Greece’s Rockyourlife.gr recently conducted an interview with DARKANE drummer Peter Wildoer. In the interview Wildoer talks about his experience in the auditions for DREAM THEATER’s new drummer, the future of Darkane and the financial and political crisis in Greece. Excerpts from the interview are below:

RockYourLife.gr: How did you experience the Dream Theater auditions? It was something new to everyone.

Peter Wildoer: “To me it was something crazy. I was actually playing a gig in France on September 2010 with Darkane and I received an email from James LaBrie asking me if I was interested in doing an audition for Dream Theater. A couple of days back I learned that Mike Portnoy has left the band. I replied that of course I am interested to play with the coolest band on the planet. The whole experience was crazy, and of course when I got the songs, to play those songs… its only about 30 minutes of music but there is a lot of stuff going on in those songs. When I got them it was about a month prior to the auditions and I practiced. I worked full - time. I had to practice during evenings, weekends. It was amazing and I’m just so happy that I had the opportunity to be there in the audition.”

RockYourLife.gr: Would you change that if you had the chance?

Peter Wildoer: “Yes definitely. I would put more of this “stage presence” but as I said those two guys and all the other drummers… everybody are so talented and everything needs to be perfect and Mangini is such a cool guy, such a nice guy, hence to me there is no surprise that Dream Theater picked him as their new drummer.

RockYourLife.gr: “Do you feel that he sounds more creative now that Mike Portnoy left the band? Don’t you forget that Mike did a lot of screaming vocals in the previous Dream Theater albums.”

Peter Wildoer: “Exactly and I feel that James had Static Impulse on his mind. I know that the other guys in Dream Theater feel that this was a very good album. So, I think that maybe they gave him more room and everything turned to be great.”

RockYourLife.gr: Speaking of Demonic Art, which was released back in 2008, are there any plans for a new record?

Peter Wildoer: “Well, we have eight-nine songs ready for our new record which is going to be heavier, more progressive but not that fast as Demonic Art. With Lawrence back in the band the vocals have changed a bit because previously when we worked with Jens and Andreas we never had so many ideas because it was Klas or myself who were producing the vocals and writing the vocal lines but with Lawrence he is taking care of all these things so that would be a huge change for the new record I think.

RockYourLife.gr: Apart from Darkane, are there any future projects for you?

Peter Wildoer: “I have already recorded two songs for Mario Sfogli’s new solo record, the guitarist for James LaBrie; I will also record the drums for Matt Guillory’s solo record, the keyboardist of James LaBrie, and also I will be part for James LaBrie’s bass player, Ray Riendau’s new project STAR MONARCHY.

I also have a new project on the line with some friends here in Helsingborg. This band will be a MEW meets MARS VOLTA band with weird rhythms, modern melodies. I think that many bands lose the sense of melodies. We want something with great vocal parts, great melodies and underneath there will be some great rhythms and stuff going on.”

Read the entire interview here.