Interview mit Spencer Sotelo, dem Sänger der US Progressive Metal Band PERIPHERY.

Aktuell befindet sich Periphery auf großer Europatour mit Dream Theater und begeistert mit ihren harten Riffs zwischen Djent und Metalcore die Fans. Eigentlich schon Grund genug Spencer, den Sänger von Periphery, um ein Interview zu bitten.

Doch den musikalischen Underground hat diese Band aus Washington D.C. längst hinter sich gelassen und verspricht ihren Fans u.a. mit zwei neuen Alben ein verheißungsvolles Jahr 2012!

Hi Spencer – first of all many thanks for taking the time to talk to the pressure magazine. In about one hour you will start your show here in Offenbach. What can we expect today?

Spencer: Well, let’s hope we can expect a packed house. This is always a good thing. And hopefully we were not sucked off tonight! It’s our 4^th show in Germany and the 11^th show of the tour. We started in Helsinki and it was awesome so far. It’s probably one of our favorite tours we did so far and we are really very happy with it.

It’s a little bit warmer here than in Helsinki, isn’t it?

Spencer: (laughter) Absolutely! Yes, tonight it was pretty cold. But during the days, probably one of the warmest days we had on this tour.

Which song is your favorite to perform live, and if you could add another song to the set, what would your choice be?

Spencer: My favorite one I ever playing is ICARUS, when you announce the song and see people’s faces, they light up. It’s one of the fans favorite songs and they give their energy when you play. It’s awesome. A song to add – I would add one of the new songs of our album, but I don’t give one of the names away yet! (laughter)

What was the inspiration behind "Periphery" in the beginning? What bands and artists do you admire?

Spencer: That would be a question which suits more to Misha cause he’s the one who starts the band. But I can give you a few bands which definitely inspires his writing and the whole band: Dream Theater for one, Porcupine Tree and Meshuggah! But the list doesn’t end here!

In Spring 2011 you released an EP named “Icarus”, Summer 2011: Misha announced 2 new albums for 2012; then you go to studio, tour start U.S. in autumn 2011, by now you are touring with Dream Theater through Europe. Oh – I forgot: You also came out with a special edition download album these days… For goodness‘ sake - when will you come to sleep and relax in the last months? Are you musicoholics?

Spencer: (laughter) Sleep is for weak people obviously! What we do is taking our instruments and playing! That’s how we live!

Last year you had to handle some internal changes – Alex Bois left the band in June and in November Tom Murphy, too! How influenced this your tour plans and the new albums?

Spencer: I would say we are in a better position, because we hire Mark Holcomb who play guitar for “Haunted Shores” and some of the riffs he writes are amazing! We are very, very lucky to have him in the band. He contributes so much to the new album. I would say he wrote probably a third himself, he’s really influencing the way the band is going now. It’s no longer one person in the band, who is writing everything like it was in the past – it’s the whole band! It’s great!

These two albums in 2012: I have read something about a “real album“ and a “concept album“, which shall be called “Juggernaut“?

Spencer: Misha came up with this title “Juggernaut” as a working title. It’s a series of songs Misha writes which he wants to bring to this project. Why he called it “Jaggernaut” I don’t know – but it stucks! Rememberable!

Konzertfotos: Periphery und Dream Theater in der Stadthalle in Offenbach - 06.02.2012

Please can you give us a little more information about the style of the new album?

Spencer: Well, the new album that we are recording in the studio right now and which comes out first is a normal album. You can definitely hear the evolution of the band. It’s not so Misha biased as the last album was. Everybody is writing and it sounds a lot more matured like a full band. And I would say the biggest difference on this album will be the vocals. Stylistically – they have more soul, they feel like singing, they are on the top of the music and driving it! It’s more structured, better written, not only cool guitar riffs and let’s do everything around this – it’s more matured!

What does your creative processlook like when you’re writing songs?

Spencer: So, what we do most time and which is a great part of the creative process is sitting around a computer, record ideas, program the drums out, record the guitars and then send the demo to me at home to write the vocals. That’s it.

Do you play already new songs from these albums on the tour?

Spencer: No, not on this tour. But on the last tour we did in the U.S. we played a brand new song which is called “Face Palm Mute” – there are already videos online. It will be the first or second single we release, we are not sure.

A lot of people expect it for the first single. Let’s see.

Are any release dates for the albums already known?

Spencer: There’s nothing set in stone but I think early summer, perhaps May or June.

But the album is not finished yet, isn’t it?

Spencer: Yeah, it’s more of this busy stuff we are talking about. When we have finished this tour we go straight back to the studio, finish up the album, shoot a new video and go back on tour! We have three weeks at home before we tour again.

By the way: What have you done last night? I think it’s a rhetoric question or you are really one of these Americans who dislike football at all?

Spencer: Oh, I did not watch the Super Bowl. I know a lot of people did on this tour, but none of our crew. (laughter) Sorry!

I did not watch it, too. So we both are definitely not one of the 80 million people who get not enough sleep this night.

It’s your second time in Germany. Have you learned any funny German sentences, yet? And what do you like most here in Germany?

Spencer: Oh yes, but I’m really tanked up and I cannot remember at all! (laughter) What we all like most are the sausages and the beer! Absolutely fantastic! But I don’t like Sauerkraut! I tasted one time – I can’t stand it! Sausages and beer are always great!

Your tour through Europe will not end here. Germany is the second stop after Scandinavia. Which countries are still waiting? And what will be your personal highlight?

Spencer: Other stops are in Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic and Austria. But the U.K. is definitely a highlight – we have a real big fan base there. We made a tour there also last year, and the U.K. is the best.

Are there any places you haven’t toured, which you’d loved to visit in the next years?

Spencer: Yes, one place where we want to go is the Philippines. We once played a festival there, I think in 2005 and we have great fans there. And of course Japan! It’s amazing. I heard they love heavy music and have a big metal community, especially progressive metal. So I think we do well there.

Coming to the end: Which is the most funniest question you ever have been asked in an interview?

Spencer: Oh yeah, there was one in a written interview. The interviewer meant that I’m not sounding good in line, just screaming… A real late shower! (laughter)

Many thanks Spencer and best wishes for the show, the tour, the albums, the video, the new tour…! You are definitely musicoholics! Keep on Rockin‘! And now: the famous last words belong to you!

Spencer: That’s what happens when you party! Learn it, love it – Periphery!