The Total Sound Of The Undergound

Lelahel Metal

Explore the genesis of Psyanide's name and sound, delve into their musical philosophy, and discover their aspirations for the future in this exclusive interview.

1. Can you share the origin story of Psyanide and how the band's unique name reflects your musical philosophy and themes?

We all come from a small town from Greece called Katerini. It’s a small city that profits mainly from the tourism industry yet is riddled with really closed-minded people. Being what is still considered there to be “troubled youth” we never were close to popular around our peers, as most  people who listened to metal were (and most probably still are).  When we first started the band we desperately needed a way to  to let all our anger and fury out so we got together, most of us already being in local thrash bands, and decided to approach our musical curiosities in a new way. In our first time in the studio we were supposed to play Crystal Ball from Candlemass and since no-one really practised the song our singer got mad and screamed in the mic and we new from that point on that we were going that way. We named the band Mutilated Corpses at the time and started playing all around in any place that we could. Growing up in a society like this though took a huge toll on us, our social angst and shaped our political and philosophical ideas so we knew that we had grown out of our name. By the time we hit the recording studio for the first time our songs were much more about society, politics and the environment. The decline of our economy due to corruption, forest fires destroying our nature, racist attacks on refugees etc. had us viewing humanity as a whole, poisonous and  soon the named Psyanide was born.  

2. Your music is described as melodic death metal with a focus on intricate melodies and bone-crushing riffs. How do you balance these elements to create a signature Psyanide sound?

It’s mostly due to the different musical backgrounds of our guitarists. One of them, Kostas, is a huge metal fan, finding and sending us the heaviest most rhythmically crazy and progressive bands he can find. I think by now you can call him an extreme metal nerd. He writes extremely fast and aggressive riffs and solos. The other one of them, George, pretty sure is the only one in the band who had a degree in music, is more interested in melodies that people will sing along to, intricate intros and outros for the songs and has a really artistic approach to our music. Still, no matter whether they bring a whole song or just a riff, the final product will be a mosaic of their original idea, handcrafted by all of us.

3. The themes in your music delve into the degradation of human life, environmental catastrophes, and social inequalities. How do these philosophical concepts influence your songwriting and the overall atmosphere of your music?

When we finish working on the musical parts of the songs, even when they sound particularly angry or sad they’re just that. Angry or sad or maybe even “happy” music. But when the lyrics come along, the songs start to build their own characters. By sharing and discussing the lyrics themes and ideas behind the songs we tend to go back at their structure and try to let these things collide in a way so that the final song kind of reveals itself. There are times when a message needs no music to make its point and times when feelings need no words so we let music do its thing.   

4. Psyanide's first EP, "...A Violent Stating," gained attention in the Greek scene, leading to numerous support act opportunities. How did the reception of your debut EP shape the band's early journey, and what lessons did you learn from those experiences?

For us, 2014 was a crazy year because it was the first time we had to actually travel to play live. Many people starting approaching us and tried to convince us that they had the thing we so much needed to get to the next stage or to play more shows or offered the best advice and opinions for our music, our looks or our stage performances. Luckily we had grown close to a guy from Thessaloniki, a way bigger city but also a cultural hub and a great place for any art to grow to this day, who was already in the local music industry and mentored us away from other people’s negative opinions, ill-willed comments and misleading advice. So in a way “A violent stating..” was for us a huge lesson on who to trust and why.

5. Your debut album, "I Declare War," received critical acclaim and was featured as the album of the month in Greek Metal Hammer. How did this recognition impact Psyanide's trajectory, and how did it feel to share the stage with legendary bands like BIOHAZARD, CALIBAN, ROTTING CHRIST, and SUICIDAL ANGELS?

Our first album was by far one of the best times of our lives. Our wildest goals and plans were coming to fruition. As you noted, finding our album on the pages of a magazine our us, our friends and older brothers and  fathers used to collect seemed crazy. By that time we were getting notifications that our album was hitting top 10 on digital platforms around Europe and it seemed like we were finally given our chance. We started headlining and organizing our own shows,supporting bigger bands in other cities around Greece apart Thessaloniki and our home town. In a way “I Declare War was our ticket to the rest of the world.

6. Psyanide faced the disappointment of the "Swiss Invasion" tour cancellation due to Covid-related restrictions. How did the band cope with this setback, and did it influence the creative process for your upcoming album, "Vertigo"?

In a way we lost hope. The weekend we were supposed to play abroad for the first time was the same weekend Greece got into lockdown. We had our bags ready and mostly thought that we should go play in Switzerland and were okay with living in the airport for the following weeks but it was not as simple as that. When we gave up hope we canceled the shows, the first and only ones we ever canceled and slowly locked ourselves up like the rest of the planet. On the first lockdown period we were almost out of contact from each other and focused on making it through the pandemic. This turned out to be a great period for a deeper look inside  

7. Speaking of "Vertigo," your second full album was released on January. Can you give us a glimpse into the themes and evolution of sound we can expect from this new release?

I think the best way to put it is that we’ve grown up. Both musically and s individuals. Lyrically the album delves in more esoteric spiritual themes, loss and by now we’ve pretty much have a picture of where we stand both socially and politically. On the music front, the riffs and tempos are more complicated, the melodies and different kinds of parts are more thought out and less spontaneous  without compromising the aggressiveness of our songs. In a way our music grows up in the same way we grow up.

8. Psyanide recently signed a deal with WormHole Death Records and Extreme Management Group. How do you anticipate this new partnership will impact the band's global presence and the direction of your musical career?

It was our time to take everything in a more serious manner and start thinking through how we were going to get our music out there. When WormHole Death sent us the contract we knew that we now have something in our hands. Under their direction and influence a global distribution plan was put together and by now for the first time ever we have our cd’s from the USA all the way to Japan. By the time the album was out, we’ve realized that we couldn’t book as many shows as we wanted or a more specific  method to market our music for radio play across the world so that was the time EMG stepped in and with the help of our dear manager Damien Mitchell we are currently setting up a plan to do so. As the band grows, things that need to be done are added all the time and having professionals take over the areas that we would normally fuck up by ourselves is extremely helpful!


9. Given the mystical shroud that Psyanide's music creates, how do you approach translating that atmosphere into your live performances, and what can fans expect from your shows?

We like to describe our shows as an extreme metal party. We like to have fun on stage and always keep on our minds that we need to make everybody have fun. We take concerts seriously and try to put on the best performance we can without overthinking it. We’ve been doing this since before highschool and are pretty sure about our stage performance at this point. By now we’ve set up a team of professionals who take care of everything, from our light show to the sound quality and always stay behind the our merch booth so that we can have fun with the people who approach us. So, if you’re gonna stand back and watch the show you should expect a really good time, but if you come close  to the stage and try to keep up with our headbanging and stage dives you should expect a really bad time for your neck the next day!

10. Psyanide's sound is influenced by both the European and American death metal scenes. How do these diverse influences contribute to the band's identity, and are there specific bands or artists that have particularly inspired Psyanide's musical journey?

 It’s not easy to pick one band, from one genre because we all grew up or into different musical backgrounds. Our music and shows are the outcome of years of listening to music from across the world. Bands like Machine Head, Death, Gojira, Lamb Of God, the haunted, At the gates etc surely played a role on who we are today but the truth is that if we tried to write all the bands and songs we’ve drawn inspiration from this interview would go on forever.  

11. The band has a loyal fan base in Greece and Europe. How do you connect with your audience, and what role do your fans play in shaping the Psyanide experience?

There is no way we could ever efficiently express our gratitude to the people who have supported us in our journey. We’ve had people who’ve traveled across Greece to catch our shows, who have everything we’ve ever released as merchandise, shared our music more than we ourselves have. Our fans are the driving force behind our band and we could easily say we wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for these people. While on stage, nothing can connect you more to your audience than genuinely having fun together with them, stage -diving and moshing alongside everybody. After a show, when everything is packed and our stuff is ready for the next day, there is no better way to connect than getting hammered at a local bar alongside the people who came to your show, and sharing stories with everybody.

12. With a brand new album and international collaborations on the horizon, what are Psyanide's aspirations for the future, and how do you envision the band's growth in the global metal scene?

The best way to put it would be the exact same words we’ve used in our first meeting with WormHole Death. Can we book 365 shows in a year? That’s our goal, constantly  touring around the world, go into the studio to write new music and then back at touring. The day we managed to get to that point I think we will have fulfilled our aspirations. We love meeting other people and bands from across the world and creating long lasting friendships in places people wouldn’t even imagine. We are constantly going to other shows and supporting other bands by getting their merchandise. We believe we are all in this together!

Thank you for your time! This was really fun to do and we hope to see you all soon up close and personal in a show!

We Are The Underdogs


Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post

Formulaire de contact