Interview with The Spectre Beneath
By Mick Michaels
The Cosmick View: Hello, and welcome to The Cosmick View/MBM Ten Pounder! Thanks for taking some time to chat with us!
CV:
Describe your definition of the band’s sound and style and how does that
definition uniquely de-scribe the music?
The
Spectre Beneath: The Spectre Beneath is a Prog/Power metal, a moniker we were
given by our very first review and we felt it was a fair summing up. If you
like Power metal and Progressive metal but don’t want to go too far in either
direction, The Spectre Beneath could be for you. Definitely all clean vocals to
allow for big harmony choruses. We certainly have fast songs and lots of melody
but also longer more involved tracks. However, under the surface is an
undercurrent of thrash especially with the pace and turbo charged riffs. Also,
we make a point of not having layers of keyboards either, apart from some piano
and a few atmospheric drones; we try and keep the music riff and vocal focused.
A lot of female front metal is either symphonic, poppy, gothic or core tinged
to allow those growls and screams. To me, there aren’t many straight up
thematic metal bands with a female voice which is where I think The Spectre
Beneath carves its own niche.
CV:
Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of
connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the
connection to your fans?
The
Spectre Beneath: The connection between an artist and their audience is a
complex and meaningful relationship. While it may not always be achievable to
the same extent for every artist, many successful artists have managed to
establish strong connections. I think this comes with regular live
performances, being authentic, engaging with fans and understanding their
expectations. Artists can connect with their fans through various platforms and
events, such as social media. Paying attention to feedback and understanding
what the audience enjoys can help artists tailor their work to meet their fans,
expectations and preferences. One way we’ve made a connection is always taking
the time to answer any questions posed to us and not compromising on what we
do.
CV:
Is fan interaction an important part of the band’s inner culture?
The
Spectre Beneath: It can play a significant role in a band's inner culture, and
its importance can vary depending on the band's goals, values, and the nature
of their relationship with their fans. Fan interaction can vary widely between
different bands and artists. Some bands may actively prioritise fan engagement
and involvement, while others might maintain a more private or reserved approach
to their inner culture. From The Spectre Beneath’s point of view, we tend to
take a more reserved but respectful approach as our inner culture works for us
and we would not want anything to jeopardize that, however, we are also mindful
on connection, engagement and feedback from our fans, so we know we know we’re
on the right track.
CV:
Can a band truly interact with its fans and still maintain a level of personal
privacy without crossing the line and giving up their “personal space” in your
opinion?
The
Spectre Beneath: It is possible with careful management and communication.
Setting boundaries, having designated channels of communication, for example,
we primarily use Facebook and Instagram. Controlled meet and greets and
selective gigs also help as well. Ultimately, finding the right balance between
interaction and privacy is subjective and will vary from band to band. It's
crucial for the band members to have open discussions amongst themselves and
with their team to establish guidelines. By doing so, they can create
meaningful connections with their fans while safeguarding their personal space.
CV:
Is music, and its value, viewed differently around the world in your
opinion? If so, what do you see as the
biggest difference in such multiple views among various cultures?
The
Spectre Beneath: Music and its value are indeed viewed differently around the
world due to the rich diversity of cultures and traditions. The perception of
music varies significantly among different societies. One only has to witness
crowd reaction from around the world to notice how much impact music has. If
you watch AC/DC’s live at River Plate, the Argentinian fans go crazy and it’s
an absolute joy to watch, whereas the fans are more reserved at a show in the
UK. There’s obviously a cultural significance here. The role and significance
of music vary across cultures. However, I don’t think the music’s value differs
that much, it’s just the way the fans express themselves and this comes down to
different cultures and their perceptions of rhythm, melody, emotion and expression.
It's essential to approach music with cultural sensitivity and an open mind,
recognizing the diverse ways in which it is valued and
experienced worldwide. The beauty of
music lies in its ability to transcend boundaries and communicate emotions, even
across vastly different cultural perspectives.
CV:
Do you feel that a band that has an international appeal, will tend to connect
more so to American audiences? Would they be more enticed or intrigued to see
the band over indigenous acts because of the foreign flavour?
The
Spectre Beneath: I don’t think so. There are plenty of hugely successful bands
who have international appeal but have never ‘broken’ in America. Saxon
immediately spring to mind. A band that has a foreign flavour is no guarantee
of appealing to American Audiences. However, when a band is well-received in
various countries, it can create a sense of curiosity among American audiences,
leading them to attend concerts and explore the band's music, as long as they
get enough airplay and opportunities to tour. The success of any band be it
international or indigenous, in connecting with American audiences depends on a
combination of factors, and no single formula guarantees widespread appeal. It
is about finding the right balance of talent, authenticity, and cultural
relatability that resonates with the audience's tastes and interests.
CV:
Has modern-day digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in your
opinion? Have the actual lines of what really is an artist been blurred?
The
Spectre Beneath: I’m also a novelist and one of the first things my tutor said
to me was, “Writers write, whatever level you are at, if you write, you are a
writer,” and I feel that transcends into not only music but all of the creative
arts. All digital technology has done is develop new tools for creative minds
to express themselves. I agree to a certain extent that the lines of what
constitutes an artist have indeed been blurred to some extent. Traditionally,
an artist might have been perceived as someone with formal training in the fine
arts or a recognised professional producing art at a high level. However, with
digital technology enabling more people to express themselves creatively, the
definition of an artist has evolved to include individuals who may not fit the
traditional mold but still contribute valuable and meaningful creations and
this can only be a good thing, also, what makes a good piece of art? Training,
inspiration or personal taste? Perhaps a little of all 3. Certainly from our
point of view, digital technology allows us to try different things in a song
which would’ve been impossible when using analogue tech because it would’ve
meant re-recording the whole track. The only downside to digital tech is there
is too much content to consume and, by the law of averages, the regular listener
is not going to connect with all of it.
CV:
How would you describe the difference between an artist who follows trends and
one who sets them?
The
Spectre Beneath: For me, it all comes down to the approach of an artist. When I
first started playing guitar and joined a band, we just wanted to sound like
Iron Maiden and Metallica. There was nothing wrong with this but our approach
at that time was that of a trend follower. Of course, many years later, we’ve
seasoned our song writing and incorporated many influences to the point where
we write what we feel like rather than wanting to sound like a specific artist
or subgenre or whatever is popular. It’s difficult to be original these days
but as long as a band is independent in its approach creatively and, to a
lesser extent, visually, I think they can be trend setters regardless of
popularity.
CV:
Has music overall been splintered into too many sub-genres in an effort to
appease fan tastes in your opinion? And has such fan appeasements, in
actuality, weakened music’s impact as a whole by dividing audiences?
The
Spectre Beneath: I think the splintering of metal into many subgenres is a
natural and, somewhat, healthy progression. It’s probably the reason why metal
is still about after all these years. Metal has always progressed: from 70s
heavy rock to the NWOBHM, to thrash, to glam, to Prog metal, to black metal, to
deth metal to grunge. Over the years the genre naturally started to break away
into new areas as more and more creative minds began to push the boundaries of
what was possible. Metal has this canny knack of aggressively absorbing other
genres and when it does, another subgenre is born; it’s probably the main
reason why metal still exists. If it just stayed as the NWOBHM for 40+ years,
all its fans would’ve become bored and moved on. For all the subgenres, the
basic core element is a heavy sound which means it has crossover appeal for
many fans. For myself, I recently went to see Diablo Swing Orchestra one week
and the following week watched Nervosa. Two very different bands but I love them
both because their core elements of heavy guitars, driving rhythms, pounding
drums are all in attendance. The only thing it has weakened is the ability for
the genre to produce huge flagship bands such as Iron maiden and Metallica.
Festival headliners tend to be the same ole bands year in year out, however,
from a grass root perspective and underground scene, I think metal is in a very
healthy place, it just needs more fans to invest in them a little more rather
than playlist the odd track one a streaming service.
CV:
What can fans expect to see coming next from you?
The
Spectre Beneath: We’ve just released our new mini-LP. We have the next album
planned out and I would say 70% of it is written. There are 12 songs planned
but this will get whittled down to 10. I still have three blasters yet to
write. I have ideas but I’ve not started putting them together yet. After being
away for a couple of years due to singer changes and other challenges, it’s
just nice to get more material out there. Hopefully, with the new album, we can
get some momentum back into the ranks because we’d ideally like to finish
writing the new full-length and get it recorded before the end of the year or
at least before Easter 2024 and get it released in 2024 as well. We’d like to
squeeze some live shows in at some point but we’re short on a bass player hence
why I’m playing it on the new release, so completing a line up would be next as
well.
CV:
Thanks again for taking some time and talking. It is greatly appreciated.
The
Spectre Beneath: You’re very
welcome. There were some interesting questions there.
Check out The Spectre Beneath at:
https://www.facebook.com/TheSpectreBeneath
https://thespectrebeneath.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/@thespectrebeneath3812
https://www.instagram.com/thespectrebeneath/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5cIAETngzd6JmnTxG3EtAi
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