Lars Alatalo is a guitarist of Swedish band Pointless Fate, who in 2015 released a debut EP “Touching The Void.” We asked Lars set of questions, and here is what he says about the band’s work.

Alright, first things first. Before we dive into all the music stuff, how’s life?

Things are pretty good, we just finished a small tour in Serbia which was amazing and everyone in the band is eager to get out and play again and write some new music.

Speaking of new music, you have a new EP. What can people expect from “Touching the Void”?

Yes we recently released our first EP. People can expect a dark, heavy and sometimes brutal journey filled with great riffs, melodies and rhythm changes with a little progressive touch.

What was it like working on the EP?

All the songs on the EP was written some time before we even started talking about recording so the writing of the songs when pretty smooth and then we just had to pick which songs we thought would fit the EP the best. When it comes to the recoding of the songs it also went kind of easy and didn’t take that much time because we had been playing live a lot just before we went into the studio.

Are there any touring plans in support to “Touching the Void”?

Yes we have already been to Serbia in support of Touching the Void and now we are looking for more places to go and play.

While we’re on the subject of touring, what countries would you love to tour?

I think everyone in the band really would like to tour in Japan and the US.

Who and what inspires you the most?

When it comes to writing music I take inspiration from many different bands and genres both in metal but also outside of it. When I write lyrics the inspiration comes from other places such as religion, philosophy and my own experiences. When it comes to who inspires me, that is a difficult question. I take a lot of inspiration from people like Ronnie James Dio, Jim Morrison and Tony Iommi inside of music, some people who are not musicians also inspires me for example Richard Dawkins.

What other genres of music do you listen to?

I listen to most genres within rock music, I like bands such as Pink Floyd and Dire Straits, outside of rock I love the music of Simon & Garfunkel as well as Bob Dylan. But my favourite band outside of metal would definitely be The Doors.

Have any of the other genres you listen to had any impact on your playing?

It absolutely have, many of the bands I mentioned earlier have inspired me so much. Among my favourite guitarists come from bands that don’t play metal like Robby Krieger from The Doors and Mark Knopfler.

I really appreciate you giving us your time today. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us and the fans before we wrap things up?

The pleasure is mine! Stay tuned for more music and more gigs to come!

Follow Pointless Fate on Facebook.

Greek composer and multi-instrumentalist Spyros Charmanis released an album under the name None Other titled “Than The Common Plague” in September. In an interview for Progarchy, he tells about the process that informed the record, and more.

Hey Spyros. How are you doing?

Hello Progarchy! I am doing well and I hope you do too!

You released “Than The Common Plague” recently. How do you feel about the release?

Pretty happy, and I’m sure everyone feels that way about their recent work! It came together nicely and easily and the packaging came out great. The overall result makes me proud – in the non-narcissistic way- it utterly justifies the amount of time it subtracted from my life and I’m glad I did it!

How much of a challenge was it to work on the album?

It was quite challenging, I can say that! As with each concept album, aside from the freedom it can give the artist to explore and develop, there are traps and pitfalls and the hardest thing to achieve is cohesion throughout. I won’t say I achieved it, that probably is for the listener to decide, but I can say that there was a great deal of care and meticulous planning on my part so that the music, the story and the book resemble a complete work of art. And I use the term ‘art’ because I believe that every record potentially serves as an art proposition, not because I’m having delusions of grandeur or anything!

How is the progressive rock scene in Greece these days?

It’s there, but you have to know where to look. I mean, there are great prog rock stuff happening but I feel that the hip thing to do here right now still is the ‘stoner / southern rock’ type of thing. With which I don’t have a problem mind you, most of them are really awesome and absolutely rewarding to see live.

What is your opinion about the new wave of rock bands?

I fear my knowledge of this ‘new wave’ is minimal…There are definitely some new bands that I love, such as All Them Witches for example, and I do like the fact that they’re able to do what they do. I think every ‘new’ band knows it has to work harder to stand out due to the rising ‘competition’ and the plethora (I’m Greek, I can use that word!) of options out there, which of course works to the advantage of those paying attention, as they are rewarded with truly wonderful music!

Can you tell me something about your influences?

I can tell you that they’re not as many as I’d like! Some of them are pretty standard, some are pretty shameful, some are just plain pretty! I keep trying to find more time to listen to music, but that’s modern life for you I guess. The newest thing I started exploring and felt quite ashamed I haven’t done that all this time was King Crimson. I do love that there’s an entire back catalogue for me to devour though!

What are you listening to these days?

If I go to the studio now and check my playlist, there’s King Crimson and All Them Witches I mentioned earlier, the latest Triggerfinger album and my friend’s Methexis latest effort.

Your five favourite records of all time?

Oh no! High Fidelity is going to answer that for me: ‘In the club or at home?’! Kidding aside, I doubt I can produce a permanent list there, so many things to consider! Do or do not, there is no try I guess. In fear of it being ultimately frail and subject to change, I’d say definitely The Dark Side of the Moon, Grace by Jeff Buckley, Photo Finish by Rory Gallagher (as this was my first Gallagher record), King for a Day by Faith No More and the Court of the Crimson King should be there at the top, and I truly feel bad…

Can you tell me a little bit more about the gear you used to record “Than The Common Plague”?

That should be somewhat embarrassing! There was a little Alesis Multimix board I came to despise fiercely and a Fender Frontman 212 amp housing a Telecaster Highway One, a PRS SE Singlecut and various guitar effect pedals and a cheap Epiphone bass guitar going straight to the board. The more proper gear I used was a Pearl custom drumset mic’ed with a collection of Shure sm57’s and a couple of AKG condenser microphones, which also doubled for various other duties such as vocals, a Takamine acoustic guitar, percussion and the lot. I also used a musical saw and a custom made string instrument paired with an analog delay for soundscaping effects, and then various plug-ins in the computer.

Besides the release of the album, are there any other plans for the future?

I did a couple of acoustic sets (played with an electric guitar and amp) along with my cousin who also sings, I hope we’d get to do that more – she is great and it was quite fun! I also hope that new music will start forming in my head soon, I really miss the sentiment!

Any words for the potential new fans?

A sincere thank you to them for choosing to pay attention. And to you, people of Progarchy for the nice talk!

Buy “Than The Common Plague” from Bandcamp, and follow Spyros Charmanis and None Other on Facebook.

Ste Van Holm has been recording and releasing music actively for the larger part of 2000’s, and he tends to shift to a new music style with each of the records. So far, he released six albums, and his latest experimentation is a progressive rock concept album titled “Tesla,” which celebrates the life and work of famous physician Nikola Tesla. Holm, who is a physician himself, talked for Progarchy about the new album.

Hey Ste. How are you doing?

I’m doing fine, thank you!

You released “Tesla” in November. How do you feel about the release?

I feel pretty good about it, actually. I feel I did what I could with it, and right now I don’t think I would do anything different. That might change, though. When I listen to my earlier albums, I allways want to change something. When I was about two thirds through the production I felt very different about it. I was about to give it up and do something else. But then I went to see Steven Wilson on his Hand.Cannot.Erase tour, and when I came home that concert had given me the power to finish the project.

How much of a challenge was it to work on the album?

The challenge for me is allways to find out what to do. When I finish an album, the easiest thing for me would be to do some more with the same sound and feel. But I get bored so easily if I do something that sounds like something I’ve done before. It usually take me three years to do an album. The first year is spend with crippling self doubt and useles demos. Then after about a year something happens, and an album starts to crystallize. And the last year is spend recording and mixing.

This time the biggest challenge was to stay within the boundaries of the concept.

How is the progressive rock scene in Denmark these days?

Oh, it’s terrible! There’s not much of a following of progressive rock in Denmark these days. Steven Wilson plays here from time to time. Steve Hackett just played here, and King Crimson pops by in september next year. Apart from that, the progressive acts seems to skip Denmark on their tours. I had to go to Germany to see Peter Gabriel.

What is your opinion about the new wave of progressive bands?

It is great that progressive rock is back! I have to admit, that I still prefer the acts from the seventies, but I might just be nostalgic. I think Steven Wilsons work is absolutely amazing, and he is truely progressive in that he doesn’t imitate the sound of the old progressive giants. I’d like to see much more music like that!

Can you tell me something about your influences?

My influences depends on my perspective. Musically I’m inspired by other music. But conceptually I can be inspired by anything. It could be a scenery, a photo, a film or something totally different. I usually start the work on a new album by making a mock up cover. Then I ask myself ‘how does an album that look like this sound like?’. If, as the case was with the ‘Constructions’ album, I think it looks like an industrial album, then I start to listen to a lot of industrial music, and from there I create my own interpretation of that genre.

What are you listening these days?

Steven Wilson’s Hand.Cannot.Erase has been a favourite since its release, and I still listen to it a lot. But apart from that I’m listening to the new Jean-Michel Jarre album. That’s not progressive at all, but I’m not narrow in my taste. Or at least, I try not to be.

Your five favourite records of all time?

Oh wow, that’s hard… only five picks…

Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here

Mike Oldfield: Amarok

King Crimson: Red

Peter Gabriel: III (Melt)

Storm Corrosion: Storm Corrosion

Can you tell me a little bit more about the gear you used to record “Tesla”?

Sure! My main instrument is a Gibson L6 which is a few years older than me. Most of the guitars you’ll hear on the album is that one, but I also play a barytone guitar on the album. Then, for the first time in many years, I play Chapman Stick on a few of the songs. There’s Mellotron all over the album, but I also use it’s lesser known cousin, the Orchestron. You’ll also hear the sounds of french experimental instruments Ondes Martenot and Cristal Baschet. And there’s hang drums and theremin as well. Some of the more funny parts to do was to incorporate static and other electrical noises on the album. I build a Jacob’s Ladder which is often seen in the background of Hollywood films that features a mad scientist. It is basically just two strings of metal placed a few centimeters apart, and when high voltage is applied a bow arc starts to climb up the strings. Another thing I build was a Tesla Coil, which is an antenna for transmitting power. I used it to make musical sparks which can be heard on the track ‘Voltage Control’. Everything was recorded on Propellerheads Reason software.

Besides the release of the album, are there any other plans for the future?

Yeah, I plan to play some concerts in the summer of 2016. But we’re still working on it.

Any words for the potential new fans?

To any potential listeners, I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you, that you use your time listening to my music.

Listen to “Tesla” on Bandcamp, and buy if you like it.

Prog metal purveyors from Pescara in Italy, Fake Heroes came up with their second studio album “Clouds” in September 2015. This new release opens many doors for this great, young band and we can expect more great things from them in the coming years. The band talked for Progarchy about their work.

Where does the idea of the band’s name comes from?

“Fake Heroes” refers to all the useless things that we worship in our lifetime and that takes attention away from what is really important.

“Fake Heroes” is a concept. It concerns people that follow false ideals, shallow and foolish things instead of enhancing important issues.

How did you go about forming the band?

Our band formed in February 2012 from the ideas of our guitarist and composer Draft Djentleman.

We were born from the ashes of our previous post/grunge band called Too Late To Wake.

When Draft felt the need to create different and modern music he involved the same band but a new singer.

Fake Heroes is a band who is not afraid or ashamed to make a music that mixes rock music with popular rock/metal sound such as alternative rock/nu-metal/djent. How do you manage to do that?

We firmly believe that being able to combine different musical hemispheres creates what is sometimes called “personal sound.” We think we have done it in our own way: the wide variety of influences has led us to a true personal musical journey. This made it possible to combine the industrial metal with prog metal. And then, let’s face it, our choruses are POP.

What topics do you explore in your lyrics?

There’re not main themes in our lyrics. We usually speak about abstract themes or deep feelings trying to explain what we live during personal interior sensations.

In the past we have talked about our society and economy analyzing all the effects that they have on human beings.

Fake Heroes is a great band who loves to have live performances. I would love to know how do you guys feel just before the shows, you know, you hear audience, people talking, soon you will be on that stage. Singing your songs… How does it feel?

Playing own music live is one of the best sensation that a musician can feel in his life. It’s awesome to see people singing your songs, enjoy your music and to feel something that make all as one. Seems rhetoric but not at all.

How does a Fake Heroes live performance look like?

Our show is like a little trip to places we already know, but that we never tire of admiring .

Are you satisfied with the reactions of audience?

Yes, fortunately we were able to communicate our passion and humility, so the audience feels at ease and think to have fun.

Are there any bands or musicians you would love to share the stage with?

There are several bands with whom we would like to play live: Skyharbor , TesseracT, Circles, Dead Letter Circus, Twelve Foot Ninja, Textures …

They’re the bands that have given us the biggest influences.

Is there anything you want to share with our readers?

Please share our music with people that can appreciate it! It’s very important for us to have your help. Thanks for the questions and your attention.

Listen to Fake Heroes’ new album “Clouds” on Bandcamp, and join the army of their fans on Facebook.

Esperoza is a symphonic extreme metal band from Chisinau, Moldova. The band is on the verge of releasing their new album titled “Aum Corrupted.”

Alright, first things first. Before we dive into all the music stuff, how’s life?

V: Life is interesting and perfect.

Speaking of new music, you have a new album. What can people expect from “Aum Corrupted”?

V: People can expect dark and innovative music in this album. From slow doomy songs up to black/death. Also we made a lot of experiments on this album and you will hear them.

What was it like working on the album?

V: It was exciting. Almost all drum trucks were recorded at night after work and all angriness and energy were caught by microphone.

Are there any touring plans in support to “Aum Corrupted”?

V: Yes we plan to have gigs, festivals and tours for this release.

While we’re on the subject of touring, what countries would you love to tour?

V: Good Question. My dream is US and Canada tour, because there is a lot of people who like metal music. Also Europe is our goal too, we had tour in Balkans ( Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine) and we want to go further.

Who and what inspires you the most?

V: My biggest influence is Dream Theater and Mike Portnoy, he inspired me in every aspect of music.

What other genres of music do you listen to?

V: I love Progressive Metal, Technical Death Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal etc.

Have any of the other genres you listen to had any impact on your playing?

V: Main influence on me is Progressive Metal and different types of progressive metal, rock, jazz.

I really appreciate you giving us your time today. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us and the fans before we wrap things up?

V: I want to say thanks to our fans who listen and support experimental underground metal. Keep on Rockin!

Follow Esperoza on Facebook here.