\nNew Single: \u201cI Regret\u201d & Album: A Fraction of Infinity
\n[All answers by Phil Brown: guitars, vocals, songwriting]<\/p>\n
1. The Single & Songwriting<\/p>\n
1. \u201cI Regret\u201d is the lead single from A Fraction of Infinity. Why was this track chosen
\nto introduce the album?
\n\u201cI Regret\u201d captured a lot of the emotional energy behind A Fraction of Infinity. I think
\nit has a really strong, catchy chorus, and lyrically it reflected exactly where my
\nheadspace ended up at the time of release, even though the song itself was written
\nyears earlier. It\u2019s about living in the present, letting go of the past, and not defining
\nyourself by old mistakes. The idea of this moment of our lives is precious felt like the
\nperfect way to introduce the album.<\/p>\n
2. The song blends harsh and clean vocals over aggressive yet melodic riffs. How do
\nyou approach balancing emotion and technicality?
\nThat balance has always fascinated me, both vocally and musically. I love mixing
\nclean and harsh vocals, heavy sections with melodic moments. At the end of the day
\nI\u2019m just trying to use every musical tool I have: extreme metal, power metal, catchy
\nchoruses, and cool guitar solos. All of that gets filtered through what eventually
\nbecomes the STELLAGEN sound.<\/p>\n
3. Lyrically, what themes are you exploring in \u201cI Regret\u201d?
\nIt\u2019s really about stopping the cycle of self-punishment. We only get one life, and it\u2019s
\neasy to spend it replaying regrets. But that only hurts us. The chorus line \u201cThis
\nmoment is precious\u201d became the heart of the song. It's a reminder that we have to
\nmove forward with strength and integrity instead of living in the past.<\/p>\n
4. The chorus has an anthemic quality. How do you write melodies that stick?
\nThis one genuinely came to me in a dream. I woke up and hummed it straight into
\nmy phone along with the lyrical ideas. I can\u2019t really explain where those melodies<\/p>\n
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\ncome from, but I\u2019ve always tried to write choruses that are melodic and memorable
\nwhile still living inside an extreme metal framework. That blend of clean, or 'semi
\nclean', and harsh vocals felt like the perfect vehicle for that idea.<\/p>\n
2. The Album:
\nA Fraction of Infinity
\n5. Did the album\u2019s themes arise organically or conceptually?
\nMostly organically from my own experiences. Some songs drift into more science-
\nfiction and fantasy territory, but the emotional core comes from real life. What\u2019s
\ninteresting is that some lyrics were written years ago, like the opener \u201cDeceit\u201d yet
\nthey ended up reflecting much more recent experiences. I love when lyrics take on
\nnew meaning over time.<\/p>\n
6. How does A Fraction of Infinity expand on your debut?
\nThe goal was to take everything on From Dying Stars and push it further: better
\nperformances, stronger arrangements, and more confidence in the sound. It\u2019s the
\nnatural evolution you hope for as a songwriter and producer.
\nThere\u2019s also a deeper conceptual link between the two albums. They\u2019re designed
\nalmost like a musical palindrome. The final track on From Dying Stars is called
\n\u201cReifier\u201d, a classical piece I recorded and then reversed. The first track on A Fraction
\nof Infinity is also called \u201cReifier\u201d, but this time it\u2019s the same piece played the right way
\naround, so the true melody is revealed. That concept then continues across the two
\nalbums, so that there is a musical or thematic link between track 2 on A Fraction of
\nInfinity and track 10 on From Dying Stars, a connection between track 3 on A
\nFraction of Infinity and track 9 on From Dying Stars, and so on across both albums.
\nSo the two albums mirror each other structurally and are kind of two halves of one
\nlong musical idea. I thought this was an interesting concept to explore.<\/p>\n
7. Were there any songs that challenged you technically?
\nDefinitely \u201cStellar Genesis Part II.\u201d It\u2019s a clean, classical instrumental for two guitars.
\nWhen you play distorted metal, effects can hide tiny imperfections. Clean guitar
\ngives you nowhere to hide so every note is exposed and tiny imperfection is
\nexposed. That made it one of the most technically demanding pieces I\u2019ve ever
\nrecorded.<\/p>\n
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\n3. Technical & Musical Craft
\n8. How do you balance complexity with accessibility?
\nI love complex music, that\u2019s what I love to listen to depending on my mood. But I
\nalways try to build songs around a hook. No matter how intricate things get, there
\nhas to be a melody that pulls you back in.<\/p>\n
9. How did working with Kevin Shirley and Brett Caldas-Lima shape the sound?
\nWorking with Kevin Shirley was incredible. He\u2019s worked on albums by Iron Maiden,
\nDream Theater, Rush and many other famous artists, so hearing my songs through
\nhis ears was surreal. He mixed A Fraction of Infinity on a real analogue mixing board
\ntoo, which I appreciated. It felt very 'old school' in the best way.
\nBrett Caldas-Lima, who works a lot with Arjen Lucassen, brought a great perspective
\nto the mastering.
\nI love that the final sound isn\u2019t overly polished, in a good way. It still feels organic and
\nalive, which was exactly what I wanted.<\/p>\n
10. How do melodic death metal and power metal coexist in your music?
\nThat\u2019s just me. I grew up listening to melodic death metal, power metal, black metal,
\nthrash, traditional heavy metal, and prog. All of those influences live inside me, and
\nwhat comes out is the natural collision of everything I love.<\/p>\n
4. Recording & Collaboration
\n11. How did working with Robin Stone influence the album?
\nRobin is phenomenal. I\u2019ve worked with him across multiple albums for both
\nSTELLAGEN and my other project progressive metal project Waves Without Sound.
\nI send him demos with programmed drums, but I always tell him to bring his own
\ncreativity and ideas, and he always comes back with ideas I never would have
\nthought of that really add to the songs. He\u2019s an absolute beast and a true
\nprofessional.<\/p>\n
12. With Phil Brown handling vocals and guitar, how do you manage the workload?<\/p>\n
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\nIt\u2019s demanding, no doubt, as any musician knows there is a lot of work that goes into
\nmaking albums, and as a singer and guitarist, as well as overseeing the production
\ngenerally, my workload is a lot. Like most musicians the usual process is guitars
\nfirst, then vocals. Sometimes demo takes make it onto the final record if they capture
\nthe right emotion, that saves time and keeps things feeling natural. It\u2019s a lot of work,
\nbut you just knuckle down and do it.<\/p>\n
13. How closely were the visuals and music developed together?
\nVery closely. I worked with the album artist Ben Fowler by sharing demos and lyrics,
\nand we went back and forth on concepts, including linking to the first album art.
\nVisually, A Fraction of Infinity is like a continuation of From Dying Stars, but zoomed
\nin, almost microscopic. That reflects the idea that we\u2019re tiny fragments of something
\ninfinite, which makes every human moment even more important.
\nThere were also two versions of the cover created by Ben, and I found it hard to
\nchoose, so I ended up using one version for the digital release and a different
\nversion for the physical release, available via Bandcamp.<\/p>\n
5. Performance & Fan Engagement<\/p>\n
14. How will you translate the album into a live setting?
\nRight now, STELLAGEN is primarily a studio project. I\u2019m focused on recording and
\nreleasing music rather than performing live, though I would like to play live in the
\nfuture if circumstances are right.<\/p>\n
15. Which songs would you most want to debut live?
\nDefinitely \u201cI Regret.\u201d It feels like it would be an incredible song in a live environment.<\/p>\n
16. What do you hope fans take away from the album?
\nI hope they feel like they\u2019ve been on a journey, emotionally and musically. Ultimately,
\nI just want people to have a powerful, enjoyable, kick-ass experience.<\/p>\n
6. Influences & Identity<\/p>\n
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\n17. Your sound is often compared to Rage, Dark Tranquillity, and Children of Bodom.
\nHow do you stay unique?
\nThose bands absolutely influenced me, especially Peavy Wagner\u2019s melodic
\nsongwriting and vocals and the way Dark Tranquillity and Children of Bodom
\ncombine extreme metal elements with melody. But all my influences melt together
\ninside me. The result isn\u2019t imitation, I hope. It\u2019s just what naturally comes out.<\/p>\n
18. What drew you to combine thrash, melodic death, and power metal?
\nFor the same reason, those styles all shaped me. Combining them isn\u2019t a particularly
\nplanned strategy or anything like that, it\u2019s just who I am musically.<\/p>\n
19. How has the Sydney metal scene shaped you?
\nI\u2019ve been a bit removed from the local scene in recent years, but growing up around
\nheavy music culture definitely gave me the confidence to pursue this kind of sound
\nwithout compromise.<\/p>\n
7. Looking Ahead<\/p>\n
20. What\u2019s next for STELLAGEN after this album?
\nI\u2019m already deep into the third, fourth and fifth albums. My current feeling is that
\nthere\u2019s no reason to wait years between releases, so I want to keep the momentum
\ngoing.<\/p>\n
21. Will you continue exploring existential and cosmic themes?
\nAbsolutely. In fact, the third album leans heavily into themes around cults, with one
\nsong being about a particular cosmically themed cult, so that\u2019s a bit of a sneak
\npreview.
\n22. If someone hears \u201cI Regret\u201d first, what should they listen for?
\nThe melody of the chorus and especially the lines:
\n\u201cThis moment – is precious
\nThis moment – rise be strong
\nThis moment – is precious
\nThis moment – sing your song"<\/p>\n
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\nWe don\u2019t get much time here. If the song reminds people to create, to live, and to
\nvalue the moment, then it\u2019s done its job.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00a0FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/p>\n
STELLAGEN Unleashes New Single \u201cI Regret\u201d Ahead of Upcoming Album \u201cA Fraction of Infinity\u201d<\/p>\n
Sydney\u2019s rising metal force STELLAGEN is back with a vengeance. Following their reputation for combining the melodic sensibilities of power metal with the ferocity of melodic death and thrash, the band releases the lead single \u201cI Regret\u201d , available now on all major streaming platforms, including a compelling official video on YouTube.<\/p>\n
\u201cI Regret\u201d sets the stage for STELLAGEN\u2019s second full-length album, A Fraction of Infinity , dropping 15 December 2025 . The single showcases the band\u2019s signature style: emotional intensity, aggressive riffs, dynamic vocal shifts, and massive choruses that linger long after the song ends.<\/p>\n
A Fraction of Infinity expands on the band\u2019s sonic evolution, offering eleven tracks that dive into themes of existential dread, cosmic insignificance, betrayal, survival, and transformation. The album fuses intricate melodic death metal riffing with soaring power metal choruses, combining clean and harsh vocals with shredding leads and complex arrangements.<\/p>\n
Led by vocalist and guitarist Phil Brown, STELLAGEN delivers heavy, melodic metal built on powerful choruses, emotional storytelling, and technical musicianship. The lineup for this release also features Robin Stone on session drums, with mixing by Kevin Shirley ( Iron Maiden, Dream Theater ) and mastering by Brett Caldas-Lima at Tower Studio. The album artwork, crafted by Ben Fowler\/4th Perspective, perfectly captures the dark, expansive mood of the music.<\/p>\n
For fans of Rage, Dark Tranquillity, and Children of Bodom , STELLAGEN continues to push the boundaries of modern metal while staying true to the melodic and thrash roots that have defined their sound.<\/p>\n
Streaming \/ Pre-order Links:\u00a0https:\/\/distrokid.com\/ Check them out on YouTube and subscribe:<\/p>\n