Peter Karapatsas, the guitarist and songwriter behind Sound the Sirens, is gearing up to release the project’s latest album, Imaginary Gravity, on May 23. Blending progressive rock and metal with a strong melodic focus, the record marks a new chapter in his evolution as a composer. With influences ranging from Aaron Marshall to classic players like Adrian Smith and Eddie Van Halen, Peter has crafted an instrumental album that is dynamic and expressive—almost like it has a voice of its own. We caught up with him to talk about the creative process, the gear behind the sound, and what makes Imaginary Gravity stand out.
Imaginary Gravity is set to release on May 23—what themes or ideas inspired the album, and how does it represent your evolution as a composer?
Hi Niko, it’s really great to be speaking with you and the Prog Sphere! Yes, as far as themes for Imaginary Gravity I really set out to focus on riff based compositions that stood out and then carefully chose melodic elements that would compliment those riff ideas whether they were on guitar or bass. I wanted to create a very “vocal” album even though Sound the Sirens is an instrumental project. The guitar being the main “vocal” element in the music created a fun and challenging process to ensure that me as the listener did not feel the music was boring or repetitive in any way throughout.
I drew a lot of inspiration for this record from my favorite modern guitarist Aaron Marshall of the band Intervals as I am a big fan of his melodic capabilities and he truly serves the song instead of trying to shoe-horn all his guitar tricks into one bag. This approach really motivated me to find the voice for Imaginary Gravity and I really feel that was achieved. Going back to the “melodic” motif of the album, that is the biggest thing I feel represents my evolution as a composer as well. My first record was very heavy with a lot of ethereal elements mixed in, and my second album was more in the vein of progressive meets Swedish melodic death metal. Imaginary Gravity pretty much turned everything my listeners are used to hearing from me upside down and that’s the exciting part. It is very progressive but also has a more up-beat feel to it, a lot of melody, and a lot of technically challenging phrasing which really excites me as a writer/composer.
Sound the Sirens is described as progressive and forward-thinking yet rooted in tradition. How do you balance these elements in your music?
That is a great question. I take a lot of inspiration from bands of all styles so it can be really easy to try to over-do it when writing material for myself. I really try to solve that by not overthinking it and letting the sketch of the song speak to me and tell me what it needs. After composing three records, I find that the more time you give a song during the writing process the better chance it has of becoming what it was meant to be. Focusing on modern production while mixing tried and true playing techniques from the greats such as Adrian Smith, George Lynch, Eddie Van Halen, Dave Murray and so many others is what I feel to be the perfect balance for me and my music. I may not sound like any of those players I listed but that’s the point you have to sound like YOU, but also allow your influences to guide your style.
What was your creative process like for Imaginary Gravity? Did you approach songwriting differently compared to your previous work?
Yes, Imaginary Gravity was created in a very different way compared to my previous works. I really had a great time making this album as it challenged me and I had to really push myself to play the best I ever have and to write complete compositions that pushed my own boundaries. I built a new home studio in 2023 and got a lot of new gear that I was able to use on this record. The biggest piece to the puzzle this time around was working with Joe Calderone, who is the bassist for the band Arch Echo. Joe mixed and engineered the record and also helped me out with additional sound design. Joe and I worked really well together and once I brought the music to him he instantly understood what kind of sound I was going after. He is a huge reason why this album sounds so great and it is without a doubt the best sounding Sound the Sirens album to date.
As far as songwriting goes, I focused on making the album very vocal, there’s no “filler,” and the tempo changes and heavy parts mixed with more atmospheric parts really blend some of my old material with this new sound I have created that I think the listeners are going to really enjoy. Riff composition was a main focus which then allowed me to get creative with the melodic essence of what I wanted this album to have throughout. Imaginary Gravity, as a result, is my most progressive work to date.
As an instrumental project, how do you ensure your compositions remain engaging and tell a story without lyrics?
That is the trickiest part. [laughs] I really work hard to make sure my lead lines are very vocal sounding, listening to all types of music other than rock or metal really helps with that. R&B, jazz, Greek music were big parts of finding a vocal balance to the music while maintaining the instrumental essence. I used melodic qualities from all the styles I just listed and made them my own, and I hope that will translate to the listener. Telling a story is a great way how you described it, I write with a lot of imagery in my head to almost paint a picture with the music. A lot of times I will have a song title in my head before I even write a single note. That imagery will then help me figure out what mood and energy the song needs to sound its best. The other part to the puzzle is making sure to play interesting and challenging phrases on the instruments to keep the listener engaged but this all comes down to melody. Melody is always the priority.
Who are some of your biggest influences, both in progressive music and beyond?
There are so many, a few I listed above such as Adrian Smith and Dave Murray, Eddie Van Halen, John Petrucci of course is the king of prog, KK Downing, Aaron Marshall, Marco Sfogli, Rob Marcello, James Hetfield, Jim Matheos of Fates Warning, and finally Alex Lifeson is a massive influence especially with his atmospheric guitar tone that he was really into during the late ’80s era of Rush. There are many others of course, but those are the main players that I go back to over and over to study.
Can you walk us through a particular track on the new album that holds special significance for you?
Absolutely, I really am proud of the song “Wander” which features the amazing Marco Sfogli. This song almost did not make the record because I had a hard time figuring out the structure but once I reached out to Marco everything clicked. Marco gave me a huge vote of confidence after he heard a very early version of the song and once he sent me his guitar solo it just gave me goosebumps. There’s a moment where Marco and I trade solos as a one-two punch in the middle of the song, it leads to this huge build up and then the song really takes a turn towards the finale. I am so proud of that whole section and to be able to play alongside one of the greatest guitarists in our genre is a dream come true!
How has being based in Boston shaped your musical journey? Has the local scene influenced your approach in any way?
Sadly there really is not much of a local scene in Boston for progressive rock/metal but there is a strong heavy metal and rock scene. I really tend to pay close attention to what is going on in Europe to be honest, as that is where our genre is really thriving. Living in Greece during my college years was fantastic as the city of Thessaloniki in particular had and still has a huge prog scene. There are so many small clubs that host bands and let them do their thing and there is a huge following and demand for it there. This experience really got me hooked and made me want to start writing music in this style.
Sound the Sirens was founded in 2020—what were some of the challenges and breakthroughs you’ve experienced since then?
The number one challenge is getting your music out there and being heard. As an artist you are sharing a piece of yourself with whoever may listen and that can be a very scary thing. Art is very personal so as an artist, you have to be a bit brave and open up to any criticism or praise and you cannot let either one affect the way you want to create that art. The pandemic on the other hand, as awful as it was, was also the reason I got to focus on writing music for the first Sound the Sirens, record since there really isn’t anything else to do. [laughs] The first major breakthrough for the project I would have to say was when the second album The Shape of Sound was released. Somehow it got recognized by a lot of magazines and websites and got a lot of critical acclaim out of nowhere which really surprised me as i did not actively try to reach out to any outlets for exposure but it just proves if you write from the heart and it connects with people the music will do the talking. So that was a really special moment for me getting the recognition for something I worked so hard on.
What kind of gear do you rely on to shape your signature sound? Any favorite guitars, amps, or effects?
I produced and engineered this album, so I used a lot of amplifiers such as the Soldano SLO 100 and the Leviathan from a wonderful company in Italy called RedSeven Amplification, so that was the main guitar tone you hear on the album for all the heavy rhythm guitars. I also used the Revv Generator 120 MkIII head for all the leads and solo sections, and I exclusively used Suhr custom guitars which are just fantastic instruments, particularly their “Modern” model, but I also used the Suhr Custom Standard on a lot of the clean sections and single-coil guitar parts you hear throughout the album. For effects, I used the Fractal Audio Systems Axe FX III, they have amazing sounding delays and reverbs so these types of tones are all over the album. For guitar picks I exclusively use custom Dunlop “flow” picks which I just recently changed to after using the Tortex .88s forever. These flow picks are amazing and gave me a bit more fluidity in my lead lines. For the drum programming, Joe and I used GetGood Drums Invasion which sounds fantastic. Joe really made these drums I programmed sound so realistic I could not tell the difference if a real person was playing them or not. I also tracked all the bass guitar on the album and for that I used my Fender Jazz bass. The bass sections are some of my favorite parts of this record actually, I really spent a lot of time to make the bass not only accompany what the rhythm section was doing but there are a lot of parts in the songs that let the bass shine through and do its own thing which made things a lot of fun for me.
Progressive music often demands a high level of technical skill. How do you approach balancing technique with emotion in your playing?
It is always a balance, a give and take if you will. There are plenty of moments where I shred but you have to be picky when those moments arrive. I feel that if you constantly play shred style the listener will get burnt out very fast. The true technical aspect for progressive music in my opinion is when you have to let the guitar breathe. Playing melodic passages while also adding very tricky parts in between to accent the phrasing and to also give bursts of melody so the listener can almost sing along to the lead lines and phrases is so important especially in instrumental progressive music. So in a nutshell, balancing all of these elements is what will make the song and music sound best.
With Imaginary Gravity on the horizon, what are your plans for promoting the album? Are live performances or collaborations in the works?
The main focus right now is speaking with great platforms such as Prog Sphere and also releasing content such as guitar playthroughs for the songs. I have a new single called “Chronotrigger” which is part of your new Progtronics 50 compilation, which is an honor to be part of such a huge milestone for you! I really am so grateful for your platform as it gives independent artists such as myself the chance to be heard and seen. Sound the Sirens has primarily been a studio project to date but who knows, maybe some live shows will happen down the road. Never say never. And like I’ve mentioned earlier, I am super excited for everyone to hear the song “Wander” that I collaborated with Marco Sfogli on, it really is a stand out.
Looking ahead, what’s next for Sound the Sirens? Do you have any long-term goals or dream projects?
Just to continue to be inspired to create more music. Starting different projects in between as well. Just composing in general, I love to write music and that rush it gives after you’ve created something out of thin air.
Niko, I just want to thank you again for the time and I enjoyed speaking with you. I hope you and all of your readers enjoy Imaginary Gravity! Cheers!
Stream/download Imaginary Gravity from Bandcamp here. Follow Sound the Sirens on Instagram.
