Libricide is a multi-faceted modern rock band based out of New York, USA, fusing styles and taking stages to create an original sonic experience that broadens your mind and gets stuck in your head. Holding down multiple roles at the forefront of Libricide is producer, songwriter, and frontman Harun Gadol, who originally formed the band as a solo project, releasing the first EP Barriers To Entry. Lead Guitarist Dylan Stark joined shortly after, leading the group to Libricide’s self-titled, full-length debut album in 2015. The band was soon on the rise amidst their local tri-state area live circuit, finding a wide array of bills and venues that welcomed their adaptive sound.
We had a chance to interview Libricide as part of our Refrain Interview Series. Check it out below.
Refrain Music Blog: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. You have a new album out now. What’s it called?
Harun: Our pleasure! The album is called Consilience– released worldwide 4/8/22.
RMB: How many songs on the album?
Dylan: There are 11 songs on this record.
RMB: Is this your first album? If not, tell us about your previous work and how this differs from your previous work.
Harun: Consilience is our sophomore full-length release. It follows up our self-titled debut and our Barriers to Entry EP (among other singles). While the songs on those first records were also phenomenally written (in our humble opinion), the production quality and overall delivery of this record speaks volumes of our growth. We also wanted to branch out further musically, and dive deeper lyrically and thematically- which we feel we accomplished on this record.
RMB: What’s the story on how it was recorded? The Who, When, Where etc. Was it a long process or quick? Any good stories about the recording process?
Harun: We recorded Consilience at Portrait Recording Studios in Pompton Plains, NJ. We were recommended there through a music manager contact we had at the time. After recording a test single, “Last Time” with producer John Ferrara in 2020, we knew Portrait would be a strong contender for where we wanted to bring our next project.
“Last Time” – the single version, showed a lot of promise to grow and do justice to our sound. We ended up rerecording it for the album version, and that also came out even better than the original!
We had been demoing and writing the songs for some time. As the pandemic hit and shows and touring went out the window- it seemed like the perfect time to lock ourselves in the studio and put this album together. We planned logistics around who was needed in the studio to record their parts at what time, as we were largely commuting in on a daily and weekly basis (the members of the group all being from different parts of New York at the time), I also ended up tracking the majority of my lead vocals, as well as Dylan’s guitar solos at my home studio in Walden, NY. We were fortunate to have the album mastered by Ted Jensen (The Eagles’ Hotel California, Green Day’s American Idiot, Billy Joel & more). We also took a lot of video footage and will be putting together a little mini-documentary about the whole process soon!
RMB: Do you have a favorite song on the album? Tell us about it?
Dylan: There are many songs on this record that stand out to me as some of my favorites. Personally, I really like the title track for the record as it showcases our technical progressive side. We essentially hashed out that tune in the rehearsal room, adding different parts as we went along. It ultimately took on a life of its own & formed itself into what you hear on the record. While we did showcase some progressive chops in the past, this one was very different compared to what we are normally used to. It is a very powerful piece of music in an already huge library & I am very proud of how the song turned out.
Harun: That’s a tough one- it’s like picking your favorite kid! They’re all beautiful and shine in their own ways. Tracks I would say I really enjoyed recording would probably be stuff like Last Time, as that’s a great straight-ahead rock tune with catchy riffs and a climactic ending, and Acceptable Losses & Work Right Now, because they forced me out of my shell stylistically a bit more as well.
RMB: Are there any overarching themes on the album?
Dylan: The many themes we touch on throughout this record range from real life experiences, relationships, trauma & mental health, to war, religion, political censorship, fascism, etc. All very relatable topics considering today’s climate. Especially after all we’ve seen over the past few years.
RMB: Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Dylan: So many to choose. If I have to narrow them down, I would have to say Van Halen, Nirvana, Guns N Roses, Dream Theater, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, George Lynch, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Alice In Chains etc.
Harun: Everything from early and classic rock stuff, to modern hip-hop and progressive metal. Some of my favorite artists at the moment range from The Beatles to Tupac, to Twelve Foot Ninja, and everything you could think of between. I’ve been getting into some SiriusXM Octane bands as of late as well (I’ll admit it!).
RMB: What’s the one thing you are most proud of in your career so far?
Harun: Some of the artists we grew up on and have gotten to share bills with. Everyone from Stone Temple Pilots and Puddle of Mudd, to Ace Frehley and Yngwie Malmsteen!
Dylan: Being able to record 2 full length studio albums so far, along with other music projects in recent years. Musical recordings that will be around forever even after we’re gone. I’ve made my mark in the music recording world. That is something to be proud of.
RMB: If you had to pitch your music to a potential fan in less than 10 seconds, what would you say?
Dylan: I would say we fall under the Heavy Rock/Hard Rock umbrella with splashes of multiple genres here & there.
Harun: What kinds of music are you into? There’s something here for everyone! You’d have to be deaf to not appreciate this record!
RMB: What’s one piece of advice you’ve gotten that you think everyone needs to hear or that has meant the most to you?
Dylan: Be true to yourself. Never let anybody walk all over you. Keep your chin up & keep on doing what you do best.
RMB: If you could go back in time, what’s a piece of advice you would give to a younger you?
Dylan: I would say that you will be faced with many challenges along your way. You will fail many times & you will be stuck. At times you will want to throw in the towel. Whatever you do, do not give up. The roadblocks are only temporary. You will start to see some success in your future, you just have to keep going & stay positive.
RMB: What’s coming up next for your musical project?
Harun: We just got back from the Orange Loop Rock Festival in Atlantic City with STP, Hoobastank, Chevelle and more. We have more promo work to do for this record, as well as more potentially big shows on the horizon! Music videos and other content coming as well… and we’ll be doing more with Libricide Studios again (www.youtube.com/LibricideStudios) now that the record is complete and out!
RMB: Anything we haven’t thought of that you want to talk about?
Harun: Please join us on our socials to get involved! Also be sure to pick up a copy of the record anywhere music is sold and streamed.
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3t1eXag
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/libricidestudios
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/libricide
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/libricide
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libricide
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@libricide
Bandcamp: https://www.libricide.bandcamp.com
Support the artist – Music & Merch: https://www.libricide.com/store
Refrain Music 