good to have you for this interview with Metal Temple online Magazine, how are things going on your end?

Hello Lior, I'm excited about all the good things that came up around Starchild. I'm really looking forward to answer your questions.

It was my first time looking into Starchild, and from what it looks to me, and correct me if I am wrong please, that the band is actually you with different musicians coming and going? If that is the case, is this from convenience or simply because this is you tending your baby on your own?

This appearance is deceptive. Nowadays it's quite hard to get all musicians on schedule, so we had some „come and go" in the past. Since 2019 I have some steady confederates in the line-up. For each of us this our main band so there is no project concept.

It has been three years since your sophomore album, "Killerrobots", and after the pandemic period included within the gap, and a new beginning for Starchild. First, a new lineup, second, a new label, and third, a new album. Let's start with the third, the new label, Metalapolis Records. After releasing "Killerrobots" as an independent release, what changed your mind when it comes to being a roster band in a label? What are your expectations with this signing?

I started 2014 to run my own label Gloria Records with reasonable success. But at the end, I had to realise how much time it needs to promote our music. I decided to spend more time in writing songs and intense the way of production. With Metalapolis Records we are absolutely equipped with an enthusiastic label with a lot of Know-how. They love music and this is very important for a musician. We are well supported.

Finding the right people to fulfil your musical vision, now that is one hell of a task. You came up with recruiting local talents in order to complete the new record. I wonder, on the basis do you recruit musicians? How do you know that a certain musician fits what you are looking for?

You're right, it's really not that easy. First you need luck to be at the right spot at the right time. Sometimes fortune comes up with surprises. Most important is the personality of a musician. This makes the difference in every situation you're in in the process of performing the songs. For my songs the band mates really need good skills but the musical maturity to play what is best.

Coming up with a spacey kind of title to your third album, "Battle Of Eternity", I have the feeling that philosophically, there is nothing here to do with sci-fi but rather a struggle, or a battle, that is within, related to the human condition. Have I gone too far or there is truth to this notion? Please elaborate

Once again you're right. The last 2 years changed a lot of my ideas of life in the modern society. I've noticed a lot of extreme behaviours in times of war, coronavirus, digital invasions and a minority of people with disproportionate power. This fact brought me right back to earth to write my Lyrics.

There is a spread of emotions going on within "Battle Of Eternity", and at times, it was rather difficult for me to comprehend what was going on, and that is a good thing. The listener doesn't always have to understand. In regards to the themes that guide the way for the record, what are they exactly? On what does the record deal with mostly?

An album captures a period of lifetime and this is what happened while writing this album. Several little Stories of the themes which came and crossed my mind. I like to start a musical journey that takes a few unexpected turns but stays on a path that brings me back home.

When you look at the artwork, which at first glance, looks simple enough, simply a star system. However, looking closely, it can be an emblem of some sort, or a crest that is zoomed in on. What can you tell about this artwork? Is it simple as it looks or there is more than meets the eye?

I've been inspired by a model of a Perpetuum mobile so I started drawing this object. I was really up to find a simple but meaningful artwork which covers the spirit of the album and the title song. It seems like it doesn't matter what we do, the universe has its own battles to fight.

Generally labelling Starchild as Power Metal wouldn't be doing the music justice, at least in light of "Battle Of Eternity". The Teutonic vibe is there of course, and it can be felt from the first guitar harmony and onwards. Nonetheless, the impact of Hard Rock and 80s AOR are also there to inflict upon the heavier Metallic edge that are laying around. From what you can tell, is this an evolutionary stage of Starchild?

To be honest, I don't think about terms of styles and be genres while the process of writing. I want to be open minded to compose music. In a way the songs defined how the genre is going to be. Music is an expression and in most cases I really find myself in a mood of power metal.

We talked about the new lineup, I noticed that there was no other guitarist recruited for "Battle Of Eternity", and presumably yourself handling all the guitar parts. Other than the riffs that speak diversity, there is a series of iconic soloing going on, amazing energies that are tremendous. Was this all you or there were guests that came forth to contribute?

Thanks for this compliment, this was all me. We had a gig in 2019 where I had to play all guitar parts live while I was singing and it worked out fine. After we split up with this constellation because of big travel issues I decided to arrange the next album for just one guitar. While I was tracking the first guitars our bassist Tom and me came up with the idea of putting keys into the music. Andi Pique is also working as a Sound Engineer next to his keyboard passion.

Continuing about the lineup, how did it work with "Battle Of Eternity" in regards to songwriting? Have you already come up with the songs, or even at a starting stage, the ideas, and showed the guys around what exactly did you want or did the new members contribute their part to the songwriting phase?

In most cases I just write everything from start to finish but have the line-up in mind while a do the arrangements. I come up with complete demos with the main parts and structure. Tom is coming up with a lot of bass lines suggestions. Sacha is taking some of the main drum grooves I played on the demos but sometimes we change things together on the fly. At the almost final stage of recording Andi an me are really tweaking the keyboard lines to max.

Earlier we talked about the influences of Hard Rock and AOR to the Power Metal driven songs, therefore, making a record that is twisting and turning to become more than ordinary. How do you think that the extra melodic edge made the record unique?

I think a typical way of my writing process is my vice with an acoustic guitar or even just my voice. I like the idea to have a song carried only by melody. Now comes the other part. I'm a passionate guitar player and there are a lot of riffs spinning around. This brings the style of having a massive melodic edge here and there.

I must tell you sir that your singing, along with the production of the vocals, are top notch, you have a good range, and a voice pattern that is on the operatic spectrum. Talking about the production, the harmonies are the winning chip on the songs, boosting the main vocal line with finesse. What can you tell about the vocal recording for this album? How do you keep your voice?

Thanks again! At first I really think singing is about performing a song and expressing yourself. Technique is still the physical part but sure very important. Sometimes it's quite hard to be kind to your vocal chords when you're in front of the recording microphone. This is the moment where I really have to calm down sometimes. Maybe I can make up a little rule (might be good for every instrument): only what feels good sounds good

Let's start with a Power Metal kicker, bringing the mid 90s Helloween to the table, you burned with "We've Been Through The Fire". Not particularly nostalgia, since the 90s are yet to be considered as such, but it reflects on a measure of German Power Metal that is somewhat lost nowadays. What is your take on this catchy tune?

These kind of anthems like melodies are quite typical in the traditional middle European music. Rock and Metal music has mainly it's roots in blues, rock withe the energy of the 70s punk era. Power metal replaced the melodic influences with European traditions. This is something you've heard in the golden era of power metal. I don't think that it's really lost but times have changed and also the way of composing. "We've been through a fire" is spotted in the period of Napoleon. This was a good reason travel right back in time.

A mid-tempo, but way melodic, piece of artistry is the hymn of "Between The Lines". This one emphasized the vocal line, which without it, it would have been a normal sort of tune. Add to it the melodic riffing, as an enricher, and you have yourself another winner. What can you tell about this track? What is it all about?

You're are so kind my friend. This really came up to me in the pandemic shaped times. I felt like being between the lines. Germany has offered some ugly faces here and there and it was quite hard to decide what to believe or expect. Everyone were at home watching movies and listening to music made by artists, and the politicians really forgot most of us. What if all artists removed their products? This would have changed the way of lockdowns dramatically.

Slipping in a little hope for those that are in need, there is the opening song, and in my bill, the album's greatest track, "Tame". It was also logical to make a video for it as well. There are those choruses that are considered larger than life, but I believe that you were able to write one of the strongest. With the right production, and attitude, this song turned out to be a starlet. What can you tell about writing the tune?

This was one of the songs I had in my drawer for a while. Sometimes I wait for the right moment to finish a song. This lineup was the absolute perfect for the song. This was also a theme for the coronavirus period when people seemed to steer the lives advised by fear.

If Starchild is also a live band, what are your plans going forward in order to support the album?

I wrote 14 new songs and we just finished the basic tracks. We'll start with a few shows in the spring time and looking further to hitchhike with an established band in fall 2023

Sandro, it was a pleasure to have you for this interview, and thank you for your patience with the questions. I wish you all the best, Cheers

It was a big pleasure to answer your questions. Cheers, Sandro