Interview with SOUND THE SIRENS
We had a conversation with Peter. Enjoy!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine!
Peter, please tell us a few things about yourself & when did you start playing guitar? Were you involved in any Rock-Heavy Metal bands before SOUND THE SIRENS?
Yasou Stavro! It is an honor to be chatting with you as I have been a big fan of Filthy Dogs of Metal for a long time! I am from Boston, MA but my parents were both born in Agia Paraskevi in Lesvos, Greece and I consider Lesvos my second home as i have been visiting there to see my grandparents and family almost every year! I started playing guitar when i was about 14years old after my Papou Kosta took me to the local Record shop in Mitilene and bought me Ride the Lightning and And Justice for all by Metallica. After that i got HOOKED on the amazing playing by Adrian Smith from Iron Maiden and the rest is history. Those early records had so many great riffs, hooks, melodies and solo’s that instantly made me want to pick up a guitar. I was in a small project call Amorphis (not the legendary Finnish act of course haha) with a few of my childhood friends and we recorded a demo for fun but it was very early stages, after that i was in a cover band for a few years playing parties and just having playing the instrument.
Tell us a bit about SOUND THE SIRENS, how did the band form?
Sound the Sirens formed in 2020 after i got inspiration from guitarists like Aaron Marshall from Intervals and Misha Mansoor from Periphery as i got into their youtube videos showing how it was actually possible to create music from your own home and that's where the urge and obsession came to play for me. I got obsessed with learning anything I could regarding techniques on recording, producing and getting better as a composer. I really made it a goal to release a full record and it really was a great learning experience on how to create music that would not only make me proud of what i’ve written but also create a voice for myself on the guitar.
You are going to release your third new album "Imaginary Gravity". Tell us a few things about this Project.
Yes! “Imaginary Gravity” will be released on May 23, 2025 and i am truly so excited for everyone to check it out! This album was a true labor of love and i focused a lot of my energy on the actual song structure and melodies throughout the record to make it an energetic and fun listening experience for everyone to hear. Being a progressive metal/rock Instrumental act, i really wanted to make sure on this album that the guitar was the “vocal” so to speak and not make any sections “boring” or repetitive- paired with aggressive riffs and infectious melodies and hooks i feel like I was able to achieve writing my best work to date, i am really proud of this album and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do.
Label or DIY, what’s your preference, and what’s behind that choice?
I have a saying for myself “DIY until I die” haha. I just really feel as an independent artist, you have complete freedom in how you create and present your art. You have to be willing to make moves and put in the work however, labels can be great at promoting your work but I feel in this current landscape in 2025 there are so many talented musicians that are creating masterpieces from their bedrooms it’s really cool and exciting to see. I also am a bit of a control freak so I would rather do things on my terms whether i succeed or fail i can at least know I did it all my way.
Any funny or memorable stories from the recording process or live shows that you'd like to share?
Oh absolutely, a most recent memory that i’ll never forget is that for this new album i really wanted to have one of my guitar heroes, Marco Sfogli, play a guest solo on one of the songs but I figured this guy is way too great of a player and a busy man at that to even acknowlege me but being the stubborn person that I am i figured hey just take a chance and see what happens, i have nothing to lose. So I reached out to Marco on social media, sent him a message and a little bit about myself and to my surprise he responded a day later! I sent him the song and he actually liked it and agreed to play on it, I couldn't believe it! Even more importantly, Marco is such a great guy and he really motivated me after giving his stamp of approval. I think you will really love the song he is on, his solo is absolutely incredible and it was a lot of fun making that song work and we got to trade guitar solos on it which was a dream come true.
When it comes to music formats, what’s your preference - Vinyl, Tape, CD, or Digital? And why do you prefer that format?
I would have to say these days digital is so convenient and easy as we carry our phones everywhere. However, if I am at home and just want to get lost in the music and really listen, vinyl is the best of the best for me. It makes you slow down and listen to everything almost as if time stops and lets you forget about all the worries in the world for a few moments. I feel like I'm drifting when I can actually take the time and just put on a good vinyl record.
What are your main influences? Which artists or bands do you consider your favorites?
My influences and favorites are players like Adrian Smith, Aaron Marshall, James Hetfield, George Lynch, Eddie Van Halen, Marco Sfogli, and Alex Lifeson, Adam D from killswitch engage, John Petrucci, and Jesper Stromblad. The main thing all of these players have in common for me is “melody” - each of them tell a story in their riffs and solos and that's what has always inspired me as a player and a fan of music in general.
What do you think a band has to sacrifice to truly succeed? Have you personally sacrificed anything for the betterment of the band?
Well being in a band is very tough that is why my project is all me hahaha. I don’t like to share and I can be a control freak but when I was in bands in the past I can definitely say it takes a lot of patience, communication and respect. You have to be able to let go of certain ideas if someone else has another idea they want to try out and that can be tough but you need to trust your bandmates in order for the music to turn into what it is meant to become. But yeah the number one thing i feel is communication with your bandmates 100%.
How do you envision the perfect live show for SOUND the SIRENS? Have you ever experienced that ideal performance?
My dream would be to eventually take Sound the Sirens on the road, so far it has purely been a studio project as I am very busy in my work life and also being a husband and father but I would definitely love to get some players along with me and play shows, it will happen someday for sure. The ideal show would be to just be up on stage with some musician friends backing me up and just absolutely having a great time jamming these songs loud and proud.
In your opinion, what does a new Heavy Metal band need to stand out and create a unique identity?
I would say to just write material that you as the artist loves and feels passionate about. You cannot fake the passion and eventually people will connect to the music because it came from a place of honesty to begin with. Do not follow trends either as hard as that may be but chances are someone is already doing that better anyways so focus on playing to your strengths to sound like YOU and no one else.
Do you believe digital platforms are beneficial for up-and-coming Heavy Metal bands? What do you think is the best way for a band to promote their music in today's landscape?
Digital is a double edged sword for sure. I think it has become the standard but it’s also become “pay to play” to truly be seen. I find it’s way better to connect with influential platforms such as “Filthy Dogs of Metal” and other passionate people that take the effort and time of their days to promote artists that they truly believe in and help get them exposure. Connecting with actual people and having a real conversation over this thing we both love “music” is a special thing and at the end of the day we are all fans and lovers of metal and music in general. I think realistically a healthy mix between digital and organic is the best way to promote today.
Are there any notable differences between the Metal scenes in the US and the EU - whether it’s labels, bands, or the fans?
Oh absolutely, I think the EU and South America have an extremely healthy metal scene. The festivals alone are incredible and always have such a great variety. In the US the metal scene unfortunately is plagued by commercial radio that plays the same old same old and never really does anything for modern and up and coming acts. The EU definitely has a way stronger metal scene that I wish the US had. However, I think the good thing is that there seems to be a slow change happening where the younger generation is starting to get into the metal scene out here so maybe someday we can catch up haha.
Can you tell us about the current Underground Metal scene in Boston, Massachusetts - any standout bands, zines, webzines, or metal clubs?
Here in the New England/east coast area of the US in general is starting to really get a strong progressive metal scene. One particular act I would definitely want to mention is my good friend Ron Sandhu of the prog metal project “Altered Minds” from NY/Connecticut. They are an incredible band in the vein of Fates Warning and early Queensryche. In fact, Ron and I are getting ready to start writing an album together for a new band so that's going to be very exciting to get started up with after this album comes out. We also have some great internet based metal radio stations here in Boston and Maine that play a lot of underground local metal which I love to listen to. New England Metal radio being one of them.
Are you familiar with the Hellenic Metal scene? What are your thoughts on it?
Yes! I love the Hellenic metal scene! When I was studying in Thessaloniki back in 2005 I fell in love with the city and the scene there as there were so many great rock and metal clubs to go to and see live bands from Greece. Hellenic metal bands such as Innerwish, Rotting Christ, Firewind, Stray Gods, and Temor are some of my favorites.I am proud that our country is so passionate about metal music and there are so many incredible musicians that wave the metal flag proudly.
What’s next for SOUND THE SIRENS? What are your future plans?
Right now just promoting and getting the word out on the new album and filming some guitar play-throughs for the upcoming singles! After that I will try to start brainstorming for the follow up record down the road.
Thank you so much for your time! The floor is yours for any final words or shout-outs.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak with you and to have a chance to be a part of your amazing community that you have built! I would love to give a huge shoutout to my amazing family for letting me work on this music on all those late nights for one haha and second a big shout out to Joe Calderone from the band Arch Echo who helped me mix and master this album- he really took the sound i had in my head and made this album sound amazing. Thank you so much my friend Stavros. I really enjoyed our talk and I wish you all the best file mou!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
SOUND THE SIRENS CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/soundthesirensband?mibextid=LQQJ4d
https://www.instagram.com/soundthesirens_music/
https://soundthesirens.bandcamp.com/music
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sound-the-sirens/1531580077