Interview by: Beppe "HM" Diana
Hi Giannis and welcome to our pages, so your first official release as Arysitian Blade was releashed few months ago, I noticed that the enthusiasm surrounding the release of the band has contaminated the underground crowd, how do you explain all this affection?
Thank you Beppe, glad to be here. I certainly wasn't expecting this endeavor to affect people as strongly as it did, and most of the time I am at a loss for words, but if I could hazard a guess, I would say that "Tsamis inspired" bands are really rare, especially taking into account how beloved Warlord/Lordian Guard are in the "true metal" underground circles. The other reason might be that the whole package is quite a bit "out of the ordinary" compared to how most epic metal sounds these days. So some people might be drawn to this "weirdness". Either way, I am grateful.
So can we say that Arysithian Blade is your personal project, or a band with its own artistic identity? No, because looking at the lineup, I get the impression that the other two musicians involved are more than simple sparring partners, right?
Arysithian Blade started as a two-man collaboration between friends (Chris and I) , after long talks we used to have about our favorite music. We have been pushing ideas back and forth for quite some time, in many musical styles, but then one day I sent him what was to become the "iriath" title track, to which he sent me some vocals back and then we KNEW instantly that something "special" was there and that we should pursue some more songs in this particular style. We didn't have any plans to release an album at that time. This came later, when Kostas Athanasoglou, the owner of Steel Gallery records heard some demos and insisted this material should be released officially. Then along came Petros Vasiliadis which is my long-time friend (and Protean Shield bandmate) to grace us with his bass playing, and even wrote the acoustic track of the album!
Speaking about your style, how did your atmospheric and elegant musical approach emerge, compared to what's more commonly offered by the classic's metal scene today? Is it simply your musical background, or is it a combination of a desire to do something like US epic metal style?
I'll be blunt here, the thing that creates this atmosphere and elegance is the love we have for the late 60s and 70s greek "artsy" music. Namely the "νέο κύμα" (new wave) and "έντεχνο" (artful) genres. Think Manos Hadjidakis and the likes. Both Chris and I are profoundly influenced by this music. I grew up on this stuff and it is both engraved in my DNA as well as a trigger for my nostalgia. Of course, the elephant in the room is the Warlord/Lordian Guard influences, but I am pretty much sure that Tsamis had the same musical DNA as well, given his Greek roots.
Even the spectacular logo and the album's cover seem to transcend from the early 80s, it seems that Arysithian Blade had landed in the present directly from 1986. Should we consider you time travelers or what?
Haha, the logo was designed by Harris Staboulidis who is the singer in my other band, Protean Shield. We knew we wanted a sword running through the letters, and little else. He delivered on his first try! To answer the broader question, I consider myself more of a " 90s European-metal" child, but I sure love the music of the 80s as well! I think that your music can be compared with the sound spread by Medieval Steel, Warlord, Adramelch but also Lordian Guard especially because you use a drums programming, do you agree with me? As I mentioned earlier, over our musical talks, the music of Tsamis as well as greek music came up a lot of the time. It is something unique that raises deep emotions in both of us. Same goes for Adramelch. I know that Chris is a die-hard fan of the first album and it's "surreal obscurity" while I love "broken history" and its sublime melodicism a bit more. The programmed drums, while they originated in practical limitations (this was a two-man project at the beginning), were left in, as a nod to Lordian Guard, which is (for me) the best thing Tsamis ever did. If programmed drums were good enough for THAT album, they were surely good enough for us.
Chris, since you are member of other amazing bands in the Athen's scene, what do you think you brought from your personal background to this new band? What truly differentiated this album from previous official releases where you were involved? Perhaps it was the experience you've had over the years, a different approach to songwriting, or something else?
I have been into many bands for the past 30 years, bands from various places, been also involved into many studio projects as well. I do not live in Athens city but on a Greek island called Syros, the capital of Cyclades islands. What I brought to Arysithian Blade was love for music. The Arysithian Blade journey brought me into a wonderful creative mood thanks to the musical connection I have with Giannis. I would not compare Arys with any other band / project that I have been involved at, each one is a different spiritual child, and a father loves all its children. I simply can point that I gave to the Blade the best I got in all levels.
Giannis as I said in my review, you've created a moniker and an iconographic style that can't go unnoticed. This, combined with Chris's amazing interpretation and his theatrical way of singing, are the elements that are allowing the album to gain more and more followers. Do you agree?
I sure hope so! Like I said earlier, this particular style of music/songwriting really comes as a second nature to us although I am aware that it might sound a bit outlandish, especially to non-Greeks. You can say that this is our "personal voice" . And personal voices is the most important thing in an oversaturated genre, I think.
Chris the instrumental parts and the vocals were recorded in two different studios, why did you choose this solution? If I’m not wrong Dimitris Kontizas by JK's Studio was also involved in Afterimage records session, right?
There was not a choice in this situation (laughs). The studio of Dimitris Kontizas is the only one existing on my hometown Hermoupolis -Syros island-. Actually, Dimitris DEVELOPED a professional recording setup on a spare space, just to give me the facility to record the Afterimage and Arysithian Blade albums.
Did you begin the recording sessions with a clear idea of how the songs would turn out, or did any of them undergo small adjustments during the final stages? What were the difficulties you faced in the immediate aftermath of making an album as objectively ambitious as yours?
No, the final shape of the songs is pretty identical to the original preproduction demos. In fact, the guitar tracks, the keys and the programming ARE the actual preproduction tracks. Vocals and bass were recorded anew. After finishing the album, I had reasonable doubts that I would have anything more to "say" in this style, but fortunately the creative juices started flowing again almost immediately!
Ok, I understand, in your opinion does the first official step faithfully represent the definitive approach of the band, or should we expect substantial stylistic changes in a hypothetical next work in the future?
At this time of writing, 5 new songs are already written and almost finished. I would say that the style is the same but more refined, more elaborate instrumentally, more Greek-sounding, and maybe with a small dose of Prog Rock thrown in as well just to spice things up. Of course, we both love prog rock!
Chris, I believe that dealing with history every day, being able to touch and see valuable artifacts from an important city like Athens, inspires your way of composing music, but, concerning the lyrics themes? I think we are in manage of a concept's album, can you explain something more about? Name as Iriath, Nimir, Eneir, are inspired by your fantasy?
I live in Hermoupolis, a city with rich historical and cultural background. It's a beautiful place but I do not think it has inspired me in any way on my composing and writing, perhaps some walks I do, in specific places would generate a specific positive energy that would drive me into creative mood and well that is all. As far as the lyrics of the album: I cannot say that "Iriath" is a concept album but it is based on a fantasy lore that I have been carrying inside my head since my very young -teens age. Everything comes from there.
What does it mean for you in 2025 to continue a musical discourse, one that now moves within an increasingly limited circle of supporters and which, often, seems to be snubbed even by certain so-called "specialist press"?
We really couldn't care less! We just make the music we would LOVE to hear, but doesn't exist out there. So we make it ourselves. If it so happens that it reaches 50-100-200 more people and they like it, then, all the better.
Yet despite everything, the movement dubbed the new wave of traditional heavy metal seems truly unstoppable. What makes the Athens/Attica area so special since many great bands come from that latitude?
Greece, has always been one of the strongholds of "true/traditional" metal, I guess. Even during the "grey years" of the 00s, there has always been a strong core of fans/musicians who never left. But this nwothm resurgence must have given a lot of people the inspiration to go back to their roots and fall in love with the music from their early years all over again, as well as inspired quite a few young people to play in the style of their "parents" so to speak. But I would have to disagree with you unfortunately about nwothm being "unstoppable". I find that the genre has stagnated mostly these past few years. Of course there are exceptions that still make it worthwhile, but as a whole I find that too many bands just mimic one another with very little ambition and that "personal voice" we talked about earlier.
I think about band as yours, Passage or Battle Symphony... The Hard 'n Heavy scene has changed considerably compared to many years ago, in your opinion how do you think your way of relating to the music conceived and played has evolved?
The internet changed everything. Everything you could ever want in music is a few clicks away from you and if you so desire you can reach to the furthest depths of the underground in a matter of minutes! This was certainly NOT the case when we were growing up. On the OTHER hand, the sheer number of releases has made it extremely difficult to find an album that resonates and stick with it for countless listens, as you are constantly in a "rat race of checking new things out" all the time. It is a double-edged sword for sure, but I think I prefer the current situation slightly. I just don’t bother with albums/bands that don't have interesting guitar work to save me some time. :D
There are any plans for live shows to promote the album?
As a matter of fact, a few days ago we got scheduled to play the GRF festival in Volos, Greece the following July. Most of the musicians will be members of Chris's main band Afterimage. It should be fun, if everything goes as planned. But in general, we don't see ourselves as a live band really. Maybe we'll do it from time to time, we'll have to see about that. No need to promote anything to be honest as we are not trying to "make it" in the scene. The music is there online...whoever searches, finds it. Like you for example!
Before the end, what is the situation inside Westfall i can wait the successor of Self Exile for the next year?
I played with Wastefall for a couple of years around 2015. We did some jams, some songwriting together and one gig if I remember correctly. Then the band kind of dissolved quietly. I see that nowadays Daniel has reformed Wastefall with some new members maybe? I am not part of that team. Metallum has it wrong. The only active band I have is Protean Shield and this here project.
Ok my friend, this is the end, you can finish this interview as you like.
Thank you for taking an interest in us and our music Beppe. And thank you for your kind words in your review! Until next time!
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