Kevin Estrella is a heavy metal guitarist based out of Hamilton, Ontario. That is his home on the planet Earth. As both an instrumental guitar virtuoso and a declared extra-terrestrial contactee, he may also dwell in other places in the multi-verse. If not in body, definitely in spirit.
Estrella’s contact with aliens directly influences his music and artistic persona. His band, Pyramids on Mars, has an upcoming full-length album releasing on December 21, 2019. Edge of Black, features Estella’s signature style of blistering guitar rock music. Drawing heavily on the pioneering work of Joe Satriani (and hordes of copycats) Edge of Black contains a diverse sampling of tracks, ranging from a Baroque inspired lullaby, to galloping doom guitar lovefests.
Slickster Magazine was granted the privilege of sampling Edge of Black prior to release. Special thanks is due to Mr. Jon Asher at Asher Media Relations for arranging a special interview with Estrella.
Slickster: How is Edge of Black different from your previous two albums, Echo Cosmic and Pyramids on Mars?
Estrella: Between the time of Echo Cosmic to Edge of the Black, I decided to create my own series of online instructional guitar lessons (https://pyramidsonmarsguitarlessons.pivotshare.com/ ) While I was creating these violin inspired melodies, I was learning more about myself and my approach to playing guitar. I began to become more consciously aware of who I was as a player and what I was passionate about.
A lot of my melodic approach is reflected in Edge of the Black in the melodies. When you break them down, I am playing a lot of violin melodies. There is so much Vivaldi influence on this album. For example, the chorus in Blood Moon is based on Vivaldi’s double violin concerto. There are two separate melodies playing simultaneously in the chorus. Something that was originally done on a violin. It is something Iron Maiden was doing back on Powerslave in songs like Losfer Words.
In addition, the focus of Edge of the Black is on songwriting and how the band functions as a unit. Every instrument is important, not just the lead guitar. I was finding a lot of guitar players I was hearing today on YouTube, their songs sounded more like jam tracks and they were just soloing through the whole thing. With no developed melodic hook you could sing, and there was a lack of intricate work between guitar, bass, and drums. I didn’t want to do a record like that. It’s not who I am. I am more into Led Zeppelin, Tool and Rush. Every instrument is just as important as the other, just like an orchestra. There is a huge Rush influence in Edge of the Black. And the bass is very predominant, just like Geddy Lee or John Deacon (Queen) or Steve Harris (Iron Maiden). I play all the bass on my albums.
Slickster: Track #3, Song Of Light, is one of my favorites on Edge of the Black. Can you share some background on this composition, how you tracked it, and the inspiration for it?
Estrella: Funny story Song of Light. It was actually the first song I wrote for Edge of the Black. It all started with the main rhythm guitar riff. It just belted out. But has a positive feel to it because it’s in a major key. But what is cool about it is that at the end of the phrase, the rhythm guitar is actually spelling out a Dom7th chord that wants to resolve back to the Tonic. I got the idea from Bach, and it worked beautifully. The other thing about this song is that it has Harpsichord in the introduction. In addition to a female Chorale section in the chorus. I was thinking “Who would be crazy enough to do put Harpsichord and a Chorale section in a metal song?? LOL!!”. It was such positive uplifting energy for such a high energy song, that is why I called it Song of Light.
Slickster: I know all of the tracks are special and unique to you, but if you had to pick one track Edge of Black, is there one that really stands out to you?
Estrella: Oh boy, that is a hard one. I love all the songs on the album. Each is like a child to me. But I would have to say, the one that stands out, and that years down the road will be recognized for what is happening in it is Nacht Waffen. There, my extraterrestrial teacher her expertise is in the Tonal Language of the Whales. Whales speak a very complex telepathic tonal language. I asked Theera if she could teach me this? Back in April 2018, I got a massive download from the P’ntl one night. They told me it was the beginner’s course of Tonal Language. It would take me 9 months to access it.
Then one day I wrote the verse to Nacht Waffen. T’ni and Theera contacted me and told me they heard it telepathically and I had accessed the Tonal Language. After I finished writing the song, I was listening back. After the 4th listen, all of a sudden heard a translation. The verse I was playing was saying in a tonal language ‘DO YOU HEAR ME.’ I completely broke into tears. It was the most incredible moment of my life. I couldn’t believe it. Later the P’ntl would affirm that my translation was correct. So Nacht Waffen has Tonal Language in it.
Slickster: Can speak to the influence of Joe Satriani on rock guitar and his work’s impact on your own musicianship?
Estrella: I was introduced to Satriani back in grade 10. Surfing with the Alien had just come out. My best friend Mike had Surfing and Not of this Earth. He put them in his tape player and said: “You gotta check out Joe Satriani he’s amazing!” When I heard Surfing with the alien the whole album, my life changed. I knew that this is the kind of music I wanted to write.
I listened to nothing but Satriani for years, and practiced and practiced teaching myself modes, blues phrasing, and his legato style of ‘rolling the ball of mercury’. My songwriting structure follows very much Satriani’s. And creating memorable melodies that you can sing. This is a skill that takes a long time to learn. I can now pick up the guitar and create a melody on the fly that anyone listening will be able to sing back. This is an ongoing art developing the ability to do this. Not just in a main melody, but in a solo. But those ideas for me come more from the melodic phrasing of Vivaldi and Bach.
Slickster: If you were trapped on a desert island and could only have one Satch album with you, which one would it be? Surfing with the Alien? Flying in a Blue Dream?
Estrella: Flying in a Blue Dream. It was Satriani’s most emotionally honest album. The leading song Flying in a Blue Dream, and Into the Light always bring me to tears. I could listen to that album for the rest of my life and be happy. If it wasn’t that album, then Hemispheres – Rush
Slickster: What is your daily practice routine like? Do you have a set time of day, or room in the house that you gravitate towards to hone your chops?
Estrella: I don’t practice as much as you would think. I simply don’t have time for it. As an independent musician, 90% of my time is spent marketing, managing my social media, engaging with my fans, networking. I know people think I must spend a lot of time practicing but I simply don’t have the time. When I actually do get around to picking up the guitar, I am creating melodies, or improvising on the fly with melodic ideas I have written. I document every melodic idea I get.
I use Power Tab Editor, create the lesson, and then learn it over and over. I will often go back to older lessons and relearn from myself. Sometimes I can’t believe what I came up with. It’s cool shit I impress myself. Building this catalog makes it easier for me to learn more about what I like and what I want to sound like. Then I practice those melodies, or techniques and make them better. A lot of stuff I do are sweeping arpeggios, string skipping arpeggios, and ricochet techniques. But I do them in a chord progression. Creating a chord progression very much like a Baroque piece of music.
Slickster: What advice can you give to younger musicians who are just getting their feet wet?
Estrella: Don’t get discouraged by all the amazing guitar players you see on YouTube. There is no shortage of talent out there. And it can get really discouraging seeing these technically amazing players. Even I get discouraged watching them. But you know what? Technique is not what I am listening for. I am listening to the emotion and communication. Are they expressing themselves in the most emotionally honest way? Do I FEEL what they are playing? Most of the time I don’t. I would rather watch a video of David Gilmore of Pink Floyd just to hear him play that one note with true passion. Then to watch a virtuoso player play a million notes and say nothing musically.
The other best advice I ever got was from something Kirk Hammett said, “To imitate is to create, you have to start somewhere.” Best advice I ever got. Don’t be afraid to imitate your musical heroes. Because you will never BE them. You can’t, it’s impossible! But you will take a piece of them and make it part of you. Even if you think you don’t sound like you, eventually you will hear your own voice one day and be like, “Hey, it was always there! I just couldn’t hear it!”
Slickster: Do you have any live performances scheduled in support of Edge of Black?
Estrella: 2020 will be dedicated to playing live. I will be putting most of the focus playing the Toronto and Golden Horseshoe area. And as other opportunities arise, we will be there. Follow us on Facebook for up and coming shows.
Slickster: What does the name “Edge of Black” mean to you?
Estrella: The name Edge of the Black was taught to me by a group of extraterrestrials known as the P’ntl. Mainstream refers to them as the Greys/Zetas. To understand, I am an experiencer having continuous contact with extraterrestrials. I have been a guest on over 50 UFO radio talk shows talking about my ongoing extraterrestrial contact. So what I tell you is not science fiction. My connection with music and extraterrestrials has been written about in award-winning Ufologist Grant Cameron’s book ‘Tuned-in, the paranormal world of music.’
Two of the female P’ntl, Theera, and T’ni taught me about the Edge of the Black. When one writes music that comes from their deepest of being, they are traveling to the Edge of the Black of the Universe. Where nothing and everything exists simultaneously. Music can be communicated at a telepathic level. What they told me is that when I write my music, I am going to the Edge of the Black, my place of highest potential. The music travels through the collective consciousness, flows through me, and I amplify my emotion and interpretation of what is coming through the collective. That is then sent back telepathically into the Universe. T’ni and Theera have both heard me playing my guitar at a telepathic level, and have been helping me develop this gift. My music literally ripples through the collective consciousness. So when I state my music is 4-dimensional it is true.
Track Listing:
1. Blood Moon 5:42
2. Nacht Waffen 6:56
3. Song of Light 5:44
4. F-22 Raptor 5:53
5. The Ambassador 4:57
6. Mercury Magnetar 4:58
7. Arcturian Rain 4:38
8. Time to Believe 4:40
9. Arioso Lullaby 4:39
10. Whale Song 4:28
Album Length: 52:40
For more info:
PyramidsOnMars.com
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