Australian alternative prog rockers, Opus of a Machine are set to release their debut album entitled “Simulacra” on November 16th. The band has crafted a release that has full potential to top many of the year’s top lists.

We talked with guitarist Zachary Greensill about the album, songwriting, inspiration, and even dogs.

First of all, what’s behind the name, “Opus of a Machine”? Is there an interesting story behind its choosing?

Depends on what you consider interesting! Funnily enough, the name comes from a Youtube comment I noticed about a particular well-known guitarist in the progressive scene that noted that the guys phrasing sounds like “the opus of a machine”. “Opus” is Latin for “work”, but most people know of it from the phrase “magnum opus”, which translate to “great work”. The name stuck out to me for a few reasons because of what it says about music and art. What would a machine with all the knowledge in the universe consider art? And more importantly, what gives us the ability to create art? Is it intuition? Or is just a series of electrical impulses, coupled with thousands of years of genetic and cultural programming? And if it’s the later, what makes us any less than any other machine?

What first attracted you to the sound and scope of progressive rock?

I think I enjoy the idea of creating progressive and unique themes not yet explored. The focus for me personally will always be “what makes the song as good as it can be?” as with any genre of music. However, I lean more towards progressive elements because it allows me to be more exploratory in my song writing. I love how bands like Radiohead, Devin Townsend or Pink Floyd weren’t only amazing songwriters but also had this element of experimentation to their music that set them apart from everyone else. Progressive ideologies allow us to be as unique and identifiable as we don’t have to subscribe to any given genre.

Your debut album, “Simulacra” is scheduled for a November 16th release. How long did it take you to complete work on it?

Depends of where you start! Some songs are around 3 or 4 years old and were written with little idea of where they would go in the long run. Recording began around two years ago and became a little stressful with the balance of touring with Caligula’s Horse (my other band) and working/studying. During that time, I was still fleshing out song ideas for the album, so it wasn’t as structured as most albums where you’d spend time writing, than pre-production, than recording, mixing etc. Overall, it took us a good 2 and a half years to fully complete the album.

Tell me about the process that informed the album.

I wrote most of the album with a large chunk co-written by Mitchell (Legg, vocalist/guitarist) before the band was even formed. When the band formed we immediately jumped into recording, which was already a crazy experience considering how stressful trying to record an album can be on friendships, especially new ones, but we made it work.

What was the inspiration behind “Simulacra,” any stories behind the choice of name, writing songs, planning of the album, anything that might help shed some light on it?

The album itself is a loose concept album, with a vague about a protagonist’s life. However, the “protagonist” is really just an avatar for themes such as loss, abuse, love, religion and perspective. The whole album is tied together by the title track, which is about cycles of themes that manifest themselves in different ways.

Do you have a favorite tracks from the new album or any moments that you’re particularly proud of?

For me, I’m extremely proud of the last track, Tuatara. It’s a bit of a prog cliché to end an album with a long drawn out track, but the way that song came together was without any preconceptions of length or album sequencing. I love the flow and emotional heaviness throughout the track. Plus, it has some of the best moments to perform live. That song is a treat.

Which bands in particular inspired your work on “Simulacra”?

Devin Townsend was a huge influence in the production of the album for me. I love the dense, wall of sound production and the idea of creating space and mood with layering. But so many bands inspired different aspects of the album. Karnivool, Meshuggah, Tool, Opeth, A Perfect Circle, Oceansize, Radiohead and Devin Townsend were some of the bands that stand out as key influences for the album.

Do you plan to promote the album live?

Absolutely. We’ve got an album launch show planned in our hometown of Brisbane on the 22nd of November; a week after the album is released to celebrate the release. After a short break around December/January, we plan on getting out and playing a good amount of shows in support of the album. Nothing is set in stone yet, but we’ll hopefully get down to some of the major cities of Australia early to mid next year.

Are there any recent prog albums that you might recommend? This year’s been incredible for music so far. Australia, in particular, has produced some of the greatest records this year.

Prog albums? That’ll be a tough one as I don’t listen to too much prog myself, but album that has come out this year that have been highlights have been Slipknot’s “5: The Grey Chapter”, Closure in Moscow’s “Pink Lemonade”, Animals as Leaders’ “Joy of Motion” and Voyager’s “V”.

What does the future look like for Opus of a Machine?

Pretty great, I’m stoked to hear the reception of “Simulacra” considering it’s been so long. Whether it’s good or bad, it’s going to be interesting and I can’t wait.

Do the band members of Opus of a Machine have dogs? Do you like dogs?

Hahaha, we’re all living in tiny apartments, so we haven’t had a chance to get dogs, but my girlfriend is obsessed with dachshunds so maybe sometime in the future we’ll get a dog. I’m definitely a dog person. Cats are not my bag.

Opus of a Machine’s debut album “Simulacra” is out on November 16th. Pre-order it now from Bandcamp at a discounted price and free shipping.