Rock Monsters Romania

Roca Camp 2025 concludes at the end of this year as a comprehensive mentorship and artistic development program dedicated to emerging bands in the indie, alternative, and rock scenes. Initiated through a national open call launched in August, the project was built around the real needs of Romania’s alternative music scene and proposed a structured, step-by-step journey of training, production, and visibility.

Fier Vechi was one of the bands selected for Roca Camp 2025. Formed in 2022, the band brings a modern aesthetic to the alternative metal scene, drawing inspiration from the contemporary international landscape. Fier Vechi stands out through an experimental sound, dual vocal lines, and a balance between controlled aggression and introspective melody. Their music explores raw emotions and personal themes, transforming vulnerability into powerful stage energy.

Fier Vechi consists of Irimia Matei and Mario Gjinni on guitars, Dorin Irimia on drums, Iustin Dumitru on bass, and Ștefania Gosav and Tudor Țugui on vocals. The band cultivates an authentic and rebellious message, driven by the desire to push boundaries and create genuine connections with their audience.

Fier Vechi is a relatively young band. How did the project come to life, and what brought you together around a modern alternative metal direction with experimental elements?

Fier Vechi was born out of the desire to express the emotions that define us through a productive medium that can resonate with an audience similar to ourselves. The project took shape in the fall of 2022, initiated by guitarists Matei and Mario, who had previously met while playing in another metal project. As the band’s lineup evolved, the musical influences remained and can still be found in our compositions. We are all metal fans, both of contemporary and classic metal, and we consciously or unconsciously integrate elements that pay homage to the bands that influenced us the most. At the same time, we aim to create something new through our music. So, in an ironic contrast with the name “Fier Vechi” (Scrap Metal), we want to bring something modern, different, and experimental.

Each of you comes from a different background. How has that influenced your musical direction and the band’s internal dynamics?

The members of Fier Vechi have very diverse levels of musical education, ranging from a conservatory student in their final year to members who studied through informal courses or are entirely self-taught. This diversity is a major advantage, as it leads to different approaches in the rehearsal room, especially when it comes to songwriting. There are always both highly calculated approaches, sometimes excessively so, and others driven much more by feel. This means that every new composition differs from the previous one, and we never get bored of the creative process. Of course, differences in perspective do arise, but the band’s overall direction is clearly defined enough that it never becomes a real issue.

Fier Vechi has a very youthful and experimental sound. How do you feel Roca Camp helped you define your musical identity more clearly?

Roca Camp was an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the entire artistic process, from administrative aspects to performing in front of a crowd. Fier Vechi’s sound is already quite well defined: distorted guitars with a memorable tone, aggressive drums, a complex bass line that ties everything together, and a vocal duo that creates a distinctive sonic contrast. Through the recording and mixing sessions at Roca Camp, we learned which elements translate well from live performance to studio recording and which require adaptation. As a result, we feel much closer to being able to prepare our compositions for studio release and to place Fier Vechi firmly on the national metal scene map.

You are a band known for intense stage energy. What did you discover at Roca Camp about how you build your live show?

During the Roca Camp workshops, we had the chance to interact with people involved in every component of a successful show, from organizers and stage managers to technicians. This helped us understand the expectations involved and what truly needs to be taken into account when building a live performance. As a result, the concert in Cluj at the end of Roca Camp was the moment when we managed to bring everything together, becoming one of the most successful shows we have played so far.

You create powerful, energetic music in Iași. How do you see the local rock and metal scene, and how much has it influenced you?

The rock and metal scene in Iași has great potential, largely because the city is a university center that seems like a bottomless source of musical talent. The scene is large enough that not everyone necessarily knows each other, which is a good thing, as new projects constantly emerge with fresh ideas. At the same time, Fier Vechi is a band that, alongside others such as Kröm, Nymphaea, and Mantra, was formed from a group of friends that expanded over the years. Fortunately, regardless of the size of the metal scene in Iași, local festivals and initiatives like Roca Camp are opportunities that bring it together and once again prove that it has a lot to offer.

Roca Camp is a mentorship, training, and artistic visibility program dedicated to emerging bands from the alternative, indie, and rock scenes, organized by the Creative Industries Association under the Rocanotherworld umbrella.

Cultural project co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration (AFCN).

This project does not necessarily reflect the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or the way in which the project’s results may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the funding beneficiary.

Interview by Ionela Barbu