Great news for all the fans of the power/prog sound of the 90’s, as Image Beyond releases for the first time its brilliant 3-track demo while adding more songs from that period thus making “Reflection in Time” a most fulfilling compilation. At the same time, the band is composing new material for a brand new album. Great times or what! We get in touch with Steve Zimmerman and Tommy Blardo to get all the details and we urgently suggest you to check out and buy “Reflection in Time”. You won’t be disappointed…
Interview: Sakis Nikas
Rockpages.gr: At long last! That’s the phrase that sums up the feelings of all the fans of your 3-track demo that was recorded back in 1996 and it became something of a legend in the underground circuit. Tell us how did this official release happen after all these years?
Steve Zimmerman: Actually it was supposed to come out 30 years ago, when Oliver Weinsheimer contacted me way back in 1996 after we had released a demo of Image Beyond. Then in 2016 when I traveled to Germany to play the Keep It True Fest reunion show of Fates Warning, for “Awaken the Guardian” I met Oliver in person. After that show, Oliver contacted me once again and said “Let’s do the release of those tracks now”. I agreed and so here we are. We compiled everything we could find we ever recorded and he was very excited to hear the unreleased music.
Rockpages.gr: Would you like to tell us what does “Reflection in Time” include apart from those 3 tracks that were previously available even in a demo form?
Steve Zimmerman: That’s just what this is, a “Reflection in Time” of the progression of Image Beyond. It contains two tracks that were recorded some time after the first demo: “Foreshadowed Dreams”, and “Mechanism”. In addition, a live show recorded in 1995 at the “Sting” in New Britain, CT. With three other unheard songs on the live recording, “Descent” “Escape” and “Interface” and a couple of songs or ideas recorded at our practice room:”Majestic Visions”and “Dare to Dream”.
Rockpages.gr: Take us back in time in the mid-90s. How did the band start?
Steve Zimmerman & Tommy Blardo: I was in a project called “Eleventh Hour” but I wasn’t happy with the direction so I contacted Tommy Blardo who was playing in a band called “Moltens Lore” with my brother Kevin. When Kevin moved on to other things, Tommy and I started working on new material, which was the birth of Image Beyond. We worked tirelessly writing these songs, listening to them over and over.
Rockpages.gr: Who had the idea of the name Image Beyond?
Steve Zimmerman & Tommy Blardo: We all came up with it together, at the time we felt it fit the band.
Rockpages.gr: One of the most striking features of the whole album -apart from the extraordinary music, of course- is the album cover sleeve created by Ioannis. Is it an old artwork of his and have you decided to work with him due to the overall Fates Warning connection?
Steve Zimmerman: Yes, it was some old artwork from around the time of “The Spectre Within” but we thought that it was appropriate for the times and the style of music. He absolutely nailed it.
Rockpages.gr: Speaking of Fates Warning, can you tell us if Jim and the rest of the guys had heard the material back in the day and if yes, what did they think about it?
Steve Zimmerman: Honestly, I don’t recall if they had heard it, but I Think Vic Arduini has one of the demos.
Rockpages.gr: You had done some shows in Connecticut but nothing came out of it. Was there any interest in the band from a record label? For instance Metal Blade; the home of Fates Warning back then…?
Steve Zimmerman & Tommy Blardo: We sent out both demos to a lot of places. There was not much interest from any labels. At the time Metal Blade didn’t think it was a good idea to be on the same label as Fates Warning.
Rockpages.gr: When did the band break up?
Steve Zimmerman & Tommy Blardo: Actually Tommy and I have been playing together on and off for many years,in many groups, but I will say 1997. Back then it all fell apart, Everyone was quite discouraged and that probably was the beginning of the end!
Rockpages.gr: I know for a fact that you are working on new material. Shall we expect it within 2024/25 and will it be in the same vein of the power/prog style of “Reflection in Time”?
Steve Zimmerman & Tommy Blardo: We are working on some new material and I do believe it is in the same vein as “Reflection in Time”,…but you’ll have to wait and see! It will be out very soon!
Rockpages.gr: Last but certainly not least; after all these years, would you change anything regarding Image Beyond? Would you have done something differently that would alter the course of things for the better?
Steve Zimmerman & Tommy Blardo: Yes, we would have loved to have been doing this thirty years ago! I’m really not too sure what we could have done, but I’m excited people seem to be liking it now! We’re excited about this album and are practicing to hopefully get out overseas to do some festivals, so…spread the word!
