Atlanta-based progressive metal band Sight of Theia is gearing up for the release of their full-length debut album, The Great Dreamer, set to drop on January 11th. Fusing complex progressive elements and gritty Southern stoner vibes, and drawing inspiration from the cosmic horror themes of H.P. Lovecraft, The Great Dreamer brings a vivid narrative without the use of traditional lyrics, showcasing the band’s ability to tell powerful stories through music alone.
In this interview, Sight of Theia guitarist Alex Buhlig delves into the creative processes behind The Great Dreamer, explore the challenges of balancing technical prowess with emotive storytelling, and reflect on their evolution as a band. From their distinct blend of influences, including Mastodon and Meshuggah, to their approach to live performances and collaborations, the band shares insights into their journey, the Atlanta music scene, and what’s next for their ever-evolving sound.
The Great Dreamer introduces a distinct narrative arc. How do you craft instrumental music to communicate such vivid stories without lyrics?
I wish I could say there was a grand master plan for all of this but we wrote all of these songs at a similar time so I think there might have been some recurring musical themes throughout our songwriting at the time. Once we started working lyrics and vocals into Vagabond with Mezzianna some of these recurring themes started to make themselves more apparent and a story arc was born.
What led you to explore H.P. Lovecraft’s themes, and how did that shape the overall concept of the album?
Cosmic horror has kind of always interested me, whether it’s the Alien movie franchise or a space Cthulhu. I think there are interesting themes to be explored in that realm.
Your music balances complex progressive elements with Southern stoner metal vibes. How do you ensure these styles complement rather than clash?
I generally will have a direction in mind very early on in the writing of a piece. I know if I want a piece of music to be more on the modern metal side of things or most stoner/post metal, for example in ‘Parhelion’ we spend a lot of the track playing a djenty groove in 11/4 but we’ll give the listener a break from that at times and have these big crescendo sections that are just hanging out in 4/4 which lend themselves nicely to some bluesy stoner metal licks or later in the song when Charles takes one of my favorite solos he written for the band over the same 4/4 groove.
Tracks like “Children of the Uplift” and “Alea Iacta Est” span diverse moods. What inspires you to experiment with such contrasting soundscapes?
We all listen to such a wide variety of music I think we’d all get bored if our music only existed in one space all the time. My personal approach to writing and arranging is very grounded in music theory. So some of the contrasting moods are born out of wanting to explore different modes, scales, or keys.
Including Mezzianna’s vocals on “Vagabond” added a new dynamic to your sound. Do you see vocals playing a larger role in your future work?
We’d absolutely be interested in adding a vocalist full time if the right one came along.
Collaborations seem to be a key part of your creative process. Are there other artists or producers you hope to work with in the future?
I mean the core of the band is centered on collaboration. I put the first EP out with a different set of guys and when that ran its course I kept moving forward and found other people to collaborate with. I’m really inspired by artists like Snarky Puppy or Tigran Hamasyan who have a revolving cast of musicians or completely rebuild lineups between albums. Not exactly saying I want to do that but I think it speaks to their level of mastery of the craft that they can do that.
There are a few local producers we have our eye on for future recording endeavors. We’re also looking for other vocalists to feature on some of the tracks but nothing is concrete in that realm yet.
Your live performances aim for a seamless and immersive experience. How do you adapt intricate compositions like those on The Great Dreamer for the stage?
We’ve got Ricky on tracks and a metronome when we play live. The rest of us are kicking it old school going off the monitors. Knowing the drummer is always right is a great comfort if you lose your place live.
Progressive metal often involves breaking confines. Are there specific techniques or sounds you’re eager to explore in your next project?
I spent some time this summer producing a country song for a short film which involved incorporating a lot of hybrid picking or ‘chickin pickin’ into my playing. Most of the Dreamer material was written by the time I got around to this so I didn’t get a chance to incorporate that technique into the album much unfortunately. The more I work on hybrid picking the more I see places I can incorporate it into my approach to guitar.
The Atlanta music scene is known for its diversity. How does the local culture continue to influence your music and creative direction?
Being exposed to so many different genres is probably why I gravitated toward progressive music. I want to make music that sounds like stuff that inspires me and I find inspiration in a lot of different genres so playing progressive stuff leaves that door open a bit more than if I were playing in a more straightforward genre.
With influences like Meshuggah and Mastodon, what lessons have you taken from their approaches to songwriting or performance?
Meshuggah changed the game rhythmically years ago and Mastodon have such great harmonies, riffs, and solos. I love trying to blend the djent-y, poly rhythmic, approach with the more melodic approach. I’ve found one style does tend to overtake the other depending on where the idea originated from.
The stoner metal genre emphasizes atmosphere, while progressive metal focuses on technicality. How do you decide where to place emphasis in your songwriting?
I like arrangements that build to crescendos or breakdowns. Songs that take listeners on a journey from point to point. The complex rhythmic nature of modern metal can also be super meditative at times. Generally when I start working on a track I’ll try to have a direction in mind. Do I want it to be one of the meditative rhythmic ones or a dazzling flash of riffs and technicality? Often things change as you write and get the ideas out there but art is alive and needs to be treated as such.
What do you hope fans experience or feel when they listen to The Great Dreamer from start to finish?
Honestly, I just hope they enjoy it. Putting these songs together was a labor of love at a very turbulent time in my life and I hope the upheaval I went through can bring some joy to others.
Your work shows a strong focus on narrative and emotion. Have any fan interpretations of your music surprised or inspired you?
I think that comes from a few places, I adore big concept albums that tell a story. Diving into the lyrics and the musical motifs that circle back around as the album unfolds is very rewarding to me.
I also work in the film industry which is all about telling stories, and while I am primarily a camera assistant in that world being surrounded by art, and storytelling without a doubt influences the things that I create.
Bandcamp remains a vital platform for independent artists. How has it helped you connect with your audience compared to streaming services?
I think the direct connection with our fans is great. Knowing immediately when someone has bought or downloaded your album is great as well. Bandcamp Fridays are a great way to put all of the money in our pockets as well.
Looking back, what was the most significant challenge in evolving from Lighthouse to The Great Dreamer, and how did you overcome it?
I think we all underestimated how much work an album was going to be, but I think we also all grew as collaborators enough to know when to let something go and which battles are worth fighting.
For me personally, as I hinted at earlier I work in the film industry and while we were recording this the entire industry was shut down due to the writer/actor strike of 2023. Forging ahead was extremely difficult due to my finances being completely out of wack due to things outside my control. Now that it’s done though I am very thankful for Charles, Bill, and Ricky for sticking with me and seeing this through to the end.
What’s next for Sight of Theia? Are there any surprises or directions you’re particularly excited to pursue?
We’re working on putting together a music video with some of my film industry connections that will hopefully bring our music to an even wider audience. We’re looking into more vocalist collaborations as well. We’re always writing new material as well so hopefully it won’t be too long before we’re offering something else up for our fans to enjoy.
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