Erevos (Greece)

Erevos (Greece) In this interview the band explains a bit about their album “Descensus Ad Inferos,” a well-rounded black metal album that incorporates death metal and symphonic elements. Basically, it’s about grimness and brutality and majesty all wrapped in one, in varying degrees…and it’s so easy to enjoy!! Immediate impact. In Growler’s view, the life of a black metal band under less than ideal circumstances requires a particular stubbornness. However, Erevos makes the most out of what they have, and you only have to hear “Descensus Ad Inferos” to appreciate their work in the name of metal. Erevos is no band of amateurs. Their album has songs that bring together a lot under black metal. There’s no way to do all that without the benefit of experience and knowledge.

-- “Descensus Ad Inferos” is actually your first album, correct? But the band has other recordings, even from 2005, your demo “Burning Souls.” Your album “Descensus Ad Inferos” is definitely a black metal attack. What is the situation for the band in Greece now?

Hello! Thank you for the interview! “Descensus Ad Inferos” is indeed the first album of Erevos. We also have 2 other demo releases, 1 split, 1 compilation and the EP “Adou Katavasis”. Right now, we are preparing for another split release with a band from Sweden (we will announce the band soon). Everybody in the band is ok, but the economic situation in Greece is awful!

You are based in Thessaloniki? Is there a good metal scene for playing shows there?

Yes, we are from Thessaloniki. The scene is great! We have many good bands especially in death and thrash metal fields. Unfortunately, there aren’t many options to choose a live stage to perform here. Also the promotion is poor in general in Greece. We have played many times in Athens and out from our town. Also we have performed in Bulgaria and France so far.

Erevos is black metal, but there are also death metal vocals and that adds a cool variety. Is Growler doing the low, gruff death metal vocals, too? Do you have any computer programs for the vocals, like during the chorus? Is it totally natural, without changing the vocals with a program?

Yes, Growler performs every type of vocals and he doesn’t use any kind of programs for the voice. The vocals are completely natural. Only in ‘Possessed by the Moon’, Dan Swano added some kind of effect in the song’s part.

“Possessed by the Moon (of the Underworld)” shows the symphonic side of Erevos, as well as the blasting speed and both black and death metal vocals. This is one of your older songs. How has the song changed from the early days? It sounds good!

Thank you! The song was first recorded back in 2006 and has been added on “Mythological Evil” demo. The production and the performance weren’t so clean and well presented. In the new recordings we have changed the keyboards and their sound and the production is way better.

“Grotesque Blasphemy” is subtitled “Slaughter Pt. 1.” Tell us the story of this song and what can we expect for part 2?

Well this is a song that isn’t connected with the other songs from the album. The whole album is a concept, a little story, but Grotesque Blasphemy is like a bonus track. It is the song that we play in the end of our shows and the crowd usually goes crazy, due to its aggressiveness. We never published the lyrics for this song and we never will! There will be the second part on the next full-length album and it is gonna be a thrashing hell of a song!

Is vocalist/bassist Growler the only person from the early days? Who writes the songs? Metal Archives says that actually your “previous” keyboardist Princess of Darkness is Tisiphoni, your current keyboardist. Is this true?

Tisiphoni is also in the band from the early days, named as “princess of darkness”. Yes, Growler writes the lyrics and the basic melody of the songs and Tisiphoni writes the keys and does the instrumentation. All the other members add their personal style. The first nickname [“princes of darkness”] was taken under pressure, so we changed it.

So, Tisiphoni definitely has experience with the keyboards for a long time in Erevos?

Yes, she does! Though we had many criticisms for keys in the beginning, Tisiphoni gives a characteristic style in the songs and dares to put keyboards in parts which most people could consider difficult to fit.

Recently, in Greece a lot young people, students and workers are protesting against the government. Your lyrics are not about politics, of course. But do you think that Greece is in an economic crisis that will become worse? Are you all students?

Most of us are students and we are looking for a job in order to support the band, too. The situation is beyond worst! Everyone is looking for a foreign country to live in. The things will get tougher for sure!

How do these things affect the band, if you have less money?

It is nearly impossible to find a decent job, even if some of us have university degrees. Of course, this situation affects Erevos, due to the lack of money. But even if we had money it wouldn’t have any difference due to the lack of promotion and mentality of people here. If you want to succeed you have to get out from Greece, unfortunately! (With or without economic crisis).

Tell us your future plans. Are you receiving more interest since the album? What can people do to support your band?

Oh, yes! Dan Swano helped on that, too! We also cooperate with Clawhammer promotions from USA, which does excellent job worldwide. We received tons of good reviews and we came in contact with important people mostly from big bands. Our plan is to find an agency and perform shows abroad. A European tour would be excellent! We already had some propositions in order to play in US, but the travel costs are too high! Right now we are composing new songs for our second album and preparing the split release. People can support us by leaving comments on the social networks and of course come to our live shows and buy our cd and merchandise through us by e-mail.

Take care and good luck in the future.

Thank you my friend, from Growler and Tisiphoni! Continue your good work! You can contact us and find info’s about us on: www.erevosblack.gr www.erevosblack.gr www.myspace.com/erevos666 www.facebook.com/pages/Erevos/141389422543650 http://www.facebook.com/clawhammerpr THE END.