EMQ’s With MAX ENIX
EMQ’s With MAX ENIX
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with French Progressive Metal Project, Max Enix. Huge thanks to Max for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
My name is Max Enix, and I’m a composer, singer, lyricist and artistic director, among other things! I compose mainly on piano/keyboard or guitar. I released a previous album under Constellia: Secret Garden as a co-composition, and now a double epic and symphonic album on my own entitled Far From Home, released under Max Enix! Recorded with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra and featuring many well-known guests! For fans of Devin Townsend, Hans Zimmer, Opeth, Therion, Pain of Salvation among others…
How did you come up with your band name?
Max is a contraction of my first name Maxime and Enix is a contraction of Phoenix (which rises from the ashes)! Constellia is assimilated with the constellations and the Universe!
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
I’m French, from Strasbourg, and the rock/metal scene there isn’t very good, even if there are some very good bands and artists too! That’s why I prefer to export myself mainly internationally! Gojira are an extremely well-known French band, but the media never mention them in this country! Some even boycott them! It’s very strange, because they’re an international hit, but as they say, no one’s a prophet in his own country! The French « Victoires de la Musique » awards go to variety, rap and pop artists, and not really to metal! Gojira have never been nominated for a Grammy award, but they have in the USA, which is quite a paradox!
What is your latest release?
Max Enix / “FAR FROM HOME”.
Who have been your greatest influences?
My biggest influence is Devin Townsend (my favorite artist of all time)! My other musical influences are Dream Theater, Pain of Salvation, Evergrey, Shining (swe), Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Rhapsody, Korn, Vanden Plas, Opeth, Yearning, Arcturus, Threshold, Therion, Anathema, Katatonia, Hans Zimmer, Robbie Williams (first period), Vangelis, Danny Elfman, James Horner, Freddie Mercury, Elton John, John Lennon, Wolves in the throne room Etc…
What first got you into music?
Rhapsody, “Symphony of the Enchanted Lands”, “Rain of a Thousand Flames” and “Power of the Dragon Flame”! I started playing guitar thanks to this band, and then keyboard a few months later… I used to sing the songs too, especially Lamento Eroico and so on…
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
Devin Townsend, Hans Zimmer, Daniel Gildenlow, Neurotech, Akira Yamaoka, Niklas Kvarforth again, Michael Onetwenty, Mora Hecate, Michael Akerfeldt, Vincent Cavanagh, Jonas Renkse, Jonathan Davis etc…
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Wacken Open air in Germany or Bloodstock Festival in the UK! I love the atmosphere there and the bands that play here in general.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
The strangest gift I ever received from a fan was an anal plug and a vibrating yellow bath duck (recently)! What a joke! I’ve never used it (yet ahah)!
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support and for the fantastic feedback I’ve received on this double album! I hope to see many of you at future concerts…
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Freddie Mercury or Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Peter Steele, John Lennon, Andrew McDermott , Warrel Dane or Juhani Palomaki among others! But if I had to pick one? It would be Freddie Mercury.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I love composing, the passion to create, to propose new, innovative things, to play on stage, to give pleasure and joy! What I can’t stand are ego wars, competition and people who are always trying to give inappropriate advice!
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
The commercial aspect! Artists make magnificent works, but sometimes certain people at the top of the music industry don’t consider them commercial enough for their tastes! For me, an artist must propose works that break codes and transcend genres, and not become shaped products! Above all, we need to put the spotlight on people who make Art! Even if you obviously have to think about the financial aspect and profitability too!
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
“Ocean Machine” – Devin Townsend , “The Perfect Element” – Pain of Salvation, “Scenes from a memory” – Dream Theater, “Vovin” – Therion, “Halmstadt” – Shining, among many others, but if I had to pick just one: “Ocean Machine” by Devin Townsend.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs or Downloads?
Everything’s good, depending on the music you play, but I prefer the CDs.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
I have done very cool gigs already but I’ll be able to answer this question more easily when the 2024/2025 tour is over.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
I have worked in many fields (real estate, alternative medicine and other more private fields)! If I hadn’t pursued a career in music, I would have continued in one of the above-mentioned fields or opted for chiropractor (osteopath), veterinary surgeon or a lawyer!
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Devin Townsend, Lady Gaga, Hans Zimmer, Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) and the Grumpy Smurf.
What’s next for the band?
The orchestral version of “Far From Home” (3CDS) with exclusive FX sounds will be released on October 27, 2023. Other video clips to come, goodies, other albums (I’m working on 2 completely opposite and complementary albums at the moment), collaborations, festivals, a 2024/2025 tour etc…
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaxEnixConstellia/
or https://www.facebook.com/max.enix.73/
Website: https://www.max-enix.com/
You can listen the double album on all download platforms, and here’s the Bandcamp page where you can listen and buy the double album.: https://maxenix1.bandcamp.com/album/far-from-home
Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm (or Barm Cake), a Batch, a Bun, a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll or a Tea Cake?
Oulala that’s a trick question! I’ll say the Muffin or the Bun 😉 Punish me if I’m wrong ahah.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Thank you for everything and for your interview! Take care and see you soon for a cup of tea with a tea cake too.
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
