I think one band that has remained a constant in my life is Within Temptation . Ever since I discovered them in 2007 I think I’ve been on their hype train. I remember it being a quick turnaround to fandom. As a kid and well into my teen years I watched music video channels on TV—specifically, Kerrang . For you kids out there, it was probably the best way to discover new music before the advent of YouTube, social media and streaming platforms. Even in 2007, two years after YouTube’s release, it was still some of my favourite programming. The level of effort that went into music videos was amazing, you’d get some duds, but for the most part, it was a valued way of presenting your new singles. Being on TV, artists only had a few seconds to grab your attention with their video before audiences chose whether to leave a song on or not. It was like the wild west and I think this is where I started to cultivate my music taste. I distinctly remember sitting in my living room one afternoon and b...
This year has been incredibly eventful for the Italian heavy metal band Virtual Symmetry . After countless miles travelled on tour and the much-anticipated release of their latest album, Veils of Illumination , they are now taking a well-deserved breather as 2024 draws to a close. I had the pleasure of sitting down with the charismatic frontman, Marco Pastorino , who shared insights about the creative process behind the new record, the exhilarating yet challenging life experience on the road, and how he juggles his myriad of diverse projects while maintaining his passion for music. Okay, so you've been on the road with this new record, Veils of illumination . How do you feel the general audience response has been to the new songs? The feedback so far has been great. I mean, we just released the album a couple of weeks ago, but since the tour at the beginning of November the couple of tracks from the new album we have played have been received well. We’ve started to sell the ...