CRYSTAL
CLEAR ARE NEWCOMERS FROM GREECE WHO UNFORTUNATELY DIDN'T FACE THE PPROPRIATE
SUPPORT FOR THEIR MUSIC AND EFFORTS FROM THE 2 BIG METAL MAGAZINES HERE.
THE TRUTH IS THAT I COULDN'T BELIEVE MY EYES WITH THE REVIEWS I READ,
CAUSE THESE GUYS REALLY KNOW HOW TO COMPOSE INTERESTING MUSICAND STAND
OUT. THEY SURELY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO STAND AMONG OTHER BANDS FROM ABROAT.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SHOW A LITTLE SUPPORT AND TRUST THEM!
1.HELLO AND MY CONGRATULATIONS FOR
YOUR VERY GOOD ALBUM! NOW, CAN YOU TELL ME IN A FEW WORDS THE BAND'S STORY
SO FAR AND PRESENT US THE CURRENT LINE UP?
Niko,greetings to you too!I’m very
glad that you liked the album.The band began its course at early 90’s with
a different line-up except Antonis and me(Panos-guitar).In ’94,we recorded
a demo-tape “Crystal dreams of mystery” which contained 4 songs.(1. Crystal
dreams of mystery,2.Sorceress Creed,3.Leave me alone and 4.Poltergeist).Unfortunately,after
releasing the demo the band “split-up” because most of us joined the army.(You
know what this means!!).In 1997 Antonis and me rejoined and started searching
for new members.
Our current line up is:Antonis Liapis(guitar),Panos
Ignatiadis(guitar),Panos Sakelliou (vocals) ,Lefteris Moros(drums),Chris
Anestis(bass guitar).
2.YOU NAMED YOUR ALBUM "PAYBACK TIME"
AND MY QUESTION IS WHOM DO YOU WANT TO PAY BACK? IS IT SOME KIND OF A CONCEPT?
No,it’s not a concept album!We called
it “Payback Time” because we’ve been through a lot since the band was created,so
we had to pay back our bad luck.You know,when nothing goes right,you have
the urge to turn your luck upside down with something good!
3.YOUR MUSIC BROUGHT TO MY MIND WARLORD
AND SPITFIRE. ARE THESE BANDS AMONGST YOUR INFLUENCES? WHICH OTHER BANDS
INFLUENCED YOUR SOUND?
My friend Niko,you’re among few people
who understand this influences!We worship Warlord and Spitfire too.We all
listen to different groups and different kinds of Metal and Rock.I like
Conception(one of the best),Royal Hunt,Dream Theater,Dio,Whitesnake,Sonata
Arctica,Judas Priest,…..bla…..bla…..bla!I’ll stop here because my influences
have no end.I’m sure that the other members agree with me.
4.HOW DID THE FANS AND PRESS RECEIVE
YOUR ALBUM? DO YOU THINK THAT GREEK METALLERS HAVE REACHED A POINT THAT
THEY START TRUSTING THE LOCAL METAL SCENE AND BUY ALBUMS? HOW DO YOU REACT
WHEN YOU RECEIVE A BAD REVIEW?
We don’t have the illusion that all
people like what we do but I appreciate those who are honest with us.Most
of the fans that have heard the album have a positive opinion but some
others don’t.As far as the press’s reviews I have a certain point of view.First,I’ld
like those who criticize Greek bands (and I mean the Greek Press) to bare
in mind the differences between Greek and foreign discography.
To tell you the truth I’ve read some
bad reviews about our album but honestly they don’t bother me at all.Everyone
has the right to a different opinion as long as they are open minded! About
your second question,I believe that the Greek metallers always trusted
the local scene!
5.WHERE ARE YOUR LYRICS REFERRING TO?
COULD YOU EXPLAIN EACH SONG IN A FEW WORDS? I AM VERY CURIOUS FOR "THE
HEALER" AND "POSSESSED".
The lyrics either refer to fantastic
characters or our personal view in some matters. Niko,I’m very happy that
you like Possessed because very few appreciate this song; Because I am
a big fan of horror movies,especially The Exorcist which is my favourite,Possessed
is in a way a tribute to it. “The Healer”,is about the Christ and
my way of seeing things about him.(Please don’t think that I am Satanist...)
6.LATELY CLASSIC HEAVY METAL HAS STARTED
BECOMING STRONGER AND STRONGER IN GREECE. CAN YOU TELL ME WHICH OTHER GREEK
BANDS YOU LIKE AND YOU THINK THEY HAVE MORE THINGS TO GIVE IN THE FUTURE?
Classic metal will never die and that’s
proven.It’s the only kind that survives through time,no matter what style
is selling.(Power,Black,Thrash….)
The bands that I like a lot are:Spitfire,Black
Fate(maybe the best for me),Powercrue,Raging Storm,Nemesis,Sound Of Silence,Raw
Silk,Inner Wish,Dreamweaver etc.
7.WHICH ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS? WILL
YOU DO ANY LIVE SHOWS? IS IT POSSIBLE TO SEE YOU FOR A LIVE HERE IN THESSALONIKI?
HAVE YOU WRITTEN ANY NEW SONGS?
We did some lives here in Athens (Ann
Club,X-Bug,Ston Aera,Athena Scene).Unfortunately, we’re searching for a
new guitar player because Antonis has moved in Crete permanently.So we’ll
have to wait for a while till we play live again. Niko,one of the places
we feel like playing is Thessaloniki.Once we settle down with our line
up be sure that we will come not for just one live! In the meantime
we have written four new songs and we are working on them intensely.
8.ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH YOUR COOPERATION
WITH YOUR LABEL,METALFIGHTERS ? IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO CORRECT?
WHICH ARE THE TARGETS THAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE AS A BAND?
We have our little problems but I hope
that we’ll solve them sortly.It’s a brand new label and it needs time to
show it’s work. Our target is firstly satisfy ourselves and secondly
to be heard outside the boundaries of Greece. It is not our cause to make
money out of it,on the contrary we only pay at the time.(Don’t we all?)
9.WHICH IS THE BEST DREAM YOU'VE SEEN
AND WHICH IS THE WORST NIGHTMARE?
The best dream I’ve seen is that was
playing on a big arena “Crystal Dreams Of Mystery” and then I woke up,grabbed
my guitar and wrote it.(I’m telling you the truth!) My worst nightmare
would surely be the day I stop playing with my group.It has become an important
part of my living.
10.YOU ARE GRANTED ONE WISH. WHAT WOULD
YOU LIKE TO CORRECT IN THE WORLD?
The only correction I would make is
to vanish the human kind from the face of the earth.We are the most destructive
kind upon the planet.(I think I become bad,Sorry)
11.IF YOU COULD TRAVEL IN TIME WHICH
HISTORICAL PERIOD WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE AND WHAT WOULD YOU MISS THE
MOST FROM OUR TIMES?
I can’t think a period right now,but
I’ld miss Metal music for sure, my friends, my wife, my electric guitar!
What else? EEEE……….!
12.IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET THE
CREATURE THAT CREATED THE UNIVERSE, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK HIM?
What the f..k were you thinking? I
mean,inventing the thing called man.
13.WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO A FAN TO CONVINCE
HIM BUY YOUR RELEASE INSTEAD OF SOMETHING ELSE?
You also serve beer or coffee on it
! You can even play Frisbee with your friends !
14.WHAT TITLE WOULD YOU LIKE THIS INTERVIEW
TO HAVE?
Crystal Clear? Who are they?
15.THANK YOU! HAVE I FORGOTTEN TO ASK
YOU ANYTHING AND YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION?
You’ve asked almost everything Niko!
Niko I have to tell you about a mistake
inside our album.If you noticed,the four last songs have a different sound
from the others.This is because someone forgot to type that these are the
demo songs re-mastered.(Demo ’94).It’s one of the little mistakes I told
you earlier.
NOTE :I give to you and all the metallers
in Thessaloniki my best wishes.
MANY THANX FROM ALL OF US