Canadian Musician - May / June 2020 | Page 56

A SOLID HOME RECORDING SET-UP FOR SESSION GUITARISTS It used to be that, as a session guitar player, you would need lots of different amps, cabs, and pedals to assimilate into various playing styles and scenarios. These days, though, as nice as it might be to have those tools at your disposal, they’re no longer vital to your success. B.C.-based guitarist Paul Kinman has been doing a lot of studio work remotely of late, playing on demos, soundtracks, and songs for artists both big and small. Drawing on his experience, Paul walks you through everything you need for a basic home recording set-up to get on your way with remote session work. Check it out in this issue’s Guitar Column on Pg. 25. Every good Canadian rock fan misses Rush. Their retirement left a gaping hole in the CanCon canon – one that now seems destined to be there forever due to the tragic passing of Neil Peart. Luckily, the band has left sonic spawn to carry on their legacy, and one needn’t look any further than Pyramid Theorem for evidence. The quartet owe an obvious debt to Canada’s most famous trio, mixing tricky time signatures with a pop sensibility that keeps them from veering into self-indulgent wankery. They’re the kind of band that appreciates a challenging riff, so long as it doesn’t get in the way of the song. Guitarist Sam Ermellini doesn’t shy away from comparisons to Rush. His band’s adoration for them is what led them to work with producer/engineer Rich Chycki on their upcoming album, Beyond the Exosphere. “This was our first time working with a producer. He’s worked for big A-listers like Rush, Dream Theater, Aerosmith…” says Ermellini. “Obviously we wanted to work with him. It’s a big opportunity for us. His style and approach are very professional, so the idea of having him onboard gave us a bit of a new direction, which we really needed.” Not that Pyramid Theorem is a Rush ripoff. They draw inspiration from other hard-rocking forebears. “I adore Van Halen and Ozzy Osbourne. I just want to write riffs that are as good as those. When I hear ‘Crazy Train,’ I gotta match that. I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily trying to write something totally wonky or whacky or whatever; it’s whatever feels right.” One thing separating Pyramid Theorem from all those bands is the presence of two guitarists, as vocalist Stephan Di Mambro pulls triple duty by singing and playing guitars and keyboards. “Stephan is a great musician. When it calls for a second guitar, we’ll use it, but most of the time, it’s just keys. We seem to make it work.” The band did two weeks of pre-production with Chycki and, defying the stereotype of the producer pushing for a big pop hit, he helped the band reach new levels of prog. “He pushed me to do things I wouldn’t normally do. His whole approach is, ‘That can be better.’ Especially with me [and our] drummer, he said ‘You gotta nail it down.’ Just having his approach on the material was good because he suggested things like time signatures I wouldn’t do.” If the band does venture into some esoteric territory musically, gear-wise, Ermellini is strictly meat-and-potatoes, typically opting for an EVH 5150 amp head, a few basic pedals like chorus, distortion, and wah, and, being the classic rock aficionado that he is, a Gibson Les Paul. “That’s the best. It’s just my rock influence,” he says. “I love Randy Rhoads and Zakk Wylde and Jimmy Page. Seeing those guys with the guitar… It’s so iconic, that instrument. I had to have one.” Adam Kovac is a freelance journalist based out of Montreal. 56 CANADIAN MUSICIAN