• In my opinion CRYSTAL TEARS are one of the most talented Greek bands playing European Power Metal. They deserve the support of all of us, not only the Greeks. We had an interesting conversation with the leader of the band and drummer Chrisafi.

1.Hello Chrisafi. I liked "PROMOWORKS" as well as your previous work very much. Can you tell us few things for the history of the band?

• Surelly. The band exists from September '97. From that quintaplet only me(drums) and Kimon(rhythm guitars) is left. Since August '98 exists our current line up with Michalis Glanias(vocals,keybords), George Zaimis(lead guitars), Kimon Pantelidakis(rhythm guitars), Stelios Papadopoulos(Bass) and Chrisafis Tantanozis(Drums). With that quinaplet we recorded our first demo - cd "SKIES OF ETERNITY" which was releasedin January '99. A year and a half later we recorded "PROMOWORKS" a promo cd with two brand new songs.

• Yes, in August 2000 George Zaimis(lead guitars) had to leave the band for personal and band reasons. His replacer was found quickly, thank god! His name is Dimitris Groutziamanis and he has fit in perfectly with the band. In March 2001 Michalis Glanias(vocals, keyboards) left the band for personal reasons and musical differences. We haven't yet found a new singer, there are some guys we try. Many changes affect the plans of the band, but they are not affecting its performance at all. Some plans we have, must be postponed for a while. Thankfully we haven't lost our team spirit, cause i can take the vocals and the rehersals for new songs haven't stopped. We have performed live as a quartet (i had the drums and the vocals) and we did unexpectabbly well. In a few words of course we have problems when members leave the band, but patience and team feeling make us surpass everything.

• It doesn't come from somewhere in specific. We haven't taken it from a book or a movie, etc. When the first members of the band got together trying to find a band name someones proposed CRYSTAL TEARS. We found it to be a very cool name. It's easy, chanting and it fits, no doubt, in the speed/power metal we play. That simple!

• People seem very enthousiastic and positive from all over the world. Just think that before being presented in the famous big metal magazines has sold 200 copies!!! In just a months period!!! Now you might ask why we haven't signed a contract yet and to this point i have to say a truth that hurts. Unfortunately we were out in a wrong period! The big record labels tell us that they don't sign new bands anymore especially speed/power metal. Unfortunately in our times death/grind and especially hardcore, thrashcore and whatever ends in core rules! I am sure that if we were out five years earlier we would have a contract with a big record label, but things are different unfortunately...doesn't matter.We have our ups and downs... but we never give up!

• Hmm... mostly with bands from the german metal scene, such as HELLOWEEN at "Walls Of Jericho" and "Keeper I&II", BLIND GUARDIAN, GAMMA RAY, RAGE of "Secrets in a weird world" period. The drummer that i admire the most is the greek Chris Efthimiadis (x-Rage). The other CRYSTAL TEARS members are fans of SLAYER, RUNNING WILD, HEAVENS GATE etc.

• Greece has many bands with potentials to become famous! I can't of course remember them all. Some that i can remember now (doesn't mean that the other i forgot are not good) are : DISEMBOWEL, REGENT TWILIGHT, EVERDOME, DREAM DEVOID, DEFILER, INNER WISH, ERECTUS and many many more. The good thing is that all these bands come from a variety of metal genres! From outsid Greece i have to mention Swedish EMERALD. All the groups i mentioned are underground.

• I always write the lyrics with the approval of the other guys. Our lyrics are not just my thoughts but also represent all the CRYSTAL TEARS members. We all together write the music. Someone brings the main part of the song in a guitar, keyboards or bass and the others add their own personality. We have all written a main part of a song cause we all know to play the guitar, keyboards or the bass. The "PROMOWORKS" songs were written in the mid of 2000 and were recorded in the beginings of 2001. "Crystal Tears" is a speed metal song talking abou revolution. The second song "My Storm Will Prevail" is an epic/power metal song with many parts. It is refering to a person looking himself into a mirror and promisses to himself that one day his storm will prevail.

• Good question. I thik that it would be stupid if i told you that we are pessimists, cause which would be the reason to be living still in this world. Either we'd be dead or we'd be like vegetables. No i don't like that much the new reality to the point that everything is sold, nations, relationships, but iam trying to face the future with hope. This might be the reason i play music. It's a way to express, sometimes. I use hard words for this reality we face, but i always have a positive thinking. After all how worst can it be...? Haha!

• Their opinion. I think that power metal bands not always write about immaginary themes and if they do they use it us a way of expressing reality. However I think that whoever says that has im mind the happy style and not only the lyrics, cause there are many power metal bands from the U.S. who write fantasy lyrics but no one criticizes them.

• We have got 7 new songs ready. The recordings for our upcoming full-length album will most probably take place between September - Octomber 2001 and we 'd like to release it in December 2001. Experiment with our songs? What do you mean? There is no way of changing our style or putting some new instruments or putting samples in our songs. At least there are not in our plans and we have never discussed such a thing and i don't think we ever will. The new songs are very mature and i think that a very good work will be done!

• No, not at all  CRYSTAL TEARS will always be my first priority no matter how many bands i play in.

• Of course my dreams is first of all to reach the top with CRYSTAL TEARS and in this way to make Greece a little more known worldwide. The needs i satisfy by playing metal? Probably expressing my anger. Thank you very much for the interview and for the time the fans will spend reading this. Take Care !!!