HORRIFIED – Interview with Stavros

Hi Stavros! I would like to ask you something that many people wonder about… When you released your previous album “animal” your name had the chance to get heard a lot in the metal scene and the fact that you had played at rockwave festival that year along with manowar, mercyful fate, sodom and immortal made many people waiting for your next album. Why did it take you so long and you missed the chance of a bigger audience? You can say that this also happened and with our previous album, right?

Yes, almost the same thing happened! We are a band that has no goals. We do not work on a schedule. And i mean there are no “must do something” in Horrified.

So, you are just considering yourselves and when you feel ready to release an album only then you do it?

Yes. We release an album only when we feel ourselves we are ready to do it. If we release an album because we have to release it that will be a move lead by pressure and this is something we do not like to happen.

But I think that every band should take into consideration when they will release an album. In times that the band is having good promotion there is a good chance for a new release.

We are only interested in the result, the good material and not the right timing. Because we do not care how much we are going to sell. Of course we care about this but it's not our main goal.

This can be noticed in your music. You do not compose “hits” but songs that need time for someone to understand them. You have no radio hits or music that will approach easily everyone. And this happens especially in “Deus diabolus inversus”.

Thanks for your words. I think you are right. “Animal” was a more simple album than our new one.

I would like you to tell me a few words about the title of the album? How did you end up to this one?

“Deus diabolus inversus” is the alternative solution of god. In general, the album has an alternative concept.

What exactly do you mean alternative?

The alternative side of most things of our life. For example there is a track that has to do with the alternative side of dreams. Like what is reality and what is dream. There is a track talking about the alternative side of love which describes it with a very different and hard way. This is “Doperman”. Look! “Deus diabolus inversus” is the centre of all these as a track. There is also a track concerned about the alternative side of space. Space is something that cannot be defined and we all see it from our point of view. And when we are in a young age we more identify with it. You get s me messages which you feel more intense. There is also a track considering about the alternative side of the power of human beings with “insects” track. All these mean that your alternative side may be a very little organism that is able to be much more destructive than you.

Ok. In matters of production and artwork I suppose you must be satisfied. I think there has been a very good work.

Yes. We are very satisfied! We like and tried to have a concept in lyrics, artwork and production. We wanted them all as one!

I believe that your label, Black Lotus supported you in your try.

Yes, of course. We are very happy with our label and we had full support in everything we did. We are not in the greatest label but we are happy with our co-operation .

Do you believe that your latest release is your best album ever? This is a common question. And it has a common answer, right?

Yes, but i would like you to explain it to me. I can see that “Deus diabolus inversus” is your most mature release but this does not always mean better. In my opinion your debut is the best album of yours even not your more mature one… The term mature is a complicated term. Maturity means how can you see things around you and turn them into music. If we had released this album in the “in the garden…” Era nobody will liked them. Every album was good for its year. I do not believe our previous releases were not mature. It is a matter of time.

I did not say that. Let's say that you are not a member of Horrified and you are just a metalhead. Which album would you like most?

Look, talking as Stavros I prefer the new one. I listen to it all the time and I do not feel tired. When you compose something new you feel the need to express yourself and it is more likely to listen to it and prefer it. Now as a fan… There are fans that will appreciate more our debut, others “animal” and other our new one. I want to believe that most fans will appreciate the new one. “Deus diabolus inversus” is also a release that is not easy listening. There are many people that do not want to do this. They just want to listen to some “hits” and that's all. I would advise these people not to buy our album because they will not like it and there would be no reason spending their money. This album is for people who like “searching” an album.

Do you believe that art is “stealing” from life or life is “stealing” from art?

This is a very good question because they are both influenced by each other. Art is something that people need to create and they are surely influenced by life among them. Also when someone sees the piece of art may be influenced from it. So both things happen but there is a difference. Life is everything right? When you are influenced by life, you are influenced by everything. But this doesn't mean that your piece of art will influence also everyone. So, I think that art is most “stealing” life. Especially in our times when there are no values, nothing. Art does not exist for many people.

Have you arranged any live shows?

We are going to play a live show with Rotting Christ in Athens and we want to have a tour in Greece. You see people in country are warm. They do express their feelings. We like it this way.

I would like you to tell me some thing about your first years in Horrified.

What I can remember and I liked is the passion and the good times we had in studios. Of course now, we are more concerned about a good result. Past times we just wanted to have fun. Especially in studio.

So, thanks for your time and I will see you in the concert to talk again!!!

Nice to have talked with you Andrew. I hope I can see you in Argos too!!!