Interview with HOR - FILTHY DOGS OF METAL

13 Jan

!!!HELLENIC RAW & MISANTHROPIC BLACK METAL!!!

We had a conversation with Orphion. Enjoy!

Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.

Hi Filthy dogs of Metal. Ophion here, Thank you for this interview.

1. Tell us a few things about HOR (Members, Starting Year etc).

HOR was formed in November of 2017 from Me and THRONE. We’ve been in other projects but due to constant differences with the other members we decided to form a new band and to follow the view that we had about our band and black metal. We wrote songs which was the “Exitium” album that released a month ago.

2. You have recently released your new album ''Exitium''. What is the Feedback from your audience as well as from the Press?

Well the feedback is great so far from fans and it was something that we didn’t expect it in this level. We are confident for our music and our abilities but without ever releasing any album, demo etc. before, we wouldn’t expect this reaction in a month from the album release. We appreciate the support that we receive so far from friends around the globe and we’re glad that we communicate with many of them and share our views, ideas about black metal music. The Press was also good to us, great and only positive reviews so far.

3. Label or DIY and why?

Well there is not a right answer to this question. We know bands with a label that get destroyed from the awful promotion of the label and bands who did everything on their own and had a positive result. The ideal for us is to have a collaboration with a label that shares our view about our music, not trying to intervene to things that has to do with band’s music and collectively to try to achieve the maximum. We’re lucky so far in this matter. We have the perfect balance I guess with the labels that we collaborate.

4. Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?

I’m on old school fan. I collect vinyls and tapes mainly and in lesser degree CDs. I cannot get attached with digital music at all. When I buy a record I spent hour checking the artwork, lyrics, thanks of musicians, details of the album and all that stuff while I listen to it. Digital music is very comfortable for most people nowadays and I can understand it. You have a walk and you want to listen to a specific album. You download it in a minute and you listen to it whenever you are. That sounds cool but it’s not for me. When you have the record in your hands you have a deeper connection with the album and I do not change that feeling for any comfort in the world that digital music can offer.

5. Your music style is Black Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)

As fans of this music we love hundreds of bands. The truth is that I cannot name one band that has a special influence on us. It’s obvious that we adore the Norwegian black metal sound of the 90s but we didn’t ever think that we want to play like BURZUM, IMMORTAL, DARKTHRONE etc. We love all these bands and surely they have an influence on us as many other bands that we love, but the truth is that I cannot name a specific band as a specific influence. As Artists above all we hail Quorthorn. He didn’t stick to a thing or style and didn’t try to play like a specific band. He followed his path and open new doors to the rest of us who listen and play black metal.

6. Which things, do you think, a Band should sacrifice in order to succeed?

It depends on what you mean success. The minimum things that you have to sacrifice in order to have an album out is time and money. You have to dedicate yourself in a goal and you have to sacrifice time from your friends, hobbies, family, you spend money without earning them back (most of the times). For us, success is the fact that we have the album out and people’s and press feedback is awesome. This thing that there are people out there that we communicate with through our music and we have make new friends from around the globe and share views and ideas about music and not only, is a success for us. Even more when our album is close to become sold out with this sale progress which means that this companion of friends is getting bigger and bigger.

7. Describe your ideal live show as a performance Band. Have you already experienced that?

No we haven’t performed and we do not intend to do so in the instant future. The ideal live show!? Hmm… I really do not know…When we will have the need to communicate with people through this way by performing live, I will think of it that time. Surely, the most important things in a live performance is the good sound, unstoppable head banging and to have connection with the fans in a black metal way.

8. Which attributes, do you think, that a new Black Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?

As I said before, not to try imitate a favorite band or bands. We have many bands that we love and spend hours and hours listen to since we were teenagers, but when we started writing music we didn’t said we should sound like this band or that band. We play what we feel and we try to express ourselves the best we can in order for us to feel better. It’s our psychotherapy in a way. When you achieve this, then you know that the music that comes out is real, authentic. All your influences and all the music that someone carries in his head-soul is incorporated in a mysterious way through him and the outcome is unique even if it has sometimes obvious music influences. Big or small metal bands that release music not for self-expression but for money or try to write songs that are “catchy” because they think people will prefer are not authentic and people feel it. It’s not their “truth” or their feelings in there. Most of these albums are weak because they luck authenticity and it’s impossible to gain any identity in this way.

9. Do you believe that Bandcamp and other Digital Platforms help the new Black Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a Band to promote its work?

There is no ideal way. Every band has its path. Something that is good for me it’s not necessarily good for you. For us bandcamp is an access path to fans to reach out our music (vinyl, CD, Cassettes etc). Someone would say touring is a great way of promoting your band even if we do not want to tour (for now), press reviews are also great. Labels can do a great job if they know how to do it properly. It is very important for the band to choose its collaborations carefully. But there is no ideal way of promoting.

10. Tell us a few things about the New Underground Black Metal Scene in Greece (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)

Greece was always an active place for underground black metal music. Personally, I prefer more the bands that are around now (the last 10-15 years) than the underground black metal bands of the 90s (with some obvious exceptions of course). Another thing that we like is that most of the black metal underground bands now, they play true black metal even if you like their music or not. In 90s, each band who had brutal vocals was labeled as a black metal band. Most of them weren’t even close a black metal band.

There are a lot of webzines who supports the scene and their work is valuable and enough metal/rock bars especially in Athens where I live. All these bands-webzines-fanzines-clubs keep the flame alive in a way.

11. What it means to you Black Metal?

Black metal for me is a rebellious nonconformist art of expression.

12. What are your future plans?

We have some ideas here and there, when we feel the time is right we will enter the studio to write new songs.

13. Thank you very much for your time & Keep up the good work! The closure is yours.

Thank you for this interview.

By Steve the Filthy Dog.