Interview with STYGIAN PATH
!!!HELLENIC EPIC HEAVY METAL!!!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Thank you for the invitation! It’s our pleasure to be here!
Tell us a few things about STYGIAN PATH (Members, Starting Year etc).
Stygian Path is an epic/heavy metal band from Athens, Greece. It was formed in 2022, by five friends, who have collaborated in the past in different bands, and share the same passion for creating music and performing on stage. The band members are Panos (Vocals), Manos (Bass), Alex (Drums), Dimitris (Guitars) and George (Guitars). We have known each other for many years, going back to our school and college days. After various attempts to create music in musical projects/bands, it was finally in April of 2022, when the stars aligned and the correct pieces fell into the right place. The band was originally created by Panos, Alex, Dimitris and George, and conducted the first live appearance in September of 2022. In the following month, Manos joined the band covering the position of Bass player. And thus, the Stygian Path was born.
You are going to release your first full length studio album ''The Lorekeeper''. Tell us a few things about this project.
As soon as the band was created, the vision to compose original music was clear. Based on the member’s musical influences, the preferred style was the epic/heavy metal, and the creating process started immediately. The chemistry was obvious from the first moment, and new ideas kept rising, so slowly, eight (8) songs were created to form the first full length album titled ‘The Lorekeeper’. Crushing riffs, melodic patterns, epic choruses and storytelling lyrics are some of the elements that can be found in the album, inspired by the realms of mythology, fantasy and reality. The story-driven nature of the tracks and the figure on the front of the cover artwork, generated the title ‘The Lorekeeper’; A Wanderer of worlds; A storyteller of tales and adventures that can be heard in the album.
Label or DIY and why?
Definitely, both options have a positive and negative aspect, especially for new bands. A DIY approach gives the band the flexibility to produce and promote its music in its own way, using the available digital platforms, without restrictions and limitations. There is no intervention on the music creation process and on the frequency of the album released, as well as no contract obligations. On the other hand, it is challenging for a new band to achieve a great promotion and physical distribution result of the album, without the network of a label. The label can be a great partner for the band in terms of sharing and distributing the music on an already established broad network, assisting the band to reach a new level. In our case, we took the second option, and searched for a label to form a strong alliance. This aspiration came to life with Eat Metal Records, a historic Greek label with many years of experience in working with heavy metal bands. It is important to say that this label is one of the very few labels that really support bands and understands the challenges of these early steps, therefore we thank Greg (EAT METAL RECORDS) for his mindset of how heavy metal should be. As a consequence, we strongly believe that through this partnership, our music will reach a broad audience and help the band to grow even further.
Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
For sure! There is always something that goes wrong during an album recording or a live show that could create a funny story! During our last live show in Chania Rock Festival, we travelled to a Greek island called Crete by ship, bringing a car with us. Upon the departure day, we had to pack our luggage, gear and merch in the car (almost 20 cases), and we soon realized that there was no space for us anymore! Therefore, when we arrived at Crete, we had to split into different groups and use the bus to go to the hotel. The return trip was even worse, because we didn’t have the convenience of the car, so we had to carry everything back by bus to the port, which took us hours! It was funny and tiring at the same time, but also a small piece of what performing abroad means.
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
While we enjoy the convenience that the digital format is offering, along with the digital platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube etc, we consider ourselves as old school guys. Therefore, our clear preference is all types of physical format of an album and our favourite is the Vinyl presentation. There is an almost ritual process of opening the Vinyl, placing it on the turntable and listening carefully to the music, while reading the lyrics that have no equal. Plus, the sound quality of the music coming from the Vinyl is impeccable. On the other hand we grew up with CDs and cassettes, so there is clearly a nostalgia about both of them! Regarding our album, on March 3rd, it will be available on a CD format and on all digital platforms, but our target is to issue a Vinyl version as well in the near future.
Your music style is Heavy Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
The band’s influences originate from many different styles and artists. Although we are a Heavy Metal band, our music is a combination of multiple components which can be found in the full Metal genre spectrum. From the traditional Heavy Metal icons, like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Manowar, to epic Power Metal bands, like Blind Guardian, Helloween, and Rhapsody, we are inspired by their powerful songwriting and captivating live performances. Darker elements are also present in our music, coming from bands like Primordial and Rotting Christ, that create a ritualistic atmosphere.
Which things do you think a band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your band?
That’s an interesting question! The idea of success can be different from band to band, depending on the goals and objectives that they set. If the goal of the band is to become professional and do this for living, the level of sacrifice is greater than a band that is playing as a hobby. The main challenge for a new upcoming band in 2025 is to find a balance between daily life and keeping the passion for music creativity. All band members have daily jobs, which take a significant amount of time and energy but are necessary to ensure their livelihood, and the financial viability of the band. The expenses to rehearse, produce and promote music are high, as well as the costs for gear and travel costs for performing outside the band’s main location. In the meantime, the members should still find time and joy to practice and to compose new music, trying to achieve the best possible outcome. Additionally, even though the digital distribution offers the opportunity to share your music worldwide, the bands are bounded by their physical location and their style, so a heavy metal band in Greece doesn’t have the same options as one in Germany or Italy. In a nutshell, if a band wants to pursue the dream to become professional and live from its music, it should be ready to sacrifice their daily jobs and free time, and devote all of their time and effort to music, perform live constantly in multiple countries and if necessary relocate to another country to unlock new opportunities. In our case, we define success as being able to create music and perform on stage as much as possible, receiving positive feedback from the audience, without the expectation of a professional career at the moment. Therefore, even though we dedicate much of our time to music, we do it with joy and excitement, so we don’t consider it as a sacrifice. We just enjoy the moment!
Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
We think it’s safe to say not yet! For us, an ideal live show would be to perform on one of the great stages which host our favorite bands in front of thousands of people. The main stages of major festivals like Wacken, Hellfest, Bloodstock etc are just some examples, while being able to perform our setlist in full with the appropriate stage decor, and opening for one of our icons, like Blind Guardian. The specific setting offers the unique feeling of performing on the same night and stage with the band that inspired you to start playing music in the first place, on a historical metal festival, and in front of thousands of metal fans from all around the world. On the other hand, smaller festivals such as “Keep it true” have a different feeling as you can play alongside with active bands at your level, so a friendship might arise. The chance to experience such an amazing moment would be the biggest award for us, which we will remember forever.
What attributes do you think that a new Heavy Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
The Heavy Metal genre has been around for over 50 years, so it’s difficult for a new band to be able to stand out. Iconic bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Manowar and many more forged the foundations of the style and became the main influences of all of us. While being inspired by such bands, a new band should try to differentiate their style and offer something new to the audience and to the genre. The sound of the band in terms of guitars, bass and drums needs to be a field of continuous improvement. With time and dedication, each player can develop a characteristic sound and style of playing that can be easily identified by the listeners. The tone of the voice is something unique that the band can build upon, along with interesting vocal arrangements that do not follow the usual direction. During the creation process, there should be no rules and guidelines. The band should follow its instincts, allow all potential ideas to be brought to the table and let whatever feelings come from the heart to be translated into music and lyrics. Finally, the band should spend time and effort to prepare a strong live show, with an excellence in execution mindset. It is the band’s biggest asset to be able to offer a passionate performance which will captivate the audience and leave them with the desire to come back.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Heavy Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
Yes, and no. Today, the Digital Platforms are the main tools for sharing and promoting a band’s work, news and activities. First of all, they offer a quick music distribution all around the world, no matter where the band is located. The capability of releasing a new song or album, which can be available for streaming everywhere is amazing, and assists the band to reach a wide audience and build a worldwide fan base. Secondly, the platforms are easy to use for the bands and the followers, which helps the band to use them fast and effectively to deliver new material and the followers are notified immediatelly. However, we strongly believe that the ideal promotion of a band’s work is the live performance. For the band as well as for the audience, there is nothing more powerful and meaningful than a strong live performance of the band’s music. Being able to deliver a high quality show, meaning a great execution of the songs along with a passionate stage performance, would imprint a vivid memory of the band and the music to the audience, that is stronger than the streaming experience. Therefore, along with the music availability on digital platforms, which is necesary, a new band should work on their live performance and seek to present its work on stage as much as possible to enhance the band’s promotion and grow their fan base.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Greece (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
We are going through a period, when the underground metal scene in Greece is really thriving! There is a wave of new metal bands from all kinds of styles (Heavy, Power, Death, Black, Symphonic). New songs or albums are being released almost every day, and constantly new gigs are being organized, either with new bands only or with established bands and new ones as opening acts. These gigs are being held not only in Athens, but in various cities in Greece, like Thessaloniki, Crete, Kavala, Larissa, Volos etc, where metal clubs can be found to offer the chance to new bands & established to perform live and promote their music. Additionally, the metal audience in Greece can find multiple online websites to be informed about news from the metal world, like webzines and fanzines, as well as hard copy magazines like Metal Hammer, which are offering a platform to new bands to present themselves. Overall, the current period can be characterized as positive for the metal genre in Greece, as more and more people are involved, either as music creators, or music editors or simply fans of the style who love to explore new music and watch bands performing live.
What are your future plans?
For the time being, we are preparing for our live show presentation of our album, which will take place in Athens. We will have the pleasure of opening for the great epic power metal band Domine from Italy, alongside with other bands of the Greek scene. After that, our target is to continue the live performances as much as possible in various Greek cities and ideally in Europe as well. We are pursuing participation in festivals, and individual gigs, willing to collaborate with different bands and meet new people. Apart from that, since the creative spirit never rests, we will start working on new material within 2025.
Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
We would like to express our gratitude for this interview and your kind words! It’s always a pleasure to meet new people with the same passion for metal music and we wish you as well to keep up the great work offering a platform to new bands to present themselves to your audience! Until the next time, up the horns!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
STYGIAN PATH CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/StygianPath
https://www.instagram.com/stygianpath_band/
https://stygianpath.bandcamp.com/track/rhapsody-the-eagle-and-the-lion