Interview with Armend Keiser (Eternova Aeon)!
2026-04-23
What happens when you combine symphonic power metal, an expansive fantasy universe, and modern AI tools? Meet Armend, the creator of the Eternova Aeon project, who proves that music and storytelling can come together as a single, cohesive whole. In this interview, we take a look behind the scenes at his creative process, his inspirations, and the world he continues to build.
And if you’ve been living under a rock until now, here’s something to get you started 😁
Hi, Armend!
I'm glad to have you here on my blog!
As soon as I saw your work and the quality of your music videos, which are truly works of AI art. I watched several in a row right away!
You can definitely tell how much work you’ve put into every detail of your creations!
Hey Miyu!
First of all, I’m the one who’s happy to be here! 😊
I’m really glad you like my work 😉
Alright!
Now that the courtesies have been exchanged, it’s time for questions, because both I and our readers are curious about a lot of things ^^
Let’s start off with something light 😋
Where did the idea for Eternova Aeon come from? What came first: the music or the story?
I have mixed feelings about this question, haha 😅
Trying to answer it made me remember my life and my past.
Since I was little, I started playing guitar, and I wrote some songs, riffs, solos, and lyrics, but at that time Armend, Eternova Aeon, or any actual story did not exist yet.
I never really did anything with those ideas, and to be honest, I did not know anyone with the same musical tastes as me to form a band, so all of that stayed hidden away for years.
After some time, I created Armend. You could say it started as the nickname for what would become my character in a video game, and that name stayed with me for the rest of my life.
I kept shaping him through video games until one day I wanted to create my own story, my own tale or novel, and that is how I started building this world.
Even so, although I had some stories written and had made progress on the “book,”
I kept running into certain obstacles, so I wanted to do more things to feed that world:
drawing maps, writing side stories, creating a pantheon of gods, types of magic, and things like that.
My book was not moving forward much, but the characters and the lore kept growing.
Then one day, while browsing the internet, I saw that an AI capable of making music had been released.
I dusted off some old lyrics and, incredibly, I was finally able to hear a complete composition from an idea I had when I was young.
That was when the thought came to me: I already have my stories there... what if I base songs on them and in that way fulfill my dream of “forming” or “belonging to” a power metal band, haha 😅
But since the music would be AI-generated, I did not want to use my own face, so I chose Armend to be the one who would interpret all of this.
In few words, music came first into my life as Rafael (my real name), while for Eternova Aeon, everything began with stories.
Wow! The lore here is amazing!
You can tell this is a labor of love! I really respect that!
Small steps and decisions from the past have shaped what Eternova Aeon looks like today!
Wonderful!
Okay, so how would you describe Eternova Aeon in one sentence to someone encountering the project for the first time?
You know, just a little teaser of what people can expect ^^
Eternova Aeon is two worlds united: a symphonic power metal band and a realm of fantasy, loss, and new beginnings, where the stars guide the way toward new paths.
I'm also curious:
Did you know from the start that this would be a full-fledged universe with its own lore, and not just a music project?
Of course.
As I mentioned before, the lore was already there when Eternova Aeon was created, and the music has helped it grow and evolve even more over time.
At the same time, not every song is necessarily set inside Eternova’s universe, because I also bring in personal feelings and experiences to give the songs the emotion they need.
Even so, I try to keep recurring themes like the stars, the cosmos, and that kind of imagery, so everything still feels connected to the world of Eternova.
And what was the biggest challenge at the beginning?
until now, there have been two main challenges: animation and social media. The animation side has improved over time as AI tools have become better,
and I have also refined my prompts to try to create more dynamic clips and stronger visuals.
But sometimes you still do not get exactly what you hoped for,
and those mistakes or misinterpretations can be costly, so in some cases you just have to use them because you do not want to spend more tokens, hahaha 😄
It is simply part of the process.
It is simply part of the process.
As for social media and communication, posting regularly and managing that side of things has honestly never come naturally to me, so I feel like my reach has been pretty limited hahaha🤣
But still, I do what I can 🤪
Oh yeah, generators can be really finicky!
I’ve had this problem myself many times.
It often happens that I only notice mistakes in the graphics after I’ve already posted them on Instagram.
Then all I can do is look at them and cry😭
As for social media:
It’s often the case that all it takes is one post shared at the right moment to go viral.
But you know what? The most important thing is to have fun while creating your content.
Without that, you can quickly burn out and lose the motivation to manage your social media.
Next question!
What does your typical creative process look like? From idea to finished music video.
When I work on a music video, the first thing I decide is whether it will tell a story or feel more like a classic band-style music video.
From there, I think about the setting, the characters, and the atmosphere I want to create.
If it is more focused on storytelling, I choose who the main character will be and prepare a guide; sometimes a full script, and other times just key scenes.
On the visual side, I usually create a main reference image so the AI can keep the characters and the setting more consistent.
After that, I edit the video, add effects, transitions, and polish everything until it feels complete.
On the musical side, I first decide whether the song belongs more to the lore or comes from a more personal place.
I usually write lyrics in very random moments, because ideas come to me anywhere, and then I refine them later.
Since I want the songs to feel like symphonic power metal, I also imagine how intense or theatrical they should sound,
and sometimes I even add real guitar parts or guide vocals recorded by myself to better shape the final result.
In a way, many of the songs also come from what I am feeling emotionally, so the process also becomes a way for me to express myself.
I really enjoy reading about other creators’ creative processes. There’s a lot to learn from them ^^
And what usually comes first: the music, the lyrics, or a visual scene in your head?
Most of the time, the lyrics come first. Occasionally the music comes first, but that is actually pretty rare.
And when it comes to the visual side, that always comes at the end. I usually go over the music a thousand times before I start creating anything visual.
I totally get it!
When I listened to different songs back in the day, I liked to imagine music videos based on the lyrics!
Sometimes, when I listen to old songs, I remember those “music videos” from my head ^^
And what about the vibe?
How do you build the power metal atmosphere in your tracks. Do you follow specific inspirations or patterns?
Yes, I do follow certain patterns and inspirations. I really like fast guitars, and sometimes I like them to have a neoclassical feel.
I am also drawn to the fantasy element in the lyrics, and I try to bring in those theatrical touches, so the song feels as if it has its own kind of magic.
Depending on the song, I even include male and female vocal duets to make it feel more alive, dramatic, or theatrical.
The sheer amount of work you're describing here is making my head spin! 🤯
Seriously. It all sounds like a lot of work!
How long does it take to create a full project (track + visuals + narrative)?
Creating a full project takes more time than people might think. A lot of people assume that because AI is involved, everything happens with one click, but that is not true.
Even one song can take me a week or more, because I still have to write the lyrics, refine the music, and keep adjusting things until they feel right.
The videos also take time, because I want them to have quality, consistency, and meaning.
For example, the 13 songs on my new album took me around six months to make through a lot of trial and error.
And now that I have released more than half of them as videos, I am already working on new songs so I do not run out of content once the rest are finished.
And during that process, do you ever find yourself changing the story because of the music or vice versa?
Yes, definitely, haha 😂 The story has changed alongside the songs,
because even when I already have a general idea of where it is going, new ideas often come to me while I am writing.
So during the creative process,
I sometimes end up changing details or certain aspects of the story, either to give it a new shape or simply because those changes work better in the end.
Overall, it’s clear from your work that it’s deeply rooted in storytelling.
How do you build the world of Eternova Aeon?
Do you have it written down somewhere or does it evolve with each new release?
Do you have it written down somewhere or does it evolve with each new release?
The world of Eternova Aeon was born, in part, from the desire to escape the real world and to give Armend a home.
Over time, that refuge grew into something much bigger: a universe of its own, filled with stories, magic, characters, and emotion.
When it comes to “have it written down somewhere”:
I have a lot of things written and saved about that world, from its own cosmology and pantheon of deities to places, events across time, factions, and even alternate stories.
But even with all of that, it has never been something fixed; it has kept growing and changing with every release.
It’s amazing to read about your creative process.
I feel inspired myself to create something as profound as what you’ve created!
But I know how this always ends for me:
Lots of projects started, none finished 😅
I have one more question about the lore!
Themes like destiny, sacrifice, and conflict appear frequently. Is that a deliberate narrative direction?
Yes, it is completely intentional. In a way, the main characters came together because they share the same destiny, or because their pasts are intertwined in a way that was always going to bring them together sooner or later.
They are broken souls who, in some way, complete one another.
And on a more personal level,
I think that also happens because I placed a part of myself into each of the main characters, which is why they are so deeply connected within the narrative.
Themes like destiny, sacrifice, and conflict appear so often because, in the end, they are part of what binds them together and defines their path.
Oh! About the characters!
Do you have a favorite character or storyline in your universe? (Besides your character of course ^^)
Hahaha, I even tattooed Armend’s name xD.
But aside from him, two other characters come to mind right away.
One is Syrath, who is part of the band as Bassist and, within Eternova’s world a shadow-wielding assassin.
I really like her strong personality, but also the fact that deep down she is just searching for a place where she truly belongs.
The other is Olyr, one of the deities that appears most often in the universe. Olyr is connected to constellations and destiny, and I really love both the concept and the character itself.
Ha! That tattoo definitely shows how much this whole project means to you ^^
You can definitely tell from the whole vibe and the care you put into this project 😉
Speaking of the care that goes into the project!
How important is consistency between music and story for you?
If the video is more like a traditional band-style music video, then I am not always that strict about consistency — in those cases,
I can be a little more relaxed and just let things happen, haha 😅
But if I am trying to tell one of the stories, then consistency becomes much more important,
because I want the scenes to make sense, feel more polished, and feel more intentional.
If that consistency is missing, I feel like it breaks the rhythm of what is happening on screen, and the video just does not feel as enjoyable.
I know exactly what you mean.
I’ve been in that situation many times too, where I kept generating picture after picture until I finally got the right vibe.
The whole thing just has to match the creator’s vision ^^
...which brings us to our next set of questions!
More technical ones ^^
To start things off:
What was the most challenging part of working with AI (character consistency, style, animation)?
I think the most challenging part has been the animation. A lot of times the prompt can be very complex, or the animation is going really well and then suddenly something strange happens.
That is just part of working with AI, especially when you already have a very clear vision in mind and you care about small details because you want them to feel just right.
Oh don't even get me started on the details.
I've had to give up on generating images many times because it just plain pissed me off that the generator didn't get what I was going for, even with a detailed prompt.
I usually take a long break, and once I've cooled off, I come back to it with a clear head ^^
By the way:
Does AI speed up your process, or does it open new possibilities that actually make it longer?
Most of the time, yes, it does make the process faster, especially once you already have a draft or a solid base to build your prompts from.
But when it comes to experimenting, it can actually take more time, because you start getting results that show you something could be improved or pushed further.
Then you end up testing, adjusting, and reshaping ideas until you finally get what you want or at least that is usually how it works for me.
And how do you maintain character consistency across different scenes?
Personally, I use ChatGPT, and I often use reference photos and sometimes use the features built into their editor.
Using Leonardo AI, there is a LoRA feature where you can upload images to create more consistent characters.
So, using GPT almost a year ago, I created some images of Armend based on a drawing that a friend I met in a video game had made of my character at the time.
I did the same with other characters and ended up building a kind of “database” with their most common outfits, simple expressions, and other visual references.
Thanks to that, I was able to achieve much better consistency with the characters.
Oh, right, I used to work with LoRA’s, but it never really fit the kind of content I wanted to create, so I got better at prompting images in GPT ^^
Oh! About that!
That ties in nicely with my next question for you:
Do you see AI as a tool or as a co-creator?
As a tool, of course. I think many of us have used AI at times to help develop an idea further or simply make certain parts of the process easier.
But to me, it is still just a tool, and I believe a lot of people misunderstand that.
Behind it, there is always someone who knew how to use that tool well.
The idea and the creativity come from the person, and AI simply helps bring those things to life.
And I completely agree with that!
I rely heavily on AI in my work right now, and in the programming community, it’s referred to as an “efficient way to write code.”
Because it’s not like when we use “Codex” or “Cursor,” we just type in “Write an app X that does Y” we still sit there and figure out the best way to solve a given problem, we feed our solution into the AI platform, and then we get code that we would have written ourselves, but it would have taken us much longer!
Okay, but I got a little carried away with my “nerdiness” 🤣
Next question!
Which bands or creators had the biggest influence on your style?
That is actually a difficult question, because there are so many bands and artists who have inspired me and influenced what I do.
One of the musicians who first introduced me to this kind of music, especially power metal, was Kiko Loureiro, particularly during his time with Angra.
I remember being obsessed with trying to learn one of his guitar solos.
There are also bands like Rhapsody of Fire, Kamelot, Derdian, Dragonland, and many others. That was really where everything began for me.
But over time, as I got deeper into that world,
I also discovered incredible bands in my native language, Spanish, and I started to connect a lot with their style, their variations, and their amazing voices.
Bands like Mägo de Oz, WarCry, Dragonfly, and Opera Magna became very important references for me as well.
Right now, I listen a lot to a band called Saurom, and also to an artist with an incredible voice who, personally,
I consider one of the best voices in the genre: Isra Ramos and his project Amadeüs.
He has collaborated with many artists, and I think he always does an amazing job.
I’d really love to say something about those bands, but unfortunately, this is the first time I’ve heard of them! 😅
Still, I can see that the music and artists you mentioned definitely influenced the way Eternova Aeon looks today!
Speaking of music:
Where do you get your inspiration for lyrics? From your imagination, history, emotions, or something else?
In part, my lyrics come from the fantasy and the world I have written for Eternova, but they also come from emotions and real-life experiences.
A lot of it depends on how I am feeling in the moment and on the idea that comes to me, so sometimes the lyrics are more connected to the lore, and other times they come from something much more personal.
Let’s talk more about your music more! I want to know all about your work! ^^
Your music has a very epic feel to it. Do you create it with specific anime-like scenes in mind?
Honestly, not really. I think, like many other things, it mostly comes from how I am feeling in the moment.
Sometimes I imagine something tragic, something more theatrical, or something more euphoric and energetic.
Once I have that essence in mind then when i finish de music,
Once I have that essence in mind then when i finish de music,
I naturally start to picture what the video could look like or what kind of story I want to tell through it.
And how was the collaboration on “Fuego Eterno no Kakusei (覚醒)” with BettahAI?
Was that different from your usual workflow?
Oh, it was such a great, fun, and interesting experience.
I do not think I had ever heard Japanese combined with Spanish in this kind of music before
, since English is usually the language people use for these kinds of collaborations, so it felt very original and unique to me.
I really enjoyed working with her on that song, and of course making the video was a lot of fun too.
I got to experiment with new prompts, and I think the final video turned out very dynamic.
At first, the combination of Spanish and Japanese felt a little unusual to me, and the first results we got were good, but not quite enough.
Eventually, though, we found the final version, and I think it came out really well and carries a great energy between both of us.
BettahAI has always supported me in continuing with my project in Spanish, and I think that is something really special.
In the community she invited me to be part of, there are not many people who truly understand Spanish,
so it is very encouraging to know that they can still feel the vibe of what I create. I am very grateful to her for that.
I would definitely love to collaborate with her again in the future. And of course, thank you as well for being part of the music video! It was incredible!
It was pure fun!
One of my favorite creators invited me to collaborate, so I couldn't say no 😅
It's great to be a part of this! ^^
You mentioned a community.
How important is your community and audience feedback in shaping the project?
It is very important to me, because their feedback helps me improve my content and also encourages me to explore new ideas for the project.
In fact, I even made a mini episode as a kind of pilot test because they asked for it, and I think it was received pretty well 😄
Everything you've created so far that I've seen has been great!
You really don't need to worry about “someone not liking something” 😄
You also mentioned that some projects are experimental and depend on how they’re received.
In that case, how do you see the future of Eternova Aeon?
Some of the changes I have made — in the music, the style of the videos, and especially the attempt to create episodes as a kind of series — have all been experiments to see how people respond.
I use that feedback to understand whether I need to improve something, keep developing an idea, or simply accept that maybe it does not work the way I hoped.
Some people have told me directly that they enjoy the content, others simply leave a like, and others say nothing at all, which is normal.
At the same time, I honestly do not know how certain the future of Eternova Aeon is right now.
I have had lower views lately, and it is hard to tell whether that is because of limited reach or because the project is no longer as interesting to people.
What makes it difficult is that the people who do comment are usually very kind and encouraging, so the signal feels mixed.
For now, I just want to keep working and see where it goes, especially for the people who do connect with the project and genuinely enjoy it.
Got it!
It's kind of like programming:
Keep testing until it works (unless that's just my approach 😅)
Are you still planning to develop the project as an animated story?
Yes, that is definitely something I would like to expand further.
In fact, I am currently writing episode 2 of the animated series, hehe 😋
Wow! That's so cool!
I can't wait!
Thanks! Now I won't be able to fall asleep 🤣
And if you had an unlimited budget, what would you have planned for the Eternova Aeon project?
I would probably invest in better audio interfaces, microphones, and recording equipment so I could create stronger and clearer foundations for the songs.
That alone would already change a lot, because it would allow me to shape the music more precisely and bring the final result much closer to what I truly imagine.
Beyond that, it would also open the door to making better and much more ambitious videos.
I could release content faster and with higher quality, or take more time to experiment, test new ideas, and push the animations into something much more epic and cinematic.
And of course, I would also invest more in promoting the content and doing the kinds of things a real band would normally do, because I feel like that is still an area where the project could grow a lot.
Honestly, with an unlimited budget, I feel like Eternova Aeon could become something much bigger, both musically and visually.
I WANT TO BE YOUR ROADIE AT YOUR CONCERTS! 😁😁😁
And seriously, I hope you achieve everything you listed here!
And so, with a touch of sadness, we’ve reached the final question of our interview:
Do you have a message for our readers?
To everyone who has listened, watched, or walked even a small part of this path with Eternova Aeon: thank you.
Every song, every story, and every star in this world exists because there was something worth feeling, and if even a small part of it reached your heart, then it was never created in vain.
It almost brings a tear to my eye! Such beautiful words!
And to all of my dear readers, if you haven't yet followed Armend's work titled “Eternova Aeon,” I highly recommend you make up for that!
Here are the most important links:
Thank you, Armend, for being here, and thank you to our readers who made it to the end!
Stay warm, and see you next time!
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