Interviews

Your newest release, Scent of Human Desire has been out now for a while, how have the fans been taking it?

It’s been about five months now that the album is out. I can say that most of the fans are pleased with the new album, they accepted the new elements, and also we reached new people with this new release, but we received also some messages from people disappointed by the new influences that we put inside the new material. I can understand their point of view, but this is what we wanted to play while we were composing the album. We still love to play fast tunes and in the future we will give again some killer fast tracks, but in Scent we wanted to play in that way.

What prompted the decision to incorporate hard rock elements into the Secret Sphere sound? I enjoy the new style A LOT by the way. Rain, 1000 Eyes Show, More Than Simple Emotions, Desire, Runaway Train… all godly.

When didn’t plan anything about musical direction, we just play what we feel, and for this release we felt that some hard rock partiture could be really interesting to mix with that stuff. And of course we are great fans of hard rock.

What are your five favorite hard rock acts of the 80’s?

I tell you six acts, Motley Crue, Skid Row, Mr. Big, Extreme, Trixter and Whitesnake ! Woooooooooooooooo!!!!

How did you like Prog Power IV, Secret Sphere’s first US appearance?

I was very excited about Prog Power IV and I really enjoyed those days and Glenn’s organization is perfect, the situation was pretty good. Concerning our show, I can say that we were really anxious, maybe because it was our first time in the USA, we played, not bad, we are not happy of some things, but we are always disappointed of some things, it’s normal, we are really critical in our performance or recordings, this helps to grow up, and we need more experience.

Will you guys ever come back to the states for either more festivals or even a tour?

I think that we will come back in the USA, in March 2004 to play in another festival. I think that we are not so famous to do a real tour in USA, but maybe in the future!

I discovered Secret Sphere through the “Keepers of Jericho” tribute where you guys contributed a killer rendition of “How Many Tears”, how did this come about?

It happened thanks to Arise records, they were the distributors of our old two albums and they offered us the chance to take part at that very good tribute, and we chose “How many tears” because it’s the one of our favorite Helloween songs!

Who else would you like to pay tribute and respects to now on another tribute album if you could?

I would really enjoy to record some Whitesnake tunes! They are simply amazing, I saw them this year in Milan with the new line – up and they really blew me away, David Coverdale is still a monster on stage, very charismatic.

What is the meaning of life?

There is no one meaning for life, I will understand the meaning of my life in future, If lookin’ back to my past days I won’t have remorse of my different decisions, I think that I’ll reach and understand the meaning.

What are the bands that influenced you as a musician and made you decide to compose your own material?

I picked up the guitar after seeing on television Joe Satriani’s video “Summer Song”. But as composers Helloween gave me the input to start to compose. Nowadays my influences are really many and different, from the metal scene I can say Savatage, Dream Theater, Helloween, Skid Row just to name few, but I listen also to many different music styles, for example currently I’m listening to Muse, a British band. Very interesting. I love also classical composers and soundtracks, not only colossal’s soundtracks. I think that as guitar player my biggest influences are Steve Stevens, Ritchie Kotzen, Jason Becker and Nuno Bettencourt.

What are your thoughts in the resurgence of Power Metal lately?

This new wave of power metal help a lot of Italian bands to be discovered, the Italian scene mostly is known for the Power Metal acts, even if we have many good bands which don’t play only power metal. But honestly it’s more than one year that I don’t listen a really interesting and fresh power metal release, many good bands yes, but I didn’t listen anything to say, “Wow this is really an incredible band”. Currently I love bands like Pain of Salvation and Evergrey but they are not in Power Metal stuff, but when I listened to them for the first time I really have been impressed.

Here’s the part where you get to answer your own question, what question have I not asked that you are dying to answer?

Mmmm…I don’t know…

If you could take Secret Sphere on tour with three bands who would you choose and why?

Would be great to play a looooong tour with Dream Theater, Queensryche and Helloween .We have grow up with these bands and this would mean we would learn many helpful things.

What would you tell someone that came up to you and said, “Man you guys rule, but Slipknot is so much more talented!”

Nothing! Because I think that they are really talented (laughs) even if it’s not the kind of metal that I like to listen to they are talented.

What in the hell happened to Metallica lately?

I think that Lars got an endorsement from Bud beer, so now he plays with his new drums made of beer counter! (laughs) I’m kidding. They are story I have huge respect for them. But Honestly Load and Reload were better.

Tell me the most insane and wildest story that’s involved you, a chick, peanut butter, a submarine sandwich and a midget. If the afore mentioned story doesn’t exist, well whats the coolest one that you have?

It’s five years that I have had a girlfriend, so I’m a good guy and I don’t look to the other chicks, but I can say that I have eaten many things on her body! (laughs)

What do you hope for Secret Sphere in the future?

I hope to reach a good level in the music world, we have smacked our head on many walls ‘till now, but we are always ready to start again. In these days we are working to create a street team, with the help of some fans around the world and I think that we will work with a promotional agency in US, and this will help more the band.

Did you ever think that you would be this successful and renowned in the metal community way back when you first picked up your guitar?

When I first picked up a guitar I thought that I won’t ever able to play the most easy solo in the world. (laughs) I’m not totally agreeing with you, we have a good audience, but we need more time to be really renowned, but thank you. I can say that we really put all our passions for the music in the band, it’s our first priority in our lives and I think that the people that love our music understand this.

What’s the one question that you are sick and tired of answering a million times and if you have to hear it again you’ll go insane? I’m guessing it’s the one on what the name Secret Sphere means.

Every time I hope that the journalist doesn’t ask to me the story of the band and the most frequent question “How do you see the Italian heavy metal scene’” I answer to those questions a million times!!!

Even though Scent of Human Desire came out fairly recently do you have any new ideas for songs kicking around?

Currently we are trying some new drummers and we have some very cool contacts. But of course we are on the new stuff, I can say that it will be the most loud, fast and melodic music ever composed by the Spheres, without forgetting the hard rock flame.

Any final words, thoughts or philosophies on life for our metalreviews.com readers?

First of all, thank you for the interview!!! Thanks also to all the people that give and will give a little bit of their attention in Secret Sphere, don’t hesitate to contact us through our website www.secretsphere.com for every kind of information.

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