Sonic Perspectives

After weeks in Europe unleashing one of Testament’s heaviest tour runs, Alex Skolnick is back home, almost over the jet lag and coming down from nights of high-volume catharsis. The decompression is real.

“I was there for a few weeks performing almost every night, and it takes a lot of energy,” he tells Rodrigo Altaf during their conversation. “You get used to it, and then you forget how much energy you’ve put out. And you get home, and you’re just exhausted for a few days.”

That contrast between exhaustion and renewal sits at the heart of Prove You’re Not a Robot, the new album by the Alex Skolnick Trio. It’s a record that insists on human interaction in an era obsessed with automation: musical, cultural, and otherwise. The title is more than a clever nod to login screens.

“Part of the inspiration for the title was the fact that everything is becoming so dependent on technology,” Skolnick explains. “I think there are just a lot of people that are not thinking for themselves and just sort of following podcasters or YouTube channels that are telling them how to think. And by not thinking, you’re behaving more like a robot.”

We’re constantly asked to prove we’re not machines online, but he’s more concerned with how we behave offline. He points to a growing culture of conformity: in politics, in entertainment, in the way audiences let algorithms, pundits, and influencers decide what to think.

For Skolnick, the trio’s music is the opposite of that: improvised, interactive, and unmistakably human: “It is music that does require interaction and being in the same room at the same time,” he says. “We are making this music together, and it’s an expression of being human.”

Artificial intelligence hovers around his world from multiple angles. On Testament’s latest album, Parabellum, the band dives into dystopian tech on the track “Infanticide AI,” born from ideas by Chuck Billy and lyricist Del James. Skolnick notes how naturally that theme echoes the trio’s more understated concerns.

“It’s interesting because even though my trio album doesn’t have AI in the title, you can certainly relate it to that as well,” he says.

But where Parabellum channels futuristic dread through blast beats and razor-edged riffing, Prove You’re Not a Robot answers with nuance, swing, and space. It’s a reminder that resisting the machine doesn’t have to mean shouting over it; it can mean listening more carefully.

The album’s visual world is as intentional as the music. The cover photo is Skolnick’s own black-and-white shot, born from a quiet moment with a “real camera,” not a phone. “This was an accidental image,” he recalls. “I was just going around taking photos, not thinking about what I was taking. And this really felt like it could be an image. And then once I had the title, it seemed to really fit.”

Randy Blythe of Lamb Of God sits at the intersection of these elements: he’s the one who pushed Skolnick into serious photography, then stepped behind the lens for the band portraits. “Randy got me into taking photographs on a real camera,” Skolnick says. All the band photos on the album, “the photos I’m in”, are Blythe’s work, woven together by designer Maddie SJ with Skolnick’s own images. The result feels tactile and human, the opposite of AI-generated gloss.

One of the standout tracks, “Armando’s Mood,” nods directly to two unlikely but foundational voices for Skolnick: Chick Corea and Steve Howe.

“Chick Corea is a massive influence,” he says, singling out pieces like “Armando’s Rumba” as essential, if daunting, study material. At the same time, he was revisiting “Mood for a Day” by Yes, rediscovering Howe’s hybrid picking approach.

“I realized a lot of his acoustic parts are done with pick and fingers. And I’ve been doing more of that lately.” Somewhere in that overlap, a strange idea clicked. “Something about the melodies, I thought, oh, this is interesting. It’s almost like you could play ‘Armando’s rumba’ slow at this tempo. And it fits.”

So he fused them, then twisted the meter into 11/8, more John McLaughlin than straight tribute. “It was really like a challenge, an exercise for fun. I wasn’t sure it was something worth putting on the record. But as I worked on it with the guys, it just really started feeling musical and challenging, but also fun. And now it’s this piece that’s very fun to play.”

Their version of Tom Petty’s “Breakdown” began as an emotional reflex. “That one came about on the day we found out he passed away,” Skolnick says. The trio was about to play The Iridium in New York, so they slipped in a partial, faithful version on the spot.

For the new album, he finally gave it the full treatment by breaking it apart. “Of course, I want to make it different from the original,” he explains. The trio leans into 5/4, tipping its hat to “Take Five” by Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond, reharmonizing Petty’s tune and stretching it into something moodier, more psychedelic, still recognizably “Breakdown” but refracted through a jazz lens. The point isn’t cleverness for its own sake, but honoring songs by refusing to play them on autopilot.

The bittersweet closer “Asking for a Friend” traces back not to a guitar, but a piano, and to a conversation on Skolnick’s own podcast, Moods and Modes, with Pat Metheny. “He had talked to me about writing on piano,” Skolnick says. On this record, he followed that advice almost obsessively. “Almost all of it was written on piano.”

“Asking for a Friend” emerged accidentally, after he misplayed a pop tune he was trying to learn. “I played it wrong. But the wrong version sounded really nice. And it didn’t sound like whatever it was I was trying to learn.”

The title sat in his notes for a while, until the song earned it. Then came the twist: Dave Grohl released a track with the same name. “I recorded this two years ago,” Skolnick says, laughing. “I had it first. But what can I say? I’m honored. I guess that’s a sign. Good minds think alike.”

To bring Prove You’re Not a Robot on the road, the trio is heading for intimate clubs across the US and Canada, a deliberate contrast to the arenas and festivals of Testament. “Improvisational music is more of an intimate listening experience,” he reflects. In Europe, they played elegant rooms like Le Chateau in Paris and Porgy & Bess in Vienna, spaces where people sit, listen, and, if needed, shush.

He enjoys watching metal fans step into that environment. “There’s no reason you can’t have more than one type of musical experience,” Skolnick insists.

Convincing venues, however, can be another story. “They see my name and they think we’re going to show up with a giant drum kit, and I’m going to have walls of Marshalls amps like Yngwie, and they think it’s going to be this shred fest. And they don’t know. It’s an acoustic dynamic. It gets very quiet.”

It’s the same mission as the record: defy assumptions, insist on nuance.

None of this means Skolnick is softening. Parabellum is one of Testament’s most punishing records, shot through with modern extremity and flashes of black metal tension. A major catalyst is new drummer Chris Dovas, whose sensibilities pull from contemporary heavy acts. “He brings a lot of that energy,” Skolnick says. Tracks forged with Eric Peterson tap into a sharper, more modern aggression, while others echo the band’s classic DNA.

He cites the ballad “Meant to Be” as an example of piano-informed writing crossing into his metal life, the main melody and its guitar translation both born at the keys. It’s perhaps the most accessible track on a record otherwise dominated by extremity, and he’s fine with that contrast.

“I like to be able to play in different musical situations and not feel restrained,” Skolnick explains. “One world doesn’t limit the other.”

That, ultimately, is what Prove You’re Not a Robot argues for: in a time of algorithms and crowd-think, keep your edges. Stay curious. Interact in real time. Refuse to move like a machine, even when the world keeps asking you to tick the box.

Prove You’re Not a Robot is out now. Pre-order it here.

Alex Skolnick Trio is:

The post ALEX SKOLNICK Reflects On New ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO Album: “Everything Is Becoming So Dependent On Technology, But Our Music Is An Expression Of Being Human” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

For guitarist Chris Caffery, best known for his work with Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, the release of 20 Years of the Music Man means much more than a career milestone. It’s a reflection of perseverance, humor, and the need to keep moving forward despite shifting musical landscapes.

“Well, basically what had happened was I had been releasing a couple of singles, and for me that kind of became sort of easy to do, because I didn’t have to get a whole record done… I recorded a song last year that was called “Do You See What I See Now”, and I decided to contact Mr. Jeff Scott Soto to see if he would share the lead vocals with me, and he did, and I really liked the way this song came out,” he explained.

What began as scattered singles evolved into a full compilation. Caffery admitted that the idea of a retrospective took on momentum of its own: “It started to feel like to me that it was going to have to be a record that was going to need to be done… I just kind of pieced together what I thought was a really neat timeline of the 20 years from when I first really started recording those songs… between 2004 and 2024, that’s where this music was recorded.”

The result is not just a “best-of,” but a sprawling map of his solo journey, including previously unreleased songs, vinyl exclusives, and tracks that slipped through the cracks the first time around. It’s a statement of continuity, that his solo career is not an afterthought to Savatage or Trans-Siberian Orchestra, but a parallel voice he continues to develop.

Among the compilation’s most talked-about songs are the ones that wear frustration on their sleeves. Titles like “Pisses Me Off”, “Sick of This Sh*t”, and “You’ve Gotta Be F*cking Kidding Me” might suggest pure rage, but Caffery explained that his intent was closer to comedy than fury.

“Here’s the thing, I did ‘You’ve Gotta Be F*cking Kidding Me’ because I had ‘Pisses Me Off’, so I thought it was kind of funny… when Holger said to me, well, you had ‘Sick of This Sh*t’… I thought the trifecta of those three songs would be pretty fun to have on one CD,” Caffery explained.

He added that the humor was deliberate: “I like to make people laugh, you know, and it’s like if I’m saying that stuff, it’s a way for me to use my sense of humor to control anger, not bring the anger out.”

For Caffery, these songs are snapshots of a time, as relevant for their energy as their satire. This balance between metal intensity and self-deprecating humor reflects his personality onstage with TSO, where he often uses jokes to disarm audiences. Still, he recognizes the risk of updating the formula for today’s climate: “I considered doing a ‘Pisses Me Off’ 2025 version, or something like that, but people are so sensitive now that if I were to write what pissed me off… instead of making people laugh… they would hear what I say now, and they get mad.”

However, not all of Caffery’s music stems from humor or catharsis. “Then She’s Gone”, one of the compilation’s most poignant tracks, was written in a moment of late-night reflection after personal heartbreak: “I was home one night in the band house… and I just kind of threw it all together really fast… I just thought it would be something that would be a really cool stamp to the end of this.”

Even when the vast majority of his fans have followed Caffery primarily for riffs and power, he can channel vulnerability with as much authenticity as ferocity. Although he initially saw the track as a quiet closer, the label insisted it should be released as a single — a choice Caffery initially doubted: “After the video came out and people started hearing the song, I was really blown away with how universal the reaction was. I don’t think I’ve released a song that had as consistent a response from everybody… Everybody seems to associate with that song.”

Of course, no conversation with Chris Caffery would be complete without addressing Savatage‘s return. The band’s performance in Brazil after more than two decades was deeply emotional for him: “You know, it just felt like it was a year ago that we stopped. It was so weird. You know, it was over 20 years since we were in Brazil, but it just felt like it was the day before. I mean, Savatage never broke up. We just had a really long pause.”

For Caffery, the reunion is not revolving around nostalgia, but about the band that shaped him reclaiming their rightful spot in the musical landscape: “Once I left my band with my brother, Savatage was my band with my other brothers. You know, it was like, I mean, it’s my band.”

Fans have long awaited the rumored Savatage upcoming album Curtain Call, but Caffery suggested it might symbolize renewal rather than farewell: “Jon wants to call it Curtain Call, but… I don’t think it’s a final curtain. Right. I think it might be rising again… maybe, fingers crossed, the curtain goes up instead of down. It’s a telling moment, about the resilience of a band whose legacy stretches back decades, one we refuse to let fade into memory.”

While Savatage fuels his heavy metal fire, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra remains a pillar of stability, both financially and artistically. The two projects may differ in style and scale, but for Caffery, they coexist — two sides of the same family carrying Paul O’Neill’s vision forward. Caffery emphasized its enduring mission.

“TSO is not going anywhere… Paul always wanted to keep the music alive. That’s why he had so many different singers and people involved, so that when he would always say, you know, we’re going to pass the torch… TSO is approaching next year, its 30th anniversary… and that music just keeps going to more people every year.”

Between solo work, TSO, and the revival of Savatage, Chris Caffery’s plate is full. Side projects like Spirits of Fire may remain on hold, but his focus is clear: “I wouldn’t mind doing one again if the time or the situation were right… But right now with having TSO and having Savatage, it’s like I’m not really looking for anything, you know, other than stay alive and, you know, take care of my family and my friends and life in general.”

It’s a grounded conclusion for a musician whose career spans from classic heavy metal to arena-filling rock theater. The past two decades prove that Caffery has never stopped creating, and with Savatage’s curtain rising again, his next chapter might be as vital as any that came before.

The post CHRIS CAFFERY Reflects On 20 Years Of Solo Career, SAVATAGE’s Return, And The Balance Between Legacy & Future appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

In the realm of hard rock and guitar virtuosity, few names resonate as profoundly as Rik Emmett.

Renowned for his masterful fretwork and distinctive vocals, Emmett has left an indelible mark on the music world through his solo career and tenure with the iconic Canadian rock band Triumph. Recently, he unveiled “Diamonds – The Best of the Hard Rock Years 1990 – 1995,” a compilation featuring tracks from his first three solo releases alongside two previously unreleased gems, fans can go on a sonic journey through Emmett‘s evolution during this dynamic period.

In an interview, with Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf, Rik graciously offered insights into the compilation and his illustrious career. Reflecting on the selection process behind the album’s tracklist, Emmett delved into the creative process that fueled his solo endeavors during the early ’90s. From the raw energy of “Absolutely” to the introspective musings of “The Spiral Notebook,” each song encapsulates a distinct facet of Emmett‘s multifaceted artistry, promising listeners a captivating auditory experience.

Beyond his musical exploits, Rik Emmett candidly addressed personal challenges, including his health journey and his tenure as a music teacher. Despite facing obstacles, Emmett‘s passion for music remains undiminished, evident in his commitment to sharing knowledge and inspiring future generations of musicians.

The conversation also touched on tour plans and the prospect of live performances – as his fans eagerly awaited the opportunity to witness Emmett‘s electrifying stage presence once more. Watch or listen to their conversation below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, follow us on Facebook, Flipboard, and Twitter, or subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

The post RIK EMMETT On Collaborating With ALEX LIFESON & JAMES LABRIE: “That Was Probably One Of The Greatest Days In The Studio In My Life” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

As the bassist for Armored Saint and Fates Warning, Joey Vera has carved a unique legacy in the genre, spanning decades of uncompromising musicianship and reliable low-end on both these bands. With Armored Saint, he’s been an integral force behind the band’s dynamic blend of power, melody, and raw energy, while his tenure with Fates Warning has seen him contribute to the band’s progressive metal soundscapes, pushing boundaries and captivating audiences worldwide.

Joey toured with Anthrax in the mid-2000s and more recently played with Mercyful Fate until conflicts of schedule led him to leave the band. And if that wasn’t enough, he’s also a member of the hard rock outfit Motor Sister, along with vocalist/guitarist Jim Wilson (Mother Superior), guitarist Scott Ian (Anthrax), drummer John Tempesta (White Zombie, The Cult) and vocalist Pearl Aday (Pearl)

Armored Saint has been on a particularly tumultuous path. The loss of guitarist Dave Prichard, who succumbed to leukemia in 1990 was definitely the lowest point, and difficulties with the record company and the overall market landscape led to their split in 1992. Singer John Bush would join Anthrax and record a series of albums, and Armored Saint would only reunite in 1999, although their output would be sporadic back then. The release of 2010’s “La Raza” marked a period of more intense activity from the band, and nowadays they seem more active than ever.

Recently touring the U.S. and Canada in support of Queensrÿche and later doing a set of headlining shows in the US, Armored Saint had a handful of hectic few weeks and will take a break until the busy festival season during the summer months in Europe.

During their recent stop in Toronto, bassist Joey Vera sat down with Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf to discuss the recent tour, a few memorable shows from his past, and plans for the remainder of 2024. Listen to their spirited chat in the links below.

The post JOEY VERA Talks ARMORED SAINT’s Recent Tour, Upcoming New Single, And Discusses Likelihood Of FATES WARNING Touring appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Sebastian Bach will release his long-awaited studio album, “Child Within the Man”, on May 10th via Reigning Phoenix Music.

With a career that has spanned over 35 years and tens of millions of albums sold, billions of streams, chart-topping songs, and packing arenas/theaters worldwide, Sebastian is back with a vengeance with the release of “Child Within the Man”. All hail the new “King of all Media” with his monstrous imprint on music, theater, film, television, and pop culture.

Although his last album, “Give ‘Em Hell”, was released in 2014, Sebastian continued to tour and perform. He launched successful tours such as 18 and LIVE and the celebratory 30th-anniversary outings in honor of Skid Row‘s self-titled album and “Slave To The Grind”. In 2016, he released his critically acclaimed autobiography “18 and Life on Skid Row”.

“Child Within the Man” sees Sebastian blending the raw energy of aggressive metal with the allure of unforgettable melodic hooks. To bring his ten-year musical vision to life, Sebastian tapped into a diverse pool of talented musicians from the rock and metal world. Leading the charge with his unmistakable vocals, Sebastian enlisted Devin Bronson on guitar, Todd Kerns on bass, and Jeremy Colson on drums for the album. Adding luminaries like Myles Kennedy, John 5, Steve Stevens, and Orianthi as collaborators and guest stars further enriches songs with their unique styles.

With Elvis Baskette producing, it’s no surprise that the result is a boundary-pushing endeavor, delivering entertaining and enduringly memorable music. It’s exciting to see artists like Sebastian continue innovating and evolving within the metal and rock landscape.

On April 14th, Sebastian performed at the Whiskey-a-Go-Go and will start his tour in Brazil on April 26th. To pre-order the album or tickets to his upcoming shows, click HERE.

Correspondent Robert Cavuoto spoke with Sebastian, who shares how his management didn’t allow him to listen to his completed album or discuss any details of its creation with friends or family, how Myles Kennedy approached producer Elvis Baskette about sharing song ideas – one of them became the first single, how he appreciated working with Myles, and why Sebastian thinks this is his comeback album!

Watch or listen to their conversation below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, follow us on Facebook, Flipboard, and Twitter, or subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

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Celebrating twenty years of existence, Baroness released their critically acclaimed sixth album, “Stone”, on September 15, 2023. As discussed in our review (which can be read here), this is one of their most cohesive pieces of work, although there’s plenty of room for experimentation. And obviously, now is the time to promote “Stone”, and showcase it to the world.

Entitled “Sweet Oblivion Tour”, this run of dates consists of more than 30 shows in 49 days. A gruesome schedule, but one which doesn’t seem to scare John Dyer Baizley (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Gina Gleason (lead guitar, backing vocals), Nick Jost (bass, keyboards), and Sebastian Thomson (drums). The band still finds time to do store appearances on selected dates, where they do a short acoustic set and sign copies of the album.

In the heart of Toronto’s vibrant music scene, Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf had the unique opportunity to sit down with two of the driving forces behind the critically acclaimed band Baroness. Backstage at the iconic Danforth Music Hall on November 19th, the anticipation in the air was palpable as he caught up with Nick and Sebastian.

As the stage lights prepared to illuminate another unforgettable performance, they delved into the inner workings of Baroness, exploring the creative process, the evolution of the tour, and the raw energy that fuels their live shows. Join us as we go behind the scenes and unravel the sonic tapestry woven by these two exceptional musicians, offering a glimpse into the musical journey that has captivated audiences worldwide.

Listen to their conversation below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard, and Twitter or subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

The post Rhythmic Revelations: A Backstage Encounter with BARONESS’ Bassist NICK JOST and Drummer SEBASTIAN THOMSON appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Europe has recently released its new single, “Hold Your Head Up,” ahead of a 2024 documentary film about the band’s meteoric rise to becoming one of the greatest rock bands in history.

The song is a vibrant rocker reminiscent of their early hits and captures Joey Tempest [vocals], John Norum [guitars], John Levén [bass], Mic Michaeli [keyboards], and Ian Haugland [drums] continuing to be one of the most influential forces in rock music today. It was produced by Klas Åhlund (Ghost) and mixed by Stefan Glaumann (Rammstein, Def Leppard), who also mixed Europe‘s “Secret Society” album. To purchase “Hold Your Head Up” head over here.

Europe plans to head to the studio this winter to pull their song ideas and riffs together for a new album due out in late 2024 / early 2025. It will be their 12th and first studio album in five years since “Walk the Earth.”

The brand-new documentary entitled “Europe – The Movie” will tell the story of the band, from formation until the present day, telling of their rise to success in the mid-’80s, through hard times and heartache, to coming back in the millennium and the current successes the band has achieved.

Correspondent Robert Cavuoto spoke with Joey Tempest moments before they hit the stage at The Palladium in London last month for their second to last show of their Time Capsule, 40th Anniversary Tour. Joey shared how the band has been compiling song ideas and plans to go into the studio this winter. He also discusses content fans can expect to see in the documentary and reminisces on their heyday of the 80s when they were besieged in the street and the on-stage mishap that led to enlisting Mic Michaeli to handle the keyboard duties in 1984. Listen or read the transcript of their conversation below.

You are playing at The Palladium tonight in London, a show for your Time Capsule 40th Anniversary tour. It must be close to show time.

It is only an hour and a half from showtime, so it’s getting exciting.  We are on this 40th-anniversary tour of 21 shows. It’s going so well, and I’m excited about playing in London. It’s a hometown gig for me, as well as Stockholm. I have two hometown gigs!

We spoke in 2017 for “Walk the Earth”, so getting some new music from the band has been long overdue. It’s a great song, and we are excited about it.

Thank you, we are pleased about it. We made it in the studio this summer before the tour kicked off. Since we weren’t touring during the pandemic, I was collecting ideas, and this is the one I felt strongly about. I sent it to the guys, and they all liked it and wanted to work on it. We managed to quickly get it done in a few days.

I read you will be putting out a documentary in 2024. I wondered if the new song “Hold Your Head Up” is a retrospective tribute to the band’s career that will be used in the film?

We are featuring the song in the documentary. It just came together that way, and it’s a good observation! It was luck that the song tied it all together. Early in the documentary, you see us in the studio today, but then you get transported to the suburbs of Väsby when we were teenagers dreaming of becoming a touring band and coming up with the band’s name. We also found old footage on VHS tape from hotel rooms and recording studios. We had more material than we initially thought. It all formed into a really good story at the end of the day. We are in the final stages of completing it, and it’s almost there. It will probably come out in early 2024.

Will it be available on a streaming platform or for a theatrical release?

We are involving people to get that together to find the most interesting scenario for it. It could be all of those aspects you mentioned. It will be a serious thing that we want fans to be able to see it. It’s a great story about the era.

There’s also a new album in the works for late 2024 / early 2025. How deep are you into writing and recording it?

We talked about that last week. We have some ideas. One was “Hold Your Head Up,” so we are not entirely starting from scratch. We think this winter, we will pull all the ideas together and send them to each other. If we are lucky, we can get it out, like you said, later next year or early 2025. We are looking forward to recording it. It’s been a while since Walk the Earth in 2017, which was recorded in Abbey Road Studios.

When you go into the studio, do you have all the songs fleshed out, or do you prefer to be more spontaneous in creating songs as a band?

We like to be very well prepared! We like to leave a few things in the air, like breaks, intros, or maybe a song that is less than 100%. We want to be rehearsed on 10 to 15 songs before we enter the studio. That’s the kind of band we are! Sometimes, we can be a bit lazy and write in the studio, depending on the producer. When we have worked with Dave Cobb, he is a good writer; he can join in on a bridge or intro, which works well because we know him. Sometimes, we can write one song in the studio.

I know you are still working on the songs, but will the album have any unexpected moments that Europe is famous for and fans can look forward to?

You sound familiar with the band, and we always like to take fans on an adventure. “Hold Your Head Up” has some punch to it with some old Europe metal edge to it while feeling modern. I have a few ideas that are a bit different to share with the band yet, so there will be some exciting stuff.

Will you be coming to the US to tour in support of the album when it does come out?

Yeah, I hope so! Our management company is in California, so we have an agent who is always looking. As you know, we were supposed to go to the US in 2020 on a major two-and-a-half-month tour, and it didn’t happen because of everything that went on in the world. We have been looking ever since, and it’s about finding the right scenario, band to go with, or package tour. We could look into going back to all the House of Blues venues again. It’s really important for us to get back to the US, and I hope it’s soon!

You’re an expressive lyrist who can paint pictures in people’s minds and a terrific storyteller writing about positivity and hope. What do you think is your biggest strength as a songwriter?

That’s an interesting question. I don’t know where it comes from, but I know my Mom has always been a very positive soul! I have some of her thinking on that aspect; there is always hope, and there is always light! That sentiment always creeps in even when we write about a tragic event in the world. It’s just the way I am, I suppose. That doesn’t stop us from finding issues that are more serious. At the end of the day, it’s music, and it’s Rock & Roll. I have never gone down the road to do a serious album about a theme. We started in that direction for the “Walk the Earth” about where democracy went [laughing], but halfway through, we realized we are a rock band! There are a few things in there that make you think a bit more.

With that thought in mind, what inspired you lyrically when you first started Europe, and what inspires you now?

You get older, and you start thinking about everything that you have experienced. You have a late-career and an early career, so you can look at things in relation to each other with more depth. You read more and write more music as you evolve. I like to anchor lyrics in reality more than the first album when we were 18 years old. It was cool when it sounded cool, and that was it [laughing]! My Dad passed away, and when I wrote the lyrics to “Hold Your Head Up,” I remember him telling me, “Get up; I know you can do this!” That was the thought behind that song, but I’m sure the album will have new songs anchored around the band, my life, or what is happening around the world. I think that is how you evolve; you tend to write about things that are important to you.

Are you always inspired to create music?

Yes, I think about music every day and listen to music every day. I play guitar and keyboard almost every day, depending on what I’m doing or if I’m traveling. It’s been part of my life since I was 6 or 7. There was always an instrument at home. My sister had a guitar and piano, and she didn’t continue, but I did. I like to express myself musically, and it makes me feel good to write and think of new ideas. I collect lyrics and melody lines all the time.

Keeping the documentary in mind with the history of your career, what are one or two key attributes that you feel have carried Europe through all the ups and downs of the music business and challenges the band faces on a daily basis?

The main thing is that we are all from the same place. We used to watch concerts together, we rehearsed together, and we partied together in those days. We went to different schools, but we were still connected with friends and watching each other’s bands. That is one of the things that we really appreciate after all these years. The band is like one soul with five different elements. It carries us now as the egos have calmed down, so there are no major fights. We feel lucky that we have each other and have this job. In the realm of music, we are all in agreement with the same artists and music styles. That means there will never be a major issue with choosing or writing songs. We are in the same world musically, so there will never be disputes going down with our musical roots. Some bands break up citing musical differences; wow, how is that possible? In a band that has been together a long time, it’s difficult to cite that as a reason. It comes down to the fact that we have so much in common regarding music, direction, and playing live.

Growing up in the 80s and listening to your music was a magical time. Is there anything worth reliving from the 80s?

They were great moments and tough moments, too. There were things we didn’t like to do, like perform on the family TV shows. We didn’t want to keep doing it, and some of us hated it more than others. There are elements from when we started to become one of the biggest bands in the world: going through cities like Rome, Paris, Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo and experiencing it together, then going out to clubs after the show, we felt on top of the world. That feeling is there! There were a lot of playback sessions and lots of travel when we wanted to be on the road instead [laughing]. We had the down period when Grunge came in. The band went home to Stockholm only to find that some of the members realized they had less money. It was tough for some of the guys for a while. We met each other again and wanted to help each other and carry each other. Now we are together longer than on the first run. It’s about communicating and having the same goal of working together.

That’s a testament to your friendship.

Yes.

When you were on tour in the 80s, was it like Beatlemania when you rolled into a new city?

It was! In Rome, we had to sneak out of a big church when people started recognizing us. We couldn’t go on the streets in Europe for a while. Being in cars to go to and from the shows was almost impossible. Some of the stories are in the documentary. It was out of control for a while [laughing]. It was cool to go through it, it was all a good thing. People were just wanting a piece of us [laughing].

On the first two albums, you played keyboards, and then on the third, you brought in Mic; tell us about the decision to transition to having a fifth member.

There was an early moment in Europe‘s career when I played keyboards on stage. I had a bad experience when the keyboard broke down, and I was standing there with the keyboard misfiring and sounding weird. It was one of those decisions that I’m not going to go down this road again! Even though I played keyboards on the first two albums, in the back of our minds, we wanted to have that extra band member. Mic was a friend from school who was in a band, Avalon. He was the one who lent me a keyboard in college and wrote the “The Final Countdown” on. We were connected in that sense, and he was the only guy in school who had a keyboard [laughing]. Later on, we remembered him. He was still part of the music scene and played in different bands, and one of his bands opened up for us. We went to ask him, and he pretended to be cool about it; inside, he was like, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” He wanted to be in a touring band. So, in 1984/1985, everything kicked off with this line-up we are still with today.

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