OBSECRATION
"WE
ARE THE CHOSEN ONES! WE ARE THE INHERITORS OF PAIN! WE ARE THE BLESSED
ONES OF THE ALMIGHTY CONTRACT!"
1.INTRODUCE THE BAND TO THE FANS.
WHICH IS THE CURRENT LINE UP?
OBSECRATION exist since 1989 and
belong to the Death Metal scene. We have released one 7inch E.P. and three
CDs (2 of them full length and 1 is a split CD). We are now about to release
our fourth CD. In these years there have been many problems (army services,
changes in members, etc) but we managed to do some live gigs. Currently
the line-up of the band is: Costas ‘Dead’ - Vocals, Spyros Rh - Guitar/Bass,
Alex - Drums and George L.- Guitar.
2.WHY HAVE YOU NAMED THE BAND OBSECRATION?
IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO STATE WITH THIS NAME?
After the cosideration of other
two names aswell we ended up in the current one because we needed something
not that simple yet classic. It should be meaningful and to sound good
in speech. There’s nothing more to it. From there on, searching a bit furthermore
the meaning of this name and to some songs in particular, one can find
something extra. Whoever searches, finds!
3.YOU BELONG TO THE METAL SCENE FOR
A LONG TIME NOW. SO, AS VETERANS YOU ARE, YOU CAN POINT OUT SOME DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN THE METAL MUSIC-FANS-INDUSTRY OF THE PAST AND TODAY'S SITUATION.
HAS ANYTHING CHANGED?
Quite a lot of things have changed
since 1989 in the whole metal spectrum today. From labels to bands. Back
then there was only one third of the bands that exist now and one could
expect one or two releases per month. Nowadays there are fifty releases
per month at the least. The whole mail system that existed has changed,
the nice trade system with the exchanges of demos and fanzines. These are
some basics of the change in the underground metal scene. Now everything
is pure commerce. Only a few labels and bands remain to the old good ways.
4.CAN YOU GO THROUGH A FAST REVIEW
OF EACH OF THE BAND RELEASES AND MAINLY CONCENTRATE ON YOUR LATEST RELEASE
FROM SLEASZY RIDER RECORDS? ARE YOU STILL SATISFIED WITH THEM OR IS THERE
ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO CHANGE?
1993: OBLIVIOUS (7''.e.p) - Death
metal with Thrash elements. 1996: THE INHERITORS OF PAIN (CD) - Death metal
with Thrash elements, only more melodic and atmosferic. 2000: OCEANUM OBLIVIONE
(CD) - Death metal, melodic, atmosferic and more technical. 2002: THE LAST
VISION BEFORE THE OBLITERATION (split CD) - Death metal, melodic, atmosferic
and faster. We are satisfied with THE LAST VISION and we don’t need to
change a single thing because it’s a release of new and old material, a
mixture of all the previous OBSECRATION releases: two songs of the 1991-93
era that have never been recorded previously, Obsecration, the song, which
was featured only on our demo (PETRIFIED REMAINS 1991) played in our current
style and finally, three new songs with the current new line-up.
5.YOU HAVE CHANGED QUITE MANY LABELS.
WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? YOU SIGNED CONTRACT BACK IN 1995 WITH HAMMERHEART
RECORDS AND THE COOPERATION ENDED THE SAME YEAR. WHY?
SLEASZY RIDER Rec. is the fourth
label that we have signed a contract with. We xould something more with
MOLON LAVE Rec. that we released our 7” E.P. with, if the label didn’t
close. After that we signed with HAMMERHEART Rec. which for totally
unknown reasons to us, disrupted the cooperation. Following that INVISION
MUSIK has signed us and we released our second CD with them, but after
the release and while we were preparing for a mini CD with them the label
closed so we released the mini as a split CD with the English KORRODEAD
under the SLEASZY RIDER Rec. label. with which we are going to release
our new CD this September. We are one of these bands that haven’t got a
steady record company behind us and this might be the reason that we don’t
have the name that we should have this moment, along with the other Greek
bands of our era. Greek bands that acquitted a belief from some record
company resulting in abundant support from it. I hope that this will change
now! Ofcourse this situation helps us to remain steady on the underground
phase we belong since we formed OBSECRATION.
6.WHAT ARE YOUR LYRICS TALKING ABOUT?
WHAT INSPIRES YOU IN WRITING LYRICS AND WHAT CAN TAKE THE INSPIRATION AWAY
FROM YOU?
Our lyrics belong to the spectrum
of the imaginary and terror. Inspiration comes from books and movies of
the terror genre. Whatever has to do with death, the human pain that comes
from various reasons existing or not. Alex writes lyrics too, but they
are concerned about everyday life and reality, but from a social point
of view. Since I do prefer lyrics in my style for the band (in the terror
and imaginary vain), I transfer as much as I can to Alex who writes very
well, so there are some of his lyrics too in our songs, something that
did not happen in the past.
7.COULD YOU DESCRIBE A TYPICAL OBSECRATION
LIVE SHOW? WHAT SHOULD A FAN EXPECT TO SEE IN A LIVE APPEARANCE OF YOURS?
Well, there’s nothing more than
a typical death metal band gig, simple and addictive, I believe, for the
crowd. I don’t know if something changes in the future. At the moment we
want the fan to get addicted to the show and to have the maximum fun out
of it as much as we have, so he will be wanting to see us live again.
8.WHICH IS THE WORST AND WHICH IS THE
BEST REVIEW YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED?
Thankfully, those reviews that
got in my hands are good and without any verbosities or lies. Actually
there was one bad review which I do not have with me now (as I keep a record
of all things and publications related to OBSECRATION, good or bad), but
anyways it was a review that was written by a guy who, I believe, that
either he wasn’t listening to Death Metal at all, or, he listened to the
first five seconds from every track, because his review was totally irrelevant.
9.WHICH IS THE BEST PART IN YOUR MUSIC
AND IN THE BAND IN GENERAL AND WHICH THING DO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD CORRECT?
WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU NEED IMPROVEMENT?
Well, the fact that we do and maintain
our music is also the best part, that’s why we keep it so far. Whatever
is not coming to our favour or to our taste hits the wastebin. Personally,
I’m satisfied with whatever we have released so far, but from that point
onwards and as we grow and improving our abilities, there’s always a thing
we have released in the past that if we played it right now it would sound
much better. But at the end of the day I think we are perfectly alright
as we are now and we do not need any kind of improvement.
10.MANY EXTREME METAL BANDS EXPRESS
RACISTIC IDEOLOGIES. WHICH ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?
In my opinion, politics and football
has nothing to do with music, These are issues which if they are of one’s
concern these shouldn’t be involved with music. It’s a good practice not
to mix racist, anarchy or whatever ideology with music itself! These issues
should be kept outside the musical boundaries.
11.WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN'T
ABLE TO COMPOSE MUSIC?
When this happens OBSECRATION will
disband! Thankfully for the time being we experience the opposite. We have
great inspiration and will to compose, so we are going well! This will
show up in our new CD which will be released this September or October.
You’ll listen to it and you’ll tell me!
12.DO YOU THINK THAT IF YOU WERE FROM
A COUNTRY UP NORTH THINGS WOULD BE EASIER FOR YOU AND RECOGNITION WOULD
COME FASTER?
Wherever we might be coming from,
other than from Greece, things would definitely work better for us in Metal.
Just think that there are some major record companies and they do not sign
any metal band; they’re just interested in Greek folk and pop music, some
rock bands and rap too. Major record companies abroad -if not the same
their subsidiaries- are involved with all genres of music, Metal as well,
because they know that there’s a market for it. Things in here are vastly
different, they are even insulting us. So albeit we have good bands, the
scene is rather small regarding it’s fame. Of course the bands are those
that pay the dues at the end of the day, with repletion and the disbanding
that follows soon after. One major drawback is the mandatory army service
which puts bands creativity on hold.
13.IT'S A FACT THAT METAL BANDS SPEND
MORE MONEY TO CREATE THEIR ALBUMS - DEMOS OR TO ADVERTISE THEM THAN THEY
EARN FROM WHAT THEY DO. WHICH IS AFTER ALL THE TRUE REWARD OF THE METAL
ARTIST?
The true reward is that one likes
what he’s doing with out any gain. Do not be deceived, it’s naive for someone
to believe that he will make a Metal band in Greece with the purpose of
making money or a famous name like bands abroad. The only alternative to
that is playing with a band from abroad and if you’ve got the guts and
talent you will make it eventually. Even for a tour one must leave behind
a lot of things. In Greece if one desires his band to be his main occupation
he must have money from an outside source, or to be ignorant to the future
when he won’t be involved with Metal. This is a risk that most won’t follow
if they don’t have some secure financial base behind. As far as I’m concerned,
I do know that there’s no financial profit to be gained from it, I have
put too much in it, but I do like what we are doing and I’m satisfied so
long as there’s some people that know OBSECRATION and like our music. This
is the best satisfaction out if it!
14.LABELS FORCE THE ARTISTS TO RELEASE
AN ALBUM EVERY YEAR. DON'T YOU THINK THAT THIS MAKES THE ARTISTS CREATE
"FAST" AND IMPROVISED ALBUMS, WITHOUT INSPIRATION AND AT THE SAME TIME
THEY DON'T GIVE THE "SPACE" TO THE FANS TO CAREFULLY LISTEN TO AN ALBUM,
CAUSE THEY ARE "OBLIGED" IN A WAY TO BUY THE NEXT ONE? WHICH ARE YOUR THOUGHTS
ON THAT?
This is a matter of each individual
label but I don’t believe that this is tha case for all of them. The larger
the company the more their demands. I believe though that fast releases
are bad for the band and the company as well. If some material does not
represent the band and the sales go down this affects the company. On the
other hand if the band has so much creativity and they can fulfill their
label’s demands, that is not a problem for both of them and the band’s
fans as well.
15.IF SOMEDAY YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO
MEET THE CREATURE THAT CREATED THE UNIVERSE, WHICH WOULD YOUR BIGGEST QUESTION
BE?
Basically meeting the creator of
the universe it’s not one of my concerns, but if I did have that chance
I would ask why he doesn’t destroy our planet for good and he’s letting
us to slowly ruin and devastate ourselves with all the bullshit that we’re
doing on our planet.
16.IF TIME TRAVEL WAS POSSIBLE, WHICH
HISTORICAL PERIOD WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT AND WHY? WHAT WOULD YOU MISS
THE MOST FROM OUR TIME?
I would like to visit any era of
the past, even for a little, so I can escape our stressful time. The only
thing that I would really miss is to play and listen to metal.
17.WHAT PROLOGUE AND TITLE WOULD YOU
LIKE THIS INTERVIEW TO HAVE?
WE ARE THE CHOSEN ONES! WE ARE
THE INHERITORS OF PAIN! WE ARE THE BLESSED ONES OF THE ALMIGHTY CONTRACT!
18.THANK YOU!HAVE I FORGOTTEN TO ASK
YOU ANYTHING AND YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION?
Thank you for this interview and
for featuring OBSECRATION in your web site. I wish all the best to you
and to BEHIND THE VEIL ‘ZINE.
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