Neuraxis
Neuraxis
Hi there, how are things in Canada this nice summer?
Its been pretty hot this summer, can't complain. We’re lucky cause we do get the heat, and then it cools down a little. Plenty of metal shows happening in our area.
You must be psyched over the NHL being back on track and looking forward to a new season… and who do you think will take the Stanley Cup?
Its good news for all hockey fans….its about time! I think it's a shame that athletes have become so greedy…. C'mon, you’re making 3-4 million dollars a year and you're not satisfied?!! That's greed for you. As always I hope that the Montreal Canadiens will win, though it never happens…hehehe.
Will you start off by giving us a small introduction about yourself and tell why you use your time on death metal?
I play guitar and manage the band. I continue to play this style of music for a few reasons: its creative, its challenging, its high energy, and simply because its fun to play.
You have earned yourself quite a break with the cooperation Willowtip and Earache has made, which has ended with Earache releasing all 3 of your albums, here in Europe in a double CD package, how do you feel about that?
We're very happy to finally have all our albums available in Europe on a well established label.
Your latest release "Truth Beyond…" has already been released in Europe by Morbid Records, how well did it do back then?
I don't want to discuss anything regarding this label. All I can say is we are happy "Truth Beyond..." is now being released on a label we are comfortable dealing with.
This must mean that your name will be spread even more and earn you some new fans, is this one of the best things that could happen for Neuraxis at this point?
This is very good news for Neuraxis. Having proper distribution in Europe will help us with more exposure, and also hopefully help us be able to tour in Europe to let people know we are still alive.
What do you expect from the release?
All I can hope for is our music will be exposed on a higher level than before and we can open a few more doors in Europe.
How do you feel about the 3 albums today, are you still satisfied with them?
Every album represents a moment in time for us. You can see how our style has evolved from 1997 through to now. Each album still has something special to offer.
It would be killer if you could pull out each album and tell us what you would like to change, if you had the chance!
With the album "Imagery", I would like to change the whole production! We were not experienced in the studio and the sound engineer did a poor job. On "A Passage Into Forlorn" there are a few songs which I would like to re-arrange because there are some guitar riffs I no longer enjoy playing. The album "Truth Beyond…" I would like to remix the sound cause I feel its lacking on the guitar side of production.
Your latest album "Truth Beyond…" was pretty well received by the press when it was released, but how did the fans react to it?
The overall reaction from fans has been very positive.
It's been around 2 years since your last release, when will we see a new album from you? Hopefully sooner that later!
Our new album has been recorded. It's in the process of being mixed and mastered.
How much info do you have about your upcoming album, album title, song titles, release date, number of tracks, guests, etc…? We want it all…
The new album is called "Trilateral Progression". It will be released Sept 13, 2005 in North America on Willowtip records. A European release will follow on Earache records. There will be 9 songs. The album was engineered by Yannick St-Amand(Despised Icon), Jason Suecof(Capharnaum) is mixing the album and Scott Hull(Pig Destroyer) will be mastering it. We have some special guests on the album… must keep it a surprise!
How much do you look forward to release a new album?
We are anxious for it to be released so we can get back on tour and visit as many new places as possible. I am very satisfied with the songwriting and production on this new album.
What has inspired the music this time?
We are inspired by every day events. Anything from listening to music, to the mood we are in when we write the song.
Do you always draw on the same sources of inspiration when writing music?
We don't use any set formula when writing. Everything happens naturally.
Do you have to be in a certain mood to write music, or does it just flow when you want it to?
Generally the music will flow naturally. I'm not able to force anything. Depending on the mood I'm in it may sometimes reflect how the music is written.
Can you explain a typical situation, from when you get and idea, to when you have turned the idea into music?
Usually I come up with guitar riffs while I'm practicing alone at my place. I'll continue to play and work on the riff until it sounds finished. After I'll bring it to rehearsal and show our drummer Tommy. We will start to play the riff over and over until some good arrangements start to form. At this point if one of us has an idea we will try it and see if it sounds good. Once the song structure is solid, we'll practice it over and over. We then show it to the other members and they add their input and personal touch to each song.
Can you pull out 3 bands and 3 songs, which have meant a lot to you as a person, but also to your way of playing/writing music?
Megadeth: 'In My Darkest Hour', 'Hangar 18' and 'Tornado Of Souls'. Death: 'Lack Of Comprehension', 'Overactice Imagination' and '1000 Eyes'. Cryptopsy: 'Swine Of The Cross', 'Phobophile' and 'Cold Hate, Warm Blood'.
The lyrics on "Truth Beyond…" was about humanity's behaviour and spirituality, is that a lyrical path you have continued, or has the lyrical concept changed on the coming album?
The lyrics are similar but focus mainly on 3 ways to which human’s can evolve: spirituality, materialism, science.
Where has the inspiration for the new lyrics been found?
Our singer Ian Campell writes the lyrics and he is very influenced by a book called the "The book of Urentia". Those interested in spirituality would be interested to check this out.
Will your old and killer logo be used on your upcoming album, or are you going to use the rather boring one, you used on "Truth Beyond…"?
This will be a surprise! But if you really want to know, you can check our US label website to see what the new album cover is.
Why did you choose not to use your old logo on "Truth Beyond…"?
Our old logo represented what we were back in 1994 to 2001. We've evolved and we felt we needed a new logo to represent who we are now. Sometimes our old logo will show up on some of our merch designs because we realize some people like the old logo better.
On the re-release of your albums, there is a live track as a bonus track, and the recording is actually pretty good! Are you considering releasing a full live album or a DVD maybe?
We are thinking of releasing a DVD maybe for 2006. It will contain a lot of footage of shows, studio…etc. Stay tuned for more info on this.
How do you look upon the future of Neuraxis right now?
The business side of Neuraxis is becoming more serious, and our goals are more serious as well. If all goes as planned, we hope to tour as much as possible in the future.
Which albums have you listened a lot to lately?
Recently I've been listening to Despised Icon "The Healing Process" and Ion Dissonance "Breathing Is Irrelevant".
Thanks a ton for answering my questions, if you have anything to add, feel free to add it now!
Thanks for the interview and support. Please visitour website for more info and merch. We will be back to tour Europe in 2006!
Back
