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Albums Music

Sepultura – A-Lex

{mosimage}The biggest Brazilian thrash-metal band of the history is back… without any of the Calavera brothers. 

After the departure of the drummer Igor Calavera, added to the one happened years ago by his brother and vocalist Max, it seems that the essence of Sepultura could be lost. Only 2 original members remain, and certainly many fans can feel that this is not the same. Honestly, I think that it would have been wiser just to form another band and forget about using the logo and name of “Sepultura”… but you know how the industry works, the name is still very catchy for millions of followers, although other many million will not pay the minimum attention to the album without any of the Calavera brothers playing in it. 

I have read a few reviews of the album before writing this one, and I share the feeling with many of them: I was not expecting much of it, and in the end I certainly enjoyed it. A-Lex is a conceptual work based on the famous book by Burgess the Clockwork Orange (and more famous movie by the master Stanley Kubrick). The debut of the new drummer, Jean Dolabella, is certainly great and the guy knows what he is doing behind the drum kit. The band sounds consistent, powerful and beautiful and with good lyrics. Another thing I love is that opposite to the trend of most of the bands of releasing shorter albums, here there are no less than 18 delicious tracks to enjoy! Excellent songs like What I do! , the acoustic A-Lex II or Sadistic Values that put Sepultura in the position they deserve. 

If you are able to approach this album with no prejudgments, you can find it certainly a valuable and great album. 

Rating 4/5. 

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Albums Music

Ajattara – Noitumaa

{mosimage}Under the hand of Spinefarm, the Finnish record company that brings some of the best metal releases all over the world, here comes the new (and acoustic!) album of Ajattara. 

Ajattara is composed by very experienced Finnish musicians that share this project with other bands. So musically, there is no doubt that the playing is going to be skilful. What is surprising is the genre of the album itself, that it could be defined as a kind of acoustic black metal. Yeah, it sounds strange, but true, and the point is that it works. The Finnish guys put a big effort on the instrumental work, with a high presence of different drums and string instruments, and the result is notorious. 

Ajattara is the name of a God of the woods, and certainly the music goes with the flow. Sang in Finnish, the album creates a mystic atmosphere with excellent tracks like Keuhkosi or Saatama palvoo meitä. Maybe the lovers of electric riffs and more hardcore black metal style will not enjoy this, but for those of you who are eager to open their ears to new experiences in the metal world, this release is certainly remarkable. Give it a try! 

Rating 3/5.

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Albums Music

Vanity Ink – More senseless random behaviour

{mosimage}Vanity Ink has gained step by step a good name in the Finnish clubs scene with a lot of effort and great skills! 

The Finnish band, formed in 2002, features their second studio album after the release in 2007 of On your skin. One of the most powerful features of the band is the voice and the presence on stage of the charismatic and beautiful female singer, Annabella, who undoubtedly was born to attract the gazes of the audience.  

The band sounds strong, clean, and right. Good doses of rock & roll with no big pretensions rather than entertaining and make you move your feet. Annabella´s vocal skills are good, and the band sounds technically good, I would say that average. 

Maybe that can be also the main problem of the young Finnish, being “average”. It looks like a great band to see live on a small pub or a festival with a glass of beer in your hand, but maybe they lack the charisma and freshness to become bigger and more mainstream. Of course, with only 2 albums, maybe it is a bit too soon to say so, but I have the impression that they won´t pass farther than just being another name in the endless band lists of Finnish summer festivals. Time will tell… 

Rating 3/5.

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Albums Music

The Answer – Everyday demons

{mosimage}The Irish boys feature their second full-length album filled with great songs and 100% classic rock! 

I have the chance to meet the guys from the band a couple of years ago before their concert at Tavastia, in Helsinki. They were friendly, and frozen in the Finnish winter. So I was very excited when their follow-up album reached my hands. What you have here is simply classic rock & roll. If you like bands like AC/DC or Led Zepellin, this is the answer to your prays: catchy tunes, catchy riffs, catchy lyrics… catchy everything. If you like more experimental rock, then maybe you could find The Answer a bit boring for your taste.  

Because I love classic rock, I certainly enjoyed this album, but I understand that many people can consider them just a cheap and young version of AC/DC. Maybe for the future, they should try to find a more risky approach to their music. On the other hand, AC/DC have had the same sound for decades, and everybody still love them… so you never know what the best path to follow is. Meanwhile, listen to tracks like Demon Eyes, Too Far Gone or Cry Out and enjoy a taste or Ireland with a good cold Guinness in your hand! 

Rating 4/5

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Albums Music

My first band – You look so bored

{mosimage}Here is another very interesting young Finnish pop band featuring their debut album 

My First Band is a Finnish band composed by Antti Koivula in the vocals, Heikki Puhakainen in the keyboards, Juho Vehmanen as bass player, Heikki Kytölä on the drums and Mikko Virta as guitarist. With the backing up of a major label as EMI, they firmly step into the pop-rock scene exhaling good quality. Antis’ vocals are really something, catchy, well tuned, and can instantly hook you up.  

The melodies are cleverly composed, intelligent, and easy listening. They have the perfect balance between meaning and light-hearted spirit to reach all kind of audiences, from the lovers of more sad and depressing tunes to the people who just enjoy listening to radio at home while doing other tasks or the ones who can shake their butts at the dance floors of any Finnish pub. We could highlight some excellent tracks in the album like the opening Little White Lies, Broken Day or Why do you treat me so bad

A great debut album that confirms once more that Finland is living a golden era in many different musical genres. And we hope that the trend continues for many years! 

Rating 4/5

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Albums Music

U2 – No Line on the Horizon

{mosimage}The one thing that I find difficult when it comes to reviewing a new album is the fact that there’s usually not enough time to really make any proper judgments. Initial reviews of an album can feel rushed and just skim the surface of what only time spent living with that album can reveal. So here comes U2’s latest release, No Line on The Horizon, an album that almost demands repeated listening to fully appreciate its depth and nuance.

 

No Line on The Horizon is U2’s 12th studio release and catches the band at a bit of a crossroads. Trying to venture forth from the relative safety of their “back-to-basics” approach to song writing of their last two albums, the band is once again in search of a new sound while at the same time trying to retain the core of what makes them quintessentially U2. After scrapping their recording sessions with producer Rick Rubin (whose hands-off style probably didn’t fit well with their new experimental direction), the band enlisted the help of long-time collaborators Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. This new album – a product of the band’s jam sessions in Fez, Morocco with Eno and Lanois (who share co-writing credits) – chronicles their journey. For much of the album, the band has abandoned traditional song structures and have opted instead to create sonic landscapes and textures grounded by Adam Clayton’s tasteful but driving bass lines. The album mixes Rock, electronica, Jimmy Page-esque guitar riffs, and ambient music along with some Arabic influences thrown in for good measure.

 

There are more immediate and accessible songs (including the campy Get On Your Boots and Stand Up Comedy) thrust in the middle of No Line on the Horizon, but they almost serve as a counterpoint to the album’s more experimental side. These less accessible songs however, (which include Fez-Being Born, White as Snow, and Cedars of Lebanon), are really the heart of the album; drawing the listener in further each time they’re heard.

 

No Line on The Horizon is at times somber and contemplative (but never boring) with more than enough compelling moments to make it a journey well worth taking.

 

U2 will hit the road this year in support of the new album, playing 19 stadium dates in Europe (closest Finland show is Gothenburg, Sweden) followed by more dates in North America in the Fall.

   

Rating 4/5

   

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Albums Music

Nightwish – Made in Hong Kong

{mosimage}The band is certainly not lacking of new material in the last years. Here comes a new CD/DVD recorded in Hong Kong (and other places) to check how the Finnish metal legends sound live!

It does not feel like it was so long time ago, but it has been already  3 years since Tarja Turunen left the band and the Swedish Anette Olzen came to cover her position. So after the turning point of Dark Passion Play, this does not seem like a bad moment to feed the fans with a new live album that explicit explains the continuation of the band after the End of an era, the last concert played by Tarja Turunen and the Finnish fellows in Helsinki.

But honestly, I have the impression that this release is not going to convince to most of the fans. Obviously the hardcore followers will be delighted with a new record, but the material seems maybe not too “fulfilling” to convince people about the purchase. All the live tracks are extracted from Dark Passion Play, 10 songs that sound great, well produced, with good quality and with a nice connection between Olzen and the fans worldwide (the tracks are cut not only in Hong Kong but in different parts of the world, as the co-title of the album explains). But the demo version of Cadence of her last breath feels a bit more like a filler than like a real present for fans, and the DVD does not provide with anything so special apart from the typical backstage scenes, etc in a documentary + 3 video clips that last less than an hour.

Nightwish could have offered more than this, and the question that immediately gets raises is why older songs from the band that are commonly played on live gigs like Nemo or Wish I had an Angel are out of this record.  Trying to avoid comparisons between Turunen and Olzen? We cannot forget that the older material is also an important part of the history of Nightwish, but taking this decision of offering only tracks from the latest album just raises more questions and disappointment among the fans. 

Made in Hong Kong (and in various other places) is undoubtedly a good live album, but a band with such an international top position as Nightwish has could and should have done much better than this. It seems that the shadow of Tarja Turunen keeps giving more than one headache to Mr. Marco Hietala.

Rating 3/5.

 

Related articles:

Review of Dark Passion Play: http://www.freemagazine.fi/content/view/409/118/

Interview with Tarja Turunen: http://www.freemagazine.fi/content/view/510/117/

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Albums Music

The Sorrow – Origin of the Storm

{mosimage}From Austria comes this metalcore band with a great follow-up album for the delight of the fans!

The Sorrow is not an unknown band in Finland, They have been playing around in different big summer festivals in the past, and count with a good bunch of followers, although their strongest audiences are still in Germany and Austria. After the great album debut Blessings from a Blackened Sky in 2007, here comes the follow-up work.

What you will find here is quite a “melodic” metalcore. The shouts and heavy riffs are present, but still it is something that most of metal fans can enjoy with no effort. Some highlighted tracks in the album are for my taste Heaven is no place for us or Tempestuous. If you like bands like Killswitch Engage or even In Flames, this can be your cup of tea.

The Sorrow do not really add much new to the genre, neither they are an extra-skilled band. But what they do, they do it well, and their direct style is easy to be enjoyed by metal fans. A decent second studio album for the Austrians! 

Rating 3/5.

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Interviews Music

Reborn from the Ashes – Interview with Janne Kärkkäinen

Musician Janne Kärkkäinen could have not chosen a better name for his new band: Phoenix Effect. A couple of years ago he was in the middle of a bonfire, being “invited” not to continue as guitarist by the other members of Sunrise Avenue, the international successful Finnish rock band. Now in 2009, he has got musically reborn with a new and super strong project that is hitting very high in the Finnish charts surrounded by the good company of the friends of Poets of the Fall, bringing on great lyrics and demolishing songs… and with a new role on stage as vocalist!

Phoenix Effect

Hello Janne and thanks a lot for dedicating your time to answer the questions. So here comes the debut album for this new project. How can you describe Cyanide Skies for the people who would have not yet listened to the album, and in what direction would you like to see Phoenix Effect to progress?

I could say that it is a modern rock album with all the smoothness and edges still in place. We tried to make songs pretty much as they came up, and not to think too much how they would fit the “radio-hit-format”. As a result, I hope the songs would last a bit longer than songs nowadays do.  And that’s the recipe; I want to do the creative process in the future as well.

Would you like to count with “fixed” members for the band for the future, or is more an idea of having your personal project + invited musicians?

Even though PHNX started as a solo project, I’ve always had a vision that one day it will evolve to be a “real” band. Today we are getting really close to the point because we are only missing a drummer now ;) Pyry Nikkilä is playing guitar and Lauri Hämäläinen is on the bass. Do you have any favourite song from the album? I sometimes think that I have but then it changes… The songs vary quite a lot from each other so it pretty much depends on the mood that I’m in. Every song is precious, so I don’t dare to pick just one.

I read that the decision that you would be the singer was taken when most of the material for the album was already composed and you needed someone. Did you have previous experience as vocalist? How do you compare it to the role of guitarist that you had, for example before, in Sunrise Avenue?

Well, yes that’s true. I never really thought that I would be the one to sing the songs, but the guys from Poets talked me into trying and step by step it started to feel more comfortable. So I pretty much have no experience of being the singer so I think there’s still a lot to do in that section. In another words, the role comparing to the SA days is totally different.

Janne Kärkkäinen

The album has had a very good reception in the Finnish charts. Were you expecting this, or did you think that maybe after the departure from Sunrise Avenue, media would not pay so much attention to your following musical steps?

I wondered about that quite a lot when we were recording the songs, but I have had a feeling that, in general, the music is the one that will make the difference in any case. Of course it helps that some people know me from SA, but at the end of the day you always need to start from zero with a new band in any case. And what comes to the chart position, it was a wonderful surprise. I really didn’t know how it would turn out.

“My role compared to the Sunrise Avenue days is totally different”

I know quite a lot of people have found some kind of grunge influence in the album. Actually it also happened to me; it reminded me a bit of for example Pearl Jam in some riffs. Do you agree or disagree with it, or was a kind of sound you were looking for intentionally?

That was something that popped up after the release of Broken Promises. I had never noticed about it before but now when I think about it now, I can agree with you totally. Pearl Jam has always been one of my all time favourites, so I take it as a big complement!

Please tell us a bit more of the collaboration with your friends of Poets of the Fall. It seems that happened quite naturally, isn’t it? Do you think they will be involved in future albums again?

To be honest, the whole process felt really light in a way. We seem to share a lot of opinions so we had no need for arguments or anything. Of course there was a lot work but then again when you are doing something the thing you love, it does not feel like you’re working. And we will continue to co-operation for sure.

Probably some of the readers have read more about it, but maybe some others do not know much of the reasons of your departure from Sunrise Avenue. Can you explain a bit more in detail what happened (if you are not too bored of answering always the same question…)? Do you keep some relation or contact with them or not after these months?

This is still a question that I cannot answer properly. The whole thing happened within a couple of days and I was given an explanation that did not make any sense. At least not to me. We have not spoken since.

What are the plans for 2009? Finnish summer festivals or gigs abroad in perspective?

We are aiming to play as much shows as we can. And naturally we will go anywhere we are invited, even abroad!

Anything you want to add for our readers?

Stay true!

Janne Kärkkäinen

Q&A with Janne Kärkkäinen

Favourite band you have shared stage with?

Pearl Jam

Favourite memory of a concert?

Das fest, Karlsruhe

Hobbies when you do not work as musician?

Playing Ice Hockey

Favourite drink?

Ice cold skinned milk

Do you remember the last CD you bought?

AC/DC – Black Ice

Place you would like to play on live but you have not had yet the chance?

Conan O’Brien -show

What is the craziest thing a fan has done in front of your eyes?

Maybe not something that was done in front of my eyes, but one fan bought me a star from the sky(!). It’s called “Phoenix Effect”.

And the craziest thing you have done backstage?

I’ve watched Scott Weiland play playstation wearing a poncho and a cowboy hat.

Photos by Tiia Öhman

For more information, visit: www.phoenixeffect.fi

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Albums Music

Nika – Lauluni Mun

{mosimage}The Helsinki-based and Tampere-born young singer features her debut album

First thought that I had when I took a look at Nika´s CD is that it would be another average female Finnish singer with the catchy and easy listening pop-songs that can reach easily teenage audiences. Well, the album is easy to listen, but it is a nice breeze of fresh musical air to listen to the groovy, blues and hip hop rhythms added here.

Not that we have something totally breaking new, but the work is more than good for being the first full length. The catchy track Sovita mua will make you move your feet while other songs are more introspective, narrating the everyday life from the eyes of a young girl, like Hiipuu or the sweet Heikkona hetkenä.

A notable effort for young Nika, who manages to deliver a pretty enjoyable record.

Rating 3/5.

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Albums Music

Profane Omen – Inherit the void

{mosimage}After a couple of years without having new material, the metal band from Lahti provides us with a little masterpiece of new album

Honestly, I hardly knew Profane Omen before this new album fell into my hands, so I had a totally “blank” mind towards what I could find here. And the result has just blown me off.  Starting with the following guitar solo of Williami Kurki in the intro Seconds and followed up by the hammering drums beats of Base, this is a squared album of good heavy metal. Although the work has a good doses of groove metal, it is certainly not difficult to listen to even for the non-extremist metal fans.  The shouts and the most melodic vocal tones in the lyrics are perfectly measured, and certainly the result is powerful, but not too off the hook.  Even the slower "ballad" In the middle I breath puts the top on this metal musical cake.

All in all a great album and a good surprise (I needed this week just to listen to an album exhaling energy like this during the boring office hours). If Profane Omen would be an American band, they would have already broken through international charts, so I just hope they find the right promotion to make their dreams come true.

Rating 5/5.

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Albums Music

Masterstroke – As days grow darker

{mosimage}The Tampere based metal band strikes back one year ago after their release of the great Sleep with another superb album.

 

Being the current one only the third album of the band, and after a short time of having released their follow-up full length, I must admit that Masterstroke must be probably the young metal band that has advance and improved more quickly in the super-competitive national metal scene. As days grow darker sounds compact, rounded, well produced, with excellent and sharp riffs and with the lyrics and voice of Niko in perfect shape. The album is overall shiny when the band goes full speed and accelerates the rhythm like in the demolishing Walls of my temple or in the blowing intro riffs of the album for Wait for the fail.

After having opened the gig of Scorpions in Madrid last year and featuring this superb new work, I am sure that we will be hearing many more good things about Masterstroke in the following years.

Rating 4/5. 

Related article (Interview with Jussi, keyboard player of Masterstroke):

http://www.freemagazine.fi/content/view/551/117/

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Albums Music

Nashville Pussy – From hell to Texas

{mosimage}Produced by Daniel Ray, here comes the fifth album of the pussy gang!

Nashville Pussy, the Atlanta based band, is back. It seems incredible that their first album Let Them Eat Pussy has already been for more than 10 years in the market! The 2 boys and 2 girls, led by singer Blaine Cartwight are all what you want to desire from an American bar band; anthems about sex, whisky, drugs, fights…  And also provocation like in the catchy and funny Lazy Jesus, not forgetting some real kick ass riff guitars like in From Hell to Texas.  

Nashville Pussy is kind of the dirtier version of Aerosmith, but they really work their butt hard to be at the top of hard rock American scene. They would definitely be perfect counterparts for a tour with Los Bastardos Finlandeses, if they ever come to Finland in the near future. A great album if you like the Jack Daniels side of rock!

Rating 4/5. 

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Albums Music

Callisto – Providence

{mosimage}Third full length for the Finnish bands, counting with a new vocalist: Jani Ala-Hukkala.

A new studio album for Callisto since 2006 and great expectation to see how the debut of the new vocalist, Jani, would affect the band. With a very experimental sound, this Providence is certainly pretty enjoyable.  Maybe for some hard-core fans, it can sound pretty different to what was done before, but it is good to change from time to time, isn´t it? Maybe here they sound less brutal, and more mellow and progressive than before, but I have personally nothing bad against that. Harsh vocals are mostly disappearing, and Jani exercises more his vocal skills than his predecessor, but since I am more into more melodic tunes, I still see this as very good. The instruments still create an appealing gloomy and dark atmosphere, but the album can really reach a more mainstream audience.

All in all, I think Callisto has changed for the best, and although like in every change, there will be people and old fans who will not accept this, we welcome the new face of Callisto as a good improvement!

Rating 4/5. 

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Interviews Music

Interview with Jeff Loomis of Nevermore

Nevermore is an American metal band created in 1991 in Seattle, Washington. Since then, they’ve been on the road with seven albums and a legion of fans around the world, mainly in Europe. Jeff Loomis is the impressive guitarist and main songwriter for the band.He auditioned for Megadeth when he was 16 years old, was listed as one of the fastest guitarists of all times by “Guitar World”, has his own signature Loomis guitar by Schecter and will soon have his own signature distortion pedal. To top off the successful career, he just released his first and very inspiring solo album, Zero Order Phase, by Century Media. I had the pleasure of speaking with a laid back and funny Jeff Loomis and my interview with him can be read below.

In September of 2008 you released your first solo album, Zero Order Phase, was that something you always planned on doing?

It was an idea I had in mind for quite some time, it was just that there was never enough time to do it because of all the touring that we were doing with Nevermore. When the touring cycle ended for the "This Godless Endeavor" tour I knew we would have a lot of time off, so I called Neil Kernon, my producer, and we got the project going. I called my friend Mark Arrington, who actually played on our very first self titled CD, to play drums on it and he was more than happy to do it. One of the really cool things about recording this CD was that the majority of it was done right in my own house. We recorded the drums at a studio down the street, but everything else was done in my basement. This really made the whole project very relaxed without the feeling of being rushed like you would normally be in a real studio environment. I've been a fan of instrumental music for a very long time, so I’m finally glad I had the opportunity to show a different side of my playing to Nevermore fans and fans of experimental music.

Does the album reflect exactly everything you intended it to reflect when you first started the project?

I think it exceeded my expectations. I knew it was going to be very cool once I had made the initial demos, but once we started recording, things really started falling into the right place. I think it was just a matter of the right people being together at the right time for the whole project. I was really fortunate to be able to work with a lot of talented people that made this recording a reality. Neil was a big help with many of the arrangements and Mark was the glue that made everything cohesive and sound like one entire piece of flowing music. The entire CD is a big journey of different musical soundscapes (laughing), that may sound like a weird way of describing it but it's the best way to explain how it sounds, sonically speaking.

How has the response been so far? Nevermore has some very passionate fans, how has their reaction been to your album?

The response has been very, very good. Most of the reviews have been excellent and the fans seem to really like it. I think I’ve gained a bit of a new listening audience as well, which is really cool. To be honest I really just wanted to make this CD for myself, just to see if I could pull something like this off. I didn’t want to make a CD just to show off some fast guitar riffs. My intention was to make a CD of a wide array of different musical styles that incorporated many elements of my playing intertwined. I'm always playing very aggressive stuff with Nevermore, so it was cool to be able to experiment with different approaches to writing music on Zero Order Phase. I also know that the fans want a new Nevermore CD…we have been together as a band for 15 plus years, so taking a break from that was a very healthy thing for us to do. It will just make us come back stronger with new music and a fresh start. We are working on a new CD right now as a matter of fact! 

{mosimage}

If you were to describe Zero Order Phase in three words, what would they be?

Relentless experimental “riffage”.

Do you normally listen to your own music at home, like when you're cooking or doing laundry?

After the final mix I listened to my solo CD quite a bit…but if I’m cooking or cleaning usually I’ll be listening to other stuff for whatever mood I’m in at the time. It could be Classical music or Cannibal Corpse!

In the end of last year Nevermore released the DVD The Year of the Voyager and you guys are already working on a new album, what else can the fans expect from the band in 2009?

Yes we are finally working on the new stuff. Yes it will be heavy and yes it will be very melodic too. The fans can expect a new CD and a world tour in the very near future. Our first show will be the “Wacken Festival” this summer in Germany. From there on out we hope to be on the road for a long time. I have about 7 songs written for the new CD. I can't give you any working titles yet, but I can guarantee it will be some of our best work yet.

I know that you were very moved by the guitar playing of legends like Jason Backer and Marty Friedman. Is there any new guitarist that blows your mind?

There is a guitar player from the UK by the name of Guthrie Govan who is just amazing. I really come from the old school of guitarists that I grew up with, such as Brian May, Eddie Van Halen and Yngwie Malmsteen. These are players that really inspired me to play and stay in my room practicing hours a day. I love Fredrik and Martin from Meshuggah as well, these guys are doing some killer stuff that I love listening to. Jason and Marty are my all time favorite players. I got a chance to work with Marty last year in L.A., I played a guest solo on his new CD called Future Addict. He's an incredible musician and composer and a very nice person. It was a total honor to be able to spend some time with him and learn a few new things about his approach to guitar playing.

One of the coolest times was being on tour with the band Death" – Jeff Loomis –

What have you been listening to lately? What was the last album you bought?

{mosimage}

I've been listening to this crazy band called The Faceless. They are kinda like a combination of Cannibal Corpse meets the Jazz guitarist Alan Holdsworth. It's strange but works so well together. I like Blotted Science too. I can't remember the last CD I bought! I think it was the new Soilwork CD, I’m a huge fan of those guys too and I'm very happy to hear that Peter Wichers is back in the band.

Do you have any musical guilty pleasure? Something that you only listen when you're alone, that you're not proud of listening to and would not tell your friends about.

I think that Natasha Bedingfield is cool…I saw a live concert of hers on TV and she has a really strong voice and has some catchy tunes too. I don't mind saying that at all. As a matter of fact, I have a close friend who likes Beyoncé! Oh, and I almost forgot that I’ve listened to ABBA a few times too. Cool production and great vocal harmonies. I think I got that from hanging out with many Swedish friends on past tours.

In your opinion, what were the most important moments in Nevermore's career?  Why?

Well, one of the coolest times was being on tour with the band Death. Being able to hang out with Chuck Schuldiner was a great experience. He had asked us to come out and tour with them in 95. I was really bummed out that I didn't get a chance to see him before he passed away. He wrote some great music and he was a genuine friend that I will never forget. We also got a chance to play the “Dynamo Festival” in Holland that same year in front of 150,000 plus people, it was an unreal time that I will never forget.

Do you get anxious/ nervous before a live performance? Have you ever performed under any bizarre circumstances? What were the most remarkable gigs of your career?

I still get nervous. I guess something would be wrong if I didn’t get nervous, it's just a natural thing. We've had to perform with the tour bus rolling into a gig just a few minutes before doors were open many times due to bad traveling weather. I don't know how our roadies and sound people pulled it off, but those were some of our best gigs! Aside from the “Dynamo Festival” I would say all the shows we do in Greece are just always great because the crowds are so loud…at times they are louder than the PA!!! And the now legendary “Wacken Festival” is always incredible. The one we will play this summer will be our 3rd appearance.

What accomplishments in your career are you most proud of? Is there something you would do differently if you could go back in time?

I am happy with the accomplishment of the longevity of the band. Many bands break up after just a few recordings. I've always felt most comfortable onstage with Nevermore and would not change anything or do anything different from the past. The way we have done things in the past has made us who we are today.

In the end of last year Guitar World put you as one of the 50 fastest guitarists of all time, having Born, from This Godless Endeavor, as your signature song. How does it feel to figure in the same list as Marty Friedman and Jason Becker? Would you pick Born as your signature song?

It is a great feeling to be up there with the names of some of the best guitarists as one of the fastest players. I didn't know what to think of that when I first saw it in the magazine…I always thought there were faster guitar players than me. I've always concentrated on playing with equal parts of speed and feel and everything in between when it comes to guitar playing. One of the tunes that really showcase some of my best playing would have to be The River Dragon from the Dead Heart in a Dead World D, a heavy tune with some cool lead sequences that are part of my signature style.

{mosimage}Did you always dream of becoming a "guitar god" and an influence to new players? Did you have a career plan B? Are your parents proud of you?

No, I never thought about it like that. I just always new I wanted to be the best I could be when it came down to good songwriting. I would rather be able to write a great piece of music than play a million miles an hour all the time. That can be a very limiting thing to a guitar player and can only take you so far. I never had a plan B either. I always knew what I wanted to do and just had a very concentrated mindset. If you put all of your work into something, it can happen for you if you don't give up. I was really lucky to have very supportive parents as well. They are both retired teachers, so they could have surely said to go to college and get a real career, but they always pushed me to do what I loved. Music is something that's been inside of me for a very long time and I never intend on doing anything else as far as a career goes. I don't know if it will always be Metal…I would love to write movie soundtracks one day, which would be a cool goal to shoot for in the near future.

I've been asking you everything that I ever wanted to know. Is there anything you would like me to ask you and I didn't?

Hmmmm…oh, you could have asked me if I plan to record more instrumental CD's. That answer would be yes, I signed for two more with Century Media. You could have asked me if I have any new gear coming out. That answer would be yes, I have a new distortion pedal I’m going to work on with a company that I can't mention yet. And, hmmmm, you could have asked me about my signature Loomis guitar model. It is still available through Schecter (laughing)!  

Now, to wrap this up, give me an inspirational quote, a few last words of wisdom…

Be an innovator and listen to ALL styles of music. There is much out there to be heard. Thanks for the awesome interview, I look forward to seeing everyone on tour real soon.

Photos by Stephanie Cabral and Karen Mason Blair