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While Jim Matheos and Joey Vera are both raging out in personal projects far from their common employer Fates Warning, vocal god Ray Alder also tries out his own sidestage. This project was baptised with the useful name of "Engine" and is supported by first-class musicians amongst which also colleague Joey Vera (ex- and now Armored Saint/ Fates Warning). A very interesting and brilliant album was created. So, it was about time to exchange some serious words about this project with Ray Alder.
Your Fates Warning colleague Joey Vera also cooperates in the Engine project. You appear to be a couple of real workaholics, or am I mistaken ?
"Yes, ofcourse Joey, Jim (Matheos) and myself are simply craving for work. Joey is working with several excellent musicians (a.o a project by the name of Chroma Key). He is currently working on the mix of the new Armored Saint album that will be released next year. It's going to be a damn good album, I can already tell you that much!"
We've been eagerly expecting it for a while. You wrote most of the Engine songs yourself, right?
"Yes, I wrote most of the tracks by myself. But we must not forget that Bernie also contributed some stuff. Without Bernie, Engine would not be sounding the way it does today, because somehow he influenced the sound. Bernie was an excellent choice for us."
Why don't you do more of the songwriting for Fates Warning?
"That wouldn't be the same thing. You must not forget that Fates Warning has a significantly different sound than Engine. Here, I could finally realize my metal ideas"
Although some of the tracks might just as well have appeared under the signature of Fates Warning. But you remain loyal to your band, I assume.
"Ofcourse I remain loyal to the guys. To clarify things I have to add that we are currently working on a new Fates Warning album."
How has the Engine album been built up?
"There are a few different stories which we have combined here. I haven't written the lyrics until the music was completely finished. It's not a real concept album, but it's seperate stories about real life experiences, the same that we all have over the years."
Obviously they must have been bad experiences, while you come across as partly agressive, partly depressed ?
"I have made this album, while I wanted to do the agressive thing exactly. I felt the need to experiment with different sounds and to build in various effects. Doing something completely different for a change was what I had in mind."
Can you tell us more about the song "Tech Me"?
"In this song I describe a story which is being written by life itself every day. A relationship, that even though it's not working as it should, is still ruled by passion. Two people that love and need each other, but who at the same time hate each other. In a certain way they belong together and at the same time they're being torn apart. A real depressing track, but that's just how horrible or let me rephrase that, just how hard life is.
Ofcourse there are things within the seperate songs, that I have personally already seen and done. A typical love-hate relationship; two people that on the one hand love each other but on the other hand just can't live together. They are not really satisfied with each other, but then again they don't see the possibility of breaking up; a crazy, but not uncommon situation."
A joined tour together with Fates Warning would probably be impossible for you, vocally speaking...?
"That's exactly right. I wouldn't be able to pull off such a double call and my voice would completely break down. Such a situation would benefit no one, not in the least bit myself."
Ofcourse we should't risk that, that's why we would be totally satisfied with just an Engine tour."
"Let's just wait and see how our CD will be received by the metal fans. I'm really very confident and I"d be looking forward to a tour here in Germany. But like I already said, we'll have to wait and see."
To return to the subject of your voice, what exactly do you do to keep it in shape?
"I don't really have a real perscription or vocal training. It all comes down to the night before. When we're on tour for examply I hardly smoke and I try to restrict myself when I'm drinking as well. Then before the show I do some vocal warming up, a couple of simple exercises for inbetween. The only difference is that I warm up my voice a bit before going into the studio. So, no real secret nor any certain perscription."
Thanks a lot ! See you on tour in Germany !
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