Inside the Rot: Stain The Canvas Rebuilds

Inside the Rot: Stain The Canvas Rebuilds

Stain The Canvas have never been a band afraid of evolution, but with their new album Honey Rot on InVogue Records, the Milan‑based heavy hitters are stepping into their most honest era yet. What began as a metaphor for something sweet slowly decaying became a raw reflection of the band’s own internal fractures — years of tension, self‑reflection, and ultimately, rebirth. Sitting down with vocalist Bryan Marte, guitarist Lorenzo Accàttoli, and guitarist Riccardo Cerolini, the trio open up about the emotional weight behind Honey Rot, the eclectic sound that defines their latest chapter, and the dreams that continue to push them forward. From genre‑bending collaborations to their hopes of finally touring the U.S., Stain The Canvas are a band rebuilding themselves in real time — and they’re doing it louder, heavier, and more determined than ever.

We are here with members of Stain The Canvas. Introduce yourself and tell me what you do in Stain The Canvas.
Lorenzo: I’m Lorenzo, and I play guitar.

Bryan: And I’m Bryan — the vocalist.

Riccardo Cerolini: Yeah, and I’m Riccardo. I play guitar.  We also do a lot of other things.

Lorenzo: Yeah, of course. Everybody in the band has their own job, you know? I produce stuff, Riccardo designs, Bryan too — we all contribute in different ways.

Let’s talk about the new album Honey Rot. Is there any overall story or concept behind the title?
Lorenzo: Yeah. Basically, it’s kind of an oxymoron because honey is the only natural food that can’t rot in nature. So the title becomes a metaphor — or actually more of an allegory — where the “honey” represents the relationship between the five of us, which had actually become rotten over time. During these last two or three years, we started having a lot of discussions… a lot of tension. So that’s where the album idea was born.

How does Honey Rot compare to the two previous Stain The Canvas albums?
Lorenzo: I think it’s more mature — more mainstream‑oriented, of course — but we still wanted it to sound like Stain The Canvas. There are plenty of songs where you might ask yourself, “Is this even the same band?” Like if you listen to “Stupid Boy,” or “Vultures,” or “Leeches,” or “Choke,” they’re all pretty different from each other. But we still wanted to maintain that peculiarity that makes us who we are.

Bryan: We love to be eclectic, maybe.

Riccardo: Yeah, the songs are super different, but I think there’s something that bonds them together. You can still hear Stain The Canvas in all of them.

Let’s talk about a few of the songs. “Stupid Boy” with As December Falls — tell me about that one and the inspiration behind it.
Lorenzo: “Stupid Boy” is basically from the point of view of this guy who had it all — everything in his life. You can read it from a sentimental point of view or not, but in general, this guy had everything… and suddenly he threw it all away because he wanted more. And then he realizes he actually had everything before screwing up. If I’m honest, me and Bryan have also screwed up sometimes in our lives, only to understand afterward that we already had everything we needed. So yeah — the inspiration is our own lives.

Let’s talk about the first official track, “Where Are We Now?” Tell me about that one and the inspiration behind it.
Riccardo: Yeah, that’s basically the thematic title track of the record.

Lorenzo: Yeah — we even say “honey, honey, honey rot” in the song. So it’s kind of the title track if we want to call it that. It summarizes the struggling years we had to go through during these past three years — the bond between us, which was rotting.

Riccardo: Exactly. It was a tough moment for all of us, and we wanted to write this record about that. And now things are getting better.

Lorenzo: Yeah, of course.

Bryan: And now — where are we now?

Riccardo: Things are getting better, and I can’t wait to see what the future will bring.

The entire album is amazing, but one song that really struck me was “Gattini” with Klaus Noir. Tell me about that song and how the collaboration came about.
Lorenzo: So, I have to say it was a totally different song at the beginning. It wasn’t even a metal song at first. But we noticed the album was going a little too far with genre‑blending, and we’re still a metal band after all — so we had to change it a bit. When “Gattini” took shape, I thought an Italian rapper would be amazing on it. Bryan knew Klaus — I don’t remember if it was personally or through social media — and he told me about him. He was really good, and we thought he’d fit the song perfectly. We invited him, and he actually already knew us. He was kind of a fan, so he was really excited to do the feature.

Let’s talk about one more song — “Inevitable.” Tell me about that one and the inspiration behind it.
Lorenzo: I would say “Inevitable” is one of the few songs that isn’t sad or depressive. It has no depressing lyrics. On the contrary, it’s a song about not giving up. If you have a dream or a goal, just go for it and never give up — even if things look bad. Just screw it and go for it.

Bryan: It’s a motivating song.

Lorenzo: Yeah — the type of song you can pump at the gym. Don’t give up.

Now, this isn’t on the album, I don’t think, but you did a cover of “Unholy.” Tell me about that cover — and has either Sam Smith or Kim Petras heard or commented on it?
Lorenzo: Yeah, actually when we first heard “Unholy,” we thought it would fit our style perfectly — and I think we were right. I think our version came out pretty good and very much in our style. And honestly, we didn’t even know that a lot of bands had already made metal covers of it. I had no idea.

Riccardo: It’s a perfect song to turn into a metal track.

Lorenzo: But I’m really satisfied with how it came out because it has our sound. If you listen to it, it’s not just a metal cover of “Unholy” — it still sounds like Stain The Canvas.

Riccardo: And the last breakdown is crazy.

Bryan: Yeah, pretty heavy.

What are you looking forward to the most about your upcoming tour with The Browning?
Riccardo: We can’t wait to start this tour because a lot of the shows are already sold out, and we can’t wait to play some new songs live. The setlist is a heavy one — and a super fun one.

Lorenzo: Yeah, we expect to meet fans who already know us, but also — and especially — to make more people fall in love with our music.

You guys came out here to Los Angeles — that’s where I met you. What did you think of Los Angeles and Hollywood overall?
Lorenzo: Oh yeah, we were there in 2023. We had a good time.

Bryan: Yeah, but in my opinion, it’s a bit fake. I like Los Angeles in general — the U.S. is the American dream — but it’s very different from Italy. I felt it was a bit fake, but…

Lorenzo: But we definitely had fun. Maybe it’s not a place where I’d want to live, because I’m more… how do you say… campagna? The countryside. I’m a countryside boy — even though I live in the center of Milan.

Riccardo: Los Angeles is super different from European cities. In Europe, everything is small and you have a clear city center. Los Angeles is huge — everything is like an hour drive away.

Lorenzo: It’s even bigger than Rome, right?

Riccardo: Maybe, I don’t know. But yeah — it’s very different from a European city. It was our first time there, so maybe it felt a little weird, but it was cool.

Lorenzo: But we do want to come back.

Is there any chance of you guys coming out here to the States to do a tour? Is that something you’d like to do?
Lorenzo: I’m going to be honest — it’s difficult. You need to be signed to a pretty good American booking agency. Right now we only have a European booking, and we signed with them like two months ago, maybe even less.

Riccardo: It’s difficult, especially right now with Trump and the prices of visas for bands playing over there…

Lorenzo: Yeah. Just imagine — a guy from a venue in Los Angeles, I think the Viper Room, offered us a really good amount of money to play there. Very good, actually. But it still wouldn’t have covered everything. We would love to play there. To tour there. It’s our dream — our biggest dream. And I think we will do it at some point. Not “maybe” — we will.

We’re crossing our fingers for that one. Now I have a question for Bryan. When you did the photo shoot out here, you brought some clothes you designed. Are you still doing that today? And is there a way people can reach you to get clothes designed?
Bryan: Yeah, I do this kind of custom stuff. I have a brand called Reanimate, and yeah — I still do it.

So you guys have a new album that just came out. What do you hope the rest of 2026 brings for you?
Lorenzo: A lot of shows.

Riccardo: Yeah — playing and playing and playing.

Bryan: Yeah, more than we think.

Riccardo: I think 2026 will be a good year for us, especially for live shows. We have to promote the new album.

You guys have grown a lot since that very first album God Made Hell. When you look back at that first album, what do you think of it now?
Lorenzo: I wish we could erase it. No! (laughs) It’s just very immature in my opinion. It was one of my first approaches to music production. I was a kid — well, not a kid, but I was 17 when I started writing it. So yeah… not our best album for sure.

And one more question — do you have any messages for your fans out here in the States who’ve been following you and hope you get out here?
Lorenzo: I hope they’ll spread the word every day so our name can grow bigger.

Bryan: And wait for us — because we’re coming.

Riccardo: And if any of them knows a good booking agent in the U.S… let’s go.

In Conclusion

As Stain The Canvas step into their next chapter, Honey Rot stands as both a confession and a declaration — a record born from tension, rebuilt through honesty, and carried forward with renewed purpose. Bryan Marte, Lorenzo Accàttoli, and Riccardo Cerolini speak with the kind of candor that only comes from surviving something together, and their determination to push onward is unmistakable. Whether they’re experimenting with genre, dreaming of a long‑awaited U.S. tour, or simply reconnecting with the joy of creating, Stain The Canvas are a band refusing to stay still. If Honey Rot is the sound of decay giving way to rebirth, then the road ahead promises a version of the band more focused, more fearless, and more united than ever. For fans waiting across the ocean, the message is clear: keep spreading the word — because Stain The Canvas are coming.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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