Interview with Cede C. Dupont (guitar) conducted on December 5, 2005.
Written by Alina Michelle.

 PHOTOMISTRESS:  In ONE word, describe each band member, including yourself.

CEDE : Me: great (hehehe), Andy: daddy, Dennis: funny, Markus: reliable, Sascha (left the band a while ago): pussy.

 PM:  It seems that Andy has come into his own on the vocals for "Nowhere".  Do you mind this different approach and are we likely to hear it again in the future?

CD:  You know when I wrote "Nowhere" (the music), it felt just simply great, cause it is something different we haven't done so far. And I think it's also what Andy was looking for quite a while ago. Just the simple way, not many guitar riffs or different parts, just a simple song structure that keeps on being simple. Where people can get related to quickly. It turned out to be something like our hit song live, and yes, I guess we will check out more like that in the future :-)

PM:  Will any of you be doing any guest work or solo stuff while Andy takes time off for the family next year?

CD:  Well Markus is gonna be busy with Mystic Prophecy, and Dennis will be continuing with his other local band Shades of Grey. For me speaking, I guess I'm just starting to jam with a couple of friends here, I think I wanna try some bluesy rock stuff, that's always been a goal to reach for me . I like the style, and probably I'm gonna start something.

PM: How did the guest appearance with the Brazilian band, Sagitta, come about?  Also - when will it be released?

CD:  Actually I have no fucking idea, I mean it's all weird cause, I flew over to record my parts, Andy is still supposed to do it in Germany, but  nobody really seems to care. I even heard that the band got split up and reunited every now and then, hahaha. Well I hope they get it fixed cause it was a cool song I was working on, and I sure as hell wanna hear the final thing sometime SOON! Haha Typical brazilian chaotic thing that is. hehe

PM: How did the band hook up with album artist Travis Smith?

CD:  It was Andy who contacted him, asking if he'd be interested in creating covers and artworks for us, and for our surprise he agreed which is a great thing as we all totally love what Travis has done so far.

PM: Did you and Andy know each other previous to you joining the band?

CD:  NO, we got to know each other more and more when I JOINED the band, hehe. I got to know Symphorce through an internet ad.

PM:  In a hundred years, when you're dead, would you rather be hatefully remembered or totally forgotten?

CD:  None of both, people would always remember me as a good person, cause I saved the whole fucking planet from war with my love songs, HHAHAHAHA.

PM:  Did you use an actual dobro at the beginning on "The Mirrored Room" or is it a guitar effect with a slide?

CD:  I played it on a normal 6-string electric guitar, using a slide. I really like that stuff. I told you before, I'm really looking forward to something more of that shit with a blues project or so. The thing in The Mirrored Room on the other hand just happened because of some silliness within the band. I was just jamming on that thing while we were having some small party at Markus' place, and they all said I should do a song out of it.

PM: Is "Without A Trace" about being a suicide terrorist?  If not, what is it about?

CD:  To be honest, I don't really know, I never took a look the lyrics carefully. LOL, I'm more focused on the music-side and I don't really give a thing for the lyrics - I'm sorry, haha.  Since Andy writes the lyrics maybe he can answer that better the next time.  ;-)

PM:  Do you find it difficult at times to produce your own albums?  Do you find that you have more or less the same vision as the rest of the guys or do you each contribute different views?

CD:  Hmmm, of course everybody has an own view on everything, but I think the reason why Symphorce sounds like Symphorce is because it is a combination of everybody's views. In a band you have to make compromises and in the end, as long as everybody is happy with it, you reached your goal.

PM:  Are you frustrated that the band only really gets a chance to tour Europe and not do much of anything in the Americas or Japan?

CD:  Well, we'd like to play everywhere possible. Sure as hell!!  We're waiting, but as long as we can't, we're just gonna continue [to] write more songs and do more albums.

PM:  Did your experience at ProgPower USA in September differ from what you expected?  Was it the first time you've visited the States?

CD:  Yeah it's been the first time we headed to the States, and our experience was FAR BEYOND anything we expected. It's been a fucking blast, and everybody is still kinda excited when we're talking about it. The great thing was, that it's been in the middle of our European tour and we felt so damn important to tell the other touring bands: "Sorry, guys, see ya in a couple of days, we gotta catch our flight to the States", muaahahahahahah!

PM:  What music did you listen to growing up?

CD:  Lots of Guns N Roses, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and Mr. Big. It's been more the hardrock thing, but I also loved (still love actually) bands like U2, Roxette and so on.

PM:  Andy's buddy John in Chicago, AKA Mr. Guarantee, would like to know what he has to do for you to perform "Eyes of Horus" live?

CD:  Well if Mr. Guarantee will guarantee us some beers (with guaranteed final drunkeness) then we can guarantee a guaranteed rocking version of "Eyes of Horus". That surely is a GUARANTEE, hahahahahaha!

Official Website:  www.symphorce.net
Official Myspace Page:  www.myspace.com/symphorcepower