Featuring Members of Mercenary, Mnemic, Chaoswave and More
Listen to a Clip of the Track ‘One Machine’ HERE on YouTube
The highly-anticipated brainchild of critically acclaimed guitarist/songwriter Steve Smyth (Nevermore, Forbidden, Dragonlord, Vicious Rumors), ONE MACHINE, is alive and kicking. ONE MACHINE boasts classic and modern influences, featuring a collection of international members carefully selected by Smyth: Mikkel Sandager (Mercenary) on vocals, Jamie Hunt (Biomechanical) sharing guitar duties, rounded out by a powerhouse rhythm section with Tomas “O’Beast” Koefoed (Mnemic) on bass guitar and Raphael Saini (Chaoswave) on drums.
ONE MACHINE just finished the recording process on their debut album, which is currently in the mixing stages. The band has already been offered European festival dates and expects to make their live debut this summer. Fans can check out a clip of the track ‘One Machine’ right now on Steve Smyth’s YouTube page.
Smyth had often given thought to leading his own band throughout his distinguished career as a member of bands including Testament, Nevermore, and Forbidden, amongst others. Smyth had written a number of songs, but the challenge of finding the right members to bring them to life remained.
He found a more than capable shredding second guitarist in Jamie Hunt, and the two began collaborating on the material Smyth had. “Jamie’s playing complements mine extremely well, and we hit it off perfectly when we got together to work on the songs,” says Smyth.
A vocalist was found in the form of original Mercenary singer Mikkel Sandager. He was exactly kind of singer Smyth was looking for, with his versatile ability to sing in different ways, and his readiness to be pushed into new musical territories. “When our former bands toured together, I got to witness night after night, exactly what Mikkel could do; deliver a solid performance with an incredible range, as well as multiple characters in his voice. He’s perfect for this band,” adds Smyth.
Smyth, Hunt, and Sandager then set about refining and shaping Smyth’s original material.
Drummer Raphael Saini, formerly of Italian progressive metallers Chaoswave, whose band Smyth had previously provided guest solos for, was next to join. During the recording process, Saini lived up to Modern Drummer’s assessment of him as “a drum assassin; cold blooded, precise, and brutal”. To quote Smyth, “Raph surprised me with his ability in delivering these tracks. He totally killed it!”
In 2012, bassist Tomas “O’Beast” Koefoed, formerly of Mnemic, came on board, adding his distinctive sound to the tracks. Smyth states, “Tomas is without a doubt one of the most solid bassists I’ve encountered in some time! He literally added an entirely new dimension to these songs that would not have been possible to be achieved without him.”
Keep an eye out for ONE MACHINE performing on European festival dates this summer and stay tuned for more information coming soon!
To learn more about ONE MACHINE, please visit www.feedtheonemachine.com.