On the occasion of their latest release ”Return To Zero”, Spiritual Beggars made their third visit in Greece and first after seven long years of absence. We had the luck to discuss with keyboardist Per Wiberg about all details concerning the group’s return, the new album, the new change in the vocals, some old and new bands that he loves and of course, his love for the Greek fans. Read below a discussion which proves the fact that if a speaker is in good mood, the interview will turn to nothing less than enjoyable. A very pleasant talk in an even more pleasant atmosphere with Per smiling and showing that he felt like he was home. Enjoy!

First of all welcome to Greece once again. It’s been seven years and we really missed you this time, so it’s very nice to have you back.

Thank you very much, we missed you too and today is a good opportunity to show this to you, it’s going to be a great night.

Let’s start this interview by asking what took you so long to release a new album. It’s been five years since ”Demons” which was the last album you did.

Well, actually we were busy with our other bands, so in general we were dealing with music again and didn’t have time to focus on Spiritual Beggars. Mike (Amott, the guitar player) had full schedule with Arch Enemy together with Sharlee (D’Angelo, the bass player). Ludwig (Witt, the drummer) was busy with Firebird and some local bands in Sweden he’s dealing with, I was playing with Opeth, so there was no free time to get together. This year we managed to gather in order to create the new Spiritual Beggars album, as we had no responsibilities with our other bands, so the time was right to do it and here we are now.

The new album is entitled ”Return To Zero”. In my personal opinion it’s the best Spiritual Beggars album the last ten years since ”Ad Astra”. First of all we’d like to know about the response it has so far in the press and fans worldwide.

Thank you very much for believing that, it’s very nice to hear this. To be honest the most reviews and comments we have received so far are very positive. People seem to like the new material very much. Of course there are always some people that will be asking for more, while there will be some people that will not feel good with the change in singer now that we have Apollo in place of JB, as it happened with some people when we had JB instead of Spice. You just can’t satisfy all of them but we are very glad that the album goes along very well so far.

You give me the right pass for the next question and since I’m Greek, I can’t help but asking about having Apollo Papathanasio in the band. Give us some details about this choice.

It was our drummer Ludwig who suggested in taking Apollo in the band and Mike agreed in that. He was tested in some songs and the result was very very good, so there was no other choice but getting him in the band. It happened so simply and naturally. I have to tell you that we’ve been knowing Apollo for many years, he was always very close to the band, he’s been a great friend for many years and we were getting along very well with him pretty much time before he joined the band,

We must admit that he’s done a great job in the album, and this is one more extra reason why it sounds so great. In my opinion he’s brought some new elements. But I’d like to know if you made any other auditions before getting him in the band.

No, there were no other auditions. He was the only one tested for this place. It just felt right to be the man holding the microphone, as we know him very well like I told you before. It is very important to know who you are dealing with in such cases, he also lives very close to Mike, so this was another helpful hint among the rest.

So, let’s say he was a part of the ”family” all these years, right?

Exactly, he’s been very close to us. He knows us very well and we know him very well, so it was the obvious choice to get him in the band.

Is this another reason why the album sounds solid and like not even a day passed since the last album? He seems he has adapted 100% in the likes of the band. Do you believe that this friendship has brought chemistry much sooner between all you than usual?

Well, let’s say that some things got easier along the way with Apollo than they would with another guy whom we wouldn’t know that much. We are very tied as a band right now and I hope you all will see it in a few hours.

Let’s go to the new album once again. I believe that it’s sound is very special. Despite being the most mid-tempo release you have done so far, it also sounds very warm and personal and I think this happens maybe because of the production. Also, it’s much heavier and songs flow easier than the previous two albums at least.

It’s nice to know you find it so special because that’s what we believe also for ”Return To Zero”. We did our best to create a nice album after so many years and I think that the fans who will pay good attention to the new material will find it very amusing and they’re going to deal very well with it in the future.

Let’s talk about the recording process and how long it took you to create the album. We’d also like to know how is a typical Spiritual Beggars song born and if the final result of the album was something predecised or it just came naturally.

Usually it happens with Mike bringing on a riff and Ludwig finding a rhythm to jam upon the riff. Since they live close to each other it’s more effective to work this way, as I live far away and I send my ideas with e-mail. We change some things here and there and that’s how the final result comes. We entered the studio in January and in the end of February it was over, so it didn’t take us more than a month for the whole thing, meaning production, mixing and mastering. As far as the result is concerned, we didn’t sit and say we wanted to make the album this way, so there was no plan about playing fast, slow, heavy or whatever else. That’s how we felt at the specific time we were working on the new material and what you hear is the outcome of our ideas in the year of 2010. So, that’s how it works pretty much with us.

Spiritual Beggars were never a band for the middle fan. You bring and revive the spirit of the ’70s in the best possible way. In a time where everyone tries to sound fast, heavy and brutal, how much important is the fact that you can create your own music without caring much about trends or new fashions in the world of music industry?

That’s just what comes out from our hearts and we would do no less than play what we want. We are very fortunate to have a steady and loyal fan base like here in Greece for example, we would never sound the way others want and we’ll stick to what we believe is right for us in the band. After all, like you said, every day something new comes out so other fans could listen to what they find cool and makes them happy.

Since we talk about happiness and you all make us happy with the band, let’s see which were the ones that made you happy back in the day and you decided that you wanted to play music in order to make people happy too. Having seen you both with Spiritual Beggars and Opeth in the past, you live every gig until the last moment and seeming as you are the most diehard metal fan that everybody would like to have as friend. It would be very interesting for people to know your tastes in music.

Oh, it’s so much I could mention right now (Smiling). It all depends according to the environment you are growing on. You see your parents or friends dealing with music and you want to explore this. Obviously I must refer to Black Sabbath and Kiss and many other great bands in the beginning. While I started to grow there was new material coming on the way, more brutal than we had been used to, and that’s how bands like Venom or Slayer or Metallica came across. So far, it goes like this and I discover bands from time to time that make me feel good.

Any new bands or albums that you liked recently and you’d like to share with us?

I’m a big fan of a band called Baroness if you know them (note:here is the part where I smile like he did before) and their latest album is simply great. Let’s see… I liked the album by a band that’s not old but the new album is amazing and the band is called The Swans (here is where we both smile to each other in total comprehension and warm atmosphere). I also liked the new album of Helmet very much. Great band from time to time and worth having an eye on them for sure (and this is where we have a hi-five, as we totally agree about this). And I think that more is to come through the way. Music is beautiful and you learn something new each day for sure.

Now let’s talk about the relationship you have with the Greek crowd. Every time you come here you all are out of control, no matter which band you are here with. Is it a matter of good performance, are you always in shape, or is there extra motive for you that is connected with the atmosphere?

I must tell that despite trying to be as professionals as we can and we try to give 101% of ourselves each night, Greece was one of the first countries that supported us so strongly and we always had positive feedback here, even from our first days as a band. I don’t know how but we feel very welcome here each time and we consider it like being home with all those fans making a pleasant atmosphere for us. Maybe is what you call Mediteranean tamperament or maybe you just get obsessed with what you love very much. I can tell for sure, speaking about the other guys in the band also, that we feel great when we come there. And I am sure this is what is going to happen later when we’ll come out and play. I have the feeling it’s going to be a beautiful night.

Last but not least, we’d like you to close this interview by giving a message to all Spiritual fans worldwide and add whatever you’d like and we didn’t ask you.

First of all I’d like to thank you very much for the kind words and the nice interview. We appreciate all kinds of support and it means a lot to us, we’re going to try and give it back to you today and each time we’re coming here. I also have to say thanks to all our fans, especially here in Greece for being there for us. I wish that we’ll come back sooner this time, we could do it even the following April if we have some days off. We are back now and we hope everyone will enjoy as much as we do it. Thank you all very very much.

Interview by: Aggelos “Redneck” Katsouras.

After nine years off Fear Factory, the original guitar player and main songwriter of the band Dino Cazares returned to produce alongside Burton C. Bell the new FF monster called ”Mechanize”. What follows is Dino’s vision about the album, some details about it, his opinion about new groups, his emotional statement about his long gone close friend Dimebag Darrell and a promise to do anything he can to see FF live in Greece. Observe!

Hello Dino, where do we find you at the moment?

I am in Los Angeles and I am getting ready for our Australian tour.

Fear Factory is finally back and everybody here in Greece are very happy about it. I am sure you have discussed what I’m going to ask several times, but what was that stopped the band back then and how did you take the decision to reunite?

I really don’t know what happened, all I know was I was not in the band again and later on, they approached me to rejoin the group.

How do you feel working with Fear Factory after so many years?

Oh, I feel great. I feel really great I can work with Burton again, and also Gene and Byron. There’s definitely a chemistry there and you definitely feel the magic that came out of the record.

So, let’s talk about the new album called ”Mechanize”. Does the title have a special meaning or symbolize anything?

I think it symbolizes a great sound of Fear Factory, it takes what we did to the next level, it takes records like ”Soul Of A New Machine”, ”Demanufacture”, ”Obsolete” and ”Digimortal”, the records I was on, to the really next level, and creates a whole new chapter of Fear Factory that I’m really proud of. The record’s coming out in February.

What were the composing and the recording process of the record like? Did you have any problems during the creation of the record?

None (laughs)!  Not at all. This was one of the easiest recordings I have ever done, the writing process was very exciting since I was very excited to record with Burton again. Also Gene and Byron are very talented musicians, very professionals and the writing was smooth, no tension, and also having Rhys Fulber who is kinda fifth member of the band, made the recording very easy. You know, working with him was great, he did a great job in producing the industrial elements of the band, with all these new soundscapes and generally the recordings were great and we had a great time.

So, are you satisfied with the production and the record generally?

100 % satisfied. You are correct. I mean, we put a lot of time and effort into this record to become what it is, and we are very proud of it.

What is the musical direction of ”Mechanize”? How would you describe it to a fan that hasn’t heard it yet?

Very powerful, very aggressive, very exciting, fresh, it has a lot of industrial in it, it’s got all of the new elements that you want, it’s a very well ran record. Later on the record it slows down a little bit and you get into the real big songs like ”Final Exit” or ”Designing The Enemy” and finally you have all the elements that you need to like the record.

Is it similar to the previous releases of Fear Factory? Can you compare it to any of the previous albums?

I would say yes and no. No there isn’t a comparison because musically it’s still Fear Factory but it goes to different places. But you can compare the energy and the excitement of albums like ”Demanufacture”, you can compare the maturity and the songwriting of albums like ”Obsolete”. But soundwise it is still Fear Factory, we have taken it to a new level and this is where we are up today right now.

Gene Hoglan is an amazing drummer that joined Fear Factory. How did this come out? Did he bring new elements to the band with his playing?

When Raymond refused to play drums, Burton gave Gene a call and asked him if he wanted to be a part of this, and Gene said yes. He is a legendary drummer, he’s done a lot of big and great things and to have him as a part of this is the best move Burton could do. I believe that he did bring new elements to the band, he’s a different player, the first different and in songs like ”Fear Campaign” there are a lot of good toms and that is something Fear Factory never had before. So it is great to have a drummer that can play so good with his hands and we are very happy to have him in the band.

I would like us to talk about the lyrical part of the album. Is there a concept on the album?

The whole conceptual thing about the record himself is we wanted to take the meaning of Fear Factory further. What is Fear Factory? Fear Factory is something that causes fear. For instance, the church, politics, religion, terrorism, all the stuff that causes fear. Where is the future of this world going and what is our future? For instance songs like ”Christplotation” we use them to state how religion is using fear tactics to make you believe in God or Jesus Christ. On ”Fear Campaign” we talk about the political leaders who try to cause you fear with the media, in order to vote them. So, that’s the overall concept of the album. Which are the things in life that cause us fear and where we are lead to.

You have already played some shows, what where the reaction of the fans so far?

It was amazing. I mean, I was really nervous because I wasn’t sure how people would react that I am back in the band, I wasn’t sure about how they will react on the record. But I was confident when I got on stage and saw Burton on my right side singing, and the overall positive response we are getting for the shows and for the album fills us with confidence and makes us believe that what we’re doing is right.

On the other hand you recently made a new video for the album, tell us a little things about it.

Yes, we did a videoclip for the song ”Fear Campaign”. The video will be out on February 6 and the album will be out on February 9. So you get to see it worldwide online, on MTV or wherever a video station is on February 6. We shot it with director Ian McFarland, he has worked with a lot of bands, one of his most popular videos is the one he did for Meshuggah for a song called ”Bleed”. So we brought down the word fear and the images that cause us fear, there’s gonna be a bit of a live performance and maybe Burt’s gonna be acting on the video, you’ll see a lot of things flashing and a lot of images that cause us fear in today’s world.

Why especially this song? Is it considered to be the hit of the album?

Whoa, good question… we love all the songs,I wish we could make a video for every song. But ”Fear Campaign” I think best resembles where the band is right now. It has the industrial element, it has the fast, aggressive element, it has a great melodic chorus. I think it has a very strong meaning, so I think it is the best song to represent the album.

Getting out of Fear Factory, the last years you have been more than active with bands like Divine Heresy and Asesino. Tell us a few things about them.

Divine Heresy is going really strong right now, Asesino is on hold since we are all a little busy. Divine Heresy is doing some shows in Australia on April and I think we might do a US tour, hopefully we are going to come to Europe, but obviously Fear Factory takes a lot of my time right now. When there is space in between Fear Factory tours, I will make a Divine Heresy tour.

I would like to inform you that our site is working on a big tribute for the 00’s decade that has already left us behind, and ”Digimortal” was voted as one of the 50 best albums of the decade. Which are your memories from back then?

Oh, that was a very, very tough time for all of us. We are very proud of this record, but there was a lot of elements that kinda destructed the band. The record label was one of the destructions, other people who tried to harm the band, I wish those people never were a part of it, but overall despite all the destructions that occurred, it’s still a good record with good songs on it like ”Acres Of Skin”, ”Linchpin”, ”Damaged”, ”Byte Block”, ”What Will Become”… There’s still some good stuff on the record. But obviously at the end of the day things didn’t work out between me and the band, but I’m back in the band now after so many years and I am very proud that ”Mechanize” is what it is.

I would like to ask you since we are talking about that album, how much productive were the 00’s in your opinion as far as metal is concerned. Do you notice any highlights?

Honestly, I am not really into new bands or anything new that blew me away this last year. A lot of my influences and a lot of the things that I enjoy come back from the ’80s or the early ’90s. What I’ve noticed in metal music is a recycle of what was old to become new again. Like the resurgence of thrash music. I haven’t heard a good thrash band this year, a lot of people tell me there are a couple of good bands but I haven’t heard a new Exodus, or a new early Anthrax. So, I guess if you want to thrash, you have to do it right. That was one of my favorite music styles when I was growing up, thrash metal, early speed metal and early death metal. These were the styles I used to love and I still love, I am into more classic stuff until now.

Dimebag Darrell’s death is definitely one of the worst things that happened for metal in ’00s decade. Would you like to tell us a few things about him, since we know you were very good friends? Which are your memories?

Well, one of the cool things about Dimebag is that he is a legend. When he was alive he was a living legend, and now that he’s gone, he’s still a legend. He left a legacy of music that it’s gonna inspire for years and years to come.You know, like Jimi Hendrix, to be honest he is basically our version of Jimi Hendrix. You know, a guy who really took things to a new level, inspired a lot of people and will keep inspiring a lot of people. I’m very proud that I was lucky to know the guy, to have some drinks with him, hang out with him, tour with him, have a great time. He was just a guy that touched all of us. The cool thing is it was not only about his guitar playing, it was also about his personality. He is a loveable personality, anyone could love him.

Moving back to the band and changing the mood, what are the future plans for the band? Are you going to book a tour? If you come to Europe can we hope for a Greece show?

Well we got back from South America, and now we’re going to Australia. After Australia we are coming to Europe and I really hope Greece is on the list. Then we come back to the US, we’ll tour the States for a while and then back to Europe and back to Australia again.

So you’re really busy I guess. Are you happy to be back on stage with Fear Factory?

I am very busy, I am very happy but I actually never left the stage. We have a great band, we are very tight. Everything goes fine thankfully.

Is there anything else you would like to add or tell us? The last words are yours to all the Greek fans. All the best to you in personal and for the band.

I’m gonna talk to our manager and tell him to book a concert in Greece. I promise to do the hardest I can. The album is out on February 9 and I hope to see you on tour.

Thank you very much, have a nice day.

Thank you too, bye bye.

Interview by: Karagiannidis Panagiotis.