MER:
You are a freshly formed band; so, please introduce yourself to the MER readers.
Shane Linfoot:
We are a Progressive Metal band from Sydney, Australia who formed in 2004. We released our debut album The Last Horizon in late 2006 and toured Australia with Nevermore, and we are soon to tour with Evergrey.
MER:
In the MER review (read it here) your music was described as a Power Progressive Metal blend. Do you agree?
SL:
Yes, that’s probably an accurate description. Although lately we’ve pretty much started labeling ourselves as Progressive Metal. I sometimes have a problem with the label Power Metal, as it seems to encompass such a wide variety of bands from the late 70’s to the present. People use it to describe just about anything with clean vocals.
MER:
Did you have in mind to blend Power and Progressive Metal or did it just happen during the songwriting?
SL:
When we started the band, we played much more straightforward Metal like Iron Maiden or early Blind Guardian. The 2nd track from our album, “Into the Light,” was written quite a few years ago and there’s nothing Progressive about that song. Over time, we started getting into Progressive bands like Symphony X, Fates Warning, and Conception, and we incorporated elements of those bands into our sound. We were also into a bit of Thrash at the time. Bands like Overkill, Slayer, and Testament. We are also fans of some more extreme stuff like Death and Carcass.
MER:
What is your songwriting process like?
SL:
We don’t often have a set formula, but usually I come up with most of the riffs and musical ideas, either at home or jamming at rehearsal. Either our singer Mike or I write the lyrics and vocal lines, or we collaborate and both contribute. There’s even been a few times where we’ve been inspired by a drum pattern Matthew has come up with. It seems to be becoming more of a team effort with the newer songs, as most of the ideas are coming about in rehearsal just jamming.
MER:
Did you face any difficulties during the recording/writing process?
SL:
Definitely, mostly during the recording phase due to our inexperience in the studio. This was everyone’s first real recording, so it was a major learning process. We have such a clear idea about what to do and what not to do for the next album!
MER:
Did all the songs you’ve composed in the album? Are there any leftovers?
SL:
There is one song leftover that didn’t make the album due to time restrictions. It’s an epic song, over 10 minutes, so we decided it was better to spend our time on the other 7 songs and make them the best they could be and save that song for the next album. It’s definitely the best song we’ve written so far!
MER:
Is there anything that you’d like to change on The Last Horizon?
SL:
Many, many things! But, most bands are unsatisfied with their debuts. You have no idea what your doing when your young, inexperienced, and set loose in a studio. I definitely don’t hate it and there’s songs on there I would say we’ll be playing live for the rest of our career.
MER:
Can you answer the question in the last lines of the MER review? (“Why the hell is this band without a record contract?”)
SL:
We’ll I don’t know what to say to that! We’ve had a bit of interest, but nothing really came together. We’ll just keep trying and hope for the best.
MER:
How did you manage to put up this powerful production and the very good artwork with no support from a record company?
SL:
The album was produced by Mike Boyd, who has a home studio and did it for a very decent price. That enabled us to spend money on mastering, which was done by Markus Teske (Vanden Plas, Symphony X, etc) and the artwork by Ingrid Houtcieff, which we are really happy with.
MER:
How difficult is it for a band to survive without a contract?
SL:
It’s ok in Australia. We can get our albums into stores ourselves and tour without making too much of a loss. But, touring Europe or anywhere else is just not going to happen without a deal. So, it’s fairly difficult if you want a future in music.
MER:
What are your future plans?
SL:
We are taking a few months off to concentrate on writing for our new album. We are hoping to get into the studio early next year and have the album finished sometime mid 2008.
MER:
Don’t you think that nowadays Progressive Metal has become too complicated and difficult to listen to?
SL:
Yes and No. There are bands that concentrate solely on the technical side of Progressive Metal, and there are bands like Pagan’s Mind and Circus Maximus that are definitely song-based bands. We tend to think ourselves as Progressive in an early Fates Warning sense. More like elaborate song structures and dynamics, interesting vocal melodies, and sophisticated, but well-written riffs instead of something like Planet X or Dream Theater, who are based on the technical and virtuoso elements. I like those bands, but that isn’t what we want to do.
MER:
What are your music influences?
SL:
John Arch-era Fates Warning, Crimson Glory, Symphony X, Candlemass, Yes, Rush, Rainbow, Dio, Sabbath, Death, Queensryche, Solitude Aeturnus, Maiden, Conception, Angra, etc.
MER:
What is the situation in the Australian Metal scene?
SL:
There’s some cool bands around and people are a bit more receptive to more Melodic bands then they were a few years ago when the Death and Extreme Metal scene here was quite strong. Some of my favorite Australian bands are Friar Rush, Dungeon (now called LORD), Eyefear, Black Majesty, Vanishing Point, and Lycanthia.
MER:
How can someone buy your album?
SL:
The only way for someone overseas to buy the album at the moment is through PayPal, which you can access by our myspace.
MER:
What is the current situation in Transcending Mortality?
SL:
We’ve just had our first line-up change since recording the album. Bassist Chris Griffin left the band for work commitments and our new bassist is Nathaniel Smith. As I write this, we are actually supporting Evergrey tonight in Sydney and then Melbourne tomorrow night. Looking forward to that!
MER:
How difficult is to support your band on your own?
SL:
It’s hard, but we do ok in Australia. We’ve started selling a few albums and make money from shows, so it’s good when you can put that back into the band somehow. We don’t have any aspiration to get rich from playing this sort of music, so whatever happens we’ll be happy to just be creative and play the sort of music that we like.
MER:
Is the internet the best way to promote your music?
SL:
The internet is brilliant for that. Myspace especially is a great thing for bands. I guess with downloading it can hurt established bands who rely on selling records to exist, but it’s nothing but a positive thing for upcoming bands and music fans.
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