Additional Information
Sons of Arrakis, a Montreal-based stoner rock band whose songs are inspired by the universe of Dune, will perform this February 14 at Les Enfants du Rock for their only Montreal date of 2026. Frédéric Couture, the band’s founder, sits down with us for an interview where past, present, and future collide.
PANM 360: Hi Fred. Bless the maker.
Frédéric Couture : Bless the maker and his water. I always say it after our first song when we play live.
PANM 360: Being a Dunehead myself, I am very happy and proud to know that a Quebec band is making excellent music inspired by this universe that is so dear to my heart.
Frédéric Couture : Thanks Simon, we’re really glad you’re coming along for the ride.
A soundtrack for a world in decline.
PANM 360: The universe of Dune, rich in ecological reflections and analyses of authoritarian mechanisms, resonates strongly with contemporary issues. At what point in your journey did you discover Frank Herbert’s work, and why has it become central to your musical project?
Frédéric Couture: I discovered Dune around the age of 25, at a time when I was searching for a real direction for a new musical project. It was my father who introduced me to it. It was a shock. I quickly felt that this universe was a broken mirror of our society—a subtle yet powerful way of exploring power, geopolitics, authoritarianism, social dynamics, and ecology. Dune became a lens through which I could reflect on our times without naming them directly. From there, everything fell into place: the concept and identity of Sons of Arrakis. As for the sound, I continued in the vein of the band The Hazytones, with which I was heavily involved on their first album, before deciding to leave and start the Sons of Arrakis project.
PANM 360: The titles of your songs include references that seem to draw from the six volumes of the saga. What is your favorite book in the saga and why?
Frédéric Couture: The very first Dune. It is a seminal work, incredibly rich, and each reading reveals new layers of meaning to me.
It is also in this first volume that we truly grasp the vastness of the universe, particularly through the appendices, which, in my opinion, are essential for understanding the issues and interrelationships in such a complex world.
In terms of adaptation, Denis Villeneuve’s work is exceptional in my opinion. He has managed to capture the grandeur, slowness, and mystical weight of the universe without betraying it. But it leaves me with a bitter aftertaste that Villeneuve had to make a blockbuster to appeal to the general public. It’s still clearly the best adaptation to date… even though, deep down, I would have loved to see what Jodorowsky could have done with his project. I think I would have been sold.
Existing in the midst of the crowd
PANM 360: You describe your sound as Melange Rock or Cinematic Sci-Fi Rock, a fusion of heavy riffs and sci-fi atmospheres. How did this identity assert itself or transform between Volume I and Volume II, particularly after your tours in Canada, Mexico, and the United States?
Frédéric Couture : Initially, the idea of Melange Rock or Cinematic Sci-Fi Rock came mainly from a need to differentiate ourselves from the stoner/doom/desert rock niche. We didn’t want to be just another heavy riff band: we wanted to tell stories, create images, build a universe. In fact, it was critics who started calling us Melange Rock, and we thought it summed up what we were trying to do. On Volume I, it was still very instinctive and raw.
The tours in Canada, Mexico, and the United States really shaped us: we understood how these songs come alive on stage and what moves the audience.
With Volume II, we pushed the cinematic aspect even further: transitions between songs, a more conceptual approach to the album, live passages with excerpts from the novel, blue lighting, a more immersive atmosphere.
We wanted the show to be a real journey, not just a series of songs. During our tour of Europe in September and October 2025, we really managed to strike a balance between pure, hard rock and the immersive aspect we want to infuse into our shows.
PANM 360: When listening, you can hear a mix of influences ranging from the hypnotic side of Tool, epic solos and riffs reminiscent of Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd-style psychedelia, Black Sabbath-style bass, to more direct accents evoking Metallica. What musical influences shape the soundscape and identity of Sons of Arrakis?
Frédéric Couture: Our influences are many, but at the core of everything is the quest for the riff. We’re just as into the hypnotic side of Tool as we are the epicness of Iron Maiden, the psychedelic atmosphere of Pink Floyd, the heaviness of Black Sabbath, and the more straightforward impact of Metallica.
There’s also all the proto-metal heritage from the late ’60s and early ’70s, bands like Mountain. The ’70s prog scene, like Yes, also influenced us, especially in terms of slightly more complex, prog-inspired song structures.
We’re also heavily inspired by The Sword (Age of Winters, Apocryphon), Sleep, High On Fire, Mastodon, and that whole heavy, massive, organic vibe. Personally, Priestess and Mickey Hepner were huge influences for me—I even had the chance to meet them.
In the end, what unites us is this obsession with the riff and the desire to make music that tells a story, that hits you, that transports you.
PANM 360: I have to take this opportunity to compliment you on the visual identity of the project. The visuals are really well done.
Frédéric Couture: Thank you. We always surround ourselves with people who really understand that dimension. For the albums, it’s Alex Goulet who handles all the visuals, and for show posters, it’s Jim Laflamme from GOREPUNK CO. We stay loyal to our collaborators because they understand where we want to go. They get the idea, the concept, the aesthetic, and above all, the spirit of Dune. Everything has to tell the same story, both in the music and the visuals.
[Poster from Jim Laflamme – GOREPUNK CO.]
PANM 360: Finally, what foresight or visions do you have regarding your February 14 show at Les Enfants du Rock, as part of the Taverne Tour?
Frédéric Couture: We’re expecting an intense, almost ritualistic evening. It’s our only Montreal show of the year, so we really want to make it count with a true, heavy, and sincere desert ceremony. After that, we’ll be heading to Europe at the end of July and early August, playing festivals in Germany like Krach am Bach, Rock im Wald, Blue Moon, Trafostation 61, and also in Austria at Sauzipf Rocks. At the same time, we’re working hard on Volume III, which will strike a balance between Volume I and Volume II: rawer, more intense, still cinematic, and better structured.
Little scoop: we’ll be seeing you in Montreal on January 22, 2027, for the album release. Stay tuned!
Sons of Arrakis hit the stage on February 14, 2026, at Les Enfants du Rock as part of the Taverne Tour, and return to Montreal on January 22, 2027, for the release of Volume III.
👉 15 things you definitely can’t miss at the Taverne Tour
Photo : Rémi Deschênes
