Imhotep.no recently spoke to former NEVERMORE guitarist Steve Smyth about his side-band, THE ESSENESS PROJECT. The following is a brief excerpt from the interview.

Q: We listen to a different Steve Smyth on this record. How different would you say is this Steve of The Esseness Project from the Steve we listen to on Nevermore, VICIOUS RUMORS, DRAGONLORD, etc?

Smyth: “I would say you can tell it's me, but it's me within a very different context. I'm doing something I feel is not what's expected of me at all, and it's showing a side to me musically that has always been there, but was never appropriate for the musical situations I have been involved in, in the past. Also, there's another influence in there as well, and that's my bandmate Steve H. as well. We have played together pretty much for the better part of 22 years, since we first met each other, and have always influenced each other in what we like, and it shows up here, on this album.”

Q: Was the practicing for the album any different in comparison to what you did in your previous bands? Which songs were more "problematic" to get right?

Smyth: “The practicing for the album was pretty intensive, but I also had time to get more in touch with that side of myself again, battling through my illness and recovery, during the recording of this album. There was stuff that I hadn't done in a while, so I definitely had to work through some of those techniques. However, once you get going on them again, it gets familiar and easy again. As for problematic songs, man, pick one (laughs)! They all ended up being tough to record in some way, because of the goal we had in getting a live sound across, so I had to arrange which guitars would do what, and what instruments to put where, to keep that live feel. It wasn't easy, but I loved the challenge of making this album, and being on the production end of it as well, this being my first time doing that and all.”

Go to this location for the complete interview.