Prototype

Posted on Aug 4, 2006

by Anders

Prototype blew me away with their debut album "Trinity", which received its European release in 2003. Right after the European release the band had tons of plans and was more or less ready to go ahead with their next release, though suddenly it became awfully silent from the Prototype camp. We are now writing the year 2006 and suddenly a new Prototype album ended up on my floor. The new album "Continuum" follows the style the band introduced with "Trinity", though much better. I soon hooked up with vocalist and guitarist Vince Levalois and he  brought me up to speed on things and tells us all there is to know about the past, present and future of Prototype.

Hi there, how are things in LA as we speak?

They've been pretty damn hot, but finally cooling down. Our rehearsal room has no air conditioning, so you can imagine what 110 degrees F will do to you when you’re head-banging to some tasty Protometal :).

I kinda guess things haven't been treating you that well, since we last spoke back in 2004, after the European release of your first album "Trinity", you among other things has changed label, what happened with Massacre Records?

Massacre decided not to continue our relationship due to lower than expected CD sales of "Trinity", which we knew was going to happen, especially since the CD had technically been out for the prior year and a half here in the U.S. They knew what they were getting into and expected more I guess. As a result they couldn't justify paying the required advance per our contract as an option for another CD.

You are now on Metal Axe Records, how has the cooperation so far been with them and what do you expect of them?

So far it seems things are going ok, the CD is out and we've gotten many reviews, which is great. We're very happy that Metal Axe decided to take on the new CD. There are some factors I can't get into that we're not particularly pleased about, but I'm sure they'll get resolved soon and all will be well.

There has also been a change in the line-up, you have lost your drummer Sam Aliano, who you spoke very highly of the last time, and expected a lot from, what happened there?

Sam is a great drummer, but unfortunately he was just too busy to continue playing in Prototype. He's mostly a session drummer and plays fusion rock styles for the most part. Being away too often from Prototype made him loose some of his "metalness" and in the end it just didn't work out, despite much work and effort on all our parts.

On the new album you have utilized the skills of Damion Ramirez, who you also have toured with, why hasn't he become a permanent part of the band?

He re-entered the band as a member briefly in the beginning of 2003. We played a few gigs and then without notice he decided to no longer play in the band. He took a paying gig with a rock group and left the metal scene. Since we lost Sam we've been trying to focus on writing the next CD, which is ¾ done and now we're auditioning drummers once again in the hopes of finding someone permanent.

There is also a single track on the album, where your original drummer Pat Magrath drums on, how did that come about?

That track was one that we had recorded drums for in the past for a demo. The drums were recorded well enough to be re-used for the new CD and Pat agreed to let us use his performance for the song.

How do you feel about Ramirez' drum work on the album and how free hands did he have when recording the drums?

We think his work on this CD is fantastic. As a drummer Damion is incredibly gifted. Unfortunately I can't say as many good things about his person. Nevertheless, his talent on "Continuum" is undeniable. He's fluid and grooves with the songs very well. As far as the recording, it's an inside secret as to how the tracks were recorded. I'll just leave it at that haha!

How does the future look regarding the vacant drummer position?

As I mentioned we're currently auditioning potential candidates and seeing what comes of it. We're working with one right now but his future is uncertain at this point.

Your new album "Continuum" has been highly awaited by many, though how do you in the band feel about it?

We think it is a great stepping stone for the band. We needed to get a new CD out there and it was good to take a couple of older demo tracks we had done and re-record them to give them the life they deserved, on an album.

How has it been received by the press and your fans?

So far the reaction has been excellent. We have many reviews posted on our site and in our forum with great scores. Sure there are always reviewers that don't like you, but the vast majority are very positive and liking of the new CD.

What do you expect of it?

We expect it to do well overall. As for sales, who knows, it's a tough and competitive market, plus we don't have the advertising power of a larger label behind us.

Why has it taken this long to get the album done? The last time we talked, Kragen expected the album to be done and recorded within a year!

That's always wishful thinking, but these things take a long time, especially when you don't have label support. We had to do it all ourselves as far as recording. Then we hired Neil Kernon to do the mix, which took a few months to schedule…, mastering, artwork, release dates, etc. The CD itself was complete in the summer of last year. It took a while to find a suitable label to release it correctly.

You also had an EP recorded and ready for release 3 years ago, what has happened with that one and will it ever see the light of day?

The EP we talked about became this new album, with added material.

Back then you also had quite a few songs written, how many of them has made it onto "Continuum" and how many of the songs on the album are flashing new?

That's a tricky question. There are a couple that are brand new, while several of the others were songs we had that we never used for anything, but found that they fit this CD overall very well. We also mixed in a much older tune ('Cold Is This God') which actually came from our thrashier Psychosis days. This CD pretty much puts us up to date on all material we've had, for the most part, that we've wanted to have on an album.

What drives and fuels you as a musician and song writer?

It's like an itch that begs to be scratched :). I find spurts of creativity where I feel compelled to create something awesome. It's the need to share your ideas and creations with your fans and the world in general.

Where do you find inspiration for your music?

For me it is mostly in epic stories, movies, sci-fi concepts and self awareness. It's about having confidence in your ideas and thoughts. That brings out great concepts in music.

How do you in the band work when you make the music, do you turn up at rehearsal with full songs, or bits and pieces and arranges it from there or do you take it totally from scratch?

Mostly bits and pieces that get arranged together. It is rare that one of us will have a complete song with no arranging necessary. We always collaborate on all tunes, to make sure everyone is satisfied with the final product. The core ideas mostly have come from me and from Kragen however. Kirk has been very active in the writing of the latest material, which is excellent.

How did you rehearse now when you were in between drummers and how did you get the drum patterns arranged to be fitting to the rest of the material?

I program drums that we play to for all new material. We pump the drums through our P.A. and jam to that. It works very well.

What do you want to tell and like the listener to feel when listening to your music?

My ideal is for them to feel the same I feel when you get the hairs on your arms to raise. It's that feeling that you've been transported somewhere you've never been and you see it clearly. If you can achieve that, then our goal is attained.

Where is the inspiration for your lyrics found?

I find it in many places. I like to be mysterious and trick the reader a little in thinking they are reading one thing when they are really hearing another. There's a subliminal factor here. We would get emails from people asking if we were a Christian metal band or something because of the lyrics, when nothing could be further than the truth. Perhaps what I'd like people to get out of the lyrics is to discover that there are many other possibilities in this world/universe that go far beyond the barriers they've set for themselves.

The album title "continuum" what do you want to tell with that and is it connected to any of the songs on the album?

No, there is no direct connection. The meaning to the title has to do with the band "continuing" forward, pushing ahead in spite of difficulties. It also signifies a connection between us that we share a common goal in the music.

You used a sample from the movie Dune as an intro on a song on "Trinity" and on the song 'Transcendent Velocity' on "Continuum" you have used a sample again, from which movie is that sample from and is it a little tradition for you, to use an intro sample on a song on each release (even though you have used 2 on this album, when counting the small one on 'Cold Is This God')?

Some of the songs are directly inspired by movies. In the case of 'Transcendent Velocity', it was inspired by the 2001/2010 movies. Hence, the sample at the beginning from 2010, which fit perfect as an intro to the song. There's also a sample, although very faint, in the middle of 'Sea Of Tranquillity', for which you'll have to search :). The one at the beginning of 'Cold Is This God' is from Bladerunner and fit perfect as well. We love samples within the context of creating a vibe for the music.

The artwork for the release is made by Travis Smith, why did you choose him and how is the artwork connected to the album title/atmosphere in your eyes?

Travis does excellent work. He did "Trinity" for us and also our previous EP from 1998. He's got the ability to listen to a song or two and take the CD title and put it all together. As far as the artwork itself being connected to the title, there's the obvious thread or "vein" that connects all the virtual statues in the picture, which signifies the "Continuum" aspect.

I guess you have a good bunch of songs written and ready for recording now again, if you could have it like you would like, when would you go back to the studio to record, and when would we see the next release from you?

We would go in now if we could. A decision will need to be reached sometime soon as to whether we use a hired drummer for the sessions or continue to seek a permanent one. We will likely produce a demo of the songs within the next few months and see if there's any interest on the label front. From there, who knows?

How do you look upon the future of Prototype and do you expect a more steady flow of releases from the band?

We do expect a more steady release schedule, but without a record contract, it's very tough to say for sure. The band's future is bright. The newest material is somewhat of a relative departure for us and it is, in my opinion (I know, everyone says this lol), the absolute best we've composed. The material is darker, yet very melodic and very heavy.

What albums have you been spinning a lot lately?

I tend not to listen to too much metal overall, I feel it numbs the creative senses. With that said though I always like to spin some Meshuggah, Rush, Devin Townsend and perhaps some Sting. On the newer front, I'm looking forward to getting the new Sikth, which sounds amazing.

Thanks a ton for answering my questions, if I forgot anything or you have anything to add, feel free to shoot now!

Thank you for the killer interview and for your support! Don't forget to visit our website at www.prototypeonline.com

Review of "Continuum"
Prototype interview from 2004