Overture

In this series we go behind the scenes and talk with Diego Gonzalo Palma who played keyboards on Overture’s Edit Evolution album and their newest release entitled ALLEGIANCE.

1. What country and city do you currently reside in?

I’ve lived in Rosario, Argentina my whole life. It’s my hometown.

2. Who were your primary influences growing up?

My metal journey started early with classic bands like Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Yngwie Malmsteen. After that I got into the progressive scene with bands like Dream Theater and Symphony X. Keyboardists that really caught my attention: Jens Johansson from Yngwie was my first hero, then the amazing wizard Jordan Rudess from Dream Theater blew my mind.

3. The members involved on this project are from different places and backgrounds. How did you come in contact with the guys in Overture?

I have my profile on a session musicians' platform (Soundbetter.com) and Chris reached out to me to record and see how my keyboards would fit on 3 tracks that would eventually become part of the Edit Evolution album.

4. What was your approach to coming up with your keyboard parts on Allegiance? Were any of your parts already written or did you have the freedom to come up with your own?

Since Edit Evolution, I’ve been working with the guys, and Chris and Mike have given me complete freedom to create keyboard arrangements from scratch, so I’ve been able to approach each song with freed creativity.

5. You have an interesting approach to writing on the Allegiance album. Many keyboard players will play the same parts for all the verse’s, chorus etc. but you often play completely different parts throughout the song. Was it a conscious effort to rarely play the same part twice?

I really enjoy approaching the same sections of a song with a different spin or depending on what comes before or after. It’s like looking at that part with fresh eyes and a new perspective. That's why I usually don't repeat the arrangements I created for those parts.

6. Chris from the band has described your playing as “more than just keyboards but a landscape of sound that could be the soundtrack to a movie”. What is the creative process when writing for Overture? What inspires your ideas when it’s time for your part?

My creative process starts when Chris sends me a rough track. I usually play it a couple of times in relax mode, just soaking it in, listening to it. In my mind I'm already thinking about how I want it to sound like, what kind of vibe, what kind of arrangement. Then I start messing around on the keyboard to shape it and many other ideas emerge. The song also takes you to other sounds that you didn't think about. It's a whole mix of things, the feeling the song gives you and what you bring to the table in return.

7. On the albums last song “Victim of Fate” you combine huge symphonic elements with haunting piano passages. In many ways this song encompasses what you bring to Overture’s sound. How did you feel about the final result when your first heard it?

I think that song is definitely one of my favorite final track results on the album. It's one of those cases which, from the first listen, I had thought of other sound possibilities and when I began working on the song it took me towards new horizons. Chris’s compositions help me tap into my creativity, letting me merge all sorts of sounds and styles in a really organic way. The final part, which started as a simple string arrangement, led me to more full symphonic orchestration and that's how it happened. A perfect ending for both the song and the album.

8. The keyboard sound you got on ALLEGIANCE combines classic rock sounds like Hammond organ and modern synths and strings. What made you decide on using both old and new sounds?

I love mixing different sounds all the time. As I told you before, each song and each part leads me on a journey to find the right sound. I have an extensive sound bank that covers from old-school to modern synths. Of course everything is also about the guys' taste, if they aren't feeling a particular sound I look for another. And if they like the arrangement but want a specific sound, I’ll make it happen.

9. You appear on other projects as well. Do you have your own recording studio?

With the tech tools we have today it’s much easier, especially for a keyboardist, to record from the comfort of his own home and with the best sound quality. I’ve got a dedicated room for my keyboards where I lock myself in for hours to compose and record.

10. This was your second full length album with Overture. Would you be interested in working with them in the future?

As I always tell Chris, I love the tracks he sends me and I really enjoy the process of creating and recording for Overture. If the chance comes up, I’d be happy to keep working with the guys.

In this series we go behind the scenes and talk with Jonas Jonas Schuetz who played drums on Overture’s Edit Evolution album and their newest release entitled ALLEGIANCE.

1. What country and city do you currently reside in?

I'm currently living in the middle of Germany, near Frankfurt; in the countryside.

2. Who were your primary influences growing up?

Hard to say as there were many. But the most important when I grew up were Shannon Larkin and Sully Erna from Godsmack who are both drummers. After that I'd say Michael Thomas (ex- Bullet for my Valentine), Chris Adler (ex-Lamb of God) and Mike Wengren (Disturbed).

3. The members involved on this project are from different places and backgrounds. How did you come in contact with the guys in Overture?

I am a pro member of SoundBetter which basically is a marketplace for hiring session musicians who make a living recording music and doing session work in the audio realm. This is where I came in contact with the guys in Overture and I'm very happy that it happened!

4. What was your approach to coming up with your drum parts on Allegiance? Were any of your parts already written or did you have the freedom to come up with your own?

There was a basic drum track that had been programmed beforehand which I used to come up with ideas for the songs. But I basically had total freedom to come up with whatever I thought would be fitting for the song.

5. Your playing on the album’s opening track “Anxiety” is an absolute master class on Metal drumming. How many takes did you do before you felt it was complete?

I usually do about three takes and most of the time, the third one is the one. But in general, I like to keep going until the best take has been recorded, no matter how long it takes!

6. The other guys in the band said you came up with ideas very quickly and that you make very difficult drum parts look easy. Was it difficult writing your parts?

I wouldn't say that it was too difficult. What I think is difficult is to play for the song and not to do any overplaying when it's not needed at a given moment in the song. But in order to develop

ideas, I like to play the songs a couple of times and to just let it flow. This way, I'm getting used to the songs and the ideas start to come out.

7. On the albums last song “Victim of Fate” you incorporate a lot of different styles from slow in the pocket groove to lightning-fast double kicks. How much of this was worked out in advance and how much was improvised?

I pretty much improvise all of it in the beginning. Over time, the final drum track “emerges” from all of the things that I try out while messing around with the songs. But I also really did improvise some of the slower parts. I'm not really a friend of notating each and every hit in advance as I feel that it doesn't give me enough freedom to change fills or grooves on the fly while tracking.

8. The drum sound you got on ALLEGIANCE is massive. What type of kit did you use for the album and what are your preferred cymbals?

I am using a Tama drumset consisting of various different drums. For this album, I used a stainless steel bass drum which weighs a ton and has a lot of power. As for Toms, I'm currently recording with acrylic drums which have a nice attack and not too much overtones. For the Snare, I'm using a bell brass Snare most of the time but I've got lots of options in materials to choose from.

My preferred cymbals are from Meinl cymbals and I like to use larger diameters. Mostly 18 and 19 inch crashes and 18 to 20 inch China cymbals. But they all are at least medium thin as it is harder to record with cymbals which are too thick.

9. You appear on other projects as well. Do you have your own recording studio?

Yes, I soon realized that I would like to have my own personal studio space and gradually started working on that since 2014. But I'm always trying to enhance the quality of my recordings and the room itself.

10. This was your second full length album with Overture. Would you be interested in working with them in the future?

Of course! The music that these guys write comes from the heart and soul! It's not generic and there is a lot of work and passion going on in the background to make this project sound great! So yes, I'd love to be involved in future songs and projects!

Behind the scenes with Overture: We caught up with Michael Goldsmith the signer of Overture for a quick chat. Check out the conversation below.

So you are in the process of releasing the new single called “Anxiety”, of the yet to be released Album “Allegiance”. Tell us a little about the song. What inspired the lyrics for this song?

Around me I have seen so many people in constant struggle with the demons of Anxiety. To the point it controls and guides their very lives, everyday, towards unexpected, uncontrolled outcomes, which destroys dreams and futures. Everyone has their own struggle, some mild and some debilitating. Its hard to watch when the struggle is debilitating, and it was something I was seeing with the people I love. The Lyrics just came. Basically when Chris sent me the amazing music to write to, this song and the driving rhythms just screamed at me to be called Anxiety. The song has a real push and pulling feel to it, sometimes going against the grain, that feels like anxiety. Chris did a masterful job with the composition and base of the song, it was brilliant, it was easy to fall into the pocket with this one.

Can you talk about the Recording Process? Can you share any interesting studio moments during recording?

Just some awesome late nights, early mornings in the studio, with the driving rhythms on this beauty. Writing away.

Did you layer multiple vocal tracks for depth?

Absolutely, it was core to the song to get the raw emotion of the feeling of anxiety through the mic and into the mix

How did you capture the emotional intensity?

Anxiety is something that you just feel, put myself into the mindset of thinking about the loss of control, it controlling your life, it driving procrastination, pain and anxiety.

Tell us a little about what’s next?

Well, we are starting to promote our Album “Allegiance” now, once Anxiety hits the streaming channels on the August 15th 2024, Please don’t forget to listen in via Spotify and other streaming services. After Anxiety launches we will be queuing up our next release to be out in a about 6 weeks from the release of Anxiety. Our new Album has 8 songs that we cant wait for you to hear.

We are also going to give fans a chance to hear anxiety a few days before the 15th via our Lyrical Video that we releasing soon. Stay tuned for that date.

We also are kicking off the presale of our full album now through our website www.OverturesMusic.com, so please check out the site and pre-order the album today.

We have merchandise that we are promoting, about to release some more merchandise options in the coming days.

So stayed tuned, there is a LOT of cool things going on today!

Going behind the Scenes with Overture’s Guitarist Christopher Young, with some questions on the creation of “Anxiety”

Chris, tell us about your guitar techniques. What tuning did you use for Anxiety? I tuned Anxiety down C#.

Did you incorporate any special effects or pedals? No pedals or special effects used.

How did you achieve that heavy tone? I used the John Petrucci DSP plugin

Lets talk about the composition and inspiration behind Anxiety, what inspired the songwriting process for this track? I come up with the riff, the foundation of the song, put it all together in my studio, lay it down and send the tracks to Mike. He then writes the lyrics and subject matter and lays down the tracks in his studio. From there we work through with the tracks on the dynamics of the song.

Did you draw from personal experiences when creating the riffs? It’s just a lifetime of playing riffs and keeping the ones that move me.

Tell us about your Recording and Production process. Can you share any interesting studio anecdotes during recording? After spending almost 2 yrs. Studying mixing techniques, I heard Sebastian Leeverman from Orden Ogan and realized I could never mix like that, so I hired him to do it.

How did you layer the guitar tracks to create depth? Every guitar part is recorded twice and panned hard Left and Right. Were there any challenges in capturing the desired sound? Thanks to plugins, no.

Greetings to all our Overture Progressive Metal fans! I'm Michael Goldsmith, the vocalist, and I'm thrilled to share an exciting update about our upcoming album "Allegiance". The first release from this album will be the powerful in your face track titled "Anxiety".  Its been a long journey, filled with hard work and dedication to reach this stage. Our talented producer, Sebastian (Seeb) Levermann (you might know him from his band Orden Ogan), has meticulously mixed the songs for "Allegiance".  We.ve just received the pre-release baseline mixed version of "Anxiety", and let me tell you, its nothing short of massive! We cant wait for you to experience it. As we finalize preparations for the songs release, stay tuned and sign up for our email list to stay in the loop. Our first release for Allegiance is almost here - Metal On!!!!