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Questions by: Mickaël
With: Sotiris V. (Guitars)
- This album is awesome. We rated it 9.5/10 and awarded it as “album of the month”. It seems Communion received a great triumph…
Actually the album was embraced very quick, from both people and magazine The reaction is fantastic and quite a few magazines have put it as album of the month. You can bet we are very happy about it.
- Do you think this album have been so hugely welcomed because of your split?
No. If an album is not good it is simply not welcomed no mater what. Personally, as a music fan I am always sceptic about reunions and I guess that many people are too. So an album after a split has to be really strong to justify the reunion, else people become disappointed at the end. Communion is the proof that our reunion had a solid reason and that is why it is so hugely welcomed.
- Let’s go four years back and tell me the reasons why you’ve split whereas Sumerian Daemons has been so appreciated.
It was a turning point for our lives as individuals. Although Sumerian Daemons was a successful album we decided to disband Septic Flesh as we wanted to do different things and pursue personal objectives. We felt that we couldn’t focus on everything and keep the band that demanded a lot of time as it was growing in popularity.
- Did you feel not to be able to design an even better successor to Sumerian Daemons at that time?
We felt that Sumerian Daemons was the best way to say goodbye as it represented our top at the time. However it would be an overstatement to say that we felt that we couldn’t make something better. As a matter of fact I believe that Communion is one step ahead of Sumerian Daemons.
- I agree with you! So why have you decided to unleash once again the beast?
Some important things changed with the passing of time. For example Chris returned from England and became a permanent resident of Greece. In addition as a lot of personal goals were achieved the pressure was less now. Fateful we started getting together again. And when we show that we had not changed as persons and that our taste for music was the same the decision became clear.
- The wishes of your fans were important too?
Indeed. The fans played an important role to our reunion. They never stopped supporting the band and expressing their wish for us to come back. We are thankful to our fans and we express them our gratitude and respect with Communion.
- If there were not such a pressure from your fans, do you think would reunite you anyway and so quickly?
When we started composing songs all together again and we witnessed the first results of the collaboration, we felt that this kind of stuff really ought to be recorded. This was the most important reason that we gave it a go. For example, if the fans wanted us to return but we didn’t felt the need to write music, or what we composed didn’t work, we would never returned.
- Ok! And on how do you think this break have been beneficial for Septicflesh?
In several ways and not only for Septicflesh. After the break Chris focused on creating music for videogames, Seth became a know visual artist and is behind the creation of covers and general layout of albums from bands as Paradise Lost, Exodus, Moonspell, Soilwork and many more. Also musically speaking two project bands were born, Devilworx and Aenaos.
- For our parts, we find Communion more aggressive and heavier compared to all your previous recordings. Was it the main goal when you started to write it?
We all agreed from that this was the direction we wanted to go. One of the first songs composed was 'Lovecraft’s Death' and it was a good point of reference for the mood we wanted to create on Communion. But we also wanted to explore the neoclassical side of our sound and that is why we used extensively and for the first time a full choir and orchestra.
- One can notice there are more atmospheres and choirs, many arrangements, but at the opposite there are less of keys.
We wanted to create the musical layer of a dark soundtrack. The natural classical and the voices of the choir were more fitting for the task and create a kind of awe to the listener. The keys were not necessary as they didn’t add something important to the final result.
- Was it not too difficult to direct all this orchestra?
The classical arrangements were worked thoroughly in our home studio many days before the recordings on Prague. On the other hand Chris Antoniou is very experienced in this kind of music, as he has a masters degree in concert music from the London College of Music. So he knew exactly how to handle the situation and deliver the desired result.
- How have you decided to entrust the Filmharmonic orchestra of Prague better than another one?
The Filmharmonic orchestra of Prague as its name suggests, is very experienced on the field of movie soundtracks. It is behind some really famous movies as Hostel and Starship Troopers to name a few. Chris had worked with these musicians in the past for his personal projects and so it was a natural choice.
- In parenthesis, did you notice an evolution in the acceptance of Metal projects by philharmonic orchestra directions compared with the beginnings with Chaostar, where Chris had some problems to engage would be this only a choir?
No more now. As long as they are getting paid and can really communicate with the composer about how the stuff will be played, there is no problem.
- Even if there are many choir parts, there are no real female vocals on this opus. Did you decide this to break this “gothic touch” and come back to your raw metal roots? And yet I’ve heard that Maya was to take part in Communion…
The feeling we wanted to create demanded the combined power of a full choir instead of a solo female vocalist. We always have the potential to use a female voice but we do it only when we feel it is needed. About Maya we never thought to use her in Communion.
- The intro of ‘Sangreal’ makes me think strangely to the intro of the 4400 original theme. Can you tell me something about this intro?
The basic melody of the song belongs to Fotis our drummer, that actually is also a composer in communion. Chris added some elements on the beginning and I am responsible for all the melodies concerning the vocal lines of the song. So it's not inspired by the 4400 original theme.
- What about the oriental elements one can’t miss it?
We always loved to incorporate oriental elements to our music. They have a kind of mystic feeling that fits well to our sound.
- Even if we can talk about a concept album, all the opus turns around a common theme, eventually connected to this oriental touch (‘Annubis’, ‘Persepolis’, ‘Babel’s gate’)…
There near east from Greece, is an area with very interested mystical background. There is a lot of treasure concerning knowledge, hidden in these parts of the world. I am always fascinated especially by the ancient Egyptian and the Sumerian civilisations and my lyrics portray my interest in matters connected in this area.
- Since your beginnings you keep being inspired by the ancient and occult mythology. How do you explain this unlimited fascination?
It is in my blood you could say. From a child I was thinking about stuff different from the other kids. Myths were my first introduction to the occult and growing up I just kept searching for more information behind the lines and kept gathering historical elements at first and later occult elements.
- When the band has been split, each one has been involved in different projects like Chaostar for Chris and the other members have created Devilworx. But since 2004 we haven’t heard something from this project. Do you know to what stage of evolution is Devilworx?
As far as I know, Devilworx are on ice for the time being. There was some contact with some rather big multinational label but, it was taking too long to reach to a deal and the whole process was frustrating.
- And today Septicflesh is reunited, what become Chaostar?
Chaostar was existing during also the past of Septic Flesh, before the split up. Mainly, Chaostar is the musical project of Chris. It has a strong and different musical identity and there is no reason to stop existing.
- Will he work sooner to a new real album, the successor of The Scarlet Queen?
Just recently, Chaostar released the successor of The Scarlet Queen and it is called Underworld. So, in addition with the obligations of Septicflesh at this time, there are no plans for something else in the near future.
- Well, before to end this conversation, we will talk a little about your two first tours already scheduled: the close one with Vader and the November/December one with Cradle of Filth. So are you thrilled to come back on stages?
It is quite a return for Septicflesh. There are so much shows and all over Europe so it is cool. A lot of fans will have the chance to see the band performing live and the new songs are great on stage.
- These tours are two titan ones, in one hand: Vader, Devian and Inactive Messiah; and in the other hand: COF, Moonspell, Gorgoroth and Asrai…
Yes. All the other bands of these tours are great and the whole package is very attractive for the audience. It is an honour for us to be among these titans.
- The second one is very varied and will mix a very different crowd. Is it not a little risked to mix COF and Gorgoroth’s crowds that we can’t deny are opposites?
I don’t think that there will be any problem with that. There are differences but not so deep to cause trouble. You see, there is not a Christian band around…
- Ok! Well, that’s all for me! I let you end this interview as you want…
I want to thank our fans for their loyalty and support. Enjoy our Communion.
Sotiris V.
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