The Process Of The Paths … Bandhistory
The story of Process Paths started as a noncommittal jam-session in the early days of September 2005. It was André Spickhoff, drummer of a well-known local metal band named Lynchburg, who asked the neophyte Sidney Koenig for some hell raising jam in the Lynchburg rehearsal room. Sidney, who started playing guitar somewhat more than two years ago and was not involved in any band activities hitherto, jumped at the chance. Together with the former bassist of a Metallica copycat, Theo Touloupis, an old friend and schoolmate of André, they sallied out into their musical inspirations.
The sessions proceeded auspiciously, and after two or three rehearsals Sidney suggested to re-arrange a former Samain song of 1986 named »Another Jawbone Hill«. Albeit ostensibly a rather simple piece and aloof of Sidney's vision of his very own interpretation of Heavy Metal the song revealed a basic deficiency: A singer was needed.

In the beginning of October Sidney called on Peter Miñoza who on the one hand was an experienced vocalist as well known as a great librettist, and on the other hand bothered himself with the recently reunited Samain. Peter joined the trio on October 9th and soon Sidney's musical ideas assumed shape. Nevertheless it was not only Sidney's particular way to play the guitar which from the beginning formed the independent sound and the typical character of the Process Paths music: André committed a keen sense of drum arrangements as well as he participated at the songwriting; Theo supplied the pressure of sounds; and Peter last but not least formed the songs with his distinctive voice and comprehensive lyrics.
After six weeks it was distinguishable they had to found their own band, and on November 25th they officially joined as Process Paths in a small pub named Arte Café (Menden). The year 2006 started with the awareness a second guitarist was necessary. Marcel Levermann, leader and founder of the formation Running Free, offered to take the position. It was a 'guest performance' lately but Marcel featured some important impulses concerning later guitar arrangements which became appellative for the band. When he left at the end of March Process Paths had to fill a gap connotatively.

In this first essential moment of their short being they made a virtue of necessity. Theo Touloupis, the bassist, who as well started to play guitar a couple of years before became the new guitarist, and Jeffrey Koenig, still member of a local punk band called BRDigung, took on the bass. From September 2006 to February 2007 the band played their first gigs successfully. Studio recordings were scheduled for March 2007 but a relocation of their rehearsal room and a pneumonia of their frontman forced the band to desist from their intentions.

The shock indeed afflicted Process Paths on March 10th when Sidney Koenig disclosed to deboard from the group. He who stamped the music and formed most of the innovations of their typical songs seemed to be irreplaceable. The band, for a moment, was at the crossroads and found itself close to disband. Sascha Luig and John Sternberg of Perfect Symmetry recommended to ask Markus Kopetsch who once played together with them at Melodic Crime. And Markus turned out to be the needle in a haystack. A guitar-player of nearly fifteen years experience, he was tarred with the same brush as the guys of Process Paths. After their first session on April 7th he joined the band.

The first demo finally was recorded between 17th and 30th of July 2007. Entitled Caught In The Poet's Word it refers to the song »Nights In Daze« which bases on a poem by Sidney Koenig named »Doubts« (Zweifel). The recording itself was a first try to produce demo-songs in their rehearsal room, and although the quality was good enough for the band's self-control in analysing their material the fact was ocularly that the band has to work in a proper studio soon.
After some successful live-shows in November and December 2007 Process Paths started another recording sessions during January 2008 at Roots Records in Menden. Under guidance of producer and sound-engineer Nils Bonk Process Paths worked out their first EP Seasons Of Glass which includes five songs of their creative period of the years 2006 and 2007.
Source : Peter Minoza