MUEN: YOUR SONGS ARE A LOT MORE MELODIC AND UNIQUE THAN WHAT I'M USED TO WHEN I HEAR METAL AND DEATH METAL. WHAT MUSIC WERE YOU LISTENING TO LEADING UP TO THE NEW ALBUM THAT INSPIRED YOU? ALSO ARE THERE ANY OTHER FEMALE FRONTED METAL BANDS THAT YOU LISTEN TO?

Lew: I listen to a broad range of music from traditional metal through to black metal so my inspiration comes from all of these elements. So when I was writing material, musically I was trying to incorporate these styles and from that perhaps realize something original and unique. Between mine and Fox s writing styles, musically, I think we have achieved this.

Fox: A lot of the music I listen to isn�t �metal� at all, but I find the genre to be the least restrictive in terms of what you can and can�t do musically. Of course we still take a lot of liberties with that freedom. In terms of writing for the album, I mostly use images and emotions as inspiration for writing more than listening to what other bands are doing or have done.

Lew: As far as female fronted bands the only ones I have really listened to would be Arch Enemy and perhaps Nightwish.

Fox: I own a Synergy album and some of the earlier Arch Enemy.

MUEN: YOU'RE FROM NEW SOUTH WALES IN AUSTRALIA. WHAT'S THE METAL SCENE LIKE THERE?

Lew: I think there is potential for a strong metal scene here as I�m seeing more and more of the younger generation getting back into metal, for example I see 14-16 yr olds out and about sporting Iron Maiden and Motley Crue shirts even Black Sabbath. It�s good to see.

Fox: I agree. It�s underground, but it�s a very strong underground which is the way it should be.

MUEN: THE BAND WAS ORIGINALLY CALLED LABYRINTH, THEN LABYRINTHIA. WHY DID YOU CHANGE THE NAME, AND WHY DID YOU DECIDE ON TEMTRIS?

Fox: Well actually this band has always been called Temtris. Labyrinth was a hard rock band that I started in high school which is when I started working with Genevieve. Even then her vocal talent was amazing. So Labyrinth is a major part of my musical history, and Genevieve�s, but not much to do with Temtris at all aside from that connection.

Lew: I even played drums for Labyrinth at one point.

Fox: The Labrynthia name was really just a working title for Temtris because we wanted to get the sound right before we put a label to it. Then we did what all bands do I guess and sat around throwing names and ideas into the air. When Temtris came out it was one of those �hang on � what was that?� moments and suddenly that was it. I still think it describes the music we write perfectly, dark yet seductive.

MUEN: WHO IS BATTLEGOD PRODUCTIONS?

Fox: BattleGod Productions is an independent record label based in Australia that was started few years ago by Gorgoroth from Baltak/Biuo Omega. He has been a strong supporter of the band for many years.

MUEN: WHEN WAS YOUR CD "MASQUERADE" RELEASED?

In Australia it was released on the 1st of December 2007 officially. But it won�t be available in Europe or the US �officially� until the 8th of February 2008. Of course the internet means that anyone can buy a copy from our myspace site whenever they want or even order it from the European or American distributors, which are Twilight (for Europe) and Plastichead (U.S.), as some of our overseas fans have already done.

MUEN: THERE'S BEEN QUITE SOME TIME SINCE YOUR LAST ALBUM "THRESHOLD" WAS RECORDED. HOW WOULD YOU SAY YOU'VE CHANGED MUSICALLY?

Lew: I think when Threshold was recorded we were only in the initial stages of realizing the potential that this band had to make something that was just that little bit different, we knew we on to something but not entirely sure where it would end up. Masquerade the album I think solidified our sound as a group so yes I think we�ve changed. As musos we re always trying to push ourselves and each other to the next level of musicianship also, and this bleeds through into the writing process producing new ideas and sounds.

MUEN: WHO WRITES THE SONGS?

Lew: Predominately Fox and I write the music and Gen and Fox the lyrics, with the next album I�m expecting input from everyone and I think this is good, it�s better to have 5 ideas than 3.

MUEN: WHAT ARE YOUR SONGS "MASQUERADE" AND "LIFESHELL" ABOUT?

Gen: Masquerade is about my life as a mother and as a musician and how I struggle trying to do both jobs, my stage persona is a little different to my daily life and trying to keep my kids happy while still doing what I always wanted to do has been a hard road, hence the lyric �torn between two lives!�� And Life�shell is about a similar idea, but more on the side of being afraid to show people who you really are. Your body is just a shell and you never reveal the real person inside.

MUEN: WHY DID YOU CHOOSE "MASQUERADE" TO ALSO BE THE NAME OF THE ALBUM?

Fox: Well, although it was never intended to be a �concept� album, once all the songs had been written Genevieve and I noticed that we had focused a lot of our lyrical ideas toward, well, vampires to put it bluntly. Not so much the Dracula horror movie stuff, more the intellectual idea of what vampires represent in the human psyche. Predatory behaviour, duplicity and lust for immortality and/or power are all subjects that appear on the album. In that regard we all felt that the concept of the masquerade was the best title for the album as it contained so many of the ideas that appeared in other songs we had produced.

MUEN: DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO TOUR SOON? IF SO, WILL IT JUST BE AN AUSTRALIAN TOUR, OR DO YOU PLAN ON GOING TO ANY OTHER COUNTRIES?

Fox: We commence touring Australia in February, beyond that it�s hard to tell where we may end up. Fingers crossed eh?

MUEN: WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE SONG TO PLAY LIVE?

Fox: I enjoy playing �Innocence Surrendered�. It�s a very musically emotive song and it�s a very �live� song.

Gen: Innocence Surrendered and Masquerade have really strong vocal lines that I enjoy singing, and Masquerade has that personal viewpoint so I am able to put my emotions into it.

Lew: It changes, I love playing all of them but every now and then you nail one just so and that�s it. It�s your favourite for the week hahahaha. At the moment I think �Kiss of Death� cause I just love the energy of it� but then I think of the dark simplicity of �Lifeshell��� oh who am I kidding my favourite song is the one I�m playing at the time hahahaha.

Interview by Lissy MacMillan

MUEN: WELL HERE WE ARE, DOCTOR BIZARRE! OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT YOUR REAL NAME. WHY DO YOU GO BY DOCTOR BIZARRE, AND HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THAT NAME?

DOCTOR BIZARRE: Well when I first started recording my solo project with a friend of mine named Jake Samson, a jazz bass extrodinaire. The sound that came out was quite unique, fierce and strange. I immediately recall saying " this is quite bizarre" so hence the name Bizarre was born. After months of recording I decided to get my PH.D in Abstract Abnormalism therefore the sobriquet Doctor was added to my title and there you have the Doctor of Bizarre.

MUEN: HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED PLAYING THE GUITAR? AND WERE YOU GIVEN LESSONS OR ARE YOU SELF TAUGHT?

DOCTOR BIZARRE: I started playing guitar at the age of 12. At first I was self taught then after a year or so I decided to seek further knowledge of the instrument. Lessons began with an older gentlemen and rebel rouser named Clem Furnia who did his time in the country circuit in Texas. He would teach me some country "pickin and grinin" then immediately following lessons we would break into a boxing session. He said "if your going to be a musician your going to have to learn how to fight too". So as well as learning the guit-fiddle as he would call it, I would also learn a few things about boxing which has payed off in the long run. After studying with Clem I decided to step it up a notch and pursue Jazz Guitar lessons from Carmen Carmonica who was the touring guitarist with Lou Rawls in the 70's. Carmen taught me wealth of knowledge about jazz, guitar, and music. He is an amazing musician and I thank him for everything he has taught me. I started teaching other students at the age of 16 and still do to this day.

MUEN: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RECORDING MUSIC AND WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU WANTED TO DO?

DOCTOR BIZARRE: Since I was a young lad I have always admired musicians and their ability to play and record these brilliant masterpieces known as Albums. I started recording with my Band "Simon" back in the mid 90's. We were an indie/punk style band. We recorded in a couple of studios and released an EP. Following that I bought a Macintosh computer and with the help of my good friend Tom Schmitt, put together a modest recording setup. Years of recording and fine tuning has given me the knowledge to record in my own studio and release a viable product.

MUEN: WHEN I FIRST TALKED TO YOU, YOU ASKED ME WHICH SONG OF YOURS IS MY FAVORITE, I SAID I REALLY LIKE "OPAQUE" - WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SONG AND WHY?

DOCTOR BIZARRE: That is a difficult question. Every song has a different meaning to me. For every style of music I do it is almost like an homage to that style. Some styles lend themselves better to express myself in a certian mood or idea. Whether it be Metal or Jazz or Classical. I plead the fith. I love them all. Although Opaque does have a special meaning to me because it was a song I wrote in memory of my late father and his ghost that has been with me as a reminder of his great soul.

MUEN: EACH SONG HAS IT'S OWN STYLE. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC TO SOMEONE IF YOU WERE TO SUMMARIZE IT IN THREE WORDS?

DOCTOR BIZARRE: If I were to pick three words to explain my music i would have to say Eclectic, Diverse, Intense and Inventive. Four is a better number than three so I named four.

MUEN: NOT ONLY ARE YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OUTSTANDING GUITAR PLAYING BUT YOU ALSO DO THE VOCALS AND THE OTHER INSTRUMENTS ON THE TRACKS WHICH CAN INCLUDE: DRUM PROGRAMMING, BASS AND MANDOLIN. DO YOU PLAN ON EVER PLAYING LIVE, AND IF SO, DO YOU HAVE MUSICIANS IN MIND FOR THE BAND?

DOCTOR BIZARRE: Well I have had the priveledge of collaborationg with some amazing musicians on the new release which gave me more time to focus on the guitar alone but there are a few instances on this album where I played some bass and programmed some drums and of course sang, but I trully owe the musicians that collaborated with me alot of credit. They are listed on the album as well as on the Doctor Bizarre myspace page. Right now i am really busy with recording and teaching guitar, but in the future I do plan on putting together a mix of eclectic musicians to play my hybrid style of music. The only person I have in mind so far would be my buddy Jake Samson on bass. The rest will follow in due time. If you build it they will come.

MUEN: YOU COLLABORATED WITH SOME VERY TALENTED MUSICIANS ON YOUR SONGS INCLUDING A JAZZ TRUMPET PLAYER FROM RUSSIA. HOW WAS THAT ALL POSSIBLE? DID THEY HAPPEN TO BE IN THE AREA WHILE YOU WERE RECORDING?

DOCTOR BIZARRE: No i met these musicians through a website called www.macjams.com. We basically traded files and wrote songs via the internet. It's a new wave of recording and collaborating and I highly recommend it to anyone out there looking for a new experience. It has given me the chance to find truly talented musicans across the globe to work with and I owe them a huge thanks for being a part of this release with me.

MUEN: WHERE DID YOU RECORD YOUR CD, AND WHO WAS YOUR PRODUCER? ALSO DID YOU HAVE SOMEONE HELP YOU WITH MIXING AND PROGRAMMING?

DOCTOR BIZARRE: I recorded my CD in my own studio and the musicians that played on my album recorded in their own studios and sent me their tracks via the internet. I produced the album and for the most part mixed the entire CD. Dave Rockower a talented musician and sound man did a wonderful job with the final mix and mastering of the album. I also photographed and designed the album art work and had a friend, Mark Boyce Art Direct the project.

MUEN: WHERE CAN SOMEONE GO TO PURCHASE YOUR CD "BLASPHEMOUS CACOPHONY"?

DOCTOR BIZARRE: The album can be purchased right on the Doctor Bizarre myspace page through my label The Lost Records. www.myspace.com/doctorbizarre

MUEN: ASIDE FROM BEING A MUSICIAN, WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO? DO YOU HAVE A "DAY JOB"?

DOCTOR BIZARRE: I am a freelance Photographer and Photo Illustrator and also do photography work for a mid sized newspaper. At the moment I am working on publishing a book of my own photography and art work that should be out soon.

MUEN: WHAT ELSE DO YOU ENJOY TO DO? DO YOU HAVE TIME FOR ANYTHING ELSE OR DOES YOUR JOB AND YOUR MUSIC PROJECTS TAKE UP ALL YOUR TIME?

DOCTOR BIZARRE: I teach guitar lessons on a regular basis. I mountian bike and hike in my free time. I tend to a collection of various indoor plants including Bonzai trees and tropical plants. I have a toddler at home so i spend alot of time teaching my son Gavin Miles how to rock out. It's not easy i tell you!

MUEN: SO WHAT'S NEXT FROM DOCTOR BIZARRE? ARE YOU CREATING MORE MUSIC FOR ANOTHER CD? WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2008?

DOCTOR BIZARRE: I am working on shooting a video for the song "Anger and Rampancy" from my new album with the help of a talented artist named Mark Boyce. It's going to be a wild Sci-Fi video and an audio-visual assault on the senses. I also have a bunch of songs and am writing new material for the next release which has no foreseen release date as of yet. The next album will have a sort of concept album feel. That's all I can tell you so far.

MUEN: THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

DOCTOR BIZARRE: Your welcome and hope you enjoy the music. Stay tuned for the new video.

Interview by Lissy MacMillan