Was it based on personal experience or simply passive observation?

What happened in the recording studio or on stage to make one song sound different from the rest?

These are just some of the question bands and musicians attempt to answer in Line 'em Up - the newest page of The Power Of Metal.Dk.

This is where your favourite bands comment on their albums, track by track, because as someone once said, “Ideas are the building blocks of ideas”.

Enjoy!

Here’s a chance for you to tell our readers about your new album “The Last Embrace to Humanity”.

But could you please start off by introducing the readers to Odd Dimension? 

Odd Dimension –  Hello to all the readers and thank you for your support!

The band was born in Alessandria, Italy in 2001 with Federico Pennazzato on drums, Gianmaria Saddi on guitars and Gigi Andreone on bass, we began playing both covers of classic progressive and metal bands and composing our first tunes. The first promo ‘A New Dimension’ was released in 2005 with Manuel Candiotto on vocals and Antonio Agate on keys. After a change of line up with Gabriele Ciaccia entering on keys, we released our first album Symmetrical in 2011 on Scarlet Records. Then we toured Europe in April 2012 supporting Rhapsody of Fire and played several gigs with many bands including Dragonforce. Our second album ‘The Last Embrace to Humanity’ is out now so check it out!

Could you please give us some info on the album: Where did you record the album and who has produced and mixed it?

Odd Dimension – The album was produced by Odd Dimension, it has been recorded by Simone Mularoni (DGM) at Domination Studios in San Marino, Odd Studios, Italy and MiLu's Rock Lab II, Italy, from September to December 2012, mixed by Marco Barusso (LACUNA COIL, H.I.M.) and mastered by Alberto Cutolo at Massive Art Studios in Milan, Italy. The evocative artwork was handled by Carl Glover (PORCUPINE TREE) at Aleph Studio in London, UK.

And now onto ” The Last Embrace to Humanity”… track-by-track, what inspired you, and what do what to express with this song etc.

01. The Unknown King

Odd Dimension – The opening track of the album recalls in its lyrics and music the idea of the stealing of the human soul through a path made by an ‘unknown king’ that looks into your desires and gives you the illusion to fulfil ‘em but in the meantime he’s stealing your mind and thoughts. Musically it’s a very direct track with a melodic chorus that opens the whole ambient to the following songs.

02. Under My Creed

Odd Dimension – This is a song with many atmosphere changes, it begins with a direct riff and when the voice comes into it keeps up the groove. The chorus is solemn and guitar solos and keyboard are well combined, in the final part it leaves space to bass and drums; it’s as if there was a constant dialogue among the instruments. Lyrically it brings on the main concept of the album about alienation of man in the modern era regarding his conflict with progress and money.

03. Dissolving Into the Void

Odd Dimension – A song where everything revolves around the the piano melody. The voice and the other instruments blend with the lines, emerging at the point of detachment of bringing new rhythmic times, but then returns to where it all began. The song is about human soul that is like fading away facing the hard times we’re living in.

04. It's So Late

Odd Dimension – It is a very peculiar tune and many versions of this song were made in pre-production. Here is the version with Michele Luppi as a special guest. The real protagonists are the two voices that perfectly intertwine. The musical approach was different from the way we usually play our music, we approached pop sounds and that was stimulating. It talks about love and all its conflicts in the modern era.

05. Another Time

Odd Dimension – A sweet sounding song with a certain AOR taste, we took inspiration from the 90's for piano melodies and arrangements of strings and even a gospel choir was added in the background.

The lyrics in this song recall the way we conceive love and family in the modern times.

06. Fortune and Pain

Odd Dimension –Since the first notes you might guess that this song will make you jump. We wanted to mix powerful riffs, power metal's own, with the old school of progressive rock. We wanted to go beyond our standards in the final part with a guitar solo carried out in a fusion taste. Here we talk about the travel of man from its feelings and dreams to his purpose of living forever.

07. The New Line of Times

Odd Dimension – Back to softer sounds, this song begins with a folk intro. We have tried to highlight the topics of the text by inserting an interlude where music seems to be suspended. In this tune we wanted to talk about our planet and how man is slowly destroying his habitat to make money.

08. Far From Desire

Odd Dimension – After seven songs it's time to look back, this is an extremely varied album, so we wanted to close with one of the songs that better represents us. Growling guitars, drum pushing, in pure metal style but like all our songs, it's time to take a new direction and everything happens spontaneously. Lyrically the theme concerns the condition of man and his inner conflict: is it better to pursue our dreams or money?

Tell us a bit about the artwork – who made it etc. and how important do you feel it is to have a cool artwork?

Odd Dimension – The evocative artwork was handled by Carl Glover (PORCUPINE TREE) at Aleph Studio in London, UK. In this case, as for the previous album Symmetrical, we were looking for an artwork that could represent the concept behind the album in the best possible way and Carl delivered the right image for the concept regarding mankind alienation in the modern era.

Any last words you want to round this interview off with?

Odd Dimension – Thank you for the attention you gave us with this interview. To all the readers: remember that our new album ‘The Last Embrace to Humanity’ is out now, so check it out and see you soon live!

Kenn Jensen, April 2013