Formed in 2008, the French metal band Scriptura has always embraced a raw blend of old-school death metal, thrash, punk, and grunge—all driven by a DIY spirit. Seventeen years after the release of their debut Deep Stoned, the album returns in a fully remixed and expanded digipack edition via Bitume Prods. In this interview, the band looks back on the creative energy of their early years, the challenges and memories behind their first recordings, the process of revisiting the material in 2024, and their reflections on a drastically transformed music scene.
Serial Metalbums: Scriptura formed in 2008 and released Deep Stoned that same year. How would you describe the band’s sound and spirit to someone hearing you for the first time? And when you started out, what vision or mood were you aiming to capture with your music?
Scriptura: The band formed with the aim of making music influenced by old-school death metal and thrash metal, but also grunge and punk. That's what we were listening to at the time. We tried to mix all these styles to create music that reflected who we were, with a DIY ethic.
Serial Metalbums: Deep Stoned was originally released through the free label Chabane’s Records. What do you remember most vividly about creating and releasing it back in 2008?
Scriptura: It was a great time, we were young and really excited about recording our songs to release them on an album. There isn't one specific moment that stands out in my mind, but that time in the studio was so cool. Even though recording the vocals was hard for me, I have great memories of the whole experience.
Serial Metalbums: Seventeen years later, the album is being reissued by Bitume Prods. What motivated you to revisit and share this record with a new audience?
Scriptura: It was derrek from Bitume's idea. He contacted me last year and said he'd like to re-release the album with all the covers in a digipack format. I needed some time to think about it, but he managed to convince me. It was a very different time for underground bands. There were far fewer resources available for recording than there are now. There were no streaming platforms either, and the popular social network was Myspace. Perhaps listening to the album will make some people want to delve into those years and discover forgotten bands.
Serial Metalbums: Harda Mix Studio handled the 2024 remix. How did his approach change or enhance the sound compared to the original release? The reissue includes all the covers you’ve recorded—Sepultura, Witness, E-Type, Medef Inna Babylone, even Sonic 3’s Final Boss. What drew you to such a diverse set of songs?
Scriptura: The idea was to breathe new life into the album, and Nathan, who remixed it, had a fresh ear for the project. He understood exactly where we wanted to go, and his mix is much more precise than the original. We wanted to include all the covers we had done for the tribute compilations released on the Chabane's Records label. That's why these covers are so varied and were recorded several years apart, between 2007 and 2013. They were also remixed by Nathan. Buck, who had already worked on the original version, was responsible for mastering.
Serial Metalbums: Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process—how a track begins and develops? Has the reissue inspired new ideas or perhaps new music in the near future?
Scriptura: All that is a bit far off... I wrote both the music and the lyrics. I then made suggestions to the other members of the band so that we could refine the final composition together. Everyone was always free to contribute their vision and ideas. I think Scriptura was part of a bygone era, and there's little chance of us doing anything new today.
Serial Metalbums: How do you view the French metal and alternative scene today compared to when you first emerged in 2008? Are there other French or international acts right now that you feel a kinship with or draw inspiration from?
Scriptura: The music scene has changed enormously, both in France and internationally. As listeners, we have a little more access to what goes on behind the scenes and we know more about how the music business works. Bands have had to adapt to all these changes, social media, streaming platforms... As for the French scene, many bands have gone international, notably Gojira, whom I saw in concert in Limoges in 2004. The bands on Bitume are pretty cool: Nick Hollow, Misty Route, Casademoni, to name a few. They're all different, but I find their approach to music really authentic and sincere, which is very close to my own vision of music.
Serial Metalbums: What are your plans for promoting the Deep Stoned digipack—live shows, special events, or something unexpected? After revisiting your debut, where would you like to take Scriptura’s music next?
Scriptura: We haven't planned anything else to promote the album. Bitume has already taken care of promoting it, and the feedback has been pretty enthusiastic. I don't think we'll be taking Scriptura's music much further. It's still nice to see your music come back to life after so many years and that most people have understood the album. But there's no point in trying to do more. The feedback is already unexpected for an album released 17 years ago on a label that offered music for free.