The multi-talented Tom MacLean has been a fixture on the prog-metal scene ever since the release of To-Mera's brilliant first album Transcendental in 2006. Although that band went on hiatus some time ago, a long stint as the bass player in prog geniuses Haken, together with a number of other short-lived projects have ensured that his reputation has retained its lofty status. In recent years, MacLean has opened his own studio, Twelve Tone, with a view to lending his not-insignificant production, mixing and mastering talents to up-and-coming and established artists alike, and in 2021, his life in front of and behind the desk have come together in the form of Athemon, whose debut has just been released on WormHoleDeath. I caught up with Tom recently to discuss the genesis and future of this band, his thoughts on the recording process, and the prospect of a return for the much-missed To-Mera.

Benjamin

For the uninitiated, Athemon are the brainchild of Brazilian guitarist / vocalist Adriano Ribeiro, who put the enforced downtime of the ongoing pandemic to good use, writing and recording the band's debut. In terms of how MacLean came to be involved, and help shape the final product, as he explains, "It all came about because during the initial lockdown, with all countries simultaneously going into lockdown, I was finishing a distance-learning audio engineering certificate. Up until that point, I'd been reaching out to bands and friends that would be open to someone starting out on the audio side. I had loads of recording experience, but limited production and mixing experience – I'd always left that to someone else! There was some interest from local bands looking to record EPs, but when lockdown happened, that was postponed. And I thought, if I don't act now, I'll languish and fail to make anything of the engineering, not to mention the lack of any money coming in. So, I did some social media outreach, spoke to friends of friends of friends, and got plenty of contact through my website."

"Adriano was one of the people who got in touch – he sent me a Garageband demo, and I thought it was really cool. You can tell when someone's got a vibe going with their instrument, and I was impressed by his gnarly guitar tone. The guy's got some serious guitar chops! But the demo was just him and some programmed drums. It was exactly the kind of project I was looking for – someone who's obviously got some talent but needed some outside help. As with many projects during lockdown, Athemon wasn't yet a fully-fledged band. In this case, I volunteered to do bass, as it was something I wanted to get involved in. And, to an extent, that allowed me to influence the direction of some of the songs a little bit more and change the sound to something mutually agreeable."

One of the biggest changes that occurred during the recording process was a transition in the vocals, from the harsh growls of Adriano's death metal heritage to predominantly clean, melodic vocals. This change not only matches the slick, progressive metal perfectly, but adds some huge hooks that allow the record to become significantly more memorable than it might have been with a more one-dimensional vocal approach. As MacLean notes, the initial demo was quite different. "The vocals were a lot rougher, not unlike Opeth, but, at least in my opinion, didn't seem like the best fit. So we had some discussions about it and there were some intense Zoom calls! In the end, the vocals turned what would've been a solid album regardless into something that had an extra dimension to it Adriano had never really done clean singing before, but I think he really pulled it off."

What Athemon also pulled off, and very impressively considering it was their first attempt, is a record that feels like a unified and fully formed album, with a clear musical and thematic thread that runs from start to finish. The fact that the concept (an allegorical tale which uses the emergence of a butterfly from its cocoon to reflect man's journey to self-actualisation) and the majority of the riffs were already there before MacLean was involved suggests that even if Athemon are a new band, their gestation in Ribeiro's own mind has been a long one, with MacLean assisting the project's birth in masterful fashion, shaping and refining the results.

Athemon is sonically a high-end release, all the more impressive given MacLean's relative lack of experience. Good enough in fact, for WormHoleDeath to deem it ready for wider release. I asked MacLean how that particular connection was forged: "I didn't have any prior knowledge of them, but they got in touch. To be honest, I was grateful to have the promo and distribution taken out of my hands and put into the hands of someone committed, who could give it a broader reach." With everything in place, therefore, for Athemon to grow the audience that their music deserves, MacLean confirms that there are thankfully plans underway for Athemon to continue as an active band, even as the pandemic from which they emerged seems to be dissipating. Although there is no imminent prospect of live dates, we understand that "Adriano wants to develop it more –at least half of the next album is written, although he's keeping it to himself right now. I'm sure there will be more, and I'm definitely open to being involved in the next record."

One hopes that this is the case; the bass playing on the album is rarely less than spectacular, the legato runs bubbling through the spaces between the guitar and drums on songs such as 'Whispers' reminiscent of the kind of virtuoso brilliance that lit up the work of early Cynic and Atheist, and it comes as no surprise to hear that Ribeiro was keen to utilise MacLean's talents to add depth and sophistication to the recordings. "Well, Sean Malone was a big inspiration. But then you realise that Sean Malone is basically Jaco Pastorius (US jazz-fusion legend) on a 6-string bass, so really, it's Jaco Pastorius! Also, Adriano and Gledson Goncalves (drummer) are from a tech-death background – big Sadus / Steve DiGorgio fans, and if I was under-playing, they would ask me to make it more Steve DiGorgio!"

Clearly, despite the growing production business, MacLean is not yet done as a musician, even if the former is the current priority. He refers to the fact that in part, the audio training was designed to allow him to gain more control over the recording of his own music, but that this now inevitably plays second fiddle to the fact that business development is totally dependent on demand, and if the demand is there, needs must! Whatever comes next though, it will not be Psion, another prog-metal beast, featuring ex-Dodecahedron drummer Jasper Barendregt. Psion released a single EP in 2017 and promised at the time to be another exciting chapter in MacLean's career. "Psion was a really tricky project. Four strong personalities, myself included, and it was so agonisingly slow. The record should've come out in 2015. Musically it had potential, but as soon as it was released, that was it. Brian (Ramage, from Ramage Inc) is a monster singer, but Brian needs to be Brian, and do Brian. To be clear - what he laid down for Psion was phenomenal and we're so grateful he was a part of it, but it was understood early on that Ramage Inc is his focus. That's his everything. Ultimately, the band just turned up at the wrong time in people's lives."

MacLean is, slightly surprisingly, a little warmer on the prospects of To-Mera returning from exile and reveals that he has been writing during lockdown with their erstwhile singer Julie Kiss (ex-Without Face). "I wrote a few songs with Julie over lockdown, and we're trying to figure out what that will be. We did a pop-rock thing called Euphonia a few years back, but there was no real gameplan other than trying not to write a metal song. That didn't have a clear direction, it was an experimental, self-indulgent outlet. The new stuff is promising; I don't know if it will be a new To-Mera album, but, given the overall vibe with the new stuff – it would tie in with the "Exile" album."

For now, though, the priority is responding to the strong demand for production and mixing work, even if some bands are looking for something a little out of their price range! "It's really tough. I want to develop skills-wise and work with better musicians. However, the people at that level… the records have all been mixed or mastered by two or three guys. It's either Jens Bogren, Jacob Hansen or Andy Sneap. Nevertheless, everyone wants their albums to sound like that, but for a tenth of the price! I wonder if the pre-eminence of a small number of mega-producers in the genre acts to homogenise metal, and limit individuality, but MacLean doesn't see it that way. "I used to think exactly that. I thought the drums on Andy Sneap records were too hard, or Jens Bogren was always using the same snare sound. But I think that through being on the other side, what I realise is that in the end, engineers are always trying to do what the bands ask them to do. It's not the engineers pushing it. There will always be input, but it's the band's decision." Not that a lack of direction is necessarily any better though: "Well, sometimes people say 'Whatever'. They have no opinion, and you're freaking out!"

Before we close the conversation, I'm interested to hear what MacLean is listening to currently, hearing things as he does with the ear of both an artist, and an audio engineer. I unreservedly endorse his choice, which is the Converge "Blood Moon I" collaboration with Stephen Brodsky and Chelsea Wolfe. "It blew my mind out of nowhere. It's a colossal sounding album. I'd always been on the fence with them. It was a bit what I was expecting, but in so many ways it was just something else." It's fascinating to hear MacLean so enamoured with a record that, superficially at least, has little in common with the symphonic prog-metal that he is most associated with, and one hopes that just a little bit of his new-found love of Converge will bleed into whatever comes next for the man himself, be that Athemon, To-Mera, or something completely different.

If you have read this, and want to utilise some of the skill that makes Athemon's album such a compelling listen, you can find Tom MacLean's audio engineering studio here: https://www.twelve-tone.studio/

Twilight Aura returns with "Believe", a powerful and emotionally charged album that expands the band's sound into new territories of hard rock, progressive rock, and melodic ballads. With roots dating back to the 1990s, the band has evolved while staying true to its melodic identity, incorporating influences from iconic acts like Viper, Dream Theater, and Queensrÿche. Featuring collaborations with legendary artists such as Jeff Scott Soto, Fabio Caldeira, Felipe Andreoli, and a heartfelt tribute to the late Andre Matos, "Believe" is both a celebration of the band's past and a bold step into its future. In this interview, guitarist Andre Bastos opens up about the creative process, the emotional resonance of their music, and their vision for connecting with fans worldwide.

Marcelo Vieira

"Believe" represents a significant sonic expansion, incorporating elements of hard rock, progressive rock, and ballads without losing the band's melodic identity. How did the experimentation and decision-making process for this musical evolution unfold on the new album?

Most of the songs on this album were actually composed back in the 1990s, during the band's first phase, shortly after [guitarist] Rodolfo Elsas joined. He brought new elements, giving our sound a harder edge. From there, we combined the influences of the other members, and the songs naturally ended up sounding a bit different from what we had done before. You can really notice this by comparing the songs from our first album, "For a Better World", which were mostly written before Rodolfo joined and leaned more toward power metal.

Bands like Viper, Dream Theater, and Queensrÿche are often cited as influences on Twilight Aura. How do you incorporate these references while maintaining your own identity?

We've always listened to these bands a lot. For example, "Laws of Life" was written shortly after Viper's album "Theatre of Fate" came out—I was still feeling the excitement from that release when I started composing the song. Also, whenever we traveled or hung out together, we listened to a lot of Dream Theater and Queensrÿche—during the era of "Images & Words" and "Awake", when DT was producing melodic tracks like "Innocence Faded" and "Lifting Shadows." Another band we listened to extensively was Elegy. Over time, all these influences naturally became part of how we wrote and arranged our own music.

The album features special guests such as Jeff Scott Soto, Fabio Caldeira, Felipe Andreoli, and an emotional tribute to Andre Matos on "Laws of Life." How was it working with these artists, and what did these collaborations mean to the band?

It was amazing, each for different reasons:

Fabio Caldeira became a great friend. We participated together in a wonderful event in Lençóis Paulista for the second part of the documentary "Andre Matos, o Maestro do Rock", where he performed a beautiful duet with Daísa on the song "Adrift" by SoulSpell. That's when the idea of him participating on our album came up. He agreed and not only sang but also arranged the orchestration for "Coming Home." My friend Marcel Ribas from Austin, TX, where I live, also appears on that track, recording guitar and bass.

Felipe Andreoli was another exciting collaboration. I knew he was a great guitarist, and when the idea came to me in early 2024, I asked if he would record a guitar solo for one of our songs. He agreed immediately, and shortly after I sent him the track, he returned the solo—it sounded fantastic.

BJ, the vocalist from Spektra and a friend of 30 years, also participated, delivering an amazing performance.

Jeff Scott Soto was introduced to us through BJ. He's a genius, an incredible musician, and very generous and friendly. Rodolfo has been a fan since he was 14. We asked him to record vocals on a song composed by Rodolfo, and he agreed, creating a duet with Daísa that turned out incredible.

Finally, we had Andre and Daniel Matos on a very special track for us, which I'll elaborate on in the next question.

"Laws of Life" features vocals recorded by Andre Matos in 1992, restored for the album. What was the emotional and artistic impact of revisiting this song with those recordings and with the participation of his brother, Daniel Matos?

This song was composed before Angra existed. I played it with my previous band, Skyscraper, and when we recorded a demo, I invited Andre Matos and Rafael Bittencourt to do backing vocals, and they accepted. Over time, other songs joined Skyscraper's repertoire, and the debut album was released in 2003. After our first album, Naza from Skyscraper suggested we consider recording "Laws" for a potential second album. We decided to do it and thought it would be wonderful to bring Andre's vocals back for the chorus. Naza recovered the original vocals, and everything worked beautifully. We invited Fabio Elsas, Rodolfo's brother, to record drums—the same drummer from the original demo. It was the first time the Elsas brothers recorded together on a track. Then we invited Daniel Matos, Andre's brother, who plays bass and sings beautifully. The result is stunning: a song over 30 years old, revitalized with modern technology and production, celebrating incredible talent and honoring our unforgettable maestro.

The band's comeback and the release of this new album happened in a challenging social and musical context. How did these factors influence the creation and message of "Believe"?

The world is undergoing major changes again. While some are discouraging, progress always comes in waves. Sometimes the tide moves against us, but just like before, we will overcome and emerge stronger, ushering in a new wave of moral and spiritual progress. That's why we insist that people believe. A better world will come, and we will build it together.

"Believe" addresses social, emotional, and spiritual themes, from fake news and climate change to emotional challenges and uplifting spirituality. How does the band see the role of music in conveying these reflections and positive messages?

Music has the power to overcome differences and connect people from completely different worlds. It can also serve as a vehicle for messages. We're very concerned about the direction things are heading. Today, it's too easy to fabricate an opinion and convince a large number of people to follow it. Lyrics like "Real World" and "Right Thing" emphasize caring for our planet—it's the only one we have. You can't ignore the truth by spreading false information just for clicks or temporary financial gain; it only pushes the planet closer to collapse. It's time to do the right thing and act responsibly.

The album's visual work, created by Juh Leidl, has a strong identity. How important is graphic art for you, and how does it interact with the music?

We met Juh through her amazing work with Maestrick. Fabio Caldeira introduced her, and our communication flowed effortlessly. We wanted artwork that reflected lightness and strong spirituality, not tied to any specific religion. Juh captured all of that with a delicate touch, making this one of the most beautiful album artworks we've ever seen.

"Believe" was produced by Andre Bastos and Tito Falaschi, who also handled mixing and mastering. How did this collaboration influence the album's final result?

The mixing and mastering were done by Tito Falaschi. Production involved many stages, so we split the tasks. We've known Tito for over 30 years; he understands our music and knows exactly what we want. He has incredible talent and delivered the precise sound we envisioned. We couldn't be happier with the results.

You've recently released singles with emotional videos, such as "Yourself Again." How important is the audiovisual experience for the audience today?

We realized it was crucial to release videos along with singles. Even though the band has existed for a long time, we only began exploring the modern music world after our 2021 comeback. We decided to produce at least two videos, and we even made a third if you count the lyric video for "Laws." It was challenging since band members are spread across four continents, but we made it work in August 2024, filming "Yourself Again" and "Coming Home" with director Dani Mazza. Friends helped us a lot on shoot days, and the experience was incredible. The audience's response exceeded our highest expectations!

The "Coming Home" video was marked by a very emotional moment, as Fabio Caldeira recalls. Can you share more about this experience and the importance of this track?

This song carries strong spiritual and emotional significance. I wrote it on the beach in Trindade, Paraty, RJ, on a cloudy day, reflecting on everything that led me there and what was yet to come. When recording, I revised the lyrics to emphasize that life on Earth is temporary: we take nothing with us, only what we do. We must resolve differences, forgive, let go of grudges, and connect with higher spirituality to be guided to do our best. Fabio was deeply moved during the shoot; the day before, his best friend had passed. The song's message resonated profoundly with him, making the moment unforgettable.

Finally, what's next for Twilight Aura with this album, and what can we expect in the second half of 2025?

We want to take our music even further than with our first album. We aim to reach people worldwide, connecting as many souls as possible through our art. The internet breaks down nearly all boundaries, and we plan to use it fully. There's more exciting material on the way. Thank you so much for this opportunity, and a big hug to everyone!