Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Omega Experiment Interview


1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
We are eagerly anticipating the re-release of our debut album on Listenable Records. We started talking to them last fall, and they have been amazing so far. They really seem to be into what we're doing. We will be back out live this summer, and look to get to Europe and possibly the UK in the fall. We're currently in the demoing process for album two also.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album?
A colorful and emotionally taxing journey of self-discovery. The synths are loud, the bombast is abundant, and the melodies are rich and dense.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
The debut is a loose concept detailing my life from birth to the end of my active addiction to drugs, and looking toward a brighter future. I say loosely because my best friend and keyboardist Ryan was right there along with me. I also want people to be able to relate it to their own life, so sometimes the lyrics are vague and metaphorical. The subjects range anywhere from the teenage years of "Stimulus" and everything feeling new and exciting, to dealing with the death of my mother and also mourning the loss of my drug in "Terminus". The new stuff gets into life after active addiction, and learning how to live life on life's terms. Sometimes those lessons are more painful than addiction itself, but the spiritual rewards are plentiful.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
Initially the name was just "Omega", which means "end"....signifying the end of my addiction. As we progressed in the recording and writing process, that seemed too simplistic, so we added "experiment" to symbolize what was going on in the studio. Everything was essentially an experiment as far as manipulating sounds and just seeing what worked.

5. Currently there are only 2 members in the band are you planning on expanding the line up in the future?
Yeah we actually have a permanent bassist now. His name is Matt Ryan, and he is amazing. We have had two different live lineups thus far. We hope to be more solidified sometime in the future, but for now we have to take what we can get. We've worked with some amazing talent, but unfortunately those people were only available for a limited time. Either way, we do what we can to get out to the people.

6. I have read that this is a studio project, do you have any plans to do shows in the future?
See previous questions

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of progressive metal?
It's completely exceeded our expectations. We knew we had something special once we unleashed it on the Devin Townsend forums and put demos up on Myspace. It's been overwhelmingly positive. We never went into this with any expectations, so pretty much every positive response is amazing to us. We are very grateful and fortunate for where we are.

8. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?
I do things on the side like guest solos, vocal spots, and sometimes the one-off grindcore song or whatever, but this is the real deal for me. This is my passion. Ryan isn't involved in anything else. Matt is a very busy guy musically. He is part of a drumline, and plays in another band with his brother.

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
The new stuff goes to further extremes. The heavy is heavier, the epic is more epic, the soft is softer, the prog is proggier haha. There are blasts. It's just more intense.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Our influences are vast. Devin Townsend is a big one, as well as Dream Theater, Steve Vai, Pain of Salvation, Fear Factory, John Williams, Soilwork, Death, Michael Jackson, Frost*, TesseracT, Styx, trance music, pop...there are so many. These days my primary listening source is Spotify. My fave playlist is 80s, which has tons of classic stuff like Kiss, Def Leppard, Phil Collins, Genesis, Yngwie, Ratt, Tears for Fears, etc. I'd say the second fave is my black metal playlist, which has early Emperor, Dark Funeral, Wolves in the Throne Room, Darkthrone, Carach Angren....tons of awesome stuff.

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Me personally, I don't have time for much else besides school and music. I'm pursuing a degree in mathematics. Otherwise, I enjoy chilling out and watching good TV with friends. I am active in a 12 step recovery program as well. I keep a steady workout regimen, which I believe is vital. I try to stay disciplined haha. Ryan has a family, and is an engineering student so he literally only does that. Matt stays active with music and works installing cable or something like that. I can't remember.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Not particularly. Thanks for the opportunity, and look out for our re-release on Listenable Records February 25! 

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