Dementia
Dementia is a newcoming
act from Thessaloniki that released lately their first demo work. Musically
the dwell in the dark realm of atmospheric metal, so what better should
we expect and wish for rather than a joyride among the different aspects
of their music?
1. HELLO! A TYPICAL START FOR AN INTERVIEW
BUT NECESSARY NEVERTHELESS. WHEN DID YOU CONCEIVE THE IDEA TO CREATE DEMENTIA?
WHICH ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS OF THE BAND SO FAR? PRESENT THE CURRENT
LINE UP…
Hello Nick! We created Dementia in 2004 in
our hometown Thessaloniki. However, the 3 of us had already been
playing together in an other band since 2002. The current lineup is: Dimitris
Fitsios (guitars/vocals), Greg Zagoglou (bass), Chris Koufelis (keyboards),
and George Sarafis (drums). After having experimented with several musical
ideas and styles, we knew that it was time to concentrate on something
more stable and so we created Dementia 2 years ago, in order to express
ourselves musically and emotionally…So far, we have played several live
shows in Thesssaloniki and Serres but our most important moment has been
the recording of our demo CD!
2. IN THE LETTER YOU SENT ME ALONG WITH YOUR FIRST
DEMO YOU TOLD ME THAT YOU ARE WRITING NEW MATERIAL. WHEN WILL IT BE READY?
The new material is still at an early stage.
So, with a bit of luck and hard work, it should be ready in September or
October 2006.
3. ARE THERE ANY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOUR OLD
DEMO AND YOUR NEW MATERIAL? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU DIDN’T LIKE ON
YOUR FIRST RELEASE AND YOU WILL TRY TO CORRECT ON YOUR NEW ONE?
We never plan how our song structures will
be eventually, so we can’t give a clear answer to that. We can only state
that the new ideas so far are much heavier, not losing their melodic and
atmospheric parts. Moreover, we are trying hard to achieve the best production
we can…
4. DEMENTIA, IS A NAME WITH A LOT OF MADNESS IN
IT. HOW DID YOU CHOOSE IT? DOES IT, IN A WAY, DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND?
The word Dementia somehow represents the madness
reflected by our society. We wanted a name which would represent the bitterness
we feel about the way the world has become... So, Dementia covered all
our needs! It surely describes our music, which depicts all the feelings
mentioned above…
5. MANY NEW BANDS THAT CLAIM TO PLAY ATMOSPHERIC
METAL SEEM TO FOCUS MORE IN THE ATMOSPHERE AND FORGET THE METAL ASPECT
OF THEIR MUSIC. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT? IS THAT A NEW TREND?
Maybe some bands have forgotten the metal
aspect of their sound… But we are not to judge if that is for merchandising
purposes, or because of a new trend… Also, we believe that, in order to
create good music, a musician has to follow the music that comes out of
his soul. If you try to create music that follows a specific direction
on purpose, you’ll most likely fail... Moreover, there are some bands that
have returned to a heavier sound, like Paradise Lost.
6. YOUR MUSIC NOW, ALTHOUGH, IT BELONGS TO THE
ATMOSPHERIC METAL DOESN’T FOLLOW THE LATEST TRENDS, BUT I’D SAY IT’S RATHER
HEAVIER. DO YOU AGREE THAT THIS MIGHT BE AN OBSTACLE FOR YOUR CAREER OR
THIS DIFFERENCE MIGHT HELP YOU TO DISTINGUISH?
Maybe this might be an obstacle for our career,
but we certainly don’t think of changing our sound just to get a record
deal. It would be better if our musical difference drew attention. After
all, music is a way of expression! And our heavy ideas weren’t planned.
They came out while rehearsing…
7. ON YOUR FIRST DEMO YOU’VE CHOSEN TO DO COVERS
OF ANATHEMA, CHARON AND PARADISE LOST. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO COVER THESE
SPECIFIC BANDS? IS THAT A WAY TO SHOW YOUR INFLUENCES?
These bands have been our favorites for ages,
especially Anathema and Paradise Lost. These bands are close to our musical
style. So, we wanted to cover some songs that are close to our style, but
give them a “Dementia” touch!
8. HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE LYRICS FOR DEMENTIA’S
MUSIC? WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM AND FOR WHAT KIND OF THEMES DO YOU LIKE
TO WRITE ABOUT?
They are very important! The lyrics should
always be combined in harmony with the music, so as to show a meaning to
the listener. It’s a part of the music and can’t be ignored! Dimitris and
Greg are responsible for them, and they are about everyday problems and
how they are fought in our lives. Not only of personal concern, but also
social.
9. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE METAL FANS ARE INTERESTED
IN THE LYRICS OR DO THEY ONLY CARE ABOUT THE MUSIC?
We’d like to think that they do care! We can’t
imagine someone for example listening to Tool not caring about the lyrics…
All the essence of the song would be lost this way. Besides, metal is a
music genre whose lyrics are about serious matters and should be given
the appropriate attention.
10. WILL YOU SEND YOUR DEMO TO LABELS? WHAT EXACTLY
DO YOU WANT FROM A LABEL TO OFFER YOU IN ORDER TO CONVINCE YOU TO SIGN
A DEAL WITH THEM?
Our next demo will certainly have better promotion
than our previous one. For now, we felt that it was more important to hand
our demo to the music fans and to reviewers in magazines and webzines.
We think that a record label should show that they care about a band, give
it the proper promotion and cover all the artist’s needs. It doesn’t matter
if the label is big and wealthy…What matters most is the care they show
about the band.
11. ATMOSPHERIC METAL IS A SAD MUSIC. WHY DO YOUNG
PEOPLE LIKE YOU CHOOSE TO PLAY OR LISTEN TO SUCH KIND OF MUSIC? DO YOU
THINK THAT THIS SHOWS THAT THE BIGGEST PART OF THE METAL FANS ARE INTROVERTED
AND ROMANTIC PEOPLE?
It is unquestionable that young people are
a social group that faces all kinds of difficulties in their lives. Some
try to ignore them and pretend to be joyful. Others find in music a shelter
for their feelings and thoughts. That gives them the strength and will
to deal with these situations. Most metallers are indeed introverted
and romantic. This does not make metal fans miserable by any means.
12. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME! PUT THE “EPITAPH” ON
THIS INTERVIEW AND GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BAND…
Thank you for the interview and the smart
questions that gave us the opportunity to present and express ourselves.
Keep up the good work! Everyone who is interested in us should visit our
website www.geocities.com/info_dementia
or contact us at [email protected]
. You can download our songs or order our demo. Any comments,
good or bad, are welcome. Our wish is to hear some good music in
the future, especially from the atmospheric metal scene…
Nick "William_Kidd"
Parastatidis
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