Greece! Beloved Greece! This wonderful country still gives great Metal efforts to the whole Europe. Few weeks ago, Room 302 Agency decided to give Greece an influential Doom Metal Night after revealing the full details of the first Doom Metal Festival in Greece which will be kicked off after 2 days!
Best of luck guys, thank you so much!
Through my interview with my brother Giannis Koskinas of the great Ocean of Grief, he expressed that the Doom Metal community in Greece needs more support and spotlight, so I decided to give the Greek Doom Metal bands a chance to express themselves! And! Nothing is better than starting with the long-waited Greek Doom Metal night “The Room of Doom”.
The lineup of the first edition contains 3 Greek Doom Metal bands: On Thorns I Lay, Decemberance, and Ocean of Grief, in addition to Marche Funèbre from Belgium.
I contacted The Room of Doom organizers and the lineup bands to know more about their thoughts about this glorious night!
A- Room 302 Organizers
Interview with Spyros Hondroyiannis (One of Room 302 Organizers)
First off, thank you dear Spyros for giving me this chance. So, Is that the first event that only dedicated to Doom Metal music?
It is the first time that a radio show organizes a Doom festival in Greece - and surely the first time that a fest is dedicated to Greek Doom Metal.
How did the idea of making Doom Metal music Event come to your mind?
The idea was created in my head after 2 great bands, On Thorns I Lay and Ocean Of Grief released such amazing albums this year! I thought that it would be great to organize a fest with Doom's Amazing Greek 4 (On Thorns I Lay, Decemberance, Shattered Hope & Ocean Of Grief), but unfortunately Shattered Hope couldn't be a part of it this year. So I gave an european touch with the great addition of the unique Marche Funebre.
How do you see the Doom Metal Scene in Greece?
I believe we have some really great bands of Doom here. Most of them you know for sure, since their amazing art is known worldwide.
Being Greece one of the countries that masters Death/Symphonic Metal music affected badly or negatively the presence of other genres?
I don't believe that art can affect art badly. I mean, every band has its own sound and is not affected by a genre or people's hype of other genres. Surely, the most hyped genres or bands get more attention and their lives shows are even more crowded, but I don't think all this affects the efforts and magic of other bands of other genres.
Finally, Are you planing for widening the cope of the event and add more nationalities to the event?
I do hope that people will support and love The Room Of Doom Fest, so it can become annual.
We already start with a band from Belgium in this first one, so yes, if there's a sequel it would surely include bands from other countries too.
So after knowing the whole details about the event it is the time to move to the lineup bands! I will start with the headliners! On Thorns I Lay!
B- The Lineup Bands
1- On Thorns I Lay
On Thorns I Lay is one of the oldest, and most active Doom Metal bands in Greece. This year the band is celebrating with its 25th anniversary. The Room of Doom will be the first event for On Thorns I Lay as a headliner! I contacted the band, and they welcomed the idea of having this interview about the event.
Hello guys, thank you for giving me this chance to have this talk about your event. After 25 year career you are now headline a show in your homeland Greece in Room of Doom Festival, How did you receive the idea of headlining a Doom Metal show in Greece?
Hello. Honestly, We wanted to have our first headline show after 25 years of existence and we think it is the right time after a very good album come back “Aegean Sorrow”.
Regarding the position of Doom Metal music in Greece, Do you think that Doom Metal Scene in Greece needs more spot light on it or more support?
Actually, Our music gentre is an underground one. Of there is crowd that listens to such bands so the local scene needs just good albums, good music ans the support from the crowd will come inevitably.
Your latest album “Aegean Sorrow” actually conquered the whole Greek scene through reviews, articles, and interviews, What is the concept behind the album? And what are your main influences through writing the music?
In fact the main lyrical concept of the album is the refugee crisis and the catastrophy that exists near our door nowadays. We were inspired mostly by our first 4 albums and of course by our favorite bands as most of all we are true fans of the gentre.
Few months ago you shared the stage with one of the Greek Metal Icons, the great Greek titans Septicflesh, How was your experience with Septicflesh members?
With the guys from Septic we are good frieands from the 90 s. And of course is one of our favs bands as their level is top worldwide speaking. We had very good times and we will play with them in the near future and abroad.
Thank you guys, I wish you the best of luck
2- Marche Funèbre
Marche Funèbre is one of the most outstanding Doom Metal bands in Belgium. It is only the only non-Greek Band in the lineup. The band has an impressive 10 year career. I felt that we should look a deeply at this active, impressive band so I had this short interview with those warm, welcoming guys!
Hello guys. Thank you for accepting my call for this interview. So, I want to start with your 10 year career. How would you describe it?
Hello, thanks for your interest in Marche Funèbre. We are around since 10 years and have released 3 full length albums and some EP’s and splits.
We did over 130 gigs in 13 countries so far, including the USA, where we had a 10 dates tour earlier this year. We played with some of the finest bands in the scene as well and made friends all over the world. So all in all we are doing better than ever after all these years.
I want to ask you about your EP “Death Wish Woman”, the name is really shocking! How did you choose this title?
Well, this lyric wrote itself basically. It’s about a woman who has the impression she would be better off dead. Most people will have had this thought at some point in their lives, luckily the majority of them will not decide to commit suicide, but some do. This song is about the moments where you don’t want to be around no more, to have no more pain, or sadness.
And yeah, I think it’s a really catchy title as well.
The song fits great with the two other new songs on the EP. Those songs have lyrics by Kahlil Gibran, a famous Lebanese writer. So it’s a 3 song concept story actually.
You will participate in a Doom Metal event in Greece, how do you see the Doom Metal Scene in Greece?
It’s the first time we will ever set foot in Greece, so you should ask us the question in a few days. But it seems (underground) Metal is really alive over there, much more than in other places we have played. And of course some Greek bands, like Septic Flesh and Rotting Christ, have conquered the world with their unique sound, so I guess that makes a scene stronger as well.
You are the only non-Greek band in the line-up, what is your relation with the other participants?
We met the Decemberance guys last year on an event we both played, and stayed in touch ever since. Later on we invited them to our festival in Belgium to play alongside bands like Novembers Doom and The Vision Bleak. So now they are returning the favour.
We don’t know the other bands personally, but we know their fame and some of their music obviously.
Is there any major differences between the Doom Metal Scene in Belgium and the Doom Metal one in Greece?
Well, there’s no big scene in Belgium for doom metal. That’s why we play more shows abroad than in our home country. And like stated above I guess our answer will be more interesting after this weekend of our Hellenic invasion.
3- Decemberance
Decemberance is one of the international Greek Doom Metal bands. This year, the band is celebrating with its 20th anniversary. I was interested in contacting those talented musicians to know more about their feelings towards the event.
First off, Thank you so much for your welcoming. So, How did the event contact you?
Thank you. Actually, the idea behind this event was to create a doom fest in athens that it can hold high the international standards. So, Spyros Hondroyiannis, a radio host (room302 radio show in www.velvetrockradio.com) put it in line.
How do you see the idea of having a Doom Metal event in Greece?
Many times in the past in Greece we tried to do a doom fest, but as you can propaply realize that doom metal is not so popular music, an least in audience that can support a fest.
I contacted a lot of Greek Doomsters and they said that Doom music in Greece needs more support, How do you see the position of The Greek Doom Metal Scene?
We have many talented bands in all the brunches of the doom tree...Shattered Hope, Ocean of Grief, On thorns I lay, our selves, Dream Long Dead, Sorrowful Winds, Litany, Doomocracy and many more.But I can’t see it strictly as local bands. Technology braught all the band globally together.
Months ago you shared the stage with Novembers Doom, How was the experience? And how can you describe your experience with such an iconic band ?
Yes, we played together in Belgium. It was a fantastic festival and all the bands that participated we gave our best. Unfortunatelly we didn't had so much time with them so we can describe it as an experience, good or bad. They were strictly proffesionals and they didn't react with the other bands. So, sorry it is not an experience... But amazing on stage. I have to admit it.
You are currently still celebrating with your 20th anniversary , What are the dreams you want to achieve with your band ?
Our 20th anniversary was just a live. we played almost 2 hours. Of course we like all the "celebrations" of this occasion but we prefere to keep our head down.
We are not so famous that we can do special things about this. The main dream we have, and I personally if you allow me to tell, is that we can compose music that fulfill our soul and we are confident enought to print and publich it.
More Doom for the years to come. Of we want to play as many gogs as possible around the world. We cannot tour because we have all day jobs, so if we can do 3-4 gigs a year it could be Great.
How is your relation with the other lineup bands of The Room of Doom?
With Marche Funebre from Begium and Ocean of Grief are all good friends and we try to support each other. With On Thorns I Lay we do not have personal contact but surely we appreciate them a lot since they are one of the "Great 90's Big ones" in Greece. So total support....
Was 2018 only for live shows? And what are your plans for 2019?
No, in 2018 we had only 2 gigs (in Belgium and now in Greece). We hope that in 2019 we can give more gigs and of course to compose the next step of Decemberance music. We already have many ideas so we have to put the on table and do something beautiful....
Thank you so much guys, I wish you the best of luck.
4- Ocean of Grief
Ocean of Grief is recently one of the most trending Greek Doom Metal bands. In addition, I should attempt that my interview with Ocean of Grief is the flame that directed me to discover the beauty of the Greek Doom Metal Scene. I will paste her quotations from my latest interview with Ocean of Grief.
Forming a Doom Metal band in a scene that is better known by its extreme, Symphonic taste, wasn’t that somehow challenging? And how is the Greek Doom Metal Scene?
It was very challenging to be honest! It took us very long to find the right members for this band. You see me and Filippos wanted to make a band composed by members who share the Same love and passion for this genre as us.
Fortunately we were lucky enough to find them and things are going great since then. Now considering the Greek Doom Metal Scene, things have been going well lately.
On Thorns I Lay released a great album after many years of inactivity, Decemberance too, and of course there are more great bands like Shattered Hope, Immensity etc.
November will be a brighten month for you, you will perform in The Room of Doom and Metal Gates Festival, How did you get a chance to perform at those 2 prestigious events? And what are your preparations?
The Room of Doom festival is a beautiful attempt made by Spyros Hondroyiannis to unite the Greek Doom Metal Scene and we are very happy to be part of it!
He is a big supporter of the scene and a great guy and he is the one who contacted all the bands, the club and organized everything.
As for the Metal Gates Festival, the organizer contacted us telling that he likes what we are doing and that he can offer us a slot for the fest. How could we deny playing with some of our favorite bands of the genre like Draconian and October Tide? (haha)
Now about the preparations, we have been rehearsing a lot in order to be in the best form possible but we also wanted to make some improvements in the visual part so we prepared a couple of things.
We discussed before the hardships of the Metal scene in general especially in the countries that somehow economically suffer, Can you describe to us the status of the rising bands in Greece?
Things were really difficult in the past for Greek bands but nowadays Greek metal scene is stronger than before despite the various economic problems that arose during the past 10 years!
Technology definitely tore down plenty of barriers as it is less expensive to record an album and also allowed, through the use of web, more bands to reach a wide variety of people who may quite likely enjoy their music.
However it is still very hard to make shows and tours outside Greece as the transport and accommodation fees are much higher than the actual income of the band.
Best of luck guys, thank you so much!
Conclusion
As you read, each band has expressive, influential story and music to expose to the eyes of the glorious Greek Doomsters! Guys, show your influential warm support to those Greek fighters.
Originally Published on 1/11/2018 at 1:53 am
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