It has been a few years since the last SpiralArms album, as the members were busy with other projects. Their sophomore album is Freedom. Guitarist Craig Locicero (Forbidden) fills us in on what SpiralArms are up to these days.

Chad Bowar: Give us a brief history of SpiralArms.

Craig Locicero: Tim (Narducci) and I started SpiralArms when we both ended our previous bands, Systematic and Manmade God. We took things very slowly at the beginning because of our major label experiences were so mixed and we felt a little bit hurt by them.


There were different members in the very beginning. It was 3/4 Manmade God and Tim. After a few years, a Forbidden reunion, White Witch Canyon (Tim and Cornbread's other band) record and tour and SpiralArms first record...here we are.

How did the songwriting and recording process for Freedom compare to your debut?

When we started it was mostly my music and Tim's lyrics and melodies. After a little bit we wrote everything together working closely. On this record, I was on tour with Forbidden when Tim started writing. He had a clear vision of what he was looking for. Once I returned and we started working on it together it was clear to me that he was in a great space. These songs were concise and I immediately loved the direction. So I added my ideas and what I do, which is big part of the SpiralArms sound...and the rest was easy! Everybody really stepped up and played at the top of their game. 

How has the band's sound evolved/progressed on this one?

It's a more confident bunch then before.

The lack of second guessing and overall understanding of who we are lends itself to the final product. We may have been a pretty cool band before, but now we are a force! 

Is there a unifying lyrical theme to the album?

Lyrically, this record is very personal to Tim. He came from a real place. His experiences and points of view. In the past with Forbidden, I wrote a great portion of the lyrics. That's cool, but there may be be a disconnect that gets lost in translation. That doesn't happen when your singer conveys his thoughts. Most of the songs are pretty heavy lyrically and also ambiguous enough that I should probably let the listener figure it out for themselves.

What has the early response to the album been like?

It has been great! Better then I expected thus far. Not to say I really thought anything other then it's a tough business and you never know. It certainly is nice to see people connecting to the songs this early. There are a lot more levels of emotion then most rock records today. It seems like the listeners are relating to and appreciating the effort. 

How did you come to sign with SPV/Steamhammer?

SPV/Steamhammer were one of the few labels that jumped in and stayed in the game. If you ask me, we all got lucky! They didn't have to shell out much up front money because the record was finished when they heard it. And that's good for everyone, because the money can now be spent in the right places. I can tell you that they are very overwhelmed by the reactions. It's highly motivating for them to see how much people seem to love the record. 

You did a video for "Dropping Like Flies." Have you done any others for the album?

“Dropping Like Flies” was done over a year ago when we didn't have a home yet. It was a calculated risk that payed off. The sample size of the response was fantastic. We're going to cut videos for “Drugs & Alcohol” and “Exit 63” in October. That will assure a steady stream of growth for the next few months after. There are a lot of songs that would be great for videos. However, with today's marketplace for that medium, they mostly get seen on YouTube. So it's wise to spent the money correctly. 

What are your upcoming tour plans?

We are getting a lot of offers for Europe already. We have some big plans for the States into next year. Nothing I can announce here, but there is a demand. So we will supply.

What has been your most memorable SpiralArms live show?

There have been a few. One that comes to mind is when Graspop in Belgium flew us out in 2007. Even there at that early stage we got a great reaction. We can't wait to get back to Europe again. 

Will there be another Demonica album?

I hope so. But there is no hurry. Hank Shermann is busy making a solo record and I will hopefully be working with SpiralArms a lot over the next couple of years. I really want to exercise that metal part of my brain someday, just not today. 

What was the response to Forbidden's comeback album Omega Wave?

Omega Wave was really loved! It was in a lot of top 10 lists for 2010-11. Unfortunately the other original members didn't have the same passion as myself and the new guys. That was a shame, because we could have kept building the band up over time. But I must admit they did me a favor. I wanted SpiralArms to be my main thing before Forbidden relaunched. My focus is where my heart is. We gave it a go and that's pretty cool. 

What's the status of the band?

There really is no status for Forbidden anymore. We are most likely done. I am not the kind of person that would hire another singer. Forbidden was Russ and myself at the center. No other substitutions would be OK. 

What's currently in heavy rotation in your MP3 player?

Today it's Radiohead - Hail to the Thief, Carcass - Surgical Steel, Spiritual Beggars - Earth Blues, Clutch - Earth Rocker, The Beatles - Abbey Road and QOTSA - Like Clockwork.

Anything else you'd like to mention or promote?

What I am most excited about is connecting with people all across the world live. As we continue to grow, this experience will be relished maybe more then ever before by all the guys in the band. I love the fact that we are a "new" band to most folks. It even seems new to me at this point. See you all on the road!