Carl Sentance: “If You Rest, You Rust” – A New Chapter, Timeless Songs and Pure Rock Energy

Carl Sentance is a singer who has never believed in standing still. After more than a decade fronting the legendary Nazareth, he decided to close one important chapter and step fully into his own solo journey. It was not a sudden decision, but the result of creative and personal differences that had been building for some time. What remains, however, is his unmistakable voice, decades of experience and an undiminished desire to create powerful rock songs.

His latest solo album, Silent Angels, continues to earn a strong response from audiences, while work on its successor is already well underway. Recorded largely at home, the new material promises memorable hooks, powerful melodies and a return to some of Carl's musical roots, including songs originally written in the 1980s.

At the same time, Carl remains completely devoted to the stage. His live shows connect every part of his career, from Leading Star and Persian Risk to Nazareth and his solo work. Ahead of an extensive Czech tour, he spoke to Rebel Sound about leaving Nazareth, his creative process, the importance of catchy songs, his bond with Czech fans and why slowing down has never been part of the plan.

Carl, after eleven years with Nazareth you decided to go fully solo. What was the moment you knew it was time to move on?

The decision to move on had been coming for a long time due to creative and personal differences.

Looking back, what did those eleven years with Nazareth give you as a singer and as a person?

The best thing for me as a singer with Nazareth was travelling the world and experiencing different cultures and people. The people, the fans are what is important in this business, they gave me a lot and made me a better person.

Silent Angels has been out for two years now. How do you feel about the album today when you perform it live?

On my tours I perform three or four songs from Silent Angels and a couple of songs from the previous album Electric Eye. I'm very proud of Silent Angels and enjoy playing the songs very much the crowd love it too, it's great to see them singing along, that makes me feel great!

You recorded a large part of the album at home. What does this workflow give you that a traditional studio doesn't?

Well, I'm very very critical of my own work, and the good thing about recording at home is there's no time limit, I get new ideas as I'm recording and sometimes if there's a better part I just record it. You just don't always have the time to do that in a studio when the clock is ticking and you're paying for it.

You mentioned the new album is being created in a similar way. What do you expect will be the biggest difference compared to Silent Angels?

Yes, I'm recording from home again, apart from the drums and the bass which are done by friends of mine (Russel Gilbrook, Uriah Heep, and Wayne Banks). Drums are always done in the studio and the bass is normally done at the bass player's own studio. The songs will have strong hooks and catchy sing along tunes as always. The biggest difference in this next album will probably be a little bit more back to my roots, some songs I wrote way back in the 80s which until now always sounded dated, but they don't anymore, they are great songs and I just can't wait for people to hear them. I will of course be writing some new songs as well and already have a few under my belt.

You've said you want to show more of your voice on the new record. What does that mean – more range, new colours, or a different way of storytelling?

Yes I did say that and sometimes I like to do that, but I find many singers out there now, including new singers are amazing and show off their voices, which is great, but sometimes it lacks the catchy tunes and I just can't stop writing for the songs, so although I will show off my voice as much as possible, the catchy melodies will come first.

When you write, do you start with the music or the lyrics. And how do you know a song is "finished"?

I normally start with the music, and I know Its finished when it feels good from the intro to the outro, whether it's a stop or a fade out that's when I know it's finished. Once told by my friend Don Airey from Deep Purple, the hardest part of writing a song is actually finishing it Ha! What does that mean? You can write many riffs, many hooks, many catchy tunes but actually finishing it from start to end is the hard part.

Your live set covers your entire career – Leading Star, Persian Risk, Nazareth, solo work. How hard is it to keep a unified sound across such different eras?

For some reason they do all work together. It just depends which songs you do from the bands. It's my voice singing every song and if it's got a good hook then it's gonna work.

Is there a Nazareth song you always wanted to sing more often, but it simply never fit into the setlist?

Yes, one track is Expect no Mercy. Nazareth hadn't played it for years because some of the band members couldn't play it anymore. So now I like to play it with my band and it rocks!

With the New Wave of British Heavy Metal project you toured Japan. What surprised you most about the Japanese audience?

Nothing really surprised me, because I knew they would be a great audience. They love their heavy metal, they know all the words and what I liked most about them was their smiling faces. It was a pleasure and I hope I will return again very soon.

You've already played the first two Czech shows – Olomouc and Svatobořice. What impressions did you take from them, and what motivates you to continue with such an extensive Czech tour in the coming months?

It is always great to play in Czechia. I think most of my fans here I gained through Nazareth. They are great people, a bit crazy, I was told some of them are travelling across the whole country just to see me, what more can you ask for?

My motto is if they book me, I will come and they can expect a night packed with great tunes and a performance full of energy.

In summer and especially in September you'll play a long run of Czech dates – Starnov, Kroměříž, Kolín, Písek, Nová Paka, Hranice, Kutná Hora, Horšovský Týn, Milevsko, Šumperk. How do you prepare for so many different venues and cities in such a short time?

Mentally I'm always prepared, I love being on the road, it's my passion, my life! The hardest part though is packing my suitcase ha! I don't wanna forget anything and of course knowing how much merch to take can be tricky.

Every Czech town has its own atmosphere. Do you expect the energy of the audience to differ between smaller places like Milevsko or Nová Paka and bigger stops like Kroměříž or Kolín?

Honestly, I don't expect any difference. From my experience every Czech place has an amazing energy and atmosphere, and of course great tasting beer ha!

When you're on stage moving between different eras of your career, what is the moment that keeps you connected to music?

Oh that's a difficult one!!! I always give so much power and energy in my shows I don't have time to think that the songs are from different eras. Hearing the first distinctive note or beat of an iconic track gives you so much adrenalin and seeing emotions coming up from certain songs, because people connect it with a certain moment of their life is a feeling that is irreplaceable.

What is your biggest motivation in 2026 – the new album, touring, or something else entirely?

Yes, exactly all the points you've just mentioned. I'm so busy trying to fit everything in. Unfortunately, the year only got 365 days ha! I love playing live shows where I can share my energy with fans. I'm also booked to record for another music project in Bulgaria. I live according to the saying "If you rest, you rust"

What would you like to say to our readers and to the fans who will see you on the Czech tour 2026?

Thanks to everyone that has supported me in the past and more recently. I hope many of you guys who are reading this will come to my shows, you won't be disappointed its gonna rock. I have a great band and you will feel the energy from start to finish. See you at one or even more shows soon!

Carl Sentance is clearly not interested in slowing down. After eleven years with Nazareth, he has stepped into a new chapter with the same hunger, passion and relentless energy that have driven him throughout his entire career. Whether he is revisiting songs from the 1980s, working on a new solo album or delivering classics from Persian Risk, Nazareth and his previous projects, one thing remains unchanged: the song and its melody always come first.

His connection with the Czech audience is especially strong. Fans travel across the country to see him, while Carl promises to repay their loyalty with powerful performances, unforgettable hooks and a band capable of shaking every venue from the first note to the final chord.

With a new album taking shape, an extensive Czech tour ahead and another musical project waiting for him in Bulgaria, Carl Sentance proves that rock music is not just something he performs. It is his passion, his purpose and his way of life.

As he says himself: "If you rest, you rust." And judging by everything he has planned, there is absolutely no danger of Carl Sentance rusting anytime soon.