Black Spyral Dancer on the rise
By Kelly Vormelker, Staff Writer
February 28, 2007 | 1:05 a.m.
Black Spyral Dancer has wound its way through Athens since 2003. Now, finally content with its four custom-fitted members, the band is ready to spin out of control.
Original members Majed Khurshid (lead guitar) and Justin Farcas (percussion) have finally found the two finishing pieces to Black Spyral Dancer in lead vocalist Alyx Andrews and bass guitarist Matt Hutchinson.
Black Spyral Dancer has a progressive style that pulls on influences from the grunge revolution and modern progressive metal. Its sound strives to be both personal and in-your-face. All members bring intense energy to the stage, and their performances are almost acrobatic.
With shows booked through April, a soon-to-be-released record (recorded in Athens’ own 3 Elliott Studio), band competitions on the way and a killer original sound, Black Spyral Dancer deserves closer investigation.
Together, the four members sat down with Speakeasy for an inside look at the unexplored depths of their band.
Speakeasy: How did Black Spyral Dancer come to be?
Farcas: Maj [Majed Khurshid] and I had played together acoustically for a while, and then decided we wanted to get back to metal. We were searching for a singer, and Alyx filled that spot perfectly. Then, we got a new bassist in Hutch, and he’s phenomenal, too. This is the first time since we’ve started that everyone fits.
Speakeasy: From where did the name Black Spyral Dancer originate?
Andrews: Let me just say, nerds, nerds, nerds
Khurshid: It’s actually a role playing game off “Vampire: the Masquerade.”
Farcas: We were just bullshitting one day, talking, we were driving in Majed’s blazer, throwing names around. We had to come up with a name. Black Spyral Dancer really fits different aspects of our personalities.
Speakeasy: Describe Black Spryal Dancer’s unique sound.
Farcas: We are changing constantly, but the core of our sound is very progressive. We write some songs that are very epic with a ballad feel. We also use different strings and non-traditional progressions. Our music ranges from very light and jazzy to a much more tortured, metal sound.
Andrews: We never get down to the point where our music could actually be called metal, but it gets good enough to make you want to scream.
Speakeasy: In what ways has Black Spyral Dancer’s music evolved from the time that the band first began to the recording of the first album?
Khurshid: We went from really bluesy to really emotive, emotionally driven. The two sounds fused together.
Farcas: Before, we weren’t as free-form, our sound was a little more scripted, and it wasn’t as dynamic. We are working with having more finesse to our music.
Speakeasy: What did the four of you learn from recording with 3 Elliot Studio?
Farcas: Technically, we understand ourselves and our music better now. It has made us tighter. Seeing us progress more to a professional level made me appreciate the talent that we have.
Andrews: Hutch can probably relate with me here; we both came into our positions like complete babes, brand new. I had never sung for a group before. He had never played bass with these guys before. Our positions had to get right to where they should be really quickly.
Speakeasy: How did you go about deciding what tracks were going to be on the album?
Farcas: That was hard. This album is our big showcase to the public, record labels, venues and our general fan base. We wanted to showcase the entire spectrum of our sound. The record has songs that are upbeat and songs that feature our progressive style. Each song had to point to a different aspect of ourselves.
Speakeasy: How do the four of you feed off each other’s energy on stage?
Farcas: I’m not so good at singing while I’m playing drums, but when I see Majed going nuts, I start screaming and singing. He makes me want to tear shit apart, to throw something. Then Alyx picks up on it while he’s singing. Hutch is more laidback, so when he starts getting down, it’s all over.
Speakeasy: What is the songwriting process like for the band? Where do you find inspiration?
Khurshid: Alyx and I collaborate a lot. All of our songs get initiated from different areas. We work them out on our own terms. We each have our own songwriting style. Then we propose a song to the band, and it grows from there.
Speakeasy: What do you hope people feel when they walk away from a show?
Andrews: That rock is not lost yet because it is really struggling right now. Some of the bands out there are kind of BS rock -- very corporate… Barbie-doll-like. They’re just not what rock is really about. We want to prove that there is still good, real rock out there.
Speakeasy: Does the band place importance on communication with your fans through MySpace, etc.?
Andews: You are playing for them. Playing music just for ourselves is not as fun. Communicating with our fans is mega-important because our fans are what make us.
Speakeasy: What is Black Spyral Dancer currently doing to expand?
Khurshid: We’ve been together for a while now, but things have been waiting for us to get our act together. We are taking off just now. We’re hoping to get a spot at Emergenza Music Festival [a battle of unsigned bands]. For next year we are trying to get in contact with South by Southwest [Music Festival].
Andrews: We would ultimately like to be out west. We feel like we are transplanted from Seattle, which is the place we identify with most. But it depends on how things pan out in terms of our popularity in the Midwest. Ohio is where our grassroots are.
Speakeasy: Where do you hope to go with Black Spyral Dancer?
Andrews: We have realized that this is our lives. This is what we want to do. We don’t want the 9-to-5 jobs. This, right now, is the chance of a lifetime.
Khurshid: It helps that we don’t suck. We actually have a shot. I thought about it logically: School is important to me, but it’s not my life. School is going to take a backseat to the band. I’m not going to be 50 and regret not giving this everything.
Doors open at 9:30 p.m. for Black Spyral Dancer’s performance at The Union on Friday, March 2. Their energy is sure to be transplanted into and intensified at their show. Don’t miss this chance to catch an unforgettable performance.
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Be sure to check out the band’s <a href=http://www.MySpace.com/BlackSpyralDancer> MySpace</a> for more information on upcoming shows.