MUTINY: Heavy Metal innovators.
This interview was supposed to appear months ago. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances you can check it out only now (March, 2001). Much has changed since then. Much, but not MUTINY. If you haven't read the reviews on MUTINY's demo works, I'll give you some brief info. MUTINY is a Heavy Metal band originating from Athens. These guys are definitely great musicians and composers. They've unleashed their debut full-lenght CD this fall through Steel Gallery recs. Statements given by MUTINY main-man Agis Krimpenis can be read below. (Krasniy)
Hail to MUTINY. I would like to start this interview with the expression of my deep respect to your creativity and releases you have unleashed so far. Please, inform those who never heard of MUTINY about the thorny path of the bands establishment.
Thanks a lot for your nice words about MUTINY. Now, a few things about the history of our band : Michael Feidakis (bass) and George Zaxos (drums) started playing together at 1993. In 1995 George Frantzis (guitars) joined the band to add the electric sound. It was the time that the band played covers from groups such as AC/DC, BLACK SABBATH, MOTORHEAD. At March 1996 Agis Krimpenis (guitars) joined the band, carrying guitaristic influences from groups like Savatage, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Megadeth, influences that took form in writing lyrics and music with the rest of the band. At March 1998 the first demo-CD "Faded Pages" was out. Due to the lack of permanent lead singer at that time, Mutiny could use some help. The help came from the singers of SWAN CHRISTY (Kostas Makris) and SPITFIRE (Alexis Balakakis). The demo did quite well, selling over 350 copies (the band still receives letters about the first demo). However, the lack of lead singer was consistent, many vocalists tried out, but didn't work out. Finally, Alexis Zervanos (vocals) filled in the gap at November 1998. At February 1999, the band played a gig in a rock club "Rock House" and the place was almost full. The band worked on new material and recorded a promo-CD "Guilty as Charged" which was out at July 1999 and started looking for record deal. A new record label "Steel Gallery Records" from Salonica, Greece offered MUTINY a deal and the contract is signed for one full CD/LP. In September 2000 the first full CD/LP "Muted" by MUTINY was released by Steel Gallery Records. Currently (March 2001) we are working on the distribution and promotion of "Muted" and we are getting ready for some gigs that are going to take place from now on.
Who is the mastermind behind the band? Is it Agis, who writes the lyrics or there is a full artistic equality in MUTINY?
There is not a thing such as a mastermind in MUTINY. We all offer our best to the band. All are welcome to offer lyrics and songs for the band. So far, I happen to have written the lyrics, this doesn't mean that somebody else can do so. After all, a band is a group of people and it is necessary that all of them are expressed through the music that is created.
It is enough to enumerate such bands as ELSEWHEN, ROYAL QUEST and, of course, MUTINY to come to a conclusion that Ellada is the motherland of the most brilliant neo-Power Metal acts. What is your opinion on this phenomenon?
Ellada (Greece) has a lot of great bands that unfortunately aren't heard enough worldwidely. I hope that this will change in the near future. There are a lot of people here that are great musicians, so it is self-evident that very good music is written. The Greek metal scene is getting better and better all the time.
As far as I know, MUTINY had only a single live show. What is the cause of such rare public appearance? You dont like performing live? By the way, we would like to know about the frequency of Extreme Metal live shows in Athens and Greece as whole.
We like very much playing live, it is just that we had problems with the obligatory military service and two of our members were not in Athens, so we couldn't rehearse as much as we should for a preparation of a descent live show. In Athens, there are heavy metal shows of local bands almost every week. The great bands from abroad come to Greece quite often, so I would say there is a lot of activity here.
Tell us about your relationship with other Greek Metal acts. I suppose you got good relations with ELSEWHEN from Thesalloniki, but what about your attitude to numerous Greek Black Metal formations. Do you tolerate the darkest realm of metal world?
We have a very good relation with the band members of Sorrowful Winds and a number of different bands from Greece. There are a lot of great black metal bands in Greece, I just happen to know very few of them. Of course, I don't have a problem with the Black Metal bands, after all it is a matter of expression. A musician should find the way that expresses him better, if it is heavy, black, thrash, progressive metal or hard rock, that's OK with me, as long as someone feels really good about it and he's not pretentious.
As long as your musical interests and influences are obvious, could you tell us about non-musical sources that helped you establish the band?
I can't think of any, apart from the families and friends that have supported us mentally and physically all these years. I know it is sometimes difficult to be in the same house with someone that has to practice daily. It needs great patience.
Could you describe each MUTINY member as a person? What are the relationships in the band?
Michael Feidakis and George Zaxos are close friends since the school days of 1991. I have become very close friend with the guys and we go out together very often and we get together for fun apart from the band.
Please inform us of the details of the upcoming album (it was upcoming when I issued the questions -Ed.) and your label. Are you glad with the collaboration with Steel Gallery Records?
The album is called "Muted". Here is the tracklist :
1. Horror Unveiled
2. Silenced
3. The Place Called Earth
4. Changing Seasons
5. People's Heads
6. Traces
7. Hopeless
8. Guilty as Charged
9. The Cross-Bone Flag
The total playing time is 50 minutes. The character of the sound is heavier and maybe a little darker than it was in our previous releases. So far, everything is OK with our label, considering that it is a small underground label, which has an immediate impact on its budget.
Have you got anything to add?
I'd like to send a great thank you for the time and opportunity to make us heard through Flesh Perverse (hmm... even the zine's name has changed since summer. - Ed.). Keep up the great work. I wish the best for the future. Everyone, keep your minds and ears open!
Official MUTINY Homepage
Interview taken by KRASNIY.
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