At Rum Runners on Thursday, May 15th, FLIDAIS didn’t just play an incredible set opening for legends PSYCHOSTICK —they carved out a sonic space where precision, passion, and prog metal ambition collided. The performance was a technical marvel, but also a deeply human one—elevated even further by a candid Q&A that revealed the minds behind the music.

Q: Can you walk us through the writing and recording process for your album Pathogen?

“We originally based our album around the theme of a virus, but the twist was that the virus was in the mind attacking the mind and not throughout the whole body.”

— FLIDAIS

Taking the stage with the confidence of a band in full command of their craft, FLIDAIS launched into their set with “Traffic”, immediately showcasing their hallmark sound: shifting time signatures, layered guitar work, and tight, dynamic rhythm with incredibly strong vocals from Calvin. The crowd was hooked from the first note—not just headbanging, but genuinely listening, tracking the complexity in real time.

Furthermore, we learned a random fun fact about each of the members:

Calvin is in the top 1200 players on Runescape
Jake played highschool football
Josh is vegan
Ryley’s father was a roadie for Megadeath, Pantera and other big bands

Each member has their own unique take and style in FLIDAIS: this intent was clear in songs like “Volatile”, a track that moved from shimmering clean passages into blistering breakdowns without ever losing direction. This likely stems from their incredible taste — from Rush, to Iron Maiden, to Metallica, to White Lion, the band has a wide variety of influences from a range of genres, spanning decades.

Q: Are there any up-and-coming bands you think people should be paying more attention to?

A: Solaris, Atria, and No Exceptions.

The Q&A also touched on sonic themes of their latest record, Pathogen and process of songwriting. Vocalist [Calvin Warren] explained: "We aren’t too serious when songwriting, we do it more for our fun side of music. We start off with improvised guitar riffs and we build from that. We start at a very simple base and start to build off that feeling — similar to a building being built higher, bigger, and better as time goes on. Levels, which we build the listener’s ears to.”

Q: Your latest album has a very distinct sound to it, could you walk me through what you were aiming to capture this time around?

A: We were going for the feel of adventurous — but without being held down type-of-vibe. This was based around a musical influenced album, that said it’s okay to be adventurous in life, but to remember you’re not held down.

Fitting, then, that their set closer “[Infection]” felt almost ceremonial—equal parts catharsis and technical triumph. Their set felt adventurous yet freeing, which makes total sense after experiencing the energy in that room and speaking about the album with the band. Tons of fans showed up in support proudly repping merchandise of FLIDAIS’, with smiles plastered over their faces the entire set. A true highlight of genuine love for music and talent, when worlds collide.

It was truly an ethereal right to witness. The real magic of the night was the balance FLIDAIS struck: unflinching musical intricacy paired with real-time vulnerability, fan connection and engagement. Rum Runners was alive and well in preparation for PSYCHOSTICK.

In a genre that can sometimes get lost in its own head, this band are proof that progressive metal can still speak so directly to the heart—without ever dumbing anything down, while making you feel home all at once.

Check out Flidais’ music and more HERE!

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