Metal Express Radio caught up with The Mute Gods mastermind Nick Beggs to discuss the band's new album, Atheists And Believers. Following is an excerpt:

Q: You have Alex Lifeson guesting on your album. How did you get him involved?

Beggs: "All of the people that have worked on these three records are people that I`ve had relationships with. It wasn`t anything like, let`s have Dave Gilmour on the album, I wonder who has his number? It was nothing like that. I`d worked with all of the people and Alex was no exception. I`d worked on the 2112 re-release where we did a version of Twilight Zone. He came to the shows and we hung out and kept in contact.  He was really up for contributing to the record.  He was such a lovely man and a very funny man, too."

Q: Were Rush one of the bands you grew up listening too?

Beggs: "Yes, they were, big time. Geddy Lee was a big influence on me as was Chris Squire from Yes.  Those records from that particular period brought me a lot of joy during an incredible period of darkness in my life and kept me very buoyant."

Q: Alex played on "One Day". Did you send him the track and did he add his own ideas to that?

Beggs: "I`d recorded all of the guitar parts already and I told him to do whatever he wanted. If he wanted to replace the guitar parts then he could but he did something completely different. He added Mandola, ambient guitar and 12-string acoustic and I liked so much what he`d done on the outro, that I edited it and made a whole new intro for the song so the first thing you hear is Alex strumming a 12-string guitar and me singing 'Life is a chemical reaction.' His chord inversions made the whole thing sing and that effected the way I arranged it in the end. I`d like to feature him more.

Read the complete interview here.

Tracklisting:

"Atheists And Believers"
"One Day"
"Knucklehead"
"Envy The Dead"
"Sonic Boom"
"Old Men"
"The House Where Love Once Lived"
"Iridium Heart"
"Twisted World, Godless Universe"
"I Think Of You"

The Mute Gods is the musical vehicle Beggs created in 2015 to channel his song writing. It was conceived while he was embarking on an intensive period of almost continuous touring, firstly with former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett and then latterly, Steven Wilson, the prolific, widely-acclaimed composer, musician and record producer with whom Beggs still records and tours.

Beggs’ career spans nearly four decades, working with artists across a broad musical spectrum. Bassist, stick player, composer and vocalist, Beggs has sold more than three million records with his own groups, including Kajagoogoo, as well as contributing to genres such as pop, rock, funk, soul, Celtic and latterly, progressive rock.

Among the artists with whom he has collaborated are rock and pop legends John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Belinda Carlisle, Kim Wilde, Gary Numan, Seal and Engelbert Humperdink, as well as progressive rock’s Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman, Iona and Lifesigns.

Alongside Beggs in The Mute Gods are his regular collaborators Roger King and Marco Minnemann. King is the keyboards player, guitarist and producer of Atheists and Believers, and Steve Hackett’s right-hand man for more than 20 years. Minneman, who has also played with Joe Satriani, is regarded as one of rock’s most exciting drummers and has worked with Beggs on Wilson tours and recordings.