Discover the Greek-inspired journey of Akroasis with Marcel Knupp as he unveils the band's mythological essence, musical evolution, and resilient spirit in this exclusive interview.
1. Your
band name, Akroasis, has a deep meaning rooted in Greek interpretation,
signifying both "the hearing" and "the heard." How does
this concept influence your approach to music creation and performance?
One of my
favourite bands is Obscura. They released an album called “Akróasis”. I knew
the meaning, which I think fits the music perfectly. As artists, we try to
convey something with our work. But what resonates with each individual can be
very different and is characterised by their individual experience and
therefore their attitude towards what they hear.
We liked
the term so much that we wanted to use it as the band name. As Obscura had also
borrowed its own name from an album by another metal band (Gorguts), we felt it
was legitimate to do the same. The step to lyrics about Greek mythology was not
far away.
2. Your
debut album, "Ilion," explores episodes from the events surrounding
the Trojan War and the homecoming of Odysseus. What inspired you to delve into
Greek mythology for this album, and how did you weave these narratives into
your music?
The
overarching theme of Greek mythology was a result of the band's name. I started
the lyrics with an episode from Homer's Iliad and soon realised that the story
of Achilles and Odysseus was so rich that you could have made several concept
albums out of it. I then selected a few episodes from the prehistory of the
Trojan War and the Odyssey and wrote the lyrics bit by bit. Of course, I tried
to choose the content according to the mood of the songs. We organised then the
track list for "Ilion" chronologically according to content to have a
concept album at the end.
3. Your
upcoming album 'Hubris' was released on March 28, 2024. Can you give us a
glimpse into what listeners can expect from this new record in terms of themes,
musical direction, and any notable changes or evolutions from your previous
work on 'Ilion'?
"Hubris"
has become a thematic concept album. All of the songs are based on a story in
which pride and disregard for divine laws has led to punishment by the gods.
The stories of Oedipus, Antigone, Tantalus, Daedalus, Icarus, Prometheus,
Niobe, Narcissus and King Minos are included.
After the
recordings for "Ilion", our singer Robin Hermanek left us.
Fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long before we were able to recruit
Mike Brügger for this task. We had known him for a long time and the
collaboration was excellent right from the start. Mike develops his vocal lines
himself and I then write the lyrics to his phrasing. It's a bit time-consuming,
but it works very well. The vocal parts are even more organically integrated
into the songs as a result. Mike uses his voice in many different ways, but
clean singing is not one of them. This and the songwriting and production make
the songs seem harsher, but they also get to the point more quickly. The
Akroasis-typical melodies can still be found in the guitars. Musically, a lot
has changed.
4. With 'Hubris' on the horizon,
how do you envision this album fitting into Akroasis's musical journey and
contributing to the band's artistic legacy? What are your hopes and
expectations for the reception of this new release by your fans and the broader
metal community?
For us, "Hubris" is a clear further development. The first reactions to the album and at concerts were pretty enthusiastic. There were also a few people who missed the melodic vocals, but most people like the path we've taken. I hope that we can introduce Hubris to a wider public and are of course very grateful for the opportunity to present the album here.
5. Could
you walk us through your songwriting process? How do you collaborate as a band
to craft your sound, particularly considering the diverse elements of Thrash,
Death, and Power Metal present in your music?
So far,
Christof Schafer (lead guitars), Gerhard Baeriswyl (drums) and I have been
providing the basics for the songs in the band. These are then arranged by
everyone together in the rehearsal room. As soon as Mike has suitable vocal
lines, I write the lyrics. But we are very open to other approaches to songwriting.
Musically, of course, the preferences of the individual band members are
incorporated.
Thrash and
melodic death metal form a common denominator, but there is also black metal,
progressive metal, tech death, techno thrash and much more. Hänsù has the
broadest range. He also likes to listen to music that can't be categorised as
metal.
6. Your
album artwork, depicting scenes from Greek mythology, is captivating. How
important is visual storytelling to your music, and what role does it play in
enhancing the overall thematic experience of your album?
It is very
important to us to present an album as a complete work of art. This also
includes suitable artwork. We were lucky enough to find the Spanish artwork
artist Mayte CG. She has already designed the iconic cover and the entire
artwork for "Ilion" in exchange with us. We were also blown away by
the idea for the cover with the fourteen arrows from the story of Niobe. We are
very happy that we can once again make LPs and CDs that represent the music in
a great way.
7. Marcel
Knupp, you're a Latin teacher in real life, and your passion for Greek
mythology is evident in your music. How does your academic background influence
your lyrical themes and songwriting?
It
definitely influenced the subject matter we wanted to deal with. I've always
had a soft spot for mythology and Greek mythology in particular. Of course, I
have already been confronted with many topics through my studies and my
teaching work, but writing the lyrics definitely led me to delve deeper into
the subject matter.
8. Collaboration
seems to be at the heart of Akroasis, from your band formation to your
recording process. How do you navigate creative differences and ensure that
each band member's voice is heard in the final product?
This is
actually not always easy. We all have our ideas and a certain perfectionism.
However, the most important thing is that everyone can contribute as they wish.
Fortunately, we know each other and our preferences very well. Of course,
creative differences still have to be worked out and if you don't like
something, it's also important to communicate that. In the end, we always find
a solution that everyone can fully support.
9. The
COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many plans, including your first planned gig. How
did this challenge impact your band's trajectory, and how did you adapt to
continue creating and sharing your music during such uncertain times?
We have had
to overcome many uncertainties and crises since the band was founded. Our credo
was to always fight and keep going. Even though our first concert was cancelled
due to Covid 19, we were able to use the health crisis positively for the band.
We prepared our first album during the summer of 2020 and could enter the
Little Creek studios well prepared.
10. What's
next for Akroasis? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations on the
horizon that you can share with your fans?
11. Lastly,
what message or emotion do you hope listeners take away from your music,
especially those who may be experiencing it for the first time?
We hope
that the listeners will feel the energy and the dedication we put into the
songs and that they will enjoy our music. We love to play live and hope we will
get more opportunities to present the songs and exchange the energy with the
public.
Akroasis CH (@akroasis_ch) • Photos et vidéos Instagram
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