Dean Wells

TERAMAZE

TERAMAZE is a Progressive Metal band from Australia, a country that is a veritable hot bed for the genre. Metal Temple Editor-In-Chief Dave "That Metal Guy" Campbell" had the honor of speaking with vocalist/guitarist Dean Wells about their latest album titled "Sorella Minore," which translates in English to "little sister," along with some other topics.

By Dave "That Metal Guy" Campbell

• May 6, 2021

TERAMAZE's Dean Wells: "It wasn't until discovering Dream Theater that I really started pushing myself into the more Progressive style

Cheers, Dean, and it is a real pleasure to get to interview you for our website! Can you take me back to the early years of the band, and tell me how you formed and what was your goal when it came to your sound? Did you set out to become a Progressive Metal band?

Hey mate, well in the early days we just just teenagers wanting to play metal and grew up[ on Metallica and Pantera , we released doxology as kids and were signed to a label straight away which was pretty amazing I had only been playing guitar for 3 years so we literally had no idea what we were doing but people still ask for that album haha crazy. It wasn't until discovering Dream Theater that I really started pushing myself into the more progressive style, it was super challenging and still till this day it pushes me to be a better all round musician.

How have you seen your sound develop over the years, and where do you think it is headed next?

It's absolutely developed, especially over the last 5 years, we really enjoy having no rules on ourselves other than writing the best songs we can at the time Sorella is heading back a little to the halo sound but the album we are doing next is very much a more riff based album almost like esoteric anhedonia with an I Wonder modern feel. Who knows where we go after that.

Let's talk about the new album a bit. It's a concept album, right? Can you please explain to the readers the concept of the album? How did you come to land on that particular story, and how do you see the story ending?

Well her halo was the beginning concept album and Sorella Minore the song is the sequel to that, Sorella is about her halos younger sister that gets left behind after she dies and the tyrant ringmaster keeps her and tries everything he can to make her love him, he is also split personality (clown) is his softer side and they are both influenced by his evil elite father, its basically a war between good and evil in the tyrants life and he's pulled back and forward by Sorella (being good) and his father being the evil influence. The story will continue...

The closing song, "Between These Shadows," literally swept me off my feet. It's such an easy song on the ears, but has big emotional moments that almost moved me to tears. What inspired you to write such a beautiful song?

Thank you, well the song can be seen in a few different ways, but my influence was coming from a place of isolation and being isolated from loved ones and not being able to contact each other but finding any means possible to make that connection and having faith that some day we they would reconnect.

Tell me about the title track. How do you compose a 26-minute song without losing your way in the process?

I lost my way many times haha, I basically wanted it to feel like a movie but in the setting of progressive music, the characters evolved as we wrote the music and having her halo to draw inspiration from made it a lot easier to keep focused because it had to feel at least somewhat like the next chapter.

Who wrote the lyrics for the songs on the new album? What kind of themes did you find developed when writing the lyrics?

I wrote the lyrics and our former singer Nathan was a part of the song Sorella Minore lyrical writing as well. The themes were already there based around the old circus carnival life of these characters from her halo, so we just elaborated on them with extra vocalists coming in as well.

This is the second album in under a year for you guys, and I heard you are working on a third already? Did the pandemic give you superpowers when it comes to writing?

Isolation and the state of the world gave us super powers yes haha, yes we are finishing up the pre production now for the next album which we will aim to have out Oct/Nov 2021 it's some of my favourite music we have ever written, especially bringing back the more guitar driven music.

As I mentioned above, Australia really is a hot bed for great Progressive Music. I realize it's a very large country, but did you ever get the chance to collaborate with other Progressive Metal bands from Australia? If you could collaborate with any musician or band, who would that be?

I work as a producer here also so I do get to produce some great bands, like Damnations Day, Vanishing Point etc. so yeah I'm surrounded by great artists, I'm working with some more international artists as well very soon which will be fun.

How have you dealt with the pandemic and not being able to tour?

I think that's obvious haha we have written so much music we could release another 2 albums this year, I don't watch the news so I just keep doing what I do and not let the craziness effect me too much.

What is the first thing you are going to do once things return to normal, or as close to normal as we can expect?

We are basically back to normal here but I suppose start doing a few shows in Australia then wait to see how international things pan out.

Tell me the funniest or craziest thing that ever happened to you while touring.

Haha we were in Europe standing around and a few fans came up to say hello to me and asked if the guys standing with me were my roadies hahaha it was the whole band, we still laugh about it…hilarious!

How old were you when you figured out that you could sing? Is it something that you worked at for years, or was it more talent that you were just born with? By the way, my wife, who doesn't even like Metal music, told me you have one of the most beautiful voices she has ever heard.

Tell her thank you! Well, I've always sang both my parents were great singers and it was just something natural I could do but it took some work to sing in Teramaze because the guitar parts are so tricky haha and the vocal lines aren't really that easy either so it's been something I've really enjoyed working on my vocals lately and I'm only now starting to really be confident in what I can sing. I use to write and sing stack of pop rock music before I reignited Teramaze so it's always been there and I've always sang on Teramaze albums all the backing vocals are my voice and a few mains, I just never really made it about me and my voice, until now.

Tell me about Dean Wells the man. What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning and face the day?

I'm really happy to be alive and love being creative daily, I feel blessed to be able to do my music at this level and people still really enjoy what I do, I have a strong faith in God that keeps me grounded and an amazing wife and daughter so I have plenty of things to be grateful for that make it easier to get out of bed every day, I also love to laugh with the band and mates I almost love comedy more than music haha that' really makes life great when u can see the humor in anything.

Considering the music scene today, what is one piece of advice you would give to a new band, trying to make it out there?

Do what comes natural, make it your own and work at being the best you as an artist, don't worry about what anyone else is doing, stay focused use bands that are doing great things as motivation not competition. stay of line and work on your craft. Enjoy the process even when it's tough.

What hobbies or interests do you and your band-mates have outside of music. Anyone have anything really strange that they are into?

To be honest outside of music there isn't much hah aim into understanding the human body and health as much as possible and I love coffee but music is life really, nick the drummer loves weight training, Andrew bassist is working on trying to be the whitest person in history (he's almost see through now) lol and Chris the other guitarist is usually really busy having nervous breakdowns and sharing his daily chaos in the band chat for our amusement haha.

Where do you see music heading in the future?

All online, but I think some trends will come back around we haven't seen yet for awhile, like real instruments played in a studio with real amps haha.

Well, I think I have taken enough of your time for today. But keep on with TERAMAZE and I can't wait to hear the newest album you are working on! Thank you very much for your time and consideration here.

Thanks heaps! Peace! - Dean Wells