Interview with black metal band from Greece - DECIPHER.
Answered Kostas Gerochristos, thank you!
Translated Duzl, thank you!
Questions prepared Jakub Asphyx.
Recenze/review - DECIPHER - Arcane Paths To Resurrection (2023):
Ave DECIPHER! I am currently listening your new album “Arcane Paths To Resurrection” and I can´t help but think that this is the kind of music which will be played during the end of the world. I think it is a great masterpiece. How do you feel about your new album? Have you received any feedbacks? From fans for example? Have you played new songs live already? Do they work?
Hails!
Thank you for your words. We have finished this album’s production since 2020 but we have been playing the songs since 2019. Since then, we have received very good feedback and comments about it and we still do. We feel that we have achieved what we wanted with this album and it came out just like we had it in mind and possibly even better.
How do DECIPHER compose? Are you a traditional band who go to the rehearsal room and compose or you prefer going online and send your ideas via email? I am really interested in your composing process.
Usually, I work on the songs on my own and then introduce them to the band. Sometimes it may be just some riffs or parts I have in mind which I will show our drummer N.D and then we get to improvise around them and turn them into a song. This procedure has worked for some songs of our second album as well. Finally, when a track is structured everyone gets to drop in ideas.
Lyrics are a separated topic of DECIPHER. Who is the author of your lyrics? And what are your lyrics about? Where do you find inspiration for your songs? The lyrics on “Arcane Paths To Resurrection” just fit so perfectly to the music. What was first – music or lyrics?
Lyrics for “Arcane Paths to Resurrection” were written by myself and our former vocalist M.L.
The album’s concept is what the title says. It’s a process aiming for spiritual resurrection and realization. Every track has a role towards that. In many instances the lyrics are written in a way that the listener makes what he/she wants out of them, depending on their experiences.
Also your cover is amazing and it fits with the music! I am frightened with the cover. How and why did you choose Artem Grigoryev? Did you hear any of your songs to create the cover?
We thought Artem’s unique style and approach would fit our music perfectly and we believe he exceeded our expectations. He listened to the album and our concept about the album and then he went on and did what he does best. We are honored by the outcome.
The sound of the album is great. It is dark, cold and sharp at the same time. Which studio did you chose for recording? Did you have any opinions about the final sound and mastering, were you able to change anything?
The album was recorded live in D Studio in 2019 by Mihail Karpathiou. Then we went on and recorded vocals in Pentagram Studio with George Emmanuel who also handled mixing and mastering for the album. With our guidance and George’s skill and perception we achieved the sound we had in mind for this album.
The new album was published by Indian Transcending Obscurity Records. Why this label? Were you satisfied with their work?
We had noticed the label years ago before we recorded our album and saw that Kunal was doing a great job for his bands. So when we got to work together we knew it was the right move for the band.
You have been playing since 2017. How was the beginning of your band? How did you create the band and what was the first impulse to build something black metal? Did you have any idols? How was it to play black metal in Greece?
The band begun with myself, drummer N.D and guitarist K.C. We got together and started to jam endlessly. Playing and writing black metal music was developed intuitively as this is one of the main genres we listen to.
You can see how much you enjoy your music in your band. Do you have any target which you want to hit? Someone wants a famous label, the other one might want to play on big festival.
The band’s goal is to create the finest music we can with each of our releases. Live shows are a top priority as well as our music is written to be performed live.
How is it to play black metal in Greece? Do you have a lot of fans on concerts? Do fans support bands? Do they buy CDs, merchandise, etc.? When you organize an event how many people will come?
Currently and these past years Greece has a very strong black metal and extreme metal scene worldwide. People on shows here do their best to support the artists.
Black metal is a demanding hobby and an even harder lifestyle. What does it mean for you? What do you enjoy most about it and how do you perceive it? How did you actually get to him?
We have dedicated our lives on work based around what the band does, so what we do means everything to us. The pleasure and feeling of wholeness we get at the end of every process is what we get. It’s a way of living and creating our own reality.
I deliberately ask this question to all bands to do some promotion for the future. Please tell us what DECIPHER is planning soon? What can we look forward to?
Currently, we are planning shows for 2023 and 2024. We also have completed the second album which we are going to produce within the year.
Thank you so much for the interview and I wish DECIPHER a lot of sold CDs and only sold out halls. Be happy in your personal life. I am looking forward for your next black metal apocalypse!
Thank you for your interest. All the best to you too. Hails!
Recenze/review - DECIPHER - Arcane Paths To Resurrection (2023):
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