Those who read the interview with Jonah will see that this is essentially the same interview with some minor tweaks. I thought it would be cool to see how multiple members of Pyramaze felt about the variety of questions asked, and Michael was glad to oblige! Again I must state how gracious these guys all are and I really do see how much we (the fans) mean to them!
Some really awesome responses in this one!
***********************************************************************************************
Greetings Michael, this is Marc Garrison representing Powerline A.D, currently an internet based webzine and daily blog. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview, Im certain you are very busy with the impending release of the third Pyramaze full length!
Marc: You are the guitarists/lyricist/general mastermind behind Pyramaze, the Danish/American Progressive-Power Metal band. Progressive-Power? Is this accurate?
Michael: Yeah, we have been labelled as a progressive/power metal band. But we also have other names going for us. We have a great blend of metal in our music, so I guess one could call us epic-dark-melodic-progressive-power metal ;-) But hey, that brand is way too long to be used commonly ha-ha.
Marc: What is the process of writing your music? Do you write it all, and the other musicians play it? How much are the other members of Pyramaze involved in the creative process?
Michael: Well, I write the whole core material for the songs and all the lyrics. I write the melodies on my guitar, so there is a finished foundation for each song to build upon. To cut it out more the entire guitar rhythm section plus guitar melody themes and stuff are 95% done when I introduce the other guys to the songs. Then I count on their talent to add some frosting and give me input for the rest of the stuff. That also means I do not have a finished drum track or a finished keyboard track etc. for the guys to play when I introduce them to the songs. Each band member comes up with ideas for his particular instrument, they just have to compliment the stuff that Ive already written. Then Jonah always has a few interludes or an instrumental which he is responsible for writing on his own. I throw the guys the ideas I have for their instruments for various places in each song, and once Im done prattling
about what I want, then its their turn to fill out the rest. Oh by the way, this time there will be one song where the lyrics are not written by me. Actually Matt has written some awesome lyrics for this particular one and I really like what he did.
Marc: How is it working with musicians abroad. Would it be better to have local musicians fill the slots, or does it work out fairly easily the way you guys have it set up now?
Michael: The work in itself is done fairly easily. Of course it would be easier to live only a few miles apart, but with todays technology and fast internet its really not a problem working like we do. The downside is when we have to play shows, because it costs a butt-load of money to fly in a band from various parts of the world. Like if we have to play a show in Denmark or Germany, then we have to fly in two persons from the USA which makes the costs pretty high. That goes double for the other way around of course hell, when we played the Prog Power USA festival in 2006 all of us Danes had to accept a big deficit to play that show. But thats just what we do for our music and for our fans. Pyramaze is not about the money, and thats what keeps us honest. Anyone who thinks that youve got it made once you have a record deal is sooo wrong ha-ha!
Marc: The metal community was stunned when Pyramaze announced the return of Matt Barlow to the metal scene in the form of vocalist of Pyramaze. In a strange turn of events, it appears that the upcoming album titled Immortal will be the only collaboration between Barlow and Pyramaze as he has decided to return to Iced Earth. Do you have any thoughts/feelings/comments on the whole affair?
Michael: Let me first say that I feel proud and fortunate that Matt chose to be a part of Pyramaze.
He is a great guy, a modest and honest man. I really enjoy working with him, and the recent events have not changed that. Matt had a lot of good reasons to go back to Iced Earth. Some of the reasons where professional and others private of nature. Ive had a long talk about all of this with him and I understand his decision and respect it. When I first heard about his choice I was disappointed of course, and we had some live plans already which we now were unable to fulfil. But it only took me a few days to realize that this whole thing does not change the fact that we have a very special album coming out this year. I mean this is the ONLY other serious band Matt has ever been in besides IE, and his voice suits our style very-very well. Once the album is done we will start an official hunt for a new singer, and weve already gotten lots of applications from singers who would give their right hand to be in the band.
Marc: The bands upcoming album is titled Immortal. Any insight as to the nature of this choice?
Michael: It just seems very fitting for the whole thing. If you look at it from at band perspective it means that we wont let bumps in the road destroy what we have created.
Its also referring to Matt being back in the biz. But most of all I chose this name because it means that all that we as a band have created together cant be destroyed, and no matter what the future holds, our music will live on forever.
Marc: It seems fitting, as Barlows presence on the album will certainly make it a unique one.
Michael: Yeah it will be unique, both in the sense of the vocals, the music and actually the entire production. Im not saying that I consider this to be the best metal album ever made thats always a matter of taste. But for us as a band this album is a milestone and we have put lots of blood, sweat and tears into the work. Everything right from the music to the booklet has been crafted with a lot of love for the genre and the stories on the album. So I guess for us this is the best album ever but fans have to judge for themselves of course ;-)
Marc: It is extremely early to tell, but any ideas as to the new vocalist?
Michael: No but I can tell you that we are making a broad search this time. It does not matter if the new guy is well known or a new comer. Everybody gets a chance to impress, and we will pick the best singer for Pyramaze. Age, hair-length and tattoos dont matter ha-ha, he just has to kick ass when the tunes come out.
Marc: Touring is very minimal with this group. Given the situation of Matts departure, is there any possibility of a tour to support Immortal, even if it is with another vocalist?
Michael: We hope that we will play some festivals next summer, and we will surely have a new vocalist before the summer comes. But I cant tell you anything about any touring plans, we just havent gotten that far yet.
Marc: As a HUGE fan of Pyramazes work (indeed, one of my all time favourite bands), Immortal is one of my most anticipated albums ever. How does the new material differ from the first two releases?
Michael: I would say its maybe a bit heavier but at the same time very melodic. Also a bit darker in some places. Overall I guess the songs are a bit more growy and not as fast as some of the songs on LOTBC and MB. Thats also in part what gives the songs a heavier and very melodic feel. And thanks for you compliment by the way 
Marc: Many feel that Pyramaze could make huge leaps and bounds in the metal scene if that were the goal of the band. Is Pyramaze ever going to explode, do world tours, music videos, and so forth, or is that not the goal of the band?
Michael: Oh, Ive heard that one many times man. Its true, that if we decided to live the touring life and just made the music our number one priority no matter what the cost, we could probably become huge (huge for todays metal standards Metallica and Iron Maiden-huge just doesnt happen anymore). But the costs are just too big on a personal level. You see, theres really not a lot of money in playing metal anymore. Even just recouping the money spent on recording an album is hard today if youre not on a major label. And forget about the venues paying you big bucks to play. The success for Pyramaze came very late in the lives of most of the band members. Take me for example Ive got a big house, a car, a wife and a daughter and expensive hobbies. I have a leading position in a big shipping company and my paycheque is pretty good. Now, imagine if I had to tour for three months each year, plus make music videos and record an album each year and do interviews in a bigger extend etc-etc. and remember that theres close to no money in doing so for many years to come. I would have to give up my house, my job, my car and last but certainly not least I would neglect my family. Im just not willing to pay that price. Im 30 now had we reached the level that we have now, when I was still 23 maybe things would look different, but priorities change man. A few band members are in similar situations as me with stuff on their plate that they cant and wont just change (Morten is married and has a son and a house, and hes doing very well in the computer biz with network infrastructure / Matt is married and a police man with two children and a house / Niels is studying music on the Royal Danish music academy to become a pro-allround-bassist or music teacher, thats a 5 year education). Jonah and Toke are pretty much the exception in the band. They dont want to do anything else than live out their rock-dreams, plus they have no major obligations in their lives that they cant bend for their music. But they are loyal to Pyramaze because we have something special here, and they accept that we are a few guys who cant just change our lives to become rock stars. Toke and Jonah have a lot of side projects to satisfy their hunger for music, and Im totally ok with that. I would never try to shut up their creativity even if they use it with other musicians. I even encourage them to get out there and make a name for themselves. Toke joined Pyramaze when the ball was already rolling and hes pretty much living the rock and roll lifestyle and Toke is just that kind of guy who you really love but really want to give a beating sometimes ha-ha. Jonah has been with me from the start, and I know him very well. Jonah took big chances both financially and personally to be a part of Pyramaze and hes also done so with his new project. If I could decide for anyone to really make it in the metal biz then it would be him. But to get back to the main part of the question, getting huge is not our goal but getting a rock solid name that stands for quality is our goal.
Marc: Post release of Immortal, what does the immediate future hold for Pyramaze?
Michael: A big barbecue to celebrate the completion of this huge work ha-ha. Then hopefully some nice shows and good reviews. But most of all I just hope to get some positive feedback from the fans.
Marc: Are we ever going to see that DVD with Lance? Maybe an entirely new one in the distant future, with more material to work with?
Michael: I doubt it very much that you will see anything with Lance. That train has left the station.
But a future DVD is definitely not impossible. It all depends on what we can squeeze out of a potential new label ;-)
Marc: It would have been amazing to see Matt do interpretations of Lances vocal lines. What Lies Beyond or Legend. Until We Fade Away? You get the point.
Michael: Yeah I would have loved to hear that. But, I dont think thats ever going to happen now.
Marc: Any chance of Lance returning?
Michael: No
Marc: Immortal needs another ballad like Until We Fade away. You do have a sentimental, girly side, do you not?
Michael: Ha-ha yeah Im a sucker for girlie-songs ha-ha! No seriously I do NOT have a girly side.
But I do have a sentimental side, and Im not afraid to write what I feel. That song was for my wife and I meant it and still do. But a love-song like that only comes out of me once. I could vomit every time I hear some band whos got like 10 love songs in their repertoire. Dude if youve said it once and you really meant it and did it well, then theres no point in expressing those same feelings again just with other words. I hate to repeat myself, and I hate bands who repeat themselves over and over again.
Immortal has a ballad actually a very quiet ballad but its not a love-song.
Marc: Do you have/plan on having any other projects besides Pyramaze?
Michael: Not at this point no. Theres just not enough hours in a day ;-)
Marc: Pyramaze is an incredible group. It is my sincerest hope you guys keep going for as long as you have metal in your hearts.
Michael: Thanks man and as long as we have something interesting to offer we will keep on going 
Marc: Thanks so much for your time!
Youre most welcome - Please let me take this opportunity to thank all of our fans, especially the ones who visit our homepage and forum frequently. Your presence is very much appreciated.
Some really awesome responses in this one!
***********************************************************************************************
Greetings Michael, this is Marc Garrison representing Powerline A.D, currently an internet based webzine and daily blog. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview, Im certain you are very busy with the impending release of the third Pyramaze full length!
Marc: You are the guitarists/lyricist/general mastermind behind Pyramaze, the Danish/American Progressive-Power Metal band. Progressive-Power? Is this accurate?
Michael: Yeah, we have been labelled as a progressive/power metal band. But we also have other names going for us. We have a great blend of metal in our music, so I guess one could call us epic-dark-melodic-progressive-power metal ;-) But hey, that brand is way too long to be used commonly ha-ha.
Marc: What is the process of writing your music? Do you write it all, and the other musicians play it? How much are the other members of Pyramaze involved in the creative process?
Michael: Well, I write the whole core material for the songs and all the lyrics. I write the melodies on my guitar, so there is a finished foundation for each song to build upon. To cut it out more the entire guitar rhythm section plus guitar melody themes and stuff are 95% done when I introduce the other guys to the songs. Then I count on their talent to add some frosting and give me input for the rest of the stuff. That also means I do not have a finished drum track or a finished keyboard track etc. for the guys to play when I introduce them to the songs. Each band member comes up with ideas for his particular instrument, they just have to compliment the stuff that Ive already written. Then Jonah always has a few interludes or an instrumental which he is responsible for writing on his own. I throw the guys the ideas I have for their instruments for various places in each song, and once Im done prattling
about what I want, then its their turn to fill out the rest. Oh by the way, this time there will be one song where the lyrics are not written by me. Actually Matt has written some awesome lyrics for this particular one and I really like what he did.
Marc: How is it working with musicians abroad. Would it be better to have local musicians fill the slots, or does it work out fairly easily the way you guys have it set up now?
Michael: The work in itself is done fairly easily. Of course it would be easier to live only a few miles apart, but with todays technology and fast internet its really not a problem working like we do. The downside is when we have to play shows, because it costs a butt-load of money to fly in a band from various parts of the world. Like if we have to play a show in Denmark or Germany, then we have to fly in two persons from the USA which makes the costs pretty high. That goes double for the other way around of course hell, when we played the Prog Power USA festival in 2006 all of us Danes had to accept a big deficit to play that show. But thats just what we do for our music and for our fans. Pyramaze is not about the money, and thats what keeps us honest. Anyone who thinks that youve got it made once you have a record deal is sooo wrong ha-ha!
Marc: The metal community was stunned when Pyramaze announced the return of Matt Barlow to the metal scene in the form of vocalist of Pyramaze. In a strange turn of events, it appears that the upcoming album titled Immortal will be the only collaboration between Barlow and Pyramaze as he has decided to return to Iced Earth. Do you have any thoughts/feelings/comments on the whole affair?
Michael: Let me first say that I feel proud and fortunate that Matt chose to be a part of Pyramaze.
He is a great guy, a modest and honest man. I really enjoy working with him, and the recent events have not changed that. Matt had a lot of good reasons to go back to Iced Earth. Some of the reasons where professional and others private of nature. Ive had a long talk about all of this with him and I understand his decision and respect it. When I first heard about his choice I was disappointed of course, and we had some live plans already which we now were unable to fulfil. But it only took me a few days to realize that this whole thing does not change the fact that we have a very special album coming out this year. I mean this is the ONLY other serious band Matt has ever been in besides IE, and his voice suits our style very-very well. Once the album is done we will start an official hunt for a new singer, and weve already gotten lots of applications from singers who would give their right hand to be in the band.
Marc: The bands upcoming album is titled Immortal. Any insight as to the nature of this choice?
Michael: It just seems very fitting for the whole thing. If you look at it from at band perspective it means that we wont let bumps in the road destroy what we have created.
Its also referring to Matt being back in the biz. But most of all I chose this name because it means that all that we as a band have created together cant be destroyed, and no matter what the future holds, our music will live on forever.
Marc: It seems fitting, as Barlows presence on the album will certainly make it a unique one.
Michael: Yeah it will be unique, both in the sense of the vocals, the music and actually the entire production. Im not saying that I consider this to be the best metal album ever made thats always a matter of taste. But for us as a band this album is a milestone and we have put lots of blood, sweat and tears into the work. Everything right from the music to the booklet has been crafted with a lot of love for the genre and the stories on the album. So I guess for us this is the best album ever but fans have to judge for themselves of course ;-)
Marc: It is extremely early to tell, but any ideas as to the new vocalist?
Michael: No but I can tell you that we are making a broad search this time. It does not matter if the new guy is well known or a new comer. Everybody gets a chance to impress, and we will pick the best singer for Pyramaze. Age, hair-length and tattoos dont matter ha-ha, he just has to kick ass when the tunes come out.
Marc: Touring is very minimal with this group. Given the situation of Matts departure, is there any possibility of a tour to support Immortal, even if it is with another vocalist?
Michael: We hope that we will play some festivals next summer, and we will surely have a new vocalist before the summer comes. But I cant tell you anything about any touring plans, we just havent gotten that far yet.
Marc: As a HUGE fan of Pyramazes work (indeed, one of my all time favourite bands), Immortal is one of my most anticipated albums ever. How does the new material differ from the first two releases?
Michael: I would say its maybe a bit heavier but at the same time very melodic. Also a bit darker in some places. Overall I guess the songs are a bit more growy and not as fast as some of the songs on LOTBC and MB. Thats also in part what gives the songs a heavier and very melodic feel. And thanks for you compliment by the way 
Marc: Many feel that Pyramaze could make huge leaps and bounds in the metal scene if that were the goal of the band. Is Pyramaze ever going to explode, do world tours, music videos, and so forth, or is that not the goal of the band?
Michael: Oh, Ive heard that one many times man. Its true, that if we decided to live the touring life and just made the music our number one priority no matter what the cost, we could probably become huge (huge for todays metal standards Metallica and Iron Maiden-huge just doesnt happen anymore). But the costs are just too big on a personal level. You see, theres really not a lot of money in playing metal anymore. Even just recouping the money spent on recording an album is hard today if youre not on a major label. And forget about the venues paying you big bucks to play. The success for Pyramaze came very late in the lives of most of the band members. Take me for example Ive got a big house, a car, a wife and a daughter and expensive hobbies. I have a leading position in a big shipping company and my paycheque is pretty good. Now, imagine if I had to tour for three months each year, plus make music videos and record an album each year and do interviews in a bigger extend etc-etc. and remember that theres close to no money in doing so for many years to come. I would have to give up my house, my job, my car and last but certainly not least I would neglect my family. Im just not willing to pay that price. Im 30 now had we reached the level that we have now, when I was still 23 maybe things would look different, but priorities change man. A few band members are in similar situations as me with stuff on their plate that they cant and wont just change (Morten is married and has a son and a house, and hes doing very well in the computer biz with network infrastructure / Matt is married and a police man with two children and a house / Niels is studying music on the Royal Danish music academy to become a pro-allround-bassist or music teacher, thats a 5 year education). Jonah and Toke are pretty much the exception in the band. They dont want to do anything else than live out their rock-dreams, plus they have no major obligations in their lives that they cant bend for their music. But they are loyal to Pyramaze because we have something special here, and they accept that we are a few guys who cant just change our lives to become rock stars. Toke and Jonah have a lot of side projects to satisfy their hunger for music, and Im totally ok with that. I would never try to shut up their creativity even if they use it with other musicians. I even encourage them to get out there and make a name for themselves. Toke joined Pyramaze when the ball was already rolling and hes pretty much living the rock and roll lifestyle and Toke is just that kind of guy who you really love but really want to give a beating sometimes ha-ha. Jonah has been with me from the start, and I know him very well. Jonah took big chances both financially and personally to be a part of Pyramaze and hes also done so with his new project. If I could decide for anyone to really make it in the metal biz then it would be him. But to get back to the main part of the question, getting huge is not our goal but getting a rock solid name that stands for quality is our goal.
Marc: Post release of Immortal, what does the immediate future hold for Pyramaze?
Michael: A big barbecue to celebrate the completion of this huge work ha-ha. Then hopefully some nice shows and good reviews. But most of all I just hope to get some positive feedback from the fans.
Marc: Are we ever going to see that DVD with Lance? Maybe an entirely new one in the distant future, with more material to work with?
Michael: I doubt it very much that you will see anything with Lance. That train has left the station.
But a future DVD is definitely not impossible. It all depends on what we can squeeze out of a potential new label ;-)
Marc: It would have been amazing to see Matt do interpretations of Lances vocal lines. What Lies Beyond or Legend. Until We Fade Away? You get the point.
Michael: Yeah I would have loved to hear that. But, I dont think thats ever going to happen now.
Marc: Any chance of Lance returning?
Michael: No
Marc: Immortal needs another ballad like Until We Fade away. You do have a sentimental, girly side, do you not?
Michael: Ha-ha yeah Im a sucker for girlie-songs ha-ha! No seriously I do NOT have a girly side.
But I do have a sentimental side, and Im not afraid to write what I feel. That song was for my wife and I meant it and still do. But a love-song like that only comes out of me once. I could vomit every time I hear some band whos got like 10 love songs in their repertoire. Dude if youve said it once and you really meant it and did it well, then theres no point in expressing those same feelings again just with other words. I hate to repeat myself, and I hate bands who repeat themselves over and over again.
Immortal has a ballad actually a very quiet ballad but its not a love-song.
Marc: Do you have/plan on having any other projects besides Pyramaze?
Michael: Not at this point no. Theres just not enough hours in a day ;-)
Marc: Pyramaze is an incredible group. It is my sincerest hope you guys keep going for as long as you have metal in your hearts.
Michael: Thanks man and as long as we have something interesting to offer we will keep on going 
Marc: Thanks so much for your time!
Youre most welcome - Please let me take this opportunity to thank all of our fans, especially the ones who visit our homepage and forum frequently. Your presence is very much appreciated.
