very fulfilling and satisfying to be able to express all of these various emotions within one performance. It's the closest thing to a classical orchestra performance with "edge".

You're a gifted guitarist and an accomplished bassist as well. Which instrument do you find more challenging to play (well) and why?

I have a difficult time convincing people that I am actually a "bass player" as well as a "guitarist" because in many people's eyes for some reason one should not be able to do both well. That's like telling Phil Collins or Prince he shouldn't be able to sing or play piano because he's a drummer, or a guitarist... whatever! I guess it's fair to say I am primarily recognized as a guitarist because that is the role I have played the majority of the time.

For me, the attraction of the instrument has always been coupled with making a musical statement. What the fuck does that mean? you ask. Well, consider the bass as an instrument in a band like Rush, Yes, Tool, etc. The bass becomes the foreground instrument and takes on an "edge" and by and large drives the musical arrangements with interesting

melody, while the guitar challenges the bass's position as "leader" as it were, by contributing equally to these arrangements but on a completely different level... AT THE SAME TIME!

Listen to songs like YYZ, and try and tell me who is having the most fun in the arrangement... Bass... yup. Guitar... yup. Drums... probably, but I'm not that well co-ordinated! I guess it has something to do with a level of ego. I like to play guitar where the guitar is being noticed, and likewise for bass. I don't think I would be content to play a very rudimentary role on either. It would bore me and make me want to do something more exciting like fishing.

The bass for me is simply another way to express myself musically. I actually play bass in a Pink Floyd tribute group from time to time with some excellent players, some of whom have been members of big recording acts (Uriah Heep, David Gilmour solo band, Allanah Myles band etc) and we do this because it's wonderfully enjoyable... and believe me, I don't ever feel the urge to break into "Shy Boy" in the middle of "us and them". And yes, I would feel totally at home playing the David Gilmour role, but in that band I am the "bass player".

I play bass with my fingers, never with a pick, because I find it awkward to express myself correctly in another way on the bass, and the reverse is true for my guitar playing, although I do enjoy messing with "finger style" rock guitar like Jeff Beck, Van Halen, Ritchie Blackmore etc, all of whom play a LOT of stuff without a pick! Further to that, most Classical guitarists would not think of using a pick, and I pretty much suck at that style of guitar.

Overall I guess guitar is more "challenging" to play well, but both allow me different avenues of expression. It is quite evident on the NAIL album, where some songs were written mainly on the bass, ie; "Carpe Diem" or "Fishbowl" but the guitar is equally featured. It' the blend of the two instruments, each battling for it's own little spotlight that creates the dynamic tension in the music and makes the songs imminently more interesting to listen to. The listener is constantly treated to something challenging yet melodic, and ultimately, the songs are a lot of fun to play live…never dull or boring for anyone in the band.

Cindy is an amazing vocalist with a phenomenal range. What is the

reaction from people when they hear her vocals for the first time?

She doesn't sound like anyone else…and that's a good thing I think. We almost never hear "you sound just like…." Instead the reaction is almost immediately to the effect of " wow, she's powerful, etc etc." the range thing escapes a lot of people until they actually get to see her perform live. The highest notes she can hit is separated from the lowest note she can sing comfortably by a full 5 octaves!!!! On record we try not to over-emphasize the acrobatic vocal for fear of treading on the Mariah Cary path, instead the focus is more on the energy of the performance, of which she has plenty!!!

Why do you think that female vocalists in metal are relatively rare?

I think in fact they are not as rare as you might think, although in most cases the groups are of European origin, and in their countries it's almost the norm. In fact the group "Within Temptation" from the Netherlands is the top musical export for their country and just received an award from their chamber of international commerce for album sales. Guess what? They are a