VARATHRON (Eng.)
– Hi, thanks for your time. What are you currently up to? How is everything doing right now with VARATHRON?
HAIL MY FRIEND! AT LAST VARATHRON WE’LL WAITING OUR NEW OPUS, AN AMAZING RELEASE, PRAISE TO DARKNESS!!! WE’RE SO SATISFIED WITH THAT RELEASE AND WE’RE WAITING IT TO SEE WITH OUR EYES, ESPECIALLY THE VINYL!!!! –I’M A PURE VINYL-MANIAC, MAN!!!! I THINK AND I BELIEVE IT, AGONIA RECORDS HE MAKES SO AWESOME WORK FOR US!!!!
– First off, you are a band that has existed for over two decades, but you have just released 5 studio albums. Are you a band that takes things slowly or are your other projects what makes you take your time between albums?
WELL, WE HAVE RELEASED 6 FULL ALBUMS. THE BASIC REASON FOR OUR “DELAY” WAS THE BAD LUCK WHO “STRIKES” ALWAYS!!! FROM THE BEGINNING OF VARATHRON
WE HAD A PROBLEM WITH A MEMBERS WHO LEFT THE BAND FOR OBLIGATORY ARMY SERVICE, LABELS WHO NEVER MAKES THEIR PROMISES AND –AFTER THE 2000- A DAMNED DISTANCE BETWEEN ATHENS AND MY HOMETOWN, IOANNINA-IT’S 455 Khm!!!!!!
SO, THAT GREAT “MIX” WAS THE “PYRAMID” OF ALL OUR TROUBLES AND THE DELAY!!!!
AFTER THE YEAR 2000, I START TO LOOK FOR MEMBERS HER IN MY TOWN. SO, I WAS SO LUCKY BECAUSE I FOUND AN AMAZING GUITARIST- ACHILLEAS AND THE FUCKING MAD DRUMMER WHO KILLS, HARIS! WAS SO YOUNGER MUSICIANS BUT SO FAITHFUL TO VARATHRON. THE FIRST RESULTS START WITH “CROWREIGN” ALBUM AND THE TOTAL GREAT RESULTS WITH THE PURE OPUS “UNTRODDEN CORRIDORS OF HADES”!
NOW WE’RE SO STRONGER, WE’RE CREATE OBSCURE UNHOLY PSALMS, ETERNAL!
OFCOURSE WE’RE HAVE OUR PERSONAL LIVES AND WE’LL TRYING TO CREATE TOTAL EVIL PSALMS BEYOND ANY CORRECT TIME WHO ORDERED BY A LABEL. FOR ME, I LIKE TO HAVE AN AMAZING ALBUM EVERY 4-5 YEARS THAN SOME SIMPLE ALBUMS EVERY 2 YEARS! THAT’S MY OPINION!
– You have just unleashed your latest album, entitled «Untrodden Corridors of Hades». What are your expectations on it?
OUR NEW ALBUM IS SO DARK, APOCRYPHAL ABYSMAL SONGS WITH A GREAT SOUND WHO KILLS! OUR LABEL-AGONIA RECORDS- IT MAKES SO GREAT WORK AND I THINK THAT WORK WILL BE MAKE US STRONGER AND IMMORTAL! THE ONLY WHO I WANT IS THAT: WE’RE CREATE EVIL MUSIC FOR OUR FRIENDS-FANS AROUND THE WORLD, BECAUSE WE’RE RESPECT THEM!!! THIS IS MY PURE LUST!!!
– The best thing about VARATHRON is that your music never changes, but you know how to create brilliant compositions and keeping the same good old evil essence. Is something easy to remain loyal to trademarks without copying yourself?
IT’S NOT EASY BUT WE WANT TO REMAIN VARATHRON. THE BAND REMAINS SO STRONG WITH OUR OWN STYLE FROM 1988 UNTIL NOW!!! SO, IN THAT TIME THE BASIC REASON ARE THE NEW MEMBERS WHO HAVE SO “FRESH” AND SO “OLD” IDEAS AND FROM THAT GREAT MIX REBORN ALL THESE PERFECT RESULTS!!! RULES!!!!!!!!!
– This being said, how do you think has the band evolved since your previous album, «Stygian Forces of Scorn», came out?
OUR PREVIOUS ALBUM “STYGIAN FORCES OF SCORN” WAS SO GREAT ALBUM. THE ONLY “NEGATIVE’ POINT ON THAT ALBUM, WAS THE PRODUCTION, WHO WAS MADE BY A FRIEND WITH NOT SO “BIG EXPERIENCE” ON STUDIO RECORDINGS. AFTER THE YEAR 2009, WE START TO CREATE RIFFS AND FINAL COMPLETELY SONGS FOR THE NEW ALBUM. WE’RE RECORDED IT ON A SUCH GREAT STUDIOS HERE IN OUR HOMETOWN. THE INFINITE LOOP MUSIC STUDIOS ARE SO GREAT AND OUR BEST FRIEND KOSTAS- -SOUND ENGINEER AND OWNER OF THE STUDIOS—HE MAKES SO AMAZING WORK FOR US. THE RECORDINGS AND THE MIXING WAS SO PERFECT, WE HAVE THE FINAL RESULT WHO WE IMAGINE IN THE BEGINNING OF OUR WORK! TOTAL PERFECT!!!!!!
– Digging deeper into this opus, I would like you to comment about the main ideas on the album and where do you draw inspiration from to write the lyrics.
THE MAIN IDEAS ON THE ALBUM- THE SAME ON ALL THE RELEASES OF VARATHRON- ARE: APORCYPHAL RELIGIONS AND UNHOLY MASSES, BATTLES AND WAR, PAIN AND LUST, STRANGER WORLDS AND BIZARRE DIMENSIONS, ASTRAL TRIPS AND JOURNEY BEYOND THE DEATH! MY INSPIRATION COMES FROM DARK BOOKS, FALLEN THOUGHTS FROM NIGHTMARES. I HAVE ANY INSPIRATION FROM EVERYTHING EVIL, OBSCURE AND ABYSMAL SPIRIT INTO OUR WORLD.
– And what did you want to depict with the cover artwork? It’s been created by a respected artist into the field, Mark Riddick.
WELL, MY GREAT FRIEND MARK RIDDICK HE MAKES OUR COVER SO BRILLIANT AND PERFECT!!! HE LISTEN OUR NEW TRACKS AND AFTER THAT HE MAKES THAT DEEPEST DARK COVER. THAT COVER IS SO SIMILAR TO OUR MUSIC WHO COMES FROM “UNTRODDEN CORRIDORS OF HADES”. I THINK IS A “MIRROR” OF THE PURE OCCULT PSALMS OF OUR NEW ALBUM!!! TOTAL RULES!!!!!
– For this album you’ve got a new bass player, Stratos Kountouras; what has he brought to VARATHRON?
MY FRIEND STRATOS, HE’S OUR NEW BASS PLAYER-HE’S SO GREAT PLAYER- AND HE’S A BASIC MEMBER OF VARATHRON FROM OUR LAST RELEASE, THE 3-WAY CD WITH THORNSPAWN AND BLACK ALTAR. SO, THE BASS IS SO AGGRESSIVE AND SO BRUTAL IN OUR NEW ALBUM AND I WANT IT TOTALLY!
– You’ve got a great production by George Zachraropoulos which maintins the essence of VARATHRON yet sounding updated. Are you satisfied with the result obtained?
SORRY THE NEW PRODUCER HE’S KOSTAS KALAMPOKAS AND HE’S AN OWNER OF INFINITE LOOP MUSIC STUDIOS HERE IN MY HOMETOWN, IOANNINA. HE MAKES SO AMAZING WORK AND WITH THE GREAT MASTERING OF TOMAS-IN STRYPE STUDIOS (NORWAY)- THE RESULTS WAS SO AWESOME!!!
GEORGE, HE’S A BROTHER OF MINE- NECROMANTIA RULES!!!- BUT THE LAST PRODUCTION WHO HE MAKES FOR VARATHRON WAS OUR ALBUM “WALPURGISNACHT”.
– All this about «Untrodden Corridors of Hades» being said; how could you describe it in just 3 words?
OUR NEW ALBUM IS A PURE-APOCRYPHAL- HYMN TO THE DARK LORDS!!!! ETERNAL!!!!
– As I said earlier, you’ve been around for over 25 years now. What could you say have been both the best and worst moments for the band thus far?
YES, A LOT OF YEARS MY FRIEND. WELL, ALL OF THESE YEARS I HAD A LOT OF GREAT MOMENTS- OUR RECORDINGS, OUR REHEARSALS, OUR RELEASES AND THE LIVE-SHOWS WHO MADE. OFCOURSE OUR LIFE HAVE TWO OPTIONS. THE BAD MOMENTS WAS THE TROUBLES
WITH MEMBERS- A LOT OF CHANGES FOR PERSONAL PROBLEMS-, THE “HUNTING” FOR A GOOD LABEL -WHO YOU DON’T RIP-OF YOU AND WHO HE MAKES A GOOD PROMOTION –. BUT ALWAYS THE GOOD MEMORIES ARE REMAINS AND THAT GIVES YOU A GREAT HAPPINESS!!!!
– You are hailing from Greece, a country with several and well-known Metal bands into different subgenres but, what not so well-known Greek band could you suggest?
MY COUNTRY HAVE A GREAT METAL SCENE ON CLASSIC HEAVY METAL, PROGRESSIVE METAL, DEATH AND BLACK METAL. SO, SOME NEW BANDS WHO HAVE A GOOD INTERESTING ARE: SWAMP AND AENAON. ARE LOCAL BANDS FROM MY HOMETOWN AND THEY HAVE FUTURE!
– As other Mediterranean countries, Greece is facing a huge financial crisis so, is it easy in your country to release extreme Metal albums? And what about live shows? At least in Spain the financial crisis has affected music a lot.
I THINK THE DAMNED CRISIS IS NOT A “STOP” FOR GOOD RELEASES AND IS A BASIC REASON FOR GREAT CREATIONS. OFCOURSE THE FANS ARE NOT SO REACH TO SPREADING THEIR MONEY TO ANY METAL RELEASE. SO, THE GOOD RELEASE IS ALWAYS ACCEPTABLE AND PEOPLE THEY SUPPORT IT!!!
ABOUT THE LIVE SHOWS, AFTER SO MANY PROPOSALS – FROM FANATIC FANS AND FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD- VARATHRON START TO PLAY LIVE! FIRST SHOW IN 18 OCTOBER IN THESSALONICA-GREECE- AND THEN 9 NOVEMBER ON NWN FEST IN BERLIN!!! AFTER THAT WE’LL PLAY SOME MORE SHOWS SOON! IT’S TIME TO UNLEASH THE BEAST!!!!
– And finally, what are your near-future plans?
AS I SAID TO YOU, WE’RE WAITING THE RELEASE OF OUR NEW ALBUM FROM AGONIA RECORDS AND WE’LL PLAY SOME LIVE SHOWS FOR OUR FANS-FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD. TOTAL RESPECT TO THEM!!!
– That’s all, thank you once more for answering our questions. If you want to add some final words; feel free to do it.
THANX SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT,TOO. I SALUTE ALL OUR BLACKSOUL BROTHERS IN SPAIN. EMBRACE THE BLACK FLAME AND WATCH OUR FOR YOUR NEW INVASION!!!
FOLLOW THE CORRIDORS OF HADES, THE TIME IS COME!!!!!!
STEFAN NECROABYSSIOUS
