Talking with . . . Spheric Universe Experience
Interviewed 4/23/2006 by Brett VanPut
Interview with keyboardist Fred Colombo
French progressive metallers Spheric Universe Experience were originally known as Gates Of Delirium and changed their name to Amnesya a few years later before finally becoming Spheric Universe Experience when they released their popular 2003 demo, The Burning Box. This led to a deal with Replica Records and Nightmare in the States for the release of their full length debut, Mental Torments. As Spheric Universe Experience prepare to record their second album, we emailed questions for keyboardist Fred Colombo to answer.
Tell me your thoughts and opinions of Mental Torments.
It’s always hard to give an opinion about a work that you’ve made. What S.U.E. members think about this first album is that it’s a progressive metal album, sincerely composed, and respecting several traditional influences and elements that actually constitute prog metal. It perfectly defines what we want music and especially progressive metal to sound like, although we were very young when we wrote it (I was 18). The very good response and comments from the prog metal fans make us believe it is a good album.
Tell me about the origins of Spheric Universe Experience. Did Amnesya or Gates Of Delirium have anything recorded?
We had recorded short and dirty demos at that time. But it was nothing really serious and we couldn’t have been able to shop record labels or management agencies with those records. It helped building the sound and the style of what became Spheric Universe Experience. You know, young musicians need lots of little gigs and recordings to finally find their true musical way. That’s what those bands brought us. The deep origins and basics of S.U.E. is playing music, composing music, progressive music, progressive metal, recording it, playing it live and spread it throughout the world. Simple as that.
How did these bands and your early experience shape what you would do with Spheric Universe Experience?
Oh I anticipated this question. Well again we were playing some shy prog covers, then our own compositions, and step by step we built a style. It was all about deep-dark-atmospheric-melodic progressive metal- and still is, more than ever.
You released the demo/ promo c.d. The Burning Box in 2003- what goals did you have for this disc and what did it help you achieve?
Our goal was quite simple; find a record label to distribute this album and start the musical career we’ve always been dreaming of. We achieved it thanks to Claus Jensen from Intromental Management who received our demo c.d. and immediately offered us to manage S.U.E. and possibly put the band into the metal scene. That’s what the Intromental guys did. We’ve been signing a deal with Replica Records for this first album. The rest is history.
I see you are currently writing the next record, what will it sound like and what will you try differently this time around?
First of all, I want to say that we are already very proud of the second S.U.E album. Songs definitely sound the way we wanted. It is both more metal and more progressive than Mental Torments. And it will surely have better sound. So the prog fans will really find what they’re looking for in this disc. What is different is actually the fact that there are now more easy-listening vocal parts (so we can have more interaction with the audience when playing live), more leading themes, and of course, more experience in writing. I’m pretty confident. I’m even sure this will make S.U.E.’s career soar, as it is 100% prog metal and sounding really cool.
I've seen a lot of positive press about your vocalist, Franck Garcia. How did you hook up with him? Where did you find him?
Franck was singing in another progressive metal band from our region. I met him thanks to a common friend that got us in touch. As you can read in our official biography, Franck was actually supposed to record the vocal stuffs on The Burning Box demo only. He had too many projects and couldn’t get involved fulltime in S.U.E. But S.U.E managed to release the album and it finally became his main project, so he officially entered the band as full time vocalist. Now he’s 150% involved in S.U.E.’s music. It’s the best singer we could hope for, and a very good musician. This guy still amaze us both in rehearsals and in live performances. It is the voice of Spheric Universe Experience.
There have not been many progressive metal bands coming from France- how did you come to be involved in this type of music and how did develop as a songwriter and musician?
Make no mistake- there are lots of progressive metal bands in France and Latin Europe, but record labels do not pay any attention to this part of Europe as for metal. Okay, things are changing now. But it’s true that most of prog metal bands keep hidden underground and can’t get wide audience and distribution. Famous prog bands are well distributed here, so it’s easy to become a prog metal fan, even in France. And when you’re in love with a band, a sound, a style, you feel like composing and playing in the same direction. That’s why we started writing progressive songs. But we were composers before being prog fans. We’re musicians, not just nice pupils of Dream Theater and co. Composing and playing music is our lifelong need.
You've played shows with the Scorpions and Uli Jon Roth- how did these gigs go? What type of response do you get when you play live?
The Scorpions and Uli Jon Roth fans are quite different from progressive metal fans. They enjoy short songs, easy-listening choruses, clapping hands during the intro, rock ’n roll riffs, etc. And to be honest, our long-complex-braindestroying instrumental parts received a very bad response. Progressive music is hard to impose to people who aren’t used to it. It isn’t really a “live” music, although most of prog fans love to see their favourite players performing live. It’s often impressive. But the Scorpions and Uli Jon Roth fans do not feel the same. So we tried our best, some people even enjoyed our songs, and it was a good experience anyway.
What type of response have you received from the U.S.?
Well at the moment the only contact we have with North America fans are actually through metal forums on the internet. And it looks like they really enjoy Mental Torments. We received lots of nice comments. Guys in North America were listening to Mental Torments several months before it was actually released there. Now they have a bonus track version of S.U.E. debut album. We thank them very much and we are sincerely looking forward to come and play for them.
Your lyrics are dark and emotional- what provides inspiration for your topics?
Life. What else could I say? We see the world around us with our artistic view. I know it is different from the normal people’s vision of things, but that’s what inspires us. Mental Torments is all about psychological troubles that human beings can face. And it is not S.U.E. guys’ personal experience that is described in these lyrics, it is a general expression of what millions of people feel everyday. Anyone can identify through our lyrics.
Final comments?
We thank you for paying attention to Spheric Universe Experience. We’re preparing a hell of an album. If you enjoyed the first one, then run and get the second S.U.E. you won’t regret it. Music is life. See you soon.
Discography:
2005... Mental Torments (Nightmare)
Current line-up:
Franck Garcia... vocals
Vince Benaim... guitars
John Drai... bass
Nico Muller... drums
Fred Colombo... keyboards
Spheric Universe Xp
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