PyroMusic.net has recently posted an interview they conducted with Australian prog-metal outfit VANISHING POINT, where they discuss the new album, the prospect of touring with IRON MAIDEN and much more. An excerpt follows:

PyroMusic.net: The Fourth Season has been out in stores for a few months now. In what way(s) do you feel it is an improvement on Embrace The Silence or other Vanishing Point releases?

Chris Porcianko: "To be honest with you I really don't know, we just do what we do and as we do a new album I suppose we improve as musicians and try new things within out sound. I think that the new album is definitely a lot punchier this time in comparison to Embrace The Silence, yet in all honesty it just came out the way it did. We don't sit down and have meetings and discuss how the album is going to sound or whatever, we just go with the flow and keep in mind that no song is finished till it is recorded and it's all on CD."

PyroMusic.net: Interesting. Are you noticing any difference between the press and fan reaction to the new songs? I did notice that UK magazine Rock Sound gave the new album a bit of an unfair pasting.

Chris Porcianko: "The fan reaction has been great with the new album so far, of course we have many fans as well who wanted another 80-minute album with the average song duration spanning seven or so minutes but it just didn't happen that way this time. So in effect perhaps there were some fans that were disappointed with the new album, yet we have many fans who love the album equally if not more than previous albums as well. At the end of the day we just do what we do and if it's someone's cup of tea then that's great, if not what can you do, stress out trying to please everyone? The album reviews have been good, great, excellent and for some we completely suck (laughs). This is nothing new to me; every album we have done has been received like this. People have their own takes on every album and if they don't like it then they don't like it, maybe we aren't on a big enough label for someone to kiss arse to! I don't know and I really aren't too concerned because at the end of the day if I was playing music, releasing albums and shitting myself thinking what other people think of it or how well or bad it would be received then I might as well not do music, you know. Some of the magazines that have given us some seriously crap reviews don't even like the kind of music we do in the first place, so I really don't lose sleep to be honest. Perhaps they should keep reviewing what the latest hype is band-wise because we sure are not it and we never intend to be. We just like playing music not kissing arse or being the flavour of the month."

PyroMusic.net: Indeed. Do you have a favourite song on the new album, and if so, can you elaborate on why?

Chris Porcianko: "That's a hard question because in a way all the songs are a favourite in a sense, although I really do like 'Ashen Sky' and 'I Within I' because they are different for VP, yet lyrically they are pretty much straight to the point. 'Ashen Sky' deals with the whole topic of how we seem to be just existing to exit and not really looking inwards and learning for oneself in this present day and age, it feels like we are just walking to the sound of whatever the media and powers that be feed us and we just consume and consume, yet we don't look within ourselves and stand for who we are as people. Meanwhile a lot of things are just turning to shit and we seem to have this 'she'll be right' attitude, which really shits me. I don't know if it is because now as a father I am concerned what will become of my children's future and what will the generation I am part of leave for them.

'I Within I' is all about self empowerment in some ways, being yourself, believing in yourself, not taking things for granted in life yet not taking shit from people either. It is some ways about acceptance within as well as being who you are and not who people want you to be."

Head to this location to read the interview in its entirety.