Can you let me know a bit more about the bands fusion influnces as I have read a lot about the metal side )Fates Warning Cynic etc but not so much around the fusion side. Also I remember reading that the next CD when released will have more fusion based ideas can you give a bit more details about what this would mean as Fusion music uses lots of different concepts.
Sorry for the late response, but Ive been moving the whole week.
I know that term can be a bit misleading. What at least Im referring to with Fusion is music by bands like Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return To Forever, Weather Report, Tribal Tech etc. These were all bands I was introduced to when attending BIT, and especially Gary Willis Fusion listening class. Back then I was basically exclusively into metal, but I was nevertheless struck by the intensity and nerve present in some of the music I encountered in that class, and I immediately started to incorporate certain aspects from it also in my own writing.
Now, with regards to SA, the comment youre referring to reflects the state of mind of the band just after the release of ASU. Back then that will be early in this decade - we were still dizzy from the whole ordeal of getting the material out, which took nearly eight years counting from the first material written to the actual release of ASU. This is a pretty long time-span, and accordingly the writing style of the band had the opportunity to change a lot during the process, which it also did. Although the idea of incorporating fusion-elements was there from the very beginning, as explained above, the ability of the band (me included) to execute them didnt quite keep up with the changing direction and pace of the writing. We had to draw a line somewhere with regards to material actual for the album though, and I think the album in a good way reflects this in that it sounds coherent. But, in order to have a coherent album, we also had no other choice but to take a couple of steps back btw at a time when I think we were starting to touch upon some really stellar stuff. Thus, although not being at all representative for the writing style then, a song like Moving Spirit was worked out in the final stages of the writing process. Dont get me wrong Im not diminishing the work we put out, but as much as were proud of the album we made, I dont think it quite matched our vision.
So then, when finally having the songs for the album, we still had a dozen of tapes with unused riffs and song-ideas, a lot of it being what Id call more fusion-based material. This material was all new and IMO our best material to date. Anyway, thats why the more fusion on the next SA-album-comment made a lot of sense, since it was naturally to assume that, when focusing on a second album, wed start with that material and take it from there. Now, we didnt know then that it would take several more years before we would actually do this, but having said that I must say that at least Im still pretty much in the same frame of mind as back then. To reveal exactly how well further develop the fusion-side of the band would be spoiling the fun though