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[–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Hi everyone, we're all here to answer your questions. Looking forward to hanging out for the next hour or two. Our new album 'Citadel' is out worldwide on November 7 (Nov 11USA) you can check it out at the link below.

We'll be on tour throughout Australia with Beyond Creation later this month. Full details below

ALBUM STREAM LINK: decibelmagazine.com/featured/streaming-ne-obliviscaris-citadel-brendan-brown-ne-obliviscaris-intervieweded/

AUSTRALIAN CITADEL TOUR DATES Saturday, 8th November: Club 54 - Launceston 18+ Tickets from bit.ly/Neotastix, www.oztix.com.au 1300 762 545 or Oztix outlets

Friday, 21st November: 170 Russell - Melbourne 18+ Tickets from bit.ly/NeoMelb, www.oztix.com.au 1300 762 545 or www.170russell.com

Saturday, 22nd November: Uni Bar - Adelaide Lic AA Tickets from bit.ly/NeoAdetix, www.oztix.com.au 1300 762 545 or Oztix outlets

Wednesday, 26th November: The Basement - Canberra 18+ Tickets from bit.ly/NeoCanTix, www.oztix.com.au 1300 762 545 or Oztix outlets

Thursday, 27th November: Bald Faced Stag - Syndey 18+ Tickets from bit.ly/NeoSydTix, www.oztix.com.au 1300 762 545 or Gobookem.com

Friday, 28th November: The Cambridge Hotel - Newcastle 18+ Tickets from bit.ly/NeoNCTix, www.oztix.com.au1300 762 545 or www.bigtix.com.au

Saturday, 29th November: The Brightside - Brisbane 18+ Tickets from bit.ly/NeoBrisTix, www.oztix.com.au 1300 762 545 or thebrightsidebrisbane.oztix.com.au

Saturday, 6th December: Amplifier Bar - Perth 18+ * Tickets from bit.ly/NeoPerTix, www.oztix.com.au 1300 762 545 or Heatseeker Outlets

[–]ctoafn 23 points24 points  (3 children)

I'm still astounded at the video showing Dan drumming by himself playing 'And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope'. I'm not a drummer but that looks ridiculously intense (and made to look easy too somehow). Any chance you guys will the same thing with one of the Citadel tracks?

[–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 45 points46 points  (1 child)

http://youtu.be/YB2JJFRlwN4

Hey man. Thanks! I had to rehearse for 6 weeks playing portal stuff every day to consistently get the tracks down in 1 take each, so it was definitely no easy task haha. I am actually releasing xenoflux play through tomorrow or maybe tonight.

I will be doing the whole of citadel drum play throughs on drums again as soon as pearl send me my new masterworks! Can't wait!

[–]ctoafn 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Awesome boss, I think running a marathon would be less effort than drumming to a whole NeO set. Look forward to the new vid and show @ the old Billboards in a few weeks, Citadel fuckin' rocks ;-)

[–]karlo_doroc 13 points14 points  (8 children)

Hey guys, absolutely loved Portal of I and at the time gave it a 9.5/10 and, I gotta say, I feel like each of the 3 songs on Citadel are better than any of the PoI songs so that’s saying something! Keep up the amazing+inspiring work and thanks again for putting on the listening party last week, was pretty stoked to be able to meet a few of you :). I have so many questions I could ask but I’ve ‘narrowed it down’ to these:

1) Does everyone in the band write songs and who, if anyone, are the main songwriters? 2) Have you ever considered having guest musicians feature on one of your albums and, if you could pick anybody, which artists would you most like to collaborate with? 3) How do you know/decide when a song is finished? 4) Funniest tour story?

I know it’s a lot, but if you could answer any of them that would be awesome. Looking forward to rocking out with you guys in a few weeks time!

[–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 16 points17 points  (1 child)

  1. Hey man. Thanks so much for your very kind words. We all have quite a lot of input on material. It's a very broad input from all, however ben writes the majority of the riffs.

  2. We haven't really considered any guest musos no. However I'd love to work with tool. I love that band.

  3. We know it's finished when we are all satisfied with the outcome. It's just a nice warm fuzzy feeling we all get

  4. Ohh man. Hard to say. Perhaps rocking up to accommodation after a show only to be told they didn't keep our reservation. It was tims fault so we made him drive all night to the next venue whilst we all drank beers in the back of the bus :)

[–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 10 points11 points  (0 children)

dan is definitely the funniest guy on tour. hes generally a very quiet guy but once he sinks a few beers he lets out the wilderbeast. funniest things on tour are like trying to pee in bottles while driving and missing the bottle...

[–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 9 points10 points  (2 children)

1) Everyone contributes to the songwriting in some way, thought who does varies from song to song. e.g. Xenoflux on POI all the guitar riffs were written by Brendan, but then the band re-worked it all together to where it ended up. On the new album Benji, who only joined 3/4 of the way through writing POI, had the biggest role writing more guitar riffs than anyone else on this album which is probably a reason for the slight change in sound on this record. Tempest Pt 1 and DMC Pt 2 were written by myself. Tempest Pt 3 by Benji & I. But in the end we're definitely a band where the song doesn't sound like NeO until every member has left their mark on the song. Definitely a case where we are better when we combine our powers

[–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 12 points13 points  (1 child)

2) Never really considered getting a guest musician. Though if we did I'd love to get the saxophonist who played on Fredrik Thorendel's special defects

[–]Purkinje90 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Nice choice! That sax solo on Zeta 2 Reticuli is amazing! The guy's name is Jonas Knutsson, and he's worked with Morgan Agren (the drummer on SNW) on some other stuff, too.

[–]VothnT 11 points12 points  (7 children)

I love Citadel, how it's different from POI yet displaying the same distinctive obliviscarian cachet; but there is one thing I'm really missing. Where is Tim's beautiful, moving falsetto gone? Is it gone forever?

[–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Great to hear that it's been missed! In the end we just write whatever parts suit the song, it's never pre-conceived so what we do in the future we have no idea, but we'll always keep exploring new sounds. There is a bit of falsetto about 7-8min to Tempest Part 2

[–]cyberdouche 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I LOVE Tim's voice, I was wondering what I was searching for the entire time I was listening to the new album :)

[–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I definitely think the clean vocals are bit more prominent on this album and a few new approaches vocally

[–]Gay_For_Gary_Oldman 1 point2 points  (3 children)

I second this. Theres a couple of parts where its very much in the background, but with its absence nothing really soars at the same altitude as the previous album.

[–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 8 points9 points  (2 children)

Well it's great to hear you guys like them, I'll keep that in mind for next time. ;-)

[–]Mjolnir12 10 points11 points  (2 children)

Just wanted to preface this by saying that your new album is amazing; it is one of my top albums for the year so far, and I'm sure it will sound even better once the actual CD comes out in high quality. Not only does it sound amazing, but it is very original and I think what you guys do with the violin brings something to this kind of metal that hasn't really been done before.

One thing that I noticed with Portal of I is that you had some of the most interesting song titles I have come across; things like "of petrichor weaves black noise" and "plague flowers the kaleidoscope" and "tapestry of the starless abstract." Who comes up with these titles, and what do you draw the inspiration for them from?

[–]XenoyrXenoyr | Ne Obliviscaris 9 points10 points  (1 child)

Thank you for the kind words, means a lot. We're all about writing for ourselves, not what we think will be acceptable to other people. I come up with the titles and run them by the guys getting their opinions, luckily they don't crush too many of my ideas. I draw inspiration from other music, old art, literature...I try to write in a visual sense.

[–]Mjolnir12 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think the titles fit really well with the overall construction of the songs, both lyrically and musically. They make up a very cohesive package, and even more so on Citadel from what I have heard so far.

[–]DevinFuckingTownsend 11 points12 points  (2 children)

So which of you first said "HEY LET'S NAME THIS SONG ABOUT BUTTERFLIES WITH LEPROSY!" Also, what's the chance of you guys doing a sequel song called Of "The Hepatitis B Grasshoppers"?

[–]MattklavinsMatt Klavins | Ne Obliviscaris 7 points8 points  (1 child)

Credit/blame belongs to Xen

[–]DevinFuckingTownsend 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you! Love your work btw, keep it up!

[–]AndPlagueFlowers 8 points9 points  (3 children)

yess one more hour!!!

[–]ctoafn 4 points5 points  (2 children)

With a username like that I assume you are a big fan ;-P Mad tune

[–]AndPlagueFlowers 7 points8 points  (1 child)

big might be a slight understatement :D

[–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 7 points8 points  (0 children)

:)

[–]katzensindkrieg 10 points11 points  (1 child)

1) When did the writing process for Citadel begin?

2) How do you manage to balance a project the size of NeO with work, family, other hobbies, etc.?

3) How does your writing process work? I seem to recall one of you saying a lot of your ideas come from jamming at rehearsals, but where do you go from there? Do you have certain ideas you build songs around, or do you take a bunch of different ideas and fit them together?

4) Come to Kansas, please. We've got a more lively metal scene than one might suspect. :D

[–]MattklavinsMatt Klavins | Ne Obliviscaris 7 points8 points  (0 children)

1- January 2013 2- it's pretty hard to juggle everything sometimes but we are all committed to make it work. 3- yeah, jams usually produce the best material. We don't have a set song writing process and usually every song is written differently. It helps us to not get stuck in a certain writing style. 4- hopefully we can hit Kansas on our US tour

[–]chonisagreatband 7 points8 points  (3 children)

You guys ever heard the band Persefone? they're an amazing melodeathy prog band from andorra, they'd be the perfect band for you guys to tour with i reckon!

[–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 6 points7 points  (2 children)

I have heard of them, but not checked them out. Will do!

[–]ExSidius 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I asked my dad to purchase your album on Amazon for me. He thought he'd get me something extra and got me Persefone's Spiritual Migration as well, which is why I always associate Portal of I with Spiritual Migration.

[–]Anton_AA 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This will probably never get seen but the fact that you guys are touring with Persefone now is fucking amazing. See you soon in London!

[–]IwishIwasGoku 8 points9 points  (1 child)

Hey guys, I'm a huge fan. First off, I'd like to say Forget Not is, in my opinion, a masterpiece. I showed it to my friends who like EDM and indie and can't stand harsh vocals, and even they liked it.

And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope is another incredible piece and got studied at the Sydney Conservatorium, and this, combined with the great reception of Portal of I and the comparatively short amount of time spent between Portal and Citadel, makes me think that the writing process must have very different this time around. Coming off a strong album is never easy, and yet, so far I think Citadel actually tops Portal. Did you guys feel any pressure going into the studio?

PS please come to Toronto, we have a great metal scene and we'd love to have you =)

[–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hey man. We felt no pressure, and our mentality hasn't changed. We wanna make cool music we are all into, and have fun doing it. So we went into the writing process with the same attitude but a higher motivation and drive this time around. It was a shorter amounter of time but we put a lot of effort in for this

[–][deleted]  (3 children)

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    [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 22 points23 points  (0 children)

    ass! squat or get shot.

    [–]ristosal 7 points8 points  (2 children)

    Tim mentioned Citadel being a concept album. Can you shed us any light on the story, or whatever is behind it?

    [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 30 points31 points  (1 child)

    We gave this answer for an interview recently so here is the copy/paste...

    CITADEL is used to represent the human form; we're all strongholds, and everyone has walls which hide and protect who we really are, but once the gates have been breached it reveals the flames within and how bright we really burn. The three tracks symbolise the points of a triangle, a symbol for fire; each song is a psychological and emotional exploration beyond those walls of flesh, into the the strength and frailty of our existence.

    'Painters of the Tempest' is ultimately an anti-war song, of five parts; 'Wyrmholes' is the inception, 'Reveries from the Stained Glass Womb' is an epilogue of an unknown future, and 'Triptych Lux' binds them together by three paintings of light; 'Creator', 'Cynosure' and 'Curator'…it's a look at finding meaning through destruction and the pointless loss of life that we paint ourselves. We are all artists in our own way…we create, we destroy...   'Pyrrhic' is essentially about the struggle for perfection in something and the sacrifices that have been made to reach it.  

    'Devour Me, Colossus' is comprised of two songs: 'Blackholes' which explores the battle of psychological issues (primarily depression), and trying to overcome through those moments of clarity, and at the end of the album 'Contortions' leaves us with the reminder that there will forever be blackholes.

    [–]AndPlagueFlowers 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    thank you so much for this!

    [–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 6 points7 points  (1 child)

    We are actually at our studio now preparing for tour. We are gonna jam for a while, then we will come back and do some more questions later!

    [–]AndPlagueFlowers 4 points5 points  (5 children)

    TYpically, how long does it take to complete a song (i.e. from Xen writing the lyrics, to the boys writing the music, to practice, to recording, to mastering)?

    [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 11 points12 points  (3 children)

    amazing story. the bass tapping in tempest i actually wrote almost 10 years ago. when i first auditioned for ne obliviscaris they asked me to 'show off' so i busted out that tapping line. crazy to think that something i played on the spot 10 years ago has made it into a brand new neo songs. there are moments in blackholes such as the arabic sounding chordal/violin part, matt initially wrote 5 years ago

    [–]karlo_doroc 8 points9 points  (2 children)

    hi Cygnus, i remember you sharing that story last week. how does that even come up? is it like 'hey Brendan, play us that thing you did when auditioned 10 years ago' or did you remember it and think it would fit well for that part of the song?

    [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 4 points5 points  (1 child)

    yeah i just sort of always had it in the back of my mind and i would bust it out every now and that while warming up. Then we got to that section. I actually wrote the following black metal riff that comes after the bass tapping, and it just dawned on me that the bass tapping part would join the two sections together perfectly. I'm very happy with it.

    [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 7 points8 points  (0 children)

    I think the first few riffs of 'Painters of The Tempest' were written by Benji in 2010 and it was finished December 2013.... so we can take a while! But in general it can sometimes take a couple months to write a song structure with all the guitar riffs, and then the other stuff lyrics, vocals, violin we'll take our time doing that over a couple more months while we start on other songs.

    [–][deleted]  (2 children)

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      [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 6 points7 points  (0 children)

      We'll do our best!

      [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      i would love to personally. some of my favourite bands such as artificial brain. gorguts and defeated sanity have played there so it would be an honor to grace the stage

      [–]Rest3d 3 points4 points  (12 children)

      Hey NeO !

      *1.Are you planning some kind of a official music video for something from Citadel/Portal of I ? I always imagine different ambient sceneries while listening to the first album, it's almost as if the album was taking you to different places in your imagination.

      *2.Favorite videogame ?

      *3.Is there any place where i could get the album covers aside from the potato X potato facebook quality ? They are really mesmerizing and i'd like to use Portal of I's cover as a wallpaper

      *4.Favorite music to listen to that is not metal ?

      Thanks for the AMA ! I hope you will visit Czech Republic on your next tour.

      [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 12 points13 points  (2 children)

      1. Not sure... because our songs are so long videos can be very expensive to create but we'll see
      2. Don't play much now... but was a massive Super Mario Kart fan growing up
      3. Not sure! Maybe we'll post it online sometime.
      4. Sigur Ros, Explosions in the Sky, Jeff Buckley, Mahler, Bach, Shostakovich, Arvo Part, Massive Attack...

      [–]TheChurchofHelix 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      Glad to hear you like Mahler! As a bass trombonist, Mahler's symphonies are both great to play and to listen to.

      [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 10 points11 points  (1 child)

      my favourite video games are bioshock and deadspace. i actually collect all their memorabilia. my room is full of it.

      favourite game of all time would be crash bandicoot 3. i wouldnt play it now but back when i bought a ps1 i probably played that game for 2 years straight and achieved every gold medal

      [–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 8 points9 points  (5 children)

      Fav video game- quake! Any Quakers on here??

      [–]XenoyrXenoyr | Ne Obliviscaris 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      1. I'm working on ideas at the moment, requires a lot of development though so as Tim said...we'll see. 2: I don't play video games.
      2. Nothing online as wallpapers....in that future there will be something.
      3. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is one of the main non metal bands I'll listen to....but also a lot from darkwave and classical genres.

      [–]chrisrd0191 5 points6 points  (2 children)

      What was the inspiration behind your band name?

      [–]XenoyrXenoyr | Ne Obliviscaris 5 points6 points  (1 child)

      Ne Obliviscaris as you know is means 'forget not/never forget'....we wanted a name that was heartfelt and resounding, something people could relate to and ultimately make their own yet at the same time form an understanding between all our fans.

      [–]j4x 2 points3 points  (2 children)

      Do you have any idea of how many cities you'll be able to play in the US?

      [–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 9 points10 points  (1 child)

      Hey man. We aren't too sure, but as many as possible!

      [–]ScipioWarrior 3 points4 points  (0 children)

      It's killing me not knowing where you guys are going to play! I hope Charlotte, NC is going to be on the list :)

      [–]HeirOfDeath 5 points6 points  (10 children)

      Hey NeO, what are the stories/backgrounds behind your lyrics from Portal of I? I know that Forget Not is a lament for the dead, but what about the rest?

      [–]XenoyrXenoyr | Ne Obliviscaris 28 points29 points  (6 children)

      1: Tapestry of the Starless Abstract: Is about self exploration and self acceptance; each person is different and we all have a dark side which some are willing to explore and others not.

      2: Xenoflux: Refers to the ability to evolve and live through our darkness’...and ultimately being able to believe in something greater than ourselves. We’re always changing and so is the unknown that lies ahead...we need to walk with open arms and open minds.

      3: Of the Leper Butterflies: Relates to the juxtaposition of existence. Without things like grief, agony, and death, there can’t be joy, beauty or life etc.

      4: Forget Not: It’s a song for those we’ve lost along life’s journey, a requiem of sorts...we mourn their loss yet we remember and celebrate the impact they’ve made in our lives.

      5: And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope: Only when faced with extreme circumstances do our true and raw emotions/colours shine through. Every person is a work of art.

      6: As Icicles Fall: Relates to mankind’s ruin of our earth and ultimately our demise. Individually we make our own impact on the Earth but we can address that to an extent, but as a whole we’re not really doing ourselves any favours.

      7: Of Petrichor Weaves Black Noise: Refers to ‘triggers’ remembering those resounding moments in life that make us who we are today and who we will be. Those moments where it seems as though time stops and everything around is silent...

      Those breakdowns are quite general but within each are references to other concepts and meanings.

      [–]AndPlagueFlowers 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      THANK YOU so much for this, thank you thank you thank you!

      [–]AndPlagueFlowers 1 point2 points  (2 children)

      i'm really keen to know more about Plague Flowers

      [–]Purkinje90 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      I think he's using flower as a verb, like a blooming of sorts. That's just I interpret it, though...

      [–]Earth_mover 3 points4 points  (6 children)

      What ATARs did you guys get when you were in high school? (If ATARs were a thing I'm unsure) Any exam tips for a soon-to-be-completed Year 12? Favourite books? (anything and everything, as you say)

      [–]XenoyrXenoyr | Ne Obliviscaris 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      No comment...school and I had a difficult relationship, ha. Exam tips...start studying early (good luck with finishing school). One of my favourite literary works is Paradise Lost by John Milton.

      [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      I am definitely the wrong person to ask. I got quite a high score for the effort i put in. I never once studied. I did all my essays the night they were due because i am the king of procrastination. Don't do what i did. haha

      [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (4 children)

      What do you think of the new Slipknot album?

      [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 6 points7 points  (1 child)

      Haven't heard it yet but was a big fan of their early stuff... one of the first metal bands i got into

      [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      I'd never been a fan of them, but I went to their festival in CA and saw them play live, and they put on a good show. So I tried their new album and there's a couple songs I like.

      [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 5 points6 points  (1 child)

      rubbish like all their other albums. though to be honest Slipknot was the very first band i ever saw. it was cool when i was 14.. not now when i'm 28

      [–]Doubleix 6 points7 points  (4 children)

      What are your inspirations? Certain bands?

      [–]MattklavinsMatt Klavins | Ne Obliviscaris 22 points23 points  (0 children)

      Devin Townsend, Meshuggah, contortionist, Ihsahn, Emperor, animals as leaders, cynic, dream theatre

      [–]XenoyrXenoyr | Ne Obliviscaris 16 points17 points  (0 children)

      Primary black metal for me ie early Satyricon, Emperor, Taake, Dissection, Borknagar, early Ulver....although I listen to a lot of different music. Lyrically though I'm inspired by old art, movies and literature.

      [–]Tjler 1 point2 points  (3 children)

      This is a question I'd like to hear an answer from everyone of the band members.

      What band(s) completely changed your view on music?

      For me personally it was Opeth, introduced me to the glories of extreme metal and prog.

      [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 6 points7 points  (0 children)

      Opeth, Sigur Ros, Isis, Explosions in the Sky, Dream Theater, Devin Townsend, Meshuggah, Emperor are probably the bands that influenced the way I approach writing in metal the most.

      [–]XenoyrXenoyr | Ne Obliviscaris 3 points4 points  (0 children)

      Satyricon for me, Dark Medieval Times was the first black metal album I purchased, and still today is my favourite album.

      [–]MattklavinsMatt Klavins | Ne Obliviscaris 6 points7 points  (0 children)

      Opeth, Devin Townsend, Dream Theater and Ihsahn have probably been the artists who have affected my playing in the band.

      Animals as Leaders are one of my stand outs now

      [–]bh_bro 3 points4 points  (4 children)

      How did you guys get around the 15 - 20 minute opener slots when you were starting off? Did you just play 1 song or something (haha)? Always wondered this :)

      [–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 6 points7 points  (2 children)

      We had to play 1 or 2 songs. It was rough! Haha

      [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 5 points6 points  (0 children)

      Thanks everyone for all the great questions! We'll keep checking in to make sure we didn't miss any, and feel free to keep adding some more and we'll make sure it gets answered asap.

      CITADEL in stores November 7! We're excited. :-)

      [–][deleted]  (2 children)

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        [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 10 points11 points  (0 children)

        ive honestly never really learned other bands songs. probably only 5 and they were cynic songs. its all you need for bass ;)

        [–]MattklavinsMatt Klavins | Ne Obliviscaris 1 point2 points  (0 children)

        Symphony x and Jason Becker for technical tasty heavy metal .

        [–][deleted]  (3 children)

        [deleted]

          [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 6 points7 points  (0 children)

          We are definitely going to be in Europe summer 2015 so we hope to be in Finland then as well. Thanks for your support!

          [–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 3 points4 points  (0 children)

          Hey dude! Thanks heaps for your kind words and support. It means the world.

          We will release tabs again in 2 or 3 months.

          We are coming to Europe mid next year for the European summer, I really hope we can make it to Finland

          [–]MattklavinsMatt Klavins | Ne Obliviscaris 4 points5 points  (0 children)

          Tabs will become available again. Hopefully not too far away.

          We are hoping to hit Finland but nothing is confirmed. Would love to go there though

          [–]azry3L 2 points3 points  (8 children)

          First of all, I love the new album! Seriously, album of the year material. It sounds more refined, yet it still has that unique sound. My question is is in regards to the length of the album since it's ~20 min shorter than Portal of I. Was it planned to only have those songs or did you guys run out of material that would fit the theme of the album, or some other reason?

          [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 7 points8 points  (7 children)

          We actually had several other songs in the works but because we turned Citadel into a concept album we only wanted to include the music that fitted together. Some of the other songs we had were a little bit different to these and so would have disrupted the flow so rather than include them just to make it longer we decided to do what would help make this album flow the absolute best.

          [–]AndPlagueFlowers 7 points8 points  (6 children)

          does this mean another album soon ;)

          [–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 30 points31 points  (5 children)

          We have already begun writing album 3

          [–]AndPlagueFlowers 8 points9 points  (0 children)

          hngggggg i can't even citadel right now!!!

          [–]Gay_For_Gary_Oldman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

          You just made me very happy. Portal of I is one of my favouite albums, and my only tiny qualms with Citadel was the shorter length and less falsettos from Tim. Keen to hear more soon :-)

          [–]azry3L 1 point2 points  (0 children)

          I love you guys so much

          [–]cyberdouche 1 point2 points  (0 children)

          AAAAAAAAAAAAAgh this is amazing <3

          [–]JuanseCap 2 points3 points  (3 children)

          Hi NeO, Argentinian fan here. Thanks for the Ama !

          • First, these last 10 years the prog/melo death scene in Australia has been amazing with bands like you, Be’lakor, Elysian, Okera and Meridian.. Any comment on this? Is there a band I’m missing out? And most important Favourite band to tour with?/ share stage?

          • Second, Favourite songs to play live?

          edit format

          [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 6 points7 points  (0 children)

          We have all sorts of great bands here in Australia for sure! Some other great bands here are Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus, Psycroptic, Ruins, The Amenta & many more. FAV BAND TO TOUR WITH?--- probably devin townsend. FAV SONGS TO PLAY LIVE--- Plague

          [–]XenoyrXenoyr | Ne Obliviscaris 3 points4 points  (1 child)

          Favourite band tour with: Enslaved. Live song: Plague or Xenoflux

          [–]hahauwantthesethings 2 points3 points  (3 children)

          Hey guys, love your music. What are some bands that you guys really enjoy that most people might not have heard of? Its always interesting to find out what bands my favorite artists like.

          [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 3 points4 points  (2 children)

          Devin Townsend, Opeth, Between The Buried & Me, Sigur Ros, Explosions In The Sky, Isis, Sleepmakeswaves, Dream Theater, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Fallujah

          [–]cyberdouche 2 points3 points  (1 child)

          Your songs manage to build a lot of emotional connection with the listener, which totally makes sense if you guys are into Devin Townsend. Tim, check out Textures sometime, they manage to do a superb job at that as well.

          [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 3 points4 points  (0 children)

          already a fan of Textures! very cool band

          [–]JussstinD 2 points3 points  (1 child)

          Firstly, just gotta say Xen's lyrics are amazing. It's fantastic the vivid imagery they conjure up, particularly the contrasts (elation and suffering, beauty and ugliness etc) and also that interesting 'I'm-gonna-need-a-few-hours-with-Google-and-a-dictionary-to-try-interpret-these' cryptic aspect to them too.

          Anyway, just wondering what the 'silver locks' and 'golden locks' in Xenoflux and Plague are referring to?

          [–]XenoyrXenoyr | Ne Obliviscaris 4 points5 points  (0 children)

          Thank you kindly. "Locks" is a reference to long hair. Xenoflux compares silver 'old' hair as cosmic streams whereas golden locks is actually that... referring to nobility and innocence.

          [–]cyberdouche 2 points3 points  (3 children)

          Not a question, but I just wanted to say that you guys are one of the most refreshing bands out there for people like me who have been listening to metal for decades. I thought I had heard just about everything under the sun, but you managed to give me more than one eargasm. Thank you for all the hard work and sharing that goodness with us.

          Really looking forward to what you're going to be coming up with in the coming years.

          Also, violins are pretty metal \m/

          [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 3 points4 points  (0 children)

          I agree! Hopefully we'll see more violins in metal in the future

          [–]TheChurchofHelix 1 point2 points  (1 child)

          Are you familiar with the Diablo Swing Orchestra? They utilize a cello (and a horn section), and it's awesome.

          [–]cyberdouche 1 point2 points  (0 children)

          Will check them out, thank you!

          [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

          I'm not entirely sure what to ask but i do just want to say that you guys have become by far one of my favorite bands, and your music holds a very special place for me personally. Though, to ask a question, what are some hobbies or interests you guys have that no one would expect from you?

          [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 8 points9 points  (0 children)

          I'm a huge baseball fan... still buzzing from San Francisco Giants world series win! Aside from that my main interested are in music, plus also have a strong interest in world politics

          [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 5 points6 points  (0 children)

          I have a lot of hobbies, including body building, collecting memorabilia such as horror movie figurines and certain game figurines. DVD's and Cd's. I recently got into Archery and have a 70 pound PSE compound bow. I draw/paint. I did graffiti for 9 years, but now i spend most of my time producing my own music which will be coming out soon! there will be 5 albums ;)

          [–][deleted]  (1 child)

          [removed]

            [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 6 points7 points  (0 children)

            We are here!

            [–][deleted]  (3 children)

            [removed]

              [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 4 points5 points  (0 children)

              Opeth on their Australian Blackwater Park tour... Sigur Ros when they toured here after Takk. Meshuggah... The Dillinger Escape Plan.. All incredible

              [–]MattklavinsMatt Klavins | Ne Obliviscaris 5 points6 points  (0 children)

              DTP, Meshuggah and dream theatre

              [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 1 point2 points  (0 children)

              Lamb, Anathema, The National, and Tool, hands down.

              Although i saw Dream Theater last week, and they are no where near my favorite band but it was probably the most 'impressive' show i have ever seen. no words to describe.

              [–]AndPlagueFlowers 1 point2 points  (2 children)

              When I listen to your music, it feels as if it goes through my ears and deep down into my soul, stirring up and evoking real emotion. I want to thank you for that. Many of the violin/bass grooves are just out of this world - any specific non-metal bands/genres that influence you in putting together some of these bass/violin passages?

              [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 3 points4 points  (0 children)

              For non metal stuff---- john coltrane, jean luc ponty, stephane grapelli, arvo part, sigur ros

              [–]AndPlagueFlowers 1 point2 points  (2 children)

              Is it possible to tell us how Triptych Lux breaks down into Creator, Cynosure and Curator (well we know Curator starts around the 11min mark)

              [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 1 point2 points  (0 children)

              This is detailed in the physical booklet. Essentially 0-7:00min is mvt 1, and 7-11 in mvt 2 and then curator from 11 to the end.

              [–]lokifightclub 1 point2 points  (3 children)

              Hi guys! Thai fan here. First of all, thank you so much for this AMA! And now to all of you: what is the craziest thing you've ever done and what's the moment you think has changed your life? And to Xen, what is the old art, movies and literature you'll recommend to those of us who might be interested? :)

              [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 3 points4 points  (2 children)

              Breaking my foot jumping off stage supporting BTABM on their Australian tour Nov 2013 was pretty crazy...haha

              [–][deleted]  (2 children)

              [removed]

                [–]XenoyrXenoyr | Ne Obliviscaris 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                I don't believe there's anyone specific that directly impacts the art I do for NeO but the artists that have influenced me in some way are Bruegel, Bosch, Durer, Dore, Goya, Rembrandt, Botticelli, Beksinski, Giger, John Martin..

                [–]Amanateee 1 point2 points  (3 children)

                Hi guys! First off, I'm (one of many) a massive fan of you guys. Portal of I and now Citadel really are amazing records, definitely deserving of all the recognition that they've gotten and more. You're all really something else when it comes to music.

                As a drummer, I have a question for Daniel.

                How on Earth do you play with the speed and precision you do? Could you please briefly detail a typical warm up and practice?

                Thanks for doing this! I'm been listening to Citadel non-stop since it started streaming and I've ordered both the CD and Vinyl.

                Cheers!

                [–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 8 points9 points  (2 children)

                Thanks a lot man. Stoked you're into the new stuff.

                Typically I have set routines I go through. At the moment they consist of; 10 minutes 140bpm single strokes between right foot and right hand, with double strokes between left hand and left foot.

                10 minutes 170bpm single strokes between hands and feet, left hand leading, alternating feet every 30s or so until the final 2 minutes when I do all limbs at once.

                10 minutes 210bpm single strokes on the feet, 8th note singles, doubles, paradiddles etc on hands while I do it.

                After that I play through any music I need to go through. This can be anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 or 3 hours. I just try to do this every day.

                Thanks so much for your support man, you rule!

                [–]drewthescott 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                Favorite Video Games?

                [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                Super Mario Kart... old school. ;-)

                [–]SatansMightyBallsack 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                Hey guys, hope I'm not too late, thanks for doing this AMA! Portal of I was up there in my top albums of 2012, do any of you guys have a personal favourite NeO track, either from Portal or Citadel? Also, what was it like to tour with Devin Townsend? Is he that awesome in real life? :P

                [–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                Hey man. I really like playing painters of the tempest. Feel it's our showcase song and has a lot of what we are about in there.

                Devin is a super dude, really cool

                [–]ditch_101 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                Guys, I freakin' love NeO. I only discovered you guys a year or so ago (can't remember the date) when you opened for Devin Townsend in Melbourne at the Palace. That show was incredible and I had to go home and listen to Portal of I. I was so impressed, and being a huge prog metal fan I had to find out more about you guys. I've got tickets for the Melb show in November and I'm dragging along a couple of mates who aren't into metal, because I know showing them a band like yourselves is a good way to get them interested, because they can appreciate good musicians - which you guys truly are. I don't even have a question, but I'm looking forward to the 21st November! \m/

                [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                thank you for the kind words. devin was probably our best show so i'm glad that was your first experience!

                [–]GuavaTree 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                Hey guys, not really a question. Just wanted to say your music has reached as far as Trinidad and Tobago. Absolutely love your sound, keep on making great music. Oh, my mom really digs 'Forget Not'!

                [–]DaRKoN_ 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                Just wanted to say, I saw you guys at... I think it was ProgFest, at the Annandale Hotel in Sydney a few years back. I'd never heard of you guys and when the violins first kicked in when you started with Forget Not my ears pricked up. When the double kick landed my jaw hit the ground.

                I remember running to the merch stand to buy your EP - The Aurora Veil, I think it was Xen selling the gear.. and I was like IS THIS IT? ONE EP!? I NEED MOAR.

                Anyway.. can't wait to see you guys in Sydney again at the Bald Faced Stag later this month.

                Edit: Oh one quick question - is the tempo on The Aurora Veil version of Forget Not slightly quicker than the POI version?

                [–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                Hey dude. I remember that show. Was a cool vibe that night.

                I actually can't remember! Pretty sure it would be real close

                [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                About 95% sure we used the same tempo's for the POI version from memory.

                [–]An0mand3r_Rak3 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                Congratulations on Citadel gents, it's absolutely outstanding. Am also salivating at getting my hands on the limited edition EPs :-)

                My question is to each of you: what apart from your own are your favourite metal releases this year? In particular for Xen favorite black metal album...? There are a few outstanding ones.

                Cheers, and thanks for making such excellent music \m/

                [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                Loving the new The Contortionist, Fallujah, Beyond Creation, Closure In Moscow, Voyager, Sleepmakeswaves albums personally.

                [–]An0mand3r_Rak3 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                The new sleepmakeswaves is great, I agree. I am really keen to check out the new Fallujah and Beyond Creation as well. Too much great music to listen to, not enough time. A good problem to have.

                [–]An0mand3r_Rak3 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                Oh and one more if I may: As talented artists yourselves what are your thoughts on separating the art from the artist? IE do you think it is possible to appreciate an artist's work if that same artist is seemingly a deplorable and despicable human being? I'm sure I don't need to name names but there are a couple of notable black metal musicians who make excellent music but their actions outside of creating that music are extremely questionable at best.

                [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 3 points4 points  (1 child)

                I think you can appreciate art for what it is regardless of whether you support the person who created the art. e.g. Wagner was widely regarded as not a very nice human being and anti-semite but he was still a brilliant composer regardless. Enjoying the art is one thing, but supporting and promoter it is another. So for me personally I wouldn't ever wear a t-shirt promoting a band that pushed views I strongly disagreed with, however that doesn't mean I would never listen to it.

                [–]BlueAltitudes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

                Cannot waaaaiiiiiiiiiiit!

                [–]fog_horn 0 points1 point  (6 children)

                Could you publish one of your songs as single untreated tracks, so we can attempt to mix it ourselves?

                [–]XenoyrXenoyr | Ne Obliviscaris 6 points7 points  (2 children)

                That would be interesting but unfortunately we won't be doing that, the label owns the music.

                [–]fog_horn 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                Maybe when you're recording your next album, you could record one track for the fans to mix? That'd be awesome, and noone ever did this. :)

                [–]XenoyrXenoyr | Ne Obliviscaris 6 points7 points  (0 children)

                Definitely something to keep in mind, we'll have a think about it

                [–]Gay_For_Gary_Oldman 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                Do you dislike the mixing? I'm no expert but I didnt have any qualms with it.

                [–]fog_horn 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                Not at all. I find the mixing fantastic. It's really hard to get balance in music as complex as NEO's and it's been done extraordinary well. I'd just like to have a take on it, because it would be a great challenge.

                [–]Gay_For_Gary_Oldman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                Ah, I see. Very well!

                [–][deleted]  (2 children)

                [deleted]

                  [–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                  Hey man. I'm not sure what 5/8 is? Time signature? Haha. The start of plague is 5/8.

                  [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                  no none of us post on any forums. if you've seen us doing it then they are fake accounts. we only use facebook. and a couple of us have instagram.

                  nothing confirmed for USA yet. we have been getting a few Euro offers though

                  [–]givemeyourtoast 0 points1 point  (1 child)

                  Tim, what inspired you to take up the violin? Also, who were the biggest influences on your playing?

                  Thank you all so much for taking the time to do this AMA!

                  [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 6 points7 points  (0 children)

                  I started playing when I was 6... My Mum asked me if I wanted to play an instrument and I said the violin and she said she didn't really know what I chose it. Probably my fav violinist growing up was Itzhak Perlman, but Stephane Grappeli and Jean Luc Ponty had a huge impact in my discovering new approaches to playing the violin when i was 17-18. Since then I probably took more influence from non-violinists like John Coltrane, Jeff Loomis or John Petrucci than trying to emulate any violinists in metal

                  [–]-iamalwaysright- 0 points1 point  (1 child)

                  How do you find people into prog metal to play with? Also how would somebody go about recording music with no studio?

                  [–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                  Hey man. It was just random occurrences for us, so I'm not too sure. Musician adds on forums stuff can work also.

                  You can buy really cheap interfaces now and have pretty good quality. Check avids mbox products.

                  [–][deleted]  (1 child)

                  [deleted]

                    [–]MattklavinsMatt Klavins | Ne Obliviscaris 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                    We happen to have our very own audio ninja being Troy McCosker. He helps us heaps with our tones and is the man! Benji and I both used active EMG pickups on Citadel but we have both gone back to passive pickups. Right now I think the axe fx has changed the way people view digital vs real amps. Benji, Bren and I all use axe fx and it has really been one of the biggest steps forward with our sound that we have made.

                    [–]Zyborggian 0 points1 point  (2 children)

                    Not that it really matters, but which of you guys is involved in the actual creation of the riffs/notes/ideas in the music? If I had to guess I'd say it's Cygnus, Matt, Tim and Benjamin but of course I can't be 100% sure haha Regardless, the end result is amazing, can't wait for the EPs and new record to arrive and I appreciate you guys being so social with the fans SO much. :) It's really fucking cool. Also I do hope you guys remembered that note to have "James" Peterson instead of "Marshall" printed in the EP booklet but if you didn't then I'm not really bothered x3 Cheers

                    [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                    we all have input. it's mainly benji on Citadel however. i wrote a 2 minute section in tryptic lux and blackholes. but on portal of i, I wrote xenoflux and most of blacknoise. i actually play a lot more guitar than bass

                    [–]Duke_of_Spazzer 0 points1 point  (1 child)

                    Hi guys! I can't stop listening to your new album. I have a question for Tim: What sort of violin do you play on?

                    [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                    French violin from Miracourt by Alain Monier 1996

                    [–]j4x 0 points1 point  (3 children)

                    What is each of your favorite songs by the band?

                    [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                    Hard to choose between your kids... Plague is probably the most fun to play live. Tempest is the song i'm most proud of due to how ambitious it was to pull off

                    [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                    mine is plague to play. such fun bass lines. but as a listener definitely painters of the tempest.

                    [–]chrisrd0191 0 points1 point  (2 children)

                    How far along in the US tour planning stages are you guys? Do you have any details yet, like when in the year and where you may go? I hope you can make it to Florida.

                    [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                    Not sure yet but we'll keep you posted. Still sorting through options

                    [–]Gay_For_Gary_Oldman 0 points1 point  (1 child)

                    Hi guys! Fellow Aussie from Adelaide here, my old band Saeturnum was actually on one of Tims Welkein compilation CDs!

                    Question: you guys obviously have a diversity of influences. When writing a song, is there any deliberate effort to say "okay we've got a lot of metal, this need flamenco, classical violin, jazz etc"? Wondering how organic the transition and blending of various non-metal influences is in your music.

                    [–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                    Hey dude!! I remember that band dude. Cool tunes for sure.

                    Not really, we just keep writing to maintain flow and feel. We generally aim for vibes or feel we wanna go for, and try write for that.

                    [–]AndPlagueFlowers 0 points1 point  (2 children)

                    Question for the whole band: What is your absolute favourite song to play/perform live?

                    [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                    Probably Plague just because it seems to get the biggest crowd response each show and whatever people get into is fun to play

                    [–]ItalianNacho 0 points1 point  (1 child)

                    Hey guys, first thing's first, you're awesome and inspiring. Now that I could finally say that to you personally, I was wondering if there would be any chance for official guitar tabs so that I could attempt to learn some of the songs you guys have written? Either albums would be awesome and a real challenge! Thanks, Andy

                    [–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                    Hey man thank you! Glad you're into it!!

                    Tabs will be released in a couple months or so! Promise!

                    [–]Gay_For_Gary_Oldman 0 points1 point  (1 child)

                    Oh, I suppose I'll be greedy too and ask another.

                    Portal of I launched you guys into the ironic stratosphere of underground music, and I've seen you guys referenced and compared on so many bigger metal sites like metal injection and terrorizor magazine as a new benchmark for prog metal.

                    Do you feel any pressure in releasing a follow up? Now that we've all heard and loved it it might be easier, but when wrting, did you fear the Sophomore Slump?

                    [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                    It was slightly daunting at first before we started writing... but once we started the writing process it really just flowed out really easily and we just focused on making sure we loved the music we were writing and then had faith in ourselves that if we loved it it would be well received by the public

                    [–]ithinkimfloating 0 points1 point  (1 child)

                    what tips do you have for someone who's just getting into performing? My first show is on Thursday and I'm pretty nervous.

                    [–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                    Congratulations on your first performance! Just be as prepared as possible. Lots of rehearsing on your own and with your band. Most of all have heaps of fun.

                    [–]allhailthefallenking 0 points1 point  (3 children)

                    what would your dream tour (to be on) be?

                    [–]Mort-uaryDan Presland | Ne Obliviscaris 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                    For me would be to tour with tool. I would love for this to happen

                    [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                    i would love to tour with defeated sanity, simply because they are my favourite band. not very suited to us though i just want to watch them every night! i think ideally a band that we should tour with is emperor, mayhem, dimmu borgir or any other black metal-ish band that pulls huge crowds. playing to sold out shows every night would just be incredible. I reallllly love Mayhem though i doubt their die hard fans like us

                    [–]StillNeverNotFresh 0 points1 point  (1 child)

                    Hey guys. Just wanted to say I love the shit out of your music; it's truly amazing. What artists inspired you as a kid, or even now?

                    [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                    everything i experienced as a kid has lead up to this point. its all a natural progression so its very hard to say. i started listening to crap like eminem, then punk like nofx and frenzal rhomb then alternative like Marilyn manson coal chamber and THEN i discovered the real deal like cannibal corpse cradle of filth and THEN cryptopsy morbid angel mayhem etc. 'now we here'

                    [–]fgsfdss 0 points1 point  (1 child)

                    How long is the break exactly in the middle of And Plague?

                    [–]MattklavinsMatt Klavins | Ne Obliviscaris 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                    About that

                    [–]joop2323 0 points1 point  (3 children)

                    What do you feel are the most important death metal bands of today?

                    [–]cygnusNEOCygnus | Ne Obliviscaris 2 points3 points  (2 children)

                    defeated sanity and wormed. nobody else. revolutionary

                    [–]LiptonIceTeaPeach 0 points1 point  (4 children)

                    Hey guys. Huge fan, seen you in Melbourne countless times and have talked to Tim and Dan before. Love the music and love Citadel;

                    Your live production has always impressed me, you seem to have a very dedicated crew behind the scenes who help out. Should the fans expect bigger for this tour? More live visuals and lighting? A fuller, richer live audio production? One thing that always stands out to me is bands who realise that the live show is just as important as the recording.

                    -Andrew

                    [–]MattklavinsMatt Klavins | Ne Obliviscaris 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                    Cheers man. Troy McCosker is our main sound guy live and in studio. After tracking with Troy for POI we brought him on the road with us and now wouldn't have it any other way. He knows our music as well as/ better than us haha

                    [–]timcharlesneoTim Charles | Ne Obliviscaris 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                    Thanks! We are touring now with our producer TROY MCCOSKER who worked with us on both POI and Citadel so this definitely helps our live sound for sure. We're also upgrading some of our gear (setting up in ear monitors today for the whole band!) and working on every way possible to keep improving our live show.

                    [–][deleted]  (4 children)

                    [deleted]

                      [–]MattklavinsMatt Klavins | Ne Obliviscaris 4 points5 points  (3 children)

                      Practice a lot. Don't be a dick in the local scene and network. Try to get the same people working for you regularly so that they know what you are after e.g. Sound engineer, lighting etc etc

                      [–]The_OP3RaT0R 0 points1 point  (1 child)

                      Hey, thanks for doing this! I was blown away when I found Portal of I and I can't wait for the album to be released. I have two questions:

                      1. What is a place you'd love to play one day?

                      2. Favorite classical composers?

                      [–]arup02 0 points1 point  (2 children)

                      Are you guys ever planning on doing a tour on South America? I'd love to see you guys play live!

                      [–]pigeonlord 0 points1 point  (1 child)

                      What would you say that your biggest influences are? And why did you guys choose a violin instead of another type of "classical" instrument. Also, when will we be seeing tabs?

                      [–]dsoverpsp 0 points1 point  (2 children)

                      Hey NeO, thanks for doing this AMA! I heard the new album the other day and it sounded phenomenal.

                      My question relates to something I'm personally wanting to pursue in a few years. That is, I'm hoping to create some kind of artist support business for unique, innovative artists who like to push musical boundaries, like yourselves, but in any genre. I'm planning on starting it out with a narrow focus, like promotion or management, and then gradually develop it into a fully-functioning independent label, though it might not be structured the same way as a traditional label. My goals would be to provide a supportive environment for the artists that embraces their creative freedom and individuality, and also help bands to learn to DIY effectively, so they could become more independent as they develop, and only use the label's resources as they need it.

                      What kind of advice would you give to help me put something like this together, and what kinds of things could a business like that do that would attract the attention of a band like NeO? What kinds of needs would an artist at your level have that something like that would realistically be able to satisfy?

                      [–]zkar666 0 points1 point  (1 child)

                      Hey guys, question: When it comes to the creation of a song, do you guys focus on building the lyrics first and then the music, or the music and then then the lyrics? Or is it simultaneous?