The Total Sound Of The Undergound

Lelahel Metal

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?

 We are now in the the middle of the process of promoting our album. The CDs are here, I hope the vinyl will come next week as well. We hope that this will draw the attention of some more listeners to us. This is followed by one or another concert. I hope there will be more in the coming weeks. Our second video for the song "Seven Times" could also help. It will be released soon. We also started the songwriting process for the next album. We definitely won't get bored.

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.

We are very grateful to the people who support the less well-known bands on their way. Thank you very much for giving us the opportunity of this interview!

https://akroasis.ch/

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