We spoke with Stealth about “Medley ’98-’11” and more!

Q: Alright, so let’s just start at the top — for anyone who’s maybe just discovering you through this release, how would you even describe what a medley like this is supposed to feel like when you hit play? 

IVAN: That was really the starting point for us wanting to express gratitude for everything we’ve released over the years. From Mind Is Blind back in 1998 all the way to Boiler in 2011, it’s been an intense journey, full of wins and losses, just like it is for every underground band out there. At the same time, we wanted to capture the strongest moments from each song we released during that period. So we took those pieces and edited them together into one continuous 37-minute track that includes 25 songs.

Q: You’re pulling from ’98 all the way to 2011 — that’s over a decade of material crammed into one track. When you sat down to actually piece it together, was there a moment where you just thought “this is impossible, there’s too much to choose from”?

IVAN: I personally handled the editing of the medley, and honestly, yes — there was definitely a moment where I thought, “There are too many songs. It’s impossible to do this.” But eventually I found a way to build the collage by linking each song to the one before and after it, both in terms of sound and, where possible, key and tuning. That was probably the hardest work I did at the time. I also have to say that in this new and refreshed version of the medley, my dear friend Ays did an awesome job with the mastering, leveling all the songs so they sit at the same overall sound level.

Q: How did you decide the order? Like was there a specific musical logic to how the songs flow into each other, or was it more of a gut feeling thing?

IVAN: It was definitely based on a specific musical logic, not just a gut feeling. The goal was to make each song flow naturally into the next by matching melodies, moods, and overall sound whenever possible. BPM was also a very important factor in the sequencing process. Linking two songs with completely different tempos would have felt awkward and disruptive, so I tried to create smooth transitions throughout the tracklist.

Q: Some of those earlier recordings from the late ’90s were pretty raw and self-produced — were you nervous at all about putting that old stuff right next to the more polished material from the 2000s?

IVAN: Not at all. This is our musical history, and there’s nothing we can do to change it at this point. In fact, I think it’s the opposite. Nowadays, AI can make music production sound smooth and perfect—or even handle the entire production process for you. Because of that, a raw song with a few imperfections can feel much more original. I’d even say it sounds more authentic.

Q: You released this as a free download, which is pretty generous. Was there ever a conversation about whether to actually sell it, or was it always going to be something you just gave away?

IVAN: We decided to give the medley away for free. At the time, it was really just an experiment—a sort of compilation designed to attract more people who might eventually become interested in our music. We felt that offering it as a free download was also the right way to thank our existing fans for their continued support.

Q: When you listen back to those songs from ’98 and compare yourself to where you were by 2011, what’s the thing that hits you the hardest — is it how much changed, or how much stayed the same?

IVAN: Both, really. Over the years, we’ve improved our sound, and we’ve obviously become better in terms of technique and songwriting. At the same time, we’ve stayed within the same general style and boundaries of the genre. We know our strengths and limitations very well, and we understand how far we can push ourselves while still remaining true to what we do.

Q: Is there a specific section of the medley that you’re most proud of, or one that every time it comes on you think “yeah, that bit absolutely nailed it”?

IVAN: Not particularly. Of course, some parts sound better than others, but we don’t deny our past or what we did during our early years. That period was an important part of our journey, and this medley reflects that. Rather than focusing on one specific section, I’m proud of the whole thing because it shows where we came from and how we’ve evolved over the years.

Q: You’d been gigging all over Italy and into Europe throughout that whole stretch — is there a particular era in the medley where you can hear a specific tour or period of your life bleeding into the music?

IVAN: The years between 2006 and 2010. That was our best period — we played a lot here in Italy and all across Europe too. I remember our first gig abroad, in Croatia in 2006, and our Ukrainian days with an amazing show in Kiev in 2010. In between there were gigs in Switzerland, Slovakia, and Belgium, among others. It was an intensive touring era, and it fed directly into the studio work you can hear in this medley.

Q: For people who’ve been following you since the early days, do you think this kind of release hits differently for them? Like does it almost work as a time capsule for your fanbase as much as it does for you?

IVAN: For those who’ve followed us since the early days, this kind of release isn’t just new—it’s a nostalgic time capsule that captures the journey of the band, especially since the shift around 2011 with ‘Fight for your Faith’ and Stealth’s rise to international recognition. Their attachment to this medley likely stems from the memories and history they associate with our musical evolution, making it a meaningful experience for them both as fans and as part of our band’s story.

Q: Looking back, is there a song from that ’98 to 2011 window that didn’t make it into the medley that you kind of regret leaving out?

IVAN: Looking back, I did leave out some songs from our first EPs in 1998 and 2000 because they were re-recorded in 2001, and I preferred to include the best version of those in the medley. I also skipped most of the covers from our 2008 ‘Cover This Out!’ album since it’s really a medley of our own original records and I wanted to focus on our original material from that period to give a clear and cohesive showcase of our evolution.

Q: The medley kind of closed out a chapter before you headed back into the studio — did putting it together actually help you figure out what you didn’t want to do next, as much as what you did?

IVAN: Putting the medley together definitely helped us mark the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. We wanted to change our production style at that time. When we went into the studio in 2012 to record ‘Fight For Your Faith,’ which is our most acclaimed album, we felt like an era was closing, and a new one was about to start. So in that sense, the medley served as a kind of ‘closing date’ — a clear line between the Stealth before 2012 and the Stealth after that year. It helped us understand what we didn’t want to do next and set the stage for our future direction.

Q: Last one — we’re halfway through 2026 now, and a lot has clearly happened since this era of your career. What does the rest of this year look like for you? Anything in the works fans should be keeping an eye out for?

IVAN: We’ve recently changed our lineup, and some new changes are on the horizon. After almost 30 years of making music, it’s natural that things aren’t exactly the same as when we started. To keep going with the band, sometimes you have to make tough and even painful decisions. But I see this not as a negative, rather as opening a new chapter in our career. We’ve just released a split concept album, ‘Wilderness of Mirrors,’ and we’re currently working on new material. There’s a good chance we’ll be doing some new gigs toward the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027. I believe it’s time to look to the future with optimism and certainty, and as I always say, the best is yet to come!