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Interview
by SashaS
29-4-2005
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| 'Russell Allen's Atomic Soul': old class |
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A flight of worship
‘Russell Allen’s Atomic Soul’: reinstating rock classics
When a member of an established band makes a solo album there is usually a suspicion that there is some dissatisfaction within the ranks. It may be considered less worrying if it is just a player but when the singer is at it… Russell Allen, the Symphony X vocalist, is denying the ‘charge’ and claims that ‘Atomic Soul’ is nothing else but the deepest labour of love.
And a huge tribute to the legendary frontmen of veteran bands that informed, inspired and influenced Russell Allen’s career: Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Rainbow and Iron Maiden; add to it a couple of more contemporary bands such as Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and AudioSlave that you start to suspect the man must have been a tad more than little frustrated. But, it took a long time to cut the album, eventually?
“Yes, it did,” Allen agrees after a sigh, “and the main reason was that I didn’t have the time, there was always something else to do with the band. But then, we came off the last tour [promoting ‘The Odyssey’ album released in 2002] and had some time off. I started recording this album in July 2003 but had to stop and start. I also got married last year and had to have a honeymoon…”
The process got so prolonged that your fellow member [unofficial leader of SX], Michael Romeo, had to desert before completion to start work on the band’s follow up?
“Yeah, he thought I was taking too long…” Allen admits with a laugh. “I simply wanted to make the best album I could and I don’t think that’s unreasonable. I ended up mixing it on Christmas day last year!?”
It must have pleased his new wife and family, no end?
Hand and soul
‘Russell Allen’s Atomic Soul’ resonates with spirit of some bygone age - chiefly the 1970s - when bands were super-big and songs monumental. It is a soulful tribute that ‘honours’ the Zepp’s creativity as much as Pink Floyd’s but also the grunge era and Hard Rock and blues… For instance, ‘The Distance’ combines elements of grunge that segue into Floydian territory of musical expanse. ‘Seasons Of Insanity’ is like Iron Maiden but ‘Speed-metal’d!
A personalised view of the world these songs present in an upbeat mode generally but there are sombre and down-turned instances…
“I did play a little bit on the album,” Allen explains that it wasn’t a DIY project, “bass here, guitar there, keyboards... I can play quite a few instruments but don’t think that I’m that good and would rather have people like Michael [Romeo] do a solo… I produced it because I thought that nobody would know better how these songs should sound like than me.”
What is the possibility of presenting this album on a tour?
“Quite possible, it looks like,” Russell states with a smile. “Whether it will happen it depends how public reacts to this album, whether there would be demand to tour it. It also depends on what Symphony X is doing at any given time… Right now it looks like I could be doing some dates but for how long and how extensively, it is yet to be determined.”
“But, if something extraordinary happened with this album, I’d be stupid to turn down an opportunity like that if it presented itself.”
Are you concerned how the fans are going to react to this album?
“Concerned, well - more like curious, apprehensive, maybe. It is different to what I’m known for doing with a band, it is a different side of me that presents me in a proper light. Whether people will take to it is beyond me and not much I can do about it. I loved doing it and really believe in these songs, otherwise I wouldn’t have issued them.”
It’s not like someone was putting a gun to his head…
Periods of strain
The 34-year-old son of the Californian sky [born in Long Beach] now resides in New Jersey, the Garden State. That’s why he doesn’t support his local basketball team, The Nets are co-owned by rapper/Beyoncé’s fiancé Jay-Z, but the Los Angeles Lakers. By the time Allen joined Symphony X in late 1994, he had already moved to New York City.
“It was at a benefit concert for Ray Gillen in NYC when I got ‘discovered’ by Michael Romeo. The fact is that basically Rod and Tom [the band’s old singer and bass player] had told Michael about me; Rod wanted to leave for some ‘mystery’ reason... [Actually, he wasn't working out in the band.] Rod had decided I would be a 'decent' replacement for him. So, after seeing me sing at the benefit concert, Tom called me and asked if I would be interested.”
“I was unfamiliar with what they were doing, because I was coming from a completely different band [Sin River]. The [SX’] sound was foreign to me, but I was drawn to the band because I heard the enormous amount of talent in the musicianship and I felt that Symphony X had a lot of potential.”
That show is one of highlights you list on the band’s site; another one is “the most recently the show in Paris on the last European tour”; what made it such an epic event?
“Well, it is rather personal and sentimental…” he confesses but that is not an unusual effect of the planet’s most ‘Romantic City’. “I proposed there, she accepted, I told the crowds on the night and, generally, it was one of the best shows we have ever played!”
You mentioned earlier that your solo activities partially depend on the band’s agenda; what’s the plan, then?
“We are due to start recording in few months time,” a vague reply comes not because he doesn’t want to commit but due to no band schedule being tabled at the moment. “Michael is still working on new songs but I believe that we [the band] could be touring by the end of the year. Plan is to have the album ready for release by November.”
SashaS
29-4-2005
Russell Allen’s album ‘Russell Allen’s Atomic Soul’ is released 25 April 2005 by SPV
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