Born in 2011 from the ashes of Italian heavy rock four-piece Gandhiās Gunn, it didnāt take long for ISAAK to sign a worldwide deal on US label Small Stone Records for the reissue of their ass-kicking debut album āThe Longer The Beard The Harder The Soundā in June 2013. Oozing thundering riffs and raw energy, the Genoa foursome has the knack for assembling the heaviest-sounding licks with a rip-roaring attitude that can only make you raise a fist up in the air while rocking out in the pit. In 2016, the band started working with Italian powerhouse Heavy Psych Sounds Records for the vinyl release of their sophomore album “Sermonize”, in collaboration with Small Stone Records. In 2022, the band signed a worldwide deal with Heavy Psych Sounds for the release of their third full-length in the winter of 2023.
About their new album, ISAAK says: “‘Hey’ puts a point, a point that doesn’t look back but looks inside. ‘Hey’ talks about our most intimate fears and tries to do it with irony. ‘Hey’ is a riffalicious fast-forward stoner rock album. It is a manifesto on being fragile and making that fragility a strength.”
The Origin & Identity:
How did you all come together as a band, and when did it feel real?
As Isaak, we were born from the ashes of a project with the moniker Gandhi’s Gunn. With the old name, we wrote our first album “The Longer The Beard The Harder The Sound,” which had decent international success, so much so that it attracted the attention of the renowned SmallStone Records from Detroit, run by Scott Hamilton. When we signed our first contract as the first Italian band to sign with SmallStone, we started to think that we would definitely achieve some great things. And so it was.
Where did your band name come from, and why does it feel like you?
We were “forced” to choose the name ISAAK (The name was chosen thanks to a colossal drunken bender while listening to Baroness’s Red Album and belting out the chorus of ‘Isak’) for the very reason mentioned above. Before signing with SmallStone, the label asked us to change the name because there was a band in the USA with a very similar name to ours, and they didn’t want to have any legal problems, since suing in the USA is a very simple thing, hahaha.
Did you have a clear vision for your sound from the start, or did it develop naturally?
We have always been difficult to categorizeānot entirely stoner, not entirely metal or hard rock. Once, in an article, they called us “RIFFALICIOUS FASTFORWARD STONER ROCK.” We liked it so much that we still use it today to define our sound.
What should listeners know about your newest album?
It will be, as it has always been, a different record from all the previous ones, a record that will draw from much more ’90s sounds than the previous ones, leaving the path open for some journeys that are more mental than “on the road.”
Influences & Creative Process:
Who or what has shaped your sound in ways people might not expect?
In my opinion, the thing that helps a band grow the most is playing live and sharing the stage with bands you don’t know. Seeing different approaches, different attitudes from your own, and confronting something that isn’t exactly your cup of tea helps a lot.
When creating a song, do you follow a routine or mix it up each time?
In the past, the process was: The guitarist brings some riffs, the singer hums something over them, and we discuss modifications, or conversely, the singer hums something and the guitarist turns it into a riff. Now, however, it’s a much more collaborative effort. The rhythm section, especially the drummer, has taken on a lot of space, sometimes arriving with very defined ideas to share.
Are there moods, riffs, or ideas you find yourself returning to?
Well, it’s involuntary, and sometimes you have to be careful not to become a cover band of yourself. It’s something we try to avoid as much as possible.
Musical Technique / Composition:
When layering sounds, do you focus more on tone or on mood?
It depends a lot on the type of song we are writing. A ballad will have different needs than a song made for headbanging.
Do you use alternate tunings, odd meters, or unusual chords to shape your sound?
Yes, we are dropped to C and in some cases even to B. In addition to this, our guitarist, despite being the only one, uses a setup with two amplifiers and two cabinets to have a more compact and personal sound.
How much of your arrangements come from improvisation versus planning?
One thing is a consequence of the other. The songs often come from improvisations in the rehearsal room, but then there’s a process of planning and refinement to get to the finished song.
Stories & Experiences:
Whatās one moment that truly captures what this band is about?
The one that has yet to come. We want to think of ourselves as an animal in continuous evolution. We don’t like to think that the past was the best, but on the contrary, that every new show will be the best one, the one that will give us new vibes.
Does playing live bring out a different side of your music?
Live, we give our best, there’s no doubt about it.
Vision & Reflection:
Which track do you feel captures your band best, and whatās the story behind it?
I’m sure it’s a different track for each member of the band. Undoubtedly, the latest split album with the American band Geezer, released by Heavy Psych Sounds Records, contains tracks that say a lot about the current Isaak.
‘Flat Earth,’ written ‘four-handed’ with our friend Levre, the drummer from Ufomammut, is a song that represents us very well.
What do you hope people feel when they sink into your music?
That they get the feeling of plugging into a charger like a cell phone, finishing one of our records and feeling regenerated and ready to face the world.
Turbo Regime:
Fuzz or distortion?
Can’t we have both?
Analog or digital effects?
I’m sorry to say this, but setting aside the romantic aspect, definitely digital.
Sabbath or Zeppelin?
Is there any other answer than Black Sabbath?
Heavy riff or mind-bending solo?
RIFF RIFF RIFF RIFF RIFF RIFF
Vintage gear or modern kit?
This is a VERY open question right now within the band, hahaha. We’ll let you know.
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