Tuesday, May 30, 2006

20 days balance


We used 20 days on studio (weekends offwork included) to create new songs for the upcoming album. At the moment the balance is very positive and encouraging due to the quality of compositions.
This is a 180º approach to the previous albums though it is obvious for the followers of Forgotten Suns' career that there's references of the individuals in each and every song. So far we're at the point of having 4 songs finished - Flashback, Pinpoints, Racing the Hours and Outside In(side) - and a half of another song that has the album's title and we're not going to reveal it yet...

We are using some days to reharse for the Alquimista show on 29th June where we will experiment one of two new songs and also tracks from Fiction Edge/Snooze albums.

This is the image of a griffin, Forgotten Suns' new symbol. I think the griffin is enjoying our work so far, aren't you Grif?:)

Monday, May 29, 2006

RACING THE HOURS pt.2


29th May. This afternoon was the most inspired and productive since we started the composition for the 3rd album; we took a seat on the "producer's chair" and listened carefully to all the parts we've done on 'Racing the Hours...Sam and Mike didn't enjoyed that much of my hard rock riff approach for the verses on this song.
Immediatly I picked on my 7th string and started to find another path to the song...I enjoyed the lyrics and the rythmics of Linx for this one, and he kept part of it intact for my joy but all the verses were completly upgraded, and what an upgrade:)
The song is absolutly devastating and breeds metal everywhere! It has now a middle section for a keyboard solo and a final section for a guitar solo, the track runs around 6:30m.

we were at our best level today!

more news soon

Friday, May 26, 2006

WOKE UP THE WORLD TODAY...

...that's the beggining of chorus' lyric for the last song of the album. Today the five members were together working on the song structure (the instrumental will be a separated part). Nuno's work playing along with Sam on this song is extremely important for the groove and I really enjoy the acoustic 7th string guitar approach on the verses. Linx made more lyrics and Miguel did a good work on synths for the 2nd verses, the chorus on this one is something between Within Temptation/Evanescence. We recorded it all just to don't forget all the passages.

Mike recorded some more interesting ideas...news songs?:)
until next week,
Richie

Thursday, May 25, 2006

ALBUM TITLE...

Today Mike, Sam and I went into the studio and while we're turning our gear on I played some arpeggios on my 7th string and we look to each others knewing immediatly that we had a new song to work on.
Sam was already doing his grooves and I kept pulling out riff after riff and developing new sections for the song; Mike was doing his laboratoire research on synths when Linx arrived.
He listened to the ideas and suggested that this song should be the one to be baptized with the album's title (that will be unrevealed until we can). This song is divided in 2 parts (the song part and the instrumental section), in the vein on Strange Affair with the Night meets The Final Sentence though with a different approach on all instruments. There's a lot of influence of Mettalica's 'One' and 'Evanescence' on guitars and 'Pain of Salvation' & 'Tori Amos' on the vocals. This will be probably the closing theme of the album.

Monday, May 22, 2006

RACING THE HOURS


We arrived at the Studio today around 14:30, we seated on the 'producer' chairs and we listened carefully to what Sam and I did on the last session...Linx loved it and we went for a debate about the concept for this one.
We agreed on making a song about the rush and the speed of the current days, of how people live for the instant minute and how the system can absorve your soul, use it and spit it out empty.
We baptize the song: 'Racing the Hours'

We had the instrumental for the intro and we jammed the first verses until we got a good groove on guitars/drums; then Linx wrote a cool lyric and we got the machine moving...the ternary riff on guitar is pretty close to Mettalica's 'One and it works, sounds perfect. Chorus is a killer as usual for this album, we have 4 songs rolling and 4 great chorus.We're on the right path.

Work goes on tomorrow, next post will have some pics from the sessions.

regards
7hawk

Friday, May 19, 2006

New song on the making


19th May. We have 3 songs completed and around 15 minutes of music almost finished, we have 1/4 of the album composed. We are very enthusiatic about this new album, it will be really different from the previous Fiction Edge and Snooze and way more into the actual progressive metal scene.
Sam and I got to the studio once again, after a short ride on his bike to get there, we immediately start droppin'out ideas for a new theme...half an hour jamming and we got almost 1:30 minutes of a song structure which reminds me a cross between Symphony X, Tool and Rush. It simply rocks!

More news and photos next week

Thursday, May 18, 2006

PINPOINTS


When we finished to balance the drums and guitars on 'Flasback' theme we decided that it was good enough to leave it right were it was and to keep the progressive instrumental in the pocket for future songs...then Linx suddendly put his hands on piano and gave us the intro chords of...'Pinpoints'. Nuno and Sam got the engine going and the guitar solo breaked in...wonderful!We instantly knew we had a fantastic song, a single. Today(18th May), Sammy, 'Jo Axe' (our thech) and I went into the studio, we organized the sections to build the whole theme and we composed a new bridge section inspired on a Fates Warning approach. Mike and Linx arrived later and we finished the structure; the song is based on a love relation & the distance between both 'pinpoints' ...amazing job guys!

Saturday, May 13, 2006

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LINX


We celebrated Linx' birthday with a great reharsal:)
Nothing better than making music and everyone having a big time. Nuno joined in and we didn't loosed much time on passing him the Flashback riffs, he controled it very fast and still got time to invent new riffs and bring new ideas...I really enjoyed his idea for the guitar 'rap' section before the 2nd chorus, that's team work!

With the bass running around the riffs it sound more prog-metal and that's super for what we intend for the this album.
Mike is making a more rythmical approach on keyboards and Linx' melodies are even catchier and simple.
I'm playing with my grey nickel 7th string and a Vetta 'Triple Rectifier' sound only using some delays and analog chorus effect on the rap section.

Next week we will work on the instrumental section and reharse for the Santiago Alquimista Concert scheduled to 29th June along with Miosotis band.

until there, best regards

FLASHBACK - DAY AFTER


The main idea behind the story of 'Flashback' is the moment described by many of those who had their life in danger and saw all their lived moments passing by in a glimpse right before their eyes.
We got all those ideas from the previous day but when we worked with Sammy it happened a fantastic chemistry and we got tons of riffs and sounds for the theme...this is pure band composition and magical moments happening.Unforgettable.

So we had a good intro, verses and an intro for the instrumental section. It's sounds huge!!!

Reaharsal with the 5 together to happen tomorrow, Friday 12th May...

FLASHBACK


Mike and I got together with Linx at 3:00 pm and we start to work on a terrific riff that Mike created on his Novation Supernova. This riff sounds pretty cool and spooky by using the pitch will and a filter effect to creat a lot of suspense. I had the 1st vocal line on my mind since the first time I heard the riff...

Some experimentation and some jamming, but we only got it all cristal clean after a break for some coffe and toasts; we really saw the whole picture of the song by breaking the riff in two rythmic sections and Linx made the 'chorus' on the spot while digesting his sandwich at the same time:)

We got upstairs to the studio and we worked those lines.
The guitar power chords came to me in seconds and damn if sounds good!!!

We were anxious to get along these ideas with Sam on the next day...

Thursday, May 11, 2006

BACK IN STUDIO FOR THE III

After 4 long months struggling in a forced 'coma' we finally got the time to build a new studio that allow us to compose, reharse and record on our own works.
Nothing will ever be the same, we took our time to fill out all the rack spaces with tons of new recording gear and we also improved our individual set-ups (this means new sound for the new album!)

OUTSIDE IN(side)
On 2nd May we did a quick brainstorming to schedule our agendas; we're fully dedicated to the 3rd album and to improve the concerts' performances. New members on the band means double work, but hey, we got some of the best progressive musicians of the portuguese market on our ranks for free, why worry?:)

Day one was meant to refresh the 'Outside In(side)' song, Sam and I got all the structure defined and Mike was pulling out a great line for the 'chorus', it's in fact one of the best Forgotten Suns' 'chorus' ever made. We made some new arrangements on the song structure since the last time we played it on the previous studio.
Now it's perfect!
Bass lines from Nuno are also pretty advanced for this one; vocals are really good but yet not finished and keyboard work is about 30% done. This is due to the fact that the keys' work represent a different role on this song, we imagine it like Mike working some sound samples on the background instead of doing lots of harmonies like the usual neo-prog approach.
Ah, there's a keyboard and guitar solo on this one, not to miss:)

all for now
7Hawk