Albums of Purgatory interview Sigma's Anthony Pecere

Albums of Purgatory: Firstly, whats the band up to right now?

Anthony Pecere: We faced particular hard times, with some line-up changing, and different points of view with our old label,
but now we are involved to promote the new album, and looking for a new producer; this album is full of our emotions, so we are very proud to engaged ourselves to promote this music that needs our support.
The band now is composed by:
Anthony Pecere on Vocals
Frank Rider on Guitar
Max Adams on Guitar
Pasko on Bass
Andrew Dal Zio on Drums
At the moment we are not looking for a keyboard player, but in the future it could be possible.

AoP: How would you describe the Sigma sound?

AP: The Sigma sound now is the right evolution from the first album. A Power Melodic Speed Metal. In "Win Or Lose", the new album, you can find some fast and melodic songs with Great Orchestra arrangements, nothing new under the sun; but the real thing you could find, is the strongest emotions we get from the concept. The concept is a free interpretation of an Italian 1800 novel, placed in 1600, during the Spanish domination.
At this time the nobles can did what they wanted with the lifes of the poor peoples. The story begins when a noble want to "fuckkk" (eh eh eh) a girl that is promised to marry a boy (of course). This intervention, separates the betrothed in a travel full of great characters and events.
Nobles, Priests, Braves, Nuns, Cardinals, Masters and Friars. "Black Death", Faith, Conversions, Hunger, Abuses of power, God's Providence, Betrayals and Forgiveness. With this elements the betrothed have to reach their real salvation to realize their dreams of happiness. Sigma, as chroniclers, try to expose the events and the characters, the betrothed meets during their travel.

AoP: How did you get involved with the band?

AP: It's very simple! I replied to an anonymous advertisement, and then they tested my voice on some of their new songs. They tested many singers, but at the end of the testing sessions, they choose me. Oh yeah!!!

AoP: Have you been involved in any other projects and if so how do they compare musically to Sigma?

AP: Yes, I start to sing in 1991, so I sang in many bands, some prog, some rock, some thrash.
I remember 2 band over all. Dollmen, a rock/metal cover band; and Emerald, a prog metal band oriented to Dream Theater and Symphony X style. I was a founder member in both bands. I'm actually involved with Komaday, a personal thrash/rock-prog, completely far from Sigma's style;
and with Rapid Fire, a good and funny defender-heavy-metal band (oh yeah!!), near to Sigma style,
but not so close (no keyboard).

AoP: Can you remember your first live gig (how did it go)?

AP: My first live gig, was with Dollmen in 1992/3 (I don't remember correctly), in my brother's school. Good exhibition, just 30 minutes of rock/metal covers.

AoP: What are your favourite Sigma tracks?

AP: Hm? Good question!! I like the first self titled album, I like Val's voice very much; but the songs I prefer are "End Of Time", "Guardians", "King Of The Nightmares", "Legacy", "Follow The Sign" and "Land Of Freedom", and obviously the whole last album! :-)

AoP: What are your favourite all time songs?

AP: Hmm?? Arrrrgh!! Very Hard question! I like many kinds of music, so is very difficult for me to give you a short answer.
I appreciate very much the whole Akira Takasaki artwork (Loudness and side projects), but I like some '80 dance bands like Dead Or Alive too, or the modern metal like Symphony X, or Angalgard, or Death Metal like Death or Sepultura, and of course the early Iron Maiden.
I'll try to give you a partial answer.
The whole albums Disillusion (Loudness), Piece Of Mind (Iron Maiden), Spheres (Pestilence), Elements (Atheist), Grace (Jeff Buckley), Epilog (Anglagard), Burn The Sun (Ark), V (Symphony X), Youthquake (Dead Or Alive), A Night At The Opera (Queen), Icon (Paradise Lost), The Gallery (Dark Tranquillity), Destroy Erase Improve (Meshuggah). But this is a partial exposure of what is fundamental for me, as I've told
before. :-P

AoP: What was the first record you bought?

AP: In Heavy Metal genre are with no doubt Disillusion (Loudness) and Live-Loud-Alive (Loudness in Tokyo). But before this good bought I remember A Kind Of Magic (Queen), or Youthquake (Dead Or Alive).

AoP: What was the latest album you bought and what did you think of it?

AP: Ok, This is more simple, eh eh eh! Master Plan. Very good album. I like Lande's voice, and the songs are very good and
melodic, but non-banal.

AoP: What would be your dream band line-up?

AP: Every random "genetic cross-over" from Symphony X and Ark. I think that every possible chance is good to experiment something new.

AoP: If you could do a cover of any song for a tribute album to any band, what would you choose and why?

AP:I could choose Something In My House (Dead Or Alive) because is a very good song, and the structure is good to be re-arranged in a prog-metal version. Or I could choose Street Woman (Loudness) for the same reason.

AoP: What do you think of the position of music in general today?

AP: The music is facing a hard time, the internet is changing our way to use art in general, our way to trade pure information, and music is pure information. Piracy with no respect of the copyright laws, is a duel for the future. I think that the solution is not to increase cost of CDs, this is a suicide for music business. There's no solution in hypothetical "super-protection" of CD, time teaching us that hackers are able to destroy every protection, with the right time. In my opinion the solution is in majors' own hands, they have to improve the industrial products, to maximize the difference from the illegal copy (I prefer a good package than a little sheet with no info), and minimize the cost (13 euro for me is the right cost of a CD, I mean a NEW CD). They have the possibility to make scale economics, so why do they not do it? Why?
By the way, the music is constantly evolving, creating new styles, and this is very good. There's not a real new kind of music but a continuing melange of many genres. I like it very much, I'm waiting for what the future will bring us all.

AoP: Which other bands in the scene stand out for you at the moment?

AP: Loudness, Symphony X, they have the right energy to go on.

AoP: Do you have any funny stories about the band you can share with us?

AP: Oh yes! During the recording session we faced more hard times, now this times are funny, but... I remember a drain pipe that was broken during a tempest, with the effects you can imagine... bleah! This is the most wet record in the metal history. ah ah ah.
In another time I was particularly pissed off, so I recorded for all the day with dark sunglasses, to protect others from my Killing Eyes, ah ah ah.
Yes, I'm completely mad. Oh yeah!! :-)

AoP: What do you see in the future for Sigma?

AP: I think that the Sigma's future is in Sigma's own hands, but I don't know if this is good!!
Ah ah ah! No, no, I'm joking!
For the future we have to involve ourselves to promote our very good album, so we need fan support to reach a good distribution, we need your help too, to let the people know our work, and then some labels will understand that our album is very good as a fan can taste downloading our previews on our official site.
www.sigmaonline.co.uk
I invite fans to download the previews and write us what they think about the songs. It would be useful for us.
I hope that soon we are able to have a good tour to present you our real and human energy. I think you all certainly like it.

AoP: Thanks again for the interview and good luck for the future.

AP: Thank you for this time you've dedicated us.
A salute for all English fans, and my excuses for my not good english.