Fellow H8000 heads will surely be familiar with Sektor. The Belgian straight edge outfit released the excellent Ultimate Threat EP and Human Spots of Rust album (not to mention their sick split EP with Vitality) in the mid-90s during that metallic hardcore movement's heydey.
Today, I'm speaking with Lenny, bassist of Sektor who is now playing guitar in a new band called Static Vision. "I was already thinking to form a new band in 2019, but then that virus came up and nothing happened," the Belgian musician tells me. "In the end of 22, Zeger (drums) kept on asking to have a jam together. So we did somewhere between Christmas and NYE, in the bar from the famous Vortn Vis Ieper.
"We immediately wrote one song there. After that we came back together in April to really start writing more songs. We did not have a vocalist or bass player by then. A few rehearsals later, Bert (vocals) came for a try-out and we knew he was the guy. Jonas (bass) only joined us at the end of November because we had a hard time finding the right guy for it. Static Vision was formed and ready with 9 songs in the books. Bert used to sing for Sundays and The Ignored, and I played bass in Sektor."
Static Vision made its debut late in 2023 with the release of a single called "Victoria":
I ask Lenny to break down his new band's sound: "I describe it as simple, slow, heavy, groovy, emotional hardcore. I wanted to do something different, combine very heavy music with cleaner vocals. It was a tricky thing to try. But it just fits in perfectly, the chemistry is amazing.
"My main influences are Crowbar, Machine Head, and Disembodied. Bert is a massive Bane fan, so he gets a lot of influences from them. FFO, is a difficult thing I guess. Some people say we sound a litlle like Incendiary, but slower. Just listen and make it up for your own how we sound."
Static Vision just released a new single called "Final Conversation" to streaming outlets today, but what's the plan for a proper collection from the band? "We recorded five songs at the end of October. The intention was just to do two songs on demo quality. Some kind of promo. But we ended up doing a lot more.
"Mathias (Liar, Empathy) did an amazing job recording/mixing/mastering. And Rutger (In Clover, Mark My Way) played the basslines as we did not have a bass player by then. We were in search for a label to get things out, and I met Joey Chiaramonte (Koyo, Blood Runs Cold), let him hear our songs and we closed a deal to sign with 51st State Records. More to come out very soon."
As Lenny explains, Static Vision isn't just a studio project sort of deal. "Our first gig is February 3rd, and a week later we play Ieperfest Winter edition amongst amazing bands like Magnitude, Seed of Pain, Inclusion, and Broken Ankles.
An EP is coming up on 51st State Records. and Kick Out the Jams from Belgium will do a collab to bring out something over here. And we keep on dreaming to play shows in the USA offcourse, but we will that happen in the future."
Lenny wasn't going to leave me without giving up some kind of Belgian scene report:
"There is really a movement going on in our area, fresh new bands who sound different. Attrition plays between hardcore and death metal, Soul Blame brings groovy furious hardcore, Inclusion is more Youth Crew style, Heaver plays like a mix between hardcore punk and metal influences.Feverchild is now the best in bringing that emo style back. But there are a lot more of bands from here now that are worth the attention: Fazed, Sicko, Force, Mindwar (of course), Parasite, Crucified."
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Static Vision on social media: Facebook | Instagram
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Tagged: sektor, static vision
