In 2006, during a short gap between travels and projects — and shortly before I left for Australia for what would become several years abroad — I had the chance to collaborate as a guest keyboardist with Fire Makers, an independent heavy metal band from Italy.

The contact came through Massimo “Dingo” Candido, who involved me in the recording sessions for material connected to the band’s Metal Empire project. I recorded my keyboard parts at ACME Studios in Abruzzo, near the Sulmona / Raiano area: a compact but serious recording environment that, at the time, gave the session the right balance between underground metal energy and professional studio focus.