Q&A with AJ Bergin of The Astral Prophets
Q&A with AJ Bergin of The Astral Prophets and Switching Styles.
Some bands are carefully planned. Others happen because the right musicians get in a room, plug in, and discover the songs have other plans. That's exactly what happened with The Astral Prophets.
Get to know the people behind the riffs, stories, and cosmic chaos.
Read the full Q&A with AJ Bergin of The Astral Prophets. The Astral Prophets take us behind the music, from their Scythia roots and DIY recording process to their epic Power Groove sound, songwriting, influences, and life in the modern metal scene.
Tell us, where did it all start?
The Astral Prophets rose out of the ashes of Scythia, the Calgary-based folk/progressive metal act, when guitarist AJ Bergin, bassist Terry Savage, and drummer Celine Derval joined forces in 2019 to chart a course in a new, heavier direction.
What was the spark that got everything started?
The initial plan was to form a Grand Magus/Clutch cover band for fun. But after jamming for a few months, their long-standing musical chemistry and history would not allow them to just be a cover band. New songs immediately started flowing. They just couldn't get enough of the new songs.
After a few sessions of lyric writing that drew upon Celine's love of all thing’s science fiction.... The Astral Prophets were born.
Who are all the Band Members?
Staci Stardust on lead vocals, AJ Bergin on guitar & Vocals, Harley D'Orazio on guitar, Terry Savage on bass & Vocals/Screams, Kyle Summers on drums.
What’s one surprising fact about you that fans might not expect?
Our recording process is almost completely done by ourselves. The only things that we outsource are the drum recording by Nickthemusicdude and final mixing/mastering by Blacknote Music. Other than that, Terry takes care of most of it at his home studio.
How would you describe your sound or style to someone who’s never heard your work before?
Take a mixture of Clutch, Grand Magus, Unleash the Archers, and a little bit of Dethklok. Then you have our epic Power Groove genre!
What artists, experiences, or moments shaped your current style?
Some of the Influences include the bands Unleash the Archers, Grand Magus, Guns N' Roses, Clutch, Kiuas, and Wintersun. Bands we sound like include the following: Amaranthe, Paramore, Famous Strangers, Order of Chaos.
Can you walk us through your songwriting or production process?
Terry comes up with the majority of the riffs and structures. He'll pump out a fully structured song on a random Tuesday because he had a dream about robot spiders. Wicked stuff. His bass-centric way of creating music is why we have so many riffs that slap and get stuck in your head.
After he creates it, he and I will bounce it back and forth for a while and refine it if it needs it. Other times, I will come up with an absolutely epic riff, and he will explode it into an entire song.
If you could collaborate with any artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
I would absolutely love to sit down and write/perform with Jake Wright. He would have to school me first because he is so far beyond me skill-wise!
Formerly of Viathyn and Ravenous, he is a fellow metalhead dad and has a project called Panthalasson. The reason I chose him over my top tier famous rockstar idols is because I have spent time with him in the personal arena and I know he is not a douche. He is an incredible musician and can do absolutely anything on the guitar.
There is not a single release he has been on that hasn't blown my mind as far as composition and talent.
What’s on your current playlist?
I have a weird mix of music. If I am not constantly listening to my own demos and master’s I can be listening to any of the following: Epic the Musical, Danheim, Alpine Universe, Motionless in White, Ensiferum, Wintersun, and anything that has a shreddy guitar sound on it.
What’s one piece of gear or software you can’t live without?
I have been an Ibanez guy my whole life, and my primary guitar has been Ibanez RG721RW with a rosewood finish. I've had it since 2013 and have taken it all over the world on tour.
But recently, I treated myself to a new Jackson X Series Soloist SLA6 DX Baritone to celebrate a few things that happened this year (album release included). I have to say, this guitar has levelled up my overall sound, playability, and love for the music.
When do you know a song is finished?
The song is only ever finished after we go to record it for release. We will never fully say a song is done until that point. But how do we know when a song is ready for that last step? We have jammed the ever-loving heck out of it, and nobody really has any additions to add.
How much of your personal life makes it into your lyrics?
Mine? Not many. I used to have a hand in a lot of the lyrics back in the early days from our 2021 singles and our 2023 singles. Staci takes over the lyrical duties now. She absolutely draws from her own life and stories.
How do you handle creative block when it happens?
We don’t really get those. Terry writes songs so frequently and quickly that we have a huge bank of songs to draw from. For me, I tend to be better at rearranging and improving existing songs rather than coming up with them. I will periodically dive into the library of first drafts that Terry has. A perfect example of that process is "World Eater" from our new album. It turns into a completely different song.
What’s been the proudest moment in your career so far?
It’s hard to say what the specific moment is; I am immensely proud of all of it. If I had to narrow it down to one moment, it would have to be when I flew to Finland to start the recording process of the first album I had ever been on "Lineage" by Scythia. I got to meet Nino Laurenne from Sonic Pump Studios, who I had been following since high school and who ultimately exposed me to my favourite formative bands I used to listen to. Children of Bodom, Kiuas, Ensiferum, and Wintersun. I also got to meet and play guitar with Teemu Mäntysaari from Wintersun/Megadeth.
It's moments like these (which Terry and Celine shared with me as well) that really locked in my passion and fire for music. This allowed us to get a head start in the industry with The Astral Prophets as we had built a lot of contacts and peers previously.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced early in your career?
Honestly, trying to find a good group of people to be in a band with. My first attempts at getting bands going in high school were failures. Nobody wanted to consistently get together and practice. It wasn't until my early/mid twenties that I signed on to Scythia and really started to make some progress. Its all about finding people who are more experienced than you are. They become your bandmates and peers, yes, but they also mentor you and help build you up to the next level. That is one thing I will always be grateful to David Khan, Terry Savage, and Celine Derval for. This is why when we first started jamming with The Astral Prophets, it took off quickly and had that same quality that Scythia had.
What’s been your most memorable show so far — good or bad?
Hyperspace 2025. We got to fly out to Vancouver and open up the festival for some pretty amazing bands. So much talent! It was packed, and I got to see plenty of old friends and bandmates.
What changes have you noticed in the music industry since you started?
It has completely changed. The conventional methods of recording and marketing have become very challenging. Gone are the days where the musician can just make the music...They now need to create content, make and edit videos, fund advertising, etc., unless they have the backing of a major label.
What part of the music business actually takes up most of your time?
For me, it's when we get going on social media campaigns for upcoming releases. It takes a lot of time to generate and schedule content.
What’s a stereotype about your genre or scene that you’re tired of explaining?
"I would listen to your heavy metal band, but I can never understand the words."
How about you give it a listen and realize that I have a powerful lady singing cleanly in a pretty unique style. Yes, we have growling/screaming, but we sprinkle it in behind the vocals periodically.
What advice would you give to emerging musicians?
Focus on the music and the culture that your band brings to the industry table. Your attitude and patience will go a long way when it comes to band longevity. It is a tough world to try and succeed as a musician. Don't give up and just remember why you are doing this in the first place. For the love of music.
Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations we can be excited for?
Currently, we have nothing cooking on that front. Other than promoting our current album.
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